Quinoa Burrito Bowls are an easy weeknight meal made in your Instant Pot. Customize them with any toppings you love!
Unlike traditional burrito bowls, this recipe uses quinoa as a protein-rich alternative to rice. It cooks quickly in the pressure cooker and is relatively hands-off until you’re ready to serve.
As written, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. However, feel free to top it with any protein you love, like baked chicken breasts or leftover taco meat.
You can also wrap it in tortillas as a burrito filling, or serve it with crunchy tortilla chips.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The base of these bowls is simply rinsed quinoa and your favorite salsa. Paired with black beans, it becomes a complete vegetarian meal idea!
Sauteed onion and bell peppers give this dish extra color and flavor, but you can omit them for a faster meal, or swap for any other veggies you need to use up. You could even add a bag of frozen corn, for extra texture.
Just like a traditional burrito bowl, feel free to add any toppings you love, like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cilantro, or guacamole.
How to Make Quinoa Burrito Bowls
Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and add a drizzle of olive oil into the pot. Saute the onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and stir again briefly, just until fragrant.
Press the Off/Cancel button on your machine and immediately pour in the water. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula to make sure nothing is stuck. (This will prevent a burn error later.)
Rinse the quinoa under running water in a sieve for 1 minute or until the water runs clear. This will help remove the saponin in its outer coating, which can have a bitter or soapy flavor.
Pour the rinsed quinoa and salt into the pot, and stir well. Then add the drained black beans and salsa on top, and don’t stir it.
Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the Sealing position. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 1 minute. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize.
When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. This is when the quinoa will finish cooking, without sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the screen reads L0:15, move the steam release valve to the Venting position.
The floating valve in the lid will drop when there is no more pressure in the pot. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Adjust any flavoring to your taste, adding extra salt or a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve warm with any toppings you love, like fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, or a dash of hot sauce. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook quinoa on the stove, too! Simply use a medium saucepan to saute the pepper and onions, then bring the liquid to a boil when you add the quinoa, beans, and salsa. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat, but don’t remove the lid for 5 more minutes. This will ensure the quinoa is perfectly cooked, without burning to the bottom of the pan.
Yes, of course! Feel free to add chili powder, garlic, dried oregano, or smoked paprika for extra flavor. You can also use 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth instead of water, if you prefer.
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Try my Instant Pot Vegan Chili, Lentil Curry, Mashed Potatoes, or Lentil Soup for more ideas.
Instant Pot Quinoa Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ red onion , diced
- 1 red bell pepper , diced and seeds removed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup quinoa , rinsed well
- 1 cup prepared salsa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans , drained and rinsed
- Optional toppings: Avocado , guacamole, fresh cilantro, green onions, salsa, lime wedges, shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot, using the "Saute" setting. Saute the onions and peppers until start to soften, about 5 minutes, then add in cumin and stir for another minute. Press the Off/Cancel button right away.
- Add in the quinoa and water and stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom. (This will prevent a burn error later.) Add the salsa and beans on top without stirring again. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to "Sealing."
- Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and cook at high pressure for 1 minute. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes when the cooking cycle is complete, to let the quinoa finish cooking, without burning to the bottom of the pot. When the screen reads L0:15, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
- When the floating valve in the lid has dropped, it's safe to remove the lid. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then serve warm with any toppings you love, such as avocado, diced onions, salsa, and shredded lettuce.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can quickly reheat on the stove top, or serve cold!
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Quinoa Burrito Bowls, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turn out for you.
This was INSANELY good! Used medium salsa, absolutely perfect!
I’m not sure what went wrong, I cooked it for 12 min on low pressure and then let the pressure release on its own without touching the valve. And the quinoa is still crunchy. Any tips?
My guess is that the pot didn’t initially seal or fully come to pressure. Sometimes the sealing ring in the lid can have an issue and won’t seal the pot, and for some reason the Instant Pot will still start a countdown in some cases. I would give it a stir and try cooking it again at high pressure for 1 minute to see if it will seal. (Check that the floating valve next to the steam release valve pops up.) If it does, let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes after the 1-minute cook cycle and the quinoa should be cooked.
This happened to me too. Maybe it’s our names 😂 but yeah, some of it was crunchy and uncooked still. Some was cooked. Maybe I’ll try it for a few more min next time. At least it didn’t burn this time, so that’s an improvement from my first try!
Yeah, I tried it again. The 12 minute time jus doesn’t work for me.
I’ll add to the numerous posts and say this is simple and good, but it’s also a launch pad for what else you can include. I add garlic, carrots, and corn, but you can add just about anything to it. I am making it this evening with some celery that needed to be used up. I always add spicy guacamole as garnishment at the end and sometimes it becomes just vegetarian when I add cheese. Well done, and thanks for the great website.
Loved this recipe! If I want to double it would I double everything cumin?? also double the water? Don’t want it turning to mush!
I made this dish & it was delicious!!!
Nutritious, inexpensive (especially if you cook the beans from dried in the Instant Pot first.). Easy to make with local ingredients. Delicious.
This looks great! I’d like to double the recipe though. Does anyone have advice on whether I need to adjust cooking time?
Thanks!
Soo yummy! I didn’t have salsa so I cut up 2 tomatoes and put those in instead! Absolutely delish.
Fabulous and so easy to make. I used multi-color toasted quinoa. Didn’t have to rinse quinoa.
Thank you for a very tasty meal on a cold Colorado evening.
Made this over the weekend and it was fabulous! Might try to add more crunch next time, but haven’t decided yet on what that might be.
Used Mango salsa from Aldi, and wow- so amazing! Also doubled recipe, cooked on High for 4 min, let naturally release for 15. AMAZING
I love your recipes!! Simpl, healthy and great to eat!!
This recipe was amazing! My husband came home from a long work weekend away and said, “I really feel like I need to eat something healthy”, I told him he was in luck because this was on the menu. He loved it and so did I! So easy to follow and only one pot to clean – perf.
Can I double this recipe? If so, how long should I cook it for?
Amy, I’ve doubled it and halved it before and there isn’t a need to adjust the cooking time for either. It turns out great for me every time. Just my experience!
Wow!! I just impressed a dinner party full of meat eaters and vegans alike! I added an extra bell pepper to pump up the veggies and a little less than a teaspoon of chili powder for some more flavor (but I’m not sure it was needed). Served just as suggested and WOW! Everyone had seconds and my instant pot was scraped clean. Will definitely make this again soon! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Thank you so much for this! I’m new to IP and trying to find “one pot” meals that I can make after work. Look forward to making this! Do you have more? Thank you!
My cookbook has more! It’s called the Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. You might also want to try my Instant Pot Lentil Soup and Vegan Chili here on the website.
A great dish! I used vegetable broth instead of water and added garlic, cilantro, sour cream and cheese. I cooked on the rice setting in the instant pot with natural release for 10 minutes. Easy and delicious! Thank you!
This was so easy and absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
Amazing!!
So easy and delicious!
hi. i see two different protein values per serving listed, please advise. this has become my go to recipe, thank you
I am trying new dishes to go vegan. I came across this recipe when I was searching for vegan instapot recipes. It was absolutely delish!! I made it exactly as noted. The only thing I added was the cilantro lime dressing for the lettuce. Will be making this again.
Hi! I just tried this recipe last night and it was good! I was wondering what are the instructions for reheating? Thank you!
If you want to use your Instant Pot, I would just use the Saute function and stir the leftovers until they are heated through again. Should only take a few minutes!
If this recipe was all I used my Instant Pot for, it would still be worth it! I’ve made this 5 or 6 times now, and I’ve halved the recipe, doubled it, substituted canned tomatoes for salsa when I’ve been out, etc. No matter what I do, it’s PERFECT every time. This has become one of our favorite dishes. It’s so simple and yet packs quite a flavor punch. And the kitchen smells amazing when it’s done. Thanks for this gem of a recipe.
Aw, thanks for letting me know! I’m glad it’s been such a hit. I really appreciate your comment!
Mine came out very wet and I followed your recipe exactly. I don’t know what happened
Can you replace quinoa with white rice?
Can i use brown rice instead of quinoa?
Brown rice takes 22 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot, so the cooking time will be a lot longer if you make that swap. But I’m sure it will taste good!
So yummy and it’s quick and easy!!! My whole family loves it!!!
I don’t like salsa…do you think a can of diced tomatoes would work?
Can this recipe be doubled?
This has been part of my Instant Pot repertoire for quite a while. I make it as directed, with hot (spicy) salsa. Easy, fast, tasty and (I think) healthy.
I love this recipe! I’ve been sprouting a little, so I applied that to this recipe. I sprouted Adzuki beans and put them in just liked canned black beans. Worked great and was delicious. Thanks!
So much easier then doing it on the stove. I made this recipe and added some frozen corn at the end. It was delicious and so easy to make.
I love this!! I see the nutritional information but what is a serving size?
If you divide the outcome into 4 portions, that will be your serving size. I’ve never tried putting it in a measuring cup before, and I think it will vary each time you make it depending on the size of the veggies you use.
I LOVE this recipe! Way easier than making rice and refried beans, which even in the instant pot take upwards of an hour due to having to cook them separately. This is tasty, healthier than white rice, and something my fiance will actually eat! We made our favorite guac recipe to go with it along with some shredded lettuce and it was a hit, will definitely make it again.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! We doubled the recipe, used 2 cups of water and ~1.5 cups of salsa (because that’s how much was in the jar – Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica) and cooked on low pressure for 12 minutes as directed. It turned out perfectly! We added frozen corn and chopped olives after cooking. What a great replacement for the rice dish we used to make, since we are trying to cut down on our rice consumption (arsenic).
I make this recipe very often, we love it! My question is, has anyone tried doubling it? I’m curious if it would work- I know doubling instant pot recipes can be tricky!
I tripled it and it worked for me…my pressure cooker is not instapot, but that never has affected any instapot recipes I have tried.
I’m always looking for easy one-pot recipes that are nutritious and flavorful. This was flavorful and will be perfect for meal prepping lunches for the week!
This is easy and excellent! I tripled the recipe and used a can of chickpeas in place of one of the 3 cans of beans (for more variety) and served it with avocado wedges fried eggs and plantains…was a hit with my Cuban husband. I liked it as well. makes great leftovers.
Muy bueno! Gracias ☺️
This came together so quickly and my whole family devoured it! We used the leftovers in wraps. This will be a frequent repeat. Thank you!
Definitly one of my favorite Instant Pot meals. I added sliced mushrooms 3 minutes into sautéing the onions/peppers and sautéed for another 5 minutes. I also used a cup of veggie broth instead of water. Sometimes quinoa is boring, not in this recipe. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
Perfect vegan bowl.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Thank you. I used a chipotle salsa which added some spice.
So good! I added roasted diced sweet potatoes and corn after everything was cooked.
This recipe is amazing!! We make it at least once a month. Soo good! I love eating leftovers cold for lunch right out of the bowl or warmed up and rolled up in a wrap with a bit of melted cheese. I’ve served it for an appie night too – with little bowls and spoons or with some chips to scoop it with. Hands down it’s a family favourite. Have shared this recipe with lots of friends too.
Easy. I did stovetop method. A little bit bland so next time i’ll use a spicier salsa. Usin the left overs in a concoction of my own.
Hi I loved this and it turned out great. However, I got sick and lost my appetite before I could finish it. Can I freeze it?
This is one of my favorite recipes. It’s easy, filling and delicious. I add avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream and more salsa. I then eat it with Juanita’s tortilla chips. Mmm
This is a delicious dish but it makes a lot! Since I cook for myself only, I’d like to cut the recipe in half. I know I need at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid so any suggestion as to how I can do this?