Healthy, filling and so easy to make, this Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa is a delicious one-pot meal. Quinoa, beans, corn and peppers cooked in Tex-Mex style in just 30-minutes. This vegan and gluten-free dish is perfect for school lunches, picnics and potlucks too.
30-Minute Vegan & Gluten-Free One-Pot Meal
I love recipes that are high on flavor and super low in effort. THIS is one of those dishes. It takes me roughly 28-30 minutes to make this delicious quinoa burrito bowl in the Instant Pot, out of which 20 minutes are hands-off cooking time!
This dish is inspired by my Mexican Rice recipe. One time, I was looking for ways to add protein to some leftover Mexican Rice for my kids' lunch. I realized that if I make this recipe with quinoa instead of rice, it'll be a complete one-pot meal since quinoa is a great source of protein!
Also, all ingredients in this recipe are vegan and gluten-free, which makes this a great healthy one-pot entree or a side dish. I even entertain with this recipe whenever I'm cooking a Mexican inspired meal. I serve it with Veggie Fajitas or Salsa Chicken, and it is always a hit.
Great for School Lunches, Picnics and Potlucks
This recipe hits a home run when it comes to school lunches, and I'm speaking from mommy experience. Whenever my girls take this for lunch, I always get a 'recipe share request' by one of their friends... which makes me wonder, how much of that lunch are THEY eating ????
It's also a great recipe for sharing at picnics and potlucks. Here's why:
- All ingredients in this recipe are vegan and gluten-free, which makes this a crowd-pleaser.
- It stays good at room temperature, so no need to worry about refrigeration during warm days.
- Easy to carry, no drips or mess, which makes this SO easy to transport. I transfer it in a large salad bowl, cover that with a lid. Done!
- Easy to customize for everyone with a variety of toppings, like, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, chopped jalapenoes, onions etc.
How to Make Mexican Quinoa in an Instant Pot
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this easy-peasy one-pot meal in the Instant Pot, or any comparable electric pressure cooker:
Step 1: Finely Chop onions and peppers. Rinse quinoa for 10--15 seconds under running water, drain well and keep aside. (Picture 1)
Step 2: Saute Onions, garlic, chopped jalapeno and chopped peppers for 1 minute. Add spices including salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika and cayenne, and saute for another 30 seconds. This brings out the flavors of the spices. (Picture 1)
Step 3: Add drained quinoa, rinsed and drained black beans, frozen (or fresh) corn and salsa to the pot. (Picture 2)
Step 4: Add a cup of water and stir well. Close the lid, and set the vent to 'sealing' position. Pressure cook at high pressure for 2 mins. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, after which release remaining pressure manually (QR). (Picture 3)
Step 5: After the pin drops, open the lid and fluff the quinoa using a fork. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with your favorite toppings. (Picture 4)
Toppings for Mexican Quinoa
This Mexican quinoa is flavorful enough as-is, but toppings is what makes this a fun recipe, especially for my kids.
We all customize our quinoa burrito bowls by choosing from a variety of toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado etc. Here are some of our favorite choices:
- Guacamole (kids' #1 topping)
- Homemade Salsa
- Pickled sliced jalapeno (hubby's favorite)
- Chopped onion and cilantro
Tips for a Perfect Mexican Quinoa
- I use canned black beans in this recipe. These can be substituted with pinto, kidney or white beans as well.
- If using dry beans for this recipe, cook them separately. You would need about ¾ cup dried beans for this recipe.
- To substitute taco seasoning in this recipe, replace all the spices with 2 tbsps of your favorite taco seasoning brand. You may need to adjust salt based on your seasoning contents.
- For best results, I recommend adding salsa in this recipe. But if you're adding crushed tomatoes, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder (or taco seasoning) to enhance the flavor.
- This recipe works great for school lunches, potlucks and picnics. For potlucks, I keep the toppings in separate containers, to be added to individual bowls just before serving.
- This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Mexican Inspired Recipe from My Kitchen
- 3-Ingredient Salsa Chicken
- Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
- Mexican Rice
- Creamy Black Beans
- Arroz Con Leche (Dessert- Mexican Rice Pudding)
You might also like: 13 Quick and Easy Cinco De Mayo Recipes
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Mexican Quinoa in Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon garlic crushed, about 2 cloves
- 1 cup onion chopped, 1 medium onion
- 1 cup bell peppers chopped, red/yellow/orange/rainbow
- 1 jalapeno de-veined, de-seeded, chopped
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained, 14.5 oz can
- 1 cup frozen corn , or fresh
- 1 cup salsa , or crushed tomatoes (see notes for details)
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed in a sieve
- 1 cup water
Spices
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika regular or ½ teaspoon smoked
- ½ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste, or skip
Toppings (optional)
- Pico de Gallo, sour cream, chopped avocado, onions or cheese.
Instructions
- Finely Chop onions and peppers. Rinse quinoa for 10–15 seconds under running water, drain well and keep aside.
- Saute Onions, garlic, chopped jalapeno and chopped peppers for 1 minute. Add spices including salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika and cayenne, and saute for another 30 seconds. This brings out the flavors of the spices.
- Add drained quinoa, rinsed and drained black beans, frozen (or fresh) corn and salsa to the pot.
- Add a cup of water and stir well. Close the lid, and set the vent to ‘sealing’ position. Pressure cook at high pressure for 2 mins. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, after which release remaining pressure manually (QR)
- After the pin drops, open the lid and fluff the quinoa using a fork. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
Tips for a Perfect Mexican Quinoa
- I use canned black beans in this recipe. These can be substituted with pinto, kidney or white beans as well.
- If using dry beans for this recipe, cook them separately. You would need about ¾ cup dried beans for this recipe.
- To substitute taco seasoning in this recipe, replace all the spices with 2 tbsps of your favorite taco seasoning brand. You may need to adjust salt based on your seasoning contents.
- For best results, I recommend adding salsa in this recipe. But if you're adding crushed tomatoes, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder (or taco seasoning) to enhance the flavor.
- This recipe works great for school lunches, potlucks and picnics. For potlucks, I keep the toppings in separate containers, to be added to individual bowls just before serving.
- This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Daniel says
The Quinoa did not fully cook. Tried to rescue the dish but I failed miserably. Had to order take out.
Aneesha says
Hi Daniel, sometimes if the quinoa is really old, it takes longer to cook. Have you cooked that batch of quinoa in other recipes yet? The reason I ask is that this recipe has been successfully tried by many readers.
Savitri says
Made this recipe last week. Delicious!
I skipped the cayenne because of the kids.
I did use the 1 tbsp chili.
It wasn't too spicy, it was fine for them.
Unfortunately 1 daughter did not like the recipe.
The other half of the twins and I loved it!
As a topping we used vegan grated cheese and your recipe "Easy guacamole".
Thank you Aneesha!
💋Love from The Netherlands,
Savitri & the twins👩👧👧
Aneesha says
Hi Savitri, perfect! So glad you and the twins enjoyed it! Thank you!
Sara says
Looks delish! Is it spicy? I see that that is chilli powder. I am planning to iss mild salsa.
Aneesha says
Thank you Sara. I wouldn't call it spicy, but you can skip the cayenne to make it mild. And the Mexican chili powder is more for flavor than heat. Try it without cayenne, hope you enjoy it!
Josie says
This is so delicious. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Aneesha says
Hi Josie, thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
scottjl says
Very tasty, easy recipe. But twice trying to cook it I got a "BURN" notice from my IP, had to turn it off, open the lid and scrape the burnt bottom. Any suggestions on how to avoid this? I used a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes and 8oz water and I still was getting BURN. Recipe is great though, this is a keeper.
Aneesha says
Hi Scott, I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Since there is enough liquid in this recipe (juice from tomato + water),the only possibility could be that your cooker didn't seal tightly. Sometimes, if the sealing ring isn't snug enough, it causes the liquid to evaporate before the cooker can come to pressure, resulting in the burn error. This recipe has been tried by many readers and so far no one had that issue. I would recommend checking your sealing ring once. Thanks for your feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed the taste!
Savitri says
I have taken into account the comment about the "Burn" notice in this review.
That's why I used 1 1/2 cup of water instead of 1 cup of water (and I used 1 cup of salsa, so no can of crushed tomatoes) and luckily I didn't get a "Burn" notice from my IP Duo60.
Zackary says
Just attempted this recipe and got the BURN notice as well. Aneesha is exactly right, it was the seal. When I tried again, I noticed the float valve was still down and you can hear it sizzling and trying to build pressure. Then I grabbed the handle on the lid and pressed down on the whole pot, and instantly the pressure built and the valve popped up! Nothing got burned. I think after the pot has heated for so long and not built pressure, it just gives up and sets the BURN error. Hope this helps someone. Recipe is very tasty, thanks!
Aneesha says
Hi Zackary, I'm glad you were able to save the dish with your quick thinking. So happy that you enjoyed the recipe- thank you!
Betsy G. says
Excellent recipe. I made it using Penzey’s Cajun Seasoning since that’s what I had on hand. 🙂 Delicious!
Aneesha says
Hi Betsy, thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it and even put your own spin on it. I'm definitely trying that with Cajun seasoning next time!
Anaya J says
Came out delicious! I packed leftovers for lunch 🙂
Aneesha says
Hi Anaya, I am so glad you enjoyed it. Even I packed this for kids lunch today 🙂