Instant Pot Spanish Quinoa

One Pot meal that can be made in the Instant Pot; this recipe for Spanish Quinoa is delicious, easy and no-fail! 

Perfect for making tacos, burritos and quesadillas or as a complete meal with some beans and sides. Move over Spanish Rice and make this bowl of Spanish Quinoa. 

One Pot meal that can be made in the Instant Pot; this recipe for Spanish Quinoa is delicious, easy and no-fail! 

Perfect for making tacos, burritos and quesadillas or as a complete meal with some beans and sides. Move over Spanish Rice and make this bowl of Spanish Quinoa. 

Quinoa has been around for a few years and it has been used in so many recipes. It makes such a great substitute for rice in so many dishes. 

I use quinoa for many recipes that would traditionally be made with rice. From using in burrito bowls and making quinoa fried rice to quinoa kofta and soups; quinoa is used quite often in my kitchen. It also makes a great substitute for sabudana in this quinoa sabudana khichdi.

The earthy flavor of quinoa makes it versatile to use in many recipes. Plus, it is pretty bland and easily absorbs the flavors from the cuisine that it is used in. And not to forger; quinoa is a seed and not a grain. This makes it perfect for a grain free, Vegan and gluten-free low carb diet.

Jump to:

• What is Spanish Rice
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Serving
• Recipe FAQs
• Sides to serve this with
• More Tex-Mex dishes to try
• Instant Pot Spanish Quinoa

What is Spanish Rice

Spanish rice is actually not Spanish at all! 

In fact Spanish rice is actually a Mexican side dish using a handful of pantry essentials; this red rice or Arroz Rojo is a must-have for entrees or with beans.

It is super easy and quick to make, comes together in minutes and has only a handful of ingredients that are not hard to procure. 

There are several recipes to make this rice; I have an Instant Pot Spanish Rice recipe that we love for any Mexican meal.

Why this recipe works

• It is a great substitute for rice in your meals.
• The recipe is naturally Vegan.
• Moreover, it is naturally gluten-free.
• We can make this in under 30 minutes.
• It makes a great side to serve with beans, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
• Moreover, it also is a great filling for enchiladas, tacos, burritos or quesadillas.
• The recipe is super quick and easy to make.
• This Spanish Quinoa recipe remains hands-free when using the instant pot. 
• The ingredients in the recipe can be easily swapped with those at hand.
• We can make this ahead of time.
• This one is perfect for lunchboxes and it is amazing to make as part of meal prep.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Quinoa: It is easy to use any color of quinoa you have for this. Either of white, tricolor or a blend of these work well. Just wash the seeds a few times so that the bitter outer cover is no longer present and the end result is perfect.
• Oil: Use any unflavored oil for the recipe. I generally use either avocado oil or olive oil for the recipe. Moreover, butter works well too.  
• Garlic: Like most Mexican recipes, this one has garlic too. While fresh pods minced well or garlic powder work well for the recipe; the flavor from fresh garlic is definitely better. 
• Onion, Pepper: Add red, white or yellow onions and peppers of whatever color you have. However, an easy substitute for all the chopping is to use some store bought pico de gallo.
• Salsa: Any jarred chunky or smooth salsa works great. Fire roasted tomatoes can be used instead of the salsa too. Moreover, if you make salsa at home, that can be added too.
• Tomato Paste: This is optional for the recipe; however, I strongly recommend it for taste, flavor and color. Skip if you do not have it.
• Taco Seasoning: An easy way to replace a ton of seasonings is to use store bought taco seasoning. It adds a lot of flavor and taste. In case that is not handy, simply add some powdered garlic, paprika, cumin and oregano.
• Water or Stock: While either of the two to cook the quinoa; I generally stick to homemade vegetable stock as it adds a lot of flavor.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté'. Let the display read hot. Then add oil, and once it heats up add garlic, onion and peppers. Sauté and cook till the garlic loses its raw flavor.

2- Then add the quinoa.

3- Also add the taco seasoning and salt and mix well.

4- Then add the vegetable stock, jarred salsa and tomato paste. Do not stir.

5- Change mode to pressure cook; close and seal the lid and set time to 1 minute. Once the cooking is complete, let all the pressure release naturally. Then open the lid.

6- Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork.

7- Let the quinoa stand for a few minutes and then remove from the instant pot

8- Serve topped with cilantro.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Make sure to rinse the quinoa well. Rinse under running water till it runs clear. If the top coat is not washed away, it will make the final dish bitter.
• I like to add 1 cup water or stock for 1 cup quinoa. However; if you like your quinoa mushy, add ¼ cup extra water or stock.
• Substitute salsa for fire roasted tomatoes if desired. Also garlic powder works in place of fresh garlic too.
• Plus, add some beans and corn if you want to make fiesta Spanish quinoa. These need to be added along with the quinoa.
• The recipe is easy to double; simply double the ingredients keeping the time to cook same.  
• We can easily make the same recipe using rice. Either substitute all the quinoa with rice or use a mix of both. The cooking time goes up to 4 minutes instead of 1 minute as seen in the recipe.
• The prepared quinoa can be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Freezing it keeps the quinoa good for a couple of months.

Serving

The prepared quinoa is a super versatile one. We can easily serve this with just a side of refried beans or pinto beans.

Plus, we can make a delicious bowl that has these elements: Spanish quinoa, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and some shredded cheese. Moreover, we can use these quinoa to prepare a bunch of recipes; tacos, burritos and even enchiladas.

We can make this Spanish Quinoa ahead of time. Simply bring it to room temperature and pop into a lidded container. Refrigerate for 5-7 days and use as needed. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

Sides to serve this with

Here are some delicious sides to serve with Spanish Quinoa. Together these are perfect to make a complete bowl for a meal.

More Tex-Mex dishes to try

Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!