Instant-Pot Quinoa

Put your multicooker to work! This nutritious, delicious quinoa is a weeknight go-to.

Quinoa is one of my favorite starches. I use it as a replacement for rice or orzo, and I’ll even swap it for the penne in my cold salads. You could call it the goes-with-everything side. It’s super healthy, and it’s got a lot of character too—earthy and sweet, with a texture that’s both fluffy and toothsome. If you know quinoa, you might even have found yourself thinking that it’s like no other grain. And there’s a reason for that!

You may have heard quinoa called one of the “ancient grains,” which is actually misleading: Ancient it is, having been cultivated for over 3,000 years, but it’s technically not a grain at all. Go figure! Grains need to come from plants in the grass family, while quinoa is a member of the amaranth family, which includes spinach and beets. But don’t worry, if you refer to it as a grain (or even a whole grain), you’re not likely to be corrected. Because of how it’s cooked and served, and due to its nutritional qualities, it’s usually lumped in with grains, even by nutritionists.

A great thing about quinoa is that it’s already pretty easy to cook. But enter the Instant Pot, and getting it just right is even simpler. Using the pressure-cook function on the machine results in fluffy, perfectly distinct grains with no guessing about when it’s done. It’s a great timesaver for any night you’re scrambling to get things together and want a healthy side on the table. We kept this recipe simple—just water, salt, and quinoa—to streamline it and make it compatible with anything you’re serving. We let quinoa be quinoa here, but definitely customize it as you go forward!

Is Instant-Pot Quinoa Healthy?

Quinoa is remarkably healthy and an excellent alternative to lower-nutrient grains like white rice. Although it’s technically a seed and not a grain, quinoa is often compared to whole grains nutritionally. Like whole grains, it’s packed with fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like iron and magnesium. It’s also higher in protein than most whole grains, boasting almost twice as much as brown rice. This recipe cooks the quinoa with no butter or oil and only your choice of added salt, keeping it very low in fat and letting you control the amount of sodium. The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. So is Instant-Pot quinoa healthy? Absolutely!

Do Different Colors Of Quinoa Cook Or Taste Different?

Although white quinoa is the most common and typically the cheapest, you can also find quinoa in red, black, or tricolor mixes in specialty stores and larger supermarkets. And while each has very slightly different nutritional qualities, the good news is that all varieties cook about the same. When it comes to taste and texture, you may find slight differences between the varieties. While all types of quinoa are known for their nutty and lightly sweet flavor, white is considered the mildest, red is often described as the nuttiest, and black is frequently called the sweetest. White is usually deemed the fluffiest, with red and black considered chewier and better for cold dishes like salads or grain bowls. And why try the tricolor mix? It looks fabulous on your plate, particularly if the rest of the meal is overwhelmingly brown (like a stew) or basically green (like a salad).

Serving Suggestions

Any place you’d serve rice is almost always a good place to swap in quinoa. Try it with curries, chili, and stir-fries. But you can also go to some places you wouldn’t with rice. Try these amazing Sweet Potato Quinoa Veggie Burgers that use nutritious quinoa as a binder. And a little-known fact about quinoa is that it makes a super-crispy golden crust on foods like cutlets and even tofu. Try this Quinoa Crusted Chicken Recipe to get the idea. And finally, you can’t beat these Slow-Cooker Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Bowls for a brilliant mix of flavors and textures.

Recipe