Instant Pot Quinoa Egg Bites
Fluffy, sturdy egg bites studded with cooked quinoa, sharp cheddar, sweet bell pepper and scallions, steamed in the Instant Pot. They're great for meal prep and freeze well.
- Prep
- 24 min
- Cook
- 32 min
- Wait
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 21 min
- Makes
- 14 egg bites (made in 2 batches of 7)
Steps
Before you start
- Use cooked, cooled quinoa. You need about 3/4 cup (140 g), which is roughly 4 tablespoons (45 g) of dry quinoa cooked in water and cooled. Leftover quinoa works well.
- This recipe is written for a 6-quart Instant Pot and a 7-cavity silicone egg bite mold (about 1/3 cup / 80 ml per cavity) with a lid. With one mold you cook two batches, so the batter waits while batch 1 cooks.
- Shred the cheddar from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking starch that makes the bites slightly drier.
- If your mold has no lid, cover it tightly with foil so condensation doesn't drip onto the eggs.
Set up the pot
- Pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into the Instant Pot liner and set the steam rack/trivet inside with the handles up.
- Brush the cavities of the silicone mold generously with the softened butter or oil, including the corners, so the bites release cleanly.
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Ready when: Every cavity has a thin, glossy coat of fat and the rack sits level in the water.
Tip: Don't skip greasing, even on a nonstick silicone mold. Eggs with quinoa and cheese can stick.
Prep the fillings
- Grate the cheddar on the large holes of a box grater.
- Dice the bell pepper into 1/4-inch (6 mm) pieces and thinly slice the scallions.
- Fluff the cooled quinoa with a fork to break up clumps.
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Ready when: Pepper pieces are small and even, and the quinoa is loose rather than clumped.
Tip: Keep the pepper dice small. Large chunks make the bites crumble when you unmold them.
Whisk the egg base
- In a large bowl or a 4-cup (1 L) spouted measuring cup, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper for about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform pale yellow with no visible streaks of egg white and a few small bubbles on top.
Tip: Whisk gently rather than vigorously. Too much air makes the bites puff high and then collapse into a spongy texture.
Stir in the fillings
- Add the quinoa, cheddar, bell pepper and scallions to the egg mixture.
- Stir with a spoon until the solids are evenly distributed.
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Ready when: Quinoa and vegetables are suspended throughout the egg, not clumped on the bottom.
Tip: Stir again just before pouring each batch, because the quinoa and cheese settle quickly.
Fill the first mold
- Stir the batter, then spoon or pour it into the 7 greased cavities.
- Fill each about 3/4 full (roughly 1/4 cup / 60 ml), distributing the solids evenly.
- You'll use about half of the batter.
- Snap on the lid or cover tightly with foil, then lower the mold onto the rack using the trivet handles or a sling of foil.
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Ready when: Each cavity is about 3/4 full, leaving room for the bites to puff.
Tip: Overfilling makes the bites merge into each other and stick to the lid.
Pressure cook batch one
- Lock the Instant Pot lid with the valve set to Sealing.
- Select Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 8 minutes.
- The pot takes about 8 minutes to come to pressure first.
- When the cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
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Ready when: After venting, the lid opens easily and the bites are puffed, set, and spring back when lightly pressed. An instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Open the lid away from your face, since the steam is very hot. Wipe any condensation off the lid so it doesn't drip on the bites.
Cool and unmold batch one
- Lift out the mold with the trivet handles, using oven mitts.
- Let it rest on a wire rack for 3 minutes (the bites will deflate slightly).
- Blot any moisture from the tops with a paper towel, then run a small knife around each bite and pop them out onto a plate.
- Meanwhile, wipe and re-grease the mold.
- Stir the remaining batter well and fill the 7 cavities as before.
- Cover and lower the mold into the pot.
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Ready when: The bites pull away from the silicone and lift out whole.
Tip: The water in the pot should still be about 1 cup deep. Top it up to 1 cup (240 ml) if it looks low.
Pressure cook batch two
- Lock the lid with the valve on Sealing.
- Pressure Cook on High for 8 minutes.
- The pot will come to pressure faster this time because the water is already hot.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remaining steam.
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Ready when: The bites are puffed, set in the center, and read 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Tip: If the centers still jiggle, put the lid back on without sealing and let them sit for 3 more minutes in the residual heat.
Unmold and serve
- Lift out the mold and let it rest for 3 minutes.
- Blot the tops, run a knife around each bite and unmold.
- Serve warm, 3 to 4 bites per person.
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Ready when: Bites are warm, firm and lightly golden-yellow, and they release cleanly.
Tip: Eat them while warm, or cool completely on a rack before storing so condensation doesn't make them soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Make sure the quinoa is cooked until the little spiral tails appear and drained well. Wet quinoa leaves pools of water in the bites.
- Natural release matters. A quick release makes egg bites puff aggressively, then collapse and turn rubbery.
- If your mold doesn't have a lid, foil works, but tent it loosely upward so it doesn't touch the batter.
- To test for doneness without cutting, press the center of a bite gently. It should feel firm and spring back, not wobble.
Make ahead
"Cook the bites up to 5 days ahead, cool completely, and refrigerate. You can also cook the quinoa 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature or use it chilled, but fluff it before mixing."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freezer: freeze on a tray until firm, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Reheat from frozen, covered with a damp paper towel, for 60 to 90 seconds, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).
Substitutions
- sharp cheddar cheese → Gruyère, pepper jack or Monterey Jack. Use the same weight; pepper jack adds mild heat.
- whole milk → Half-and-half, plain unsweetened oat milk or water. Half-and-half gives a richer bite. Water gives a slightly firmer texture.
- red bell pepper → Finely chopped baby spinach or sautéed mushrooms. Squeeze cooked vegetables dry and use 1/2 cup (about 75 g) so the bites don't get watery.
- cooked quinoa → Cooked brown rice or couscous. Use the same amount, cooled and fluffed.