The Best Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Any Way You Like It
This recipe will walk you through the four basic steps of making pork tenderloin in your Instant Pot: seasoning, searing, pressure cooking, and making a sauce from the pan juices. Once youve got these steps down, you can swap out the rub below for your personal favorite blend, use wine or beer in place of broth, or even enhance the sauce with a little mustard or apple cider vinegar. In short, this recipe is infinitely adaptable.
There are a few things youll want to keep in mind when cooking pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot. The first is that you need some kind of cooking liquid in the pot during the pressure-cooking phase. You can use water, but broth, beer, or wine will flavor your pork while it cooks, and make for a delicious sauce. Secondly, keep in mind that while the pork only cooks on high pressure for one minute, the pot will take 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure and then naturally releases for five minutes.
Once youve released the remaining pressure, test the pork tenderloin for doneness with a probe thermometer ;youre looking for 145ºF. If you need to, you can place the lid back on the pot to let the carryover heat cook the pork to doneness. One to two minutes does the trick for larger pork tenderloins.
What Kind Of Pressure Release To Use For Instant Pot Pulled Pork
With long cooking meats, a natural pressure release is always best to lock in the flavor and prevent the meat from drying out. If you are in a hurry, Ive found that a 10 minute natural release, followed with a quick release gets similar results.
Learn more about natural verse quick pressure release in my post.
Pressure Cook Pork Roast
The last step before you pressure cook your pork roast is to put everything back into your pot! Pour the onions and garlic into the wine sauce, stir and then place the Instant Pot metal trivet into the bottom of the pot.
Add in your sprigs of rosemary and place the pork roast on to your metal trivet. Thats IT! Cover your Instant Pot, seal it, and cook on high pressure for 70 minutes.
Don’t Miss: What To Cook In Instant Pot
How Much Water Do I Put In Pressure Cooker For Meat
When you use a pressure cooker, you need to have enough liquid in the pot for it to come up to pressure and cook the food properly. The rule of liquids in pressure cooking is to always add at least 1 cup of liquid unless the recipe states otherwise. The liquid will help create enough steam to cook the meal.
Why Are My Instant Pot Pork Chops Tough
Pork chops are usually quite lean and will become tough once they are overcooked. For best result, you will want to use bone-in pork chops that are well-marbled. The bone will act as a shield for the surrounding meat. A thicker cut of pork chop will work better in the Instant Pot as it is less likely to overcook.
Also Check: How To Cook Chicken Breast In Instant Pot
How Long To Cook Pork Tenderloin In The Instant Pot
Pork tenderloins vary in size. While they are usually between 1 ½ and 2 pounds, they can be as small as 1 pound.
- If your tenderloin weighs between 1.5 and 2 pounds. Set your Instant Pot for 3 minutes . When the timer is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 12 minutes.
- If your tenderloin weighs 1.25 pounds or less. Reduce the pressure cook time to 1 minute, followed by the same 12 minutes of natural release.
The biggest mistake when making pork tenderloin is overcooking.
- Use an instant read thermometer to gauge when your pork is done.
- Err on the side of less versus more cooking time. You can always cook the pork longer if needed, but once it is overdone, there is no going back.
- Let carryover cooking be your friend. Pork is considered safe to eat at 145 degrees F. I like to remove mine when the pork reaches 135 to 140 degrees F, then let the carryover cooking finish the rest.
- Speaking of restmeat needs to rest after cooking to allow the juices to reincorporate into the meat. If you cut it early, youll lose that beautiful moisture.
Serving Smothered Pork Chops
Id love to serve these pork chops on a platter smothered with their golden onion gravy, but I have a 6-year-old who is in an onion-hating season, so she gets a plain chop while the rest of use get individual pork chops with plenty of gravy. But thats the real gift of these chops even if you choose to skip the onion gravy on a serving, the chops will still be fork-tender and oh-so juicy.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Hoppin John In Instant Pot
How To Cook Pork In The Instant Pot:
- Season: In a bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. You may use a fork to ensure that no lump remains and that the mixture is almost homogeneous. Then, rub this mixture all over the roast and set it aside.
- Brown: Using the sauté function of the IP, heat some oil and brown the seasoned meat. Sear each side for a couple of minutes. Set it aside.
- Deglaze: Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan by pouring in wine first.
- Cook: Stir in the aromatics, then, add in the broth, the herbs, and the meat placed on top of the trivet. Seal the lid and set it to High for about 70 minutes.
- QPR: Perform a quick pressure release and add in the vegetables. Cook some more for another 3 minutes.
- Set: Do another quick pressure release and remove everything except for the liquid.
- Thicken: If you like, you can add slurry into the liquid at this point. When the desired consistency is achieved, you can then serve the meat with this sauce.
- Serve: Garnish and then, serve.
What Is An Instant Pot
Despite the name, an instant pot will not cook your food instantly . However, one way to describe it in very few words would be a smart pot that can take the place of all other pots in your kitchen.
We already mentioned how these appliances can be used to replace pressure cookers, rice cookers, steamers, or yogurt makers, and its easy to understand why it has gained so much popularity in recent times, given how convenient it is and how much time it can save you.
At first glance, an instant pot may look like a regular electric pressure cooker, and you wouldnt be that far from the truth. It comes with a locking lid that seals all the food ingredients inside the pot, and as the water inside heats up, it evaporates and turns into steam.
However, since theres no way for the steam to escape, it continues to circulate inside the pot, and the added pressure makes the steam seep deeper and deeper into the ingredients, thus cooking them a lot faster than if you simply dunked them into boiling water.
The brains behind an instant pots functionality lie within the microprocessor that receives information from the pots built-in temperature sensors, thus creating a forced feedback control system.
This electronic system is what allows an instant pot to do what it does, including:
- The ability to replace several other kitchen appliances
- Switch between several kitchen appliances via a push of a button
Don’t Miss: What Is L000 On Instant Pot
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe:
As far as meat, I typically use a pork loin roast.; You can also use a pork shoulder if that is your preference.; A lot of people worry about a pork roast becoming tender enough.; As long as you use the right method and ingredients, it turns out absolutely perfect every time!
My general method has always been to slow cook pulled pork, like in the recipe I linked to above.; But, since I’ve become a huge fan of my instant pot, I wanted to try cooking it that way.; Happy to say it turned out great!
If you have time you will add your rub to your cubed pork roast, seal it in a bag, and let it marinate for a good 30-60 minutes before cooking for maximum flavor.; When I make pulled pork in my crockpot, I find that marinating isn’t necessary because all of those flavors slow cook together for hours.; However, for instant pot pulled pork, marinating really is the way to go.
Next, you will heat up your oil right in your pot, sear the meat in batches until browned on all sides.; It won’t need to be cooked through at that point.
Then, you will want to use a small amount of beef broth to deglaze the bottom of your pot.; If you don’t you may end up with that dreaded “burn” warning during cooking.
To deglaze, you’ll simply pour the broth right into the bottom of the instant pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape all of those brown bits off.; This also adds great flavor to continue seasoning your meat as it cooks.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Cleaning Them Is Easy
Its easy to think that time spent in the kitchen is time spent cooking, but many forget about how much time they spend washing the dishes after everyones had their full. Well, thats not something that youll have to worry about when dealing with an instant pot.
You see, they have simple and compact designs, and cleaning them only takes up a couple of minutes . Besides, most instant pots have plenty of non-electric parts, all of which are dishwasher safe:
- The outer surface
- The silicone ring
- The lid
Note: Even with the best maintenance, the silicone rings can develop a smell if used daily over a long period of time, so always make sure to buy extra one. Ideally, they should be replaced about once every 6 months.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Chile In Instant Pot
What Are Instant Pot Boneless Pork Chops
When it comes to my Instant Pot, Im willing to try almost anything in them. These Instant Pot boneless pork chops come out so tender! Instant Pot pork chops are a thick cut pork chop that is seared in the Instant Pot and finished on high pressure. They might not save you much time, but they do free up the oven for other things.
These pork chops are also healthy for you as well as gluten free and low carb.
Instant Pot Pork Cooking Times
Do not let people tell you pulled pork should be cooked for X minutes in the instant pot. NO! You need to take note of how much your pork butt weighs and plan accordingly from there.
IT IS 15 MINUTES PER POUND! I usually take about ½ pound off the total weight for the fat that is removed during trimming.
Pulled Pork Cooking Times by weight
15 MINUTES PER POUND
3 lbs. 45 minutes, 10 min. NR
3.5 lbs. 52 minutes, 10 min. NR
4 lbs. 60 minutes, 10 min. NR
4.5 lbs. 67 minutes, 10 min. NR
5 lbs 75 minutes, 10 min. NR
You May Like: How To Cook Frozen Hamburger Meat In The Instant Pot
Preparing The Pork Roast
Pork roasts generally come tied up or covered with a string netting. This is to keep the meat together in one piece while it cooks. I usually remove all of that, so I can remove the skin and fat cap. Then if the meat isnt in one solid piece, Ill tie it a couple of times with string to keep it together.
I find that pork shoulder is the one that needs to be tied up. Pork leg generally stays in one piece.
In most cases, the roast will come with a large fat cap and the skin left on. I like to remove those when cooking in the Instant Pot. If you were to cook this roast in the oven, it would have time for the fat to render and the skin to crisp up, but that doesnt happen in the Instant Pot.
So grab a large knife and carefully cut the skin and fat away from the meat, trying not to cut into the meat. Its better to leave on a little extra fat, which will help with moistness and flavor.
Instant Pot Pork Loin
Instant Pot Pork Loin Juicy and delicious Pork Loin Roast topped with garlic, butter, and herbs, and cooked to a tender and succulent perfection in the Instant Pot! Make dinnertime way less hectic with this easy Instant Pot Pork Loin recipe. A satisfying dinner on the table and clean up is a snap!;
A Low Carb and Keto-Friendly Recipe.
Also Check: Does Walmart Sell Instant Pot
Best Instant Pots: Closing Thoughts
Our article has come to an end, and we hope that by reading it, youll have a better understanding of what an instant pot is, what it can do, and how you can choose the best one for your kitchen.
More so, remember that there are plenty of other instant pots out there besides the 10 entries from our list, but we concluded that as far as what 2021 has to offer, these are the best as far as the price-to-performance ratio goes. Speaking of price, we also tried choosing entries that will fit a wider range of budget, from the incredibly affordable Instant Pot Duo;to the premium Instant Pot Lux.
Weve written plenty of other guides featuring the best kitchen appliances that you can get, so go ahead and browse our website to find them.
Not only that, but if theres any particular subject that we havent already covered that youd like to hear about, leave us your submissions in the comments section below and well create a guide just like this one in no time.
Serving Instant Pot Ribs
- Instant Pot Ribs, 2 Racks: For a crowd, you can cook two racks of Instant Pot ribs at the same time. Simply place two racks on the trivet, overlapping one inside the other if needed. The pressure cook time does not change .
- Sauce It Up: While you dont *need* extra barbecue sauce on the side, my personal favorite way to eat ribs is good and slathered. Look for sauce without high fructose corn syrupthough I admit that unless Im making the barbecue sauce from scratch, ribs with Sweet Baby Rays do always seem to be a hit.
- Side Dish Ideas: Instant Pot ribs and potatoes is a classic combo. Try these easy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes, make-ahead Crockpot Breakfast Potatoes crispy Baked Fries, or keep it simple with potato chips.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook An Artichoke In An Instant Pot
Best Instant Pot Pork Roast
Not only do you guys LOVE our Instant Pot recipes, but you love recipes that feed a lot of people and are easy-peasy. This Instant Pot Pork Roast is both of those things.
Not only will this Instant Pot Pork Roast please our fancy-pants Fit Foodie readers, but our Midwestern friends will be pleased as well. Because its a Pork Roast, eh . You cant make a pork roast without the perfect cut of meat! So, lets talk meat.
How To Cook A Pork Roast In A Pressure Cooker And Instant Pot
Learn How to Make a Pork Roast in a Pressure Cooker and on an Instant Pot!. We give you different recipes so you have plenty of options to choose from.
Cooking a Pork Roast is a great way to show your family how much you love them, get together, and share a great time. We give you different Recipes and Tips to cook the pork, so you can get all the chances to get together and get some quality time with your favorite people!
Just for Today Get the IP DUO for $79.00
Summary:
Read Also: Which Instant Pot To Get
Why Use An Instant Pot
Instant Pots are basically a home cooks cheat machine, using the power of pressurized cooking to turn long cooking times into a delicious meal incredibly easily.
The biggest challenge of making any dish involving pork shoulder is getting enough heat into the collagen in the tough meat so that it becomes delicious rather than rough and chewy. The extreme pressure Instant Pots create makes cooking pork shoulders an absolute breeze, turning what could be a multi hour cooking process into only 60 minutes.
How Do You Shred Pork Easily
Pulling pork in any pulled pork recipe is essential! The best way to pull pork is to use two forks. With the forks facing against each other, take a pork chunk and with one fork, hold down the chunk and with the opposite fork scrape at the flesh of the pork meat. You should see thick strands come apart.
As you continue and get used to it, you will be able to start using both forks to shred at the same chunk of meat for a double shred. This makes the process quicker.
The beauty of pulled pork is that there is no messing up.You can even use clean fingers if desired. Be sure to wear gloves if you choose to pull pork with your hands.
At this point, you can decide to add more BBQ sauce if desired.
**Pro Tip: If you make a lot of pulled pork, you may want to invest in these meat claws which makes shredding meat really easy.**
Thats it. This is how you make the best BBQ pulled pork in the Instant Pot!
Also Check: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn
