How To Cook Meat And Vegetables In Instant Pot

Kale & Other Sturdy Leafy Greens

Kale is the ultimate superfood. You just feel healthy when you eat kale. Its a fact of life. Its actually quite tasty. Most greens are jam-packed with micronutrients that our bodies love. These micronutrients help us stay healthy and avoid deficiency. They also provide antioxidants and help us to naturally detox and fight off oxidative damage. We all know we need to eat our greens. Let the Instant Pot make it easier.

Instant Pot Beef & Veggies Over Rice

October 11, 2018 by Rose Atwater

This Instant Pot Beef & Veggies over Rice is an Asian-inspired dish that has everything you need for a filling dinner: beef, rice, vegetables and a delicious sauce! Its all the good stuff you love about Chinese food made easily at home in your Instant Pot!

For years now weve lived back in my tiny hometown where Chinese take-out is not an option. But we seriously love our Chinese food, so I had to find a way for us to enjoy it more often at home. Years ago I came up with this recipe that I make in my Crock Pot.

Its perfect and delicious and always a hit with every member of my family. But recently I decided I wanted to make a faster version in my Instant Pot! So with minimal changes, Im finally ready to share this Instant Pot Beef & Veggies over Rice .

The best part of making Chinese food at home is knowing exactly what youre eating and being able to customize it for your family. For instance, we love water chestnuts so I always add a can of sliced water chestnuts to our frozen veggies mix. Sometimes we also buy cans of baby corn a favorite for my youngest son.

I also avoid buying the mixes that are heavy on the peppers and mushrooms because theyre not a family favorite.

The cool thing is this is a dish that all of my kids will eat without any complaints! Thats HUGE for my big family

Should I Use Flour Or Cornstarch To Thicken Beef Stew

You can use either flour or cornstarch in this recipe! Whichever way you choose to go, be sure to mix it with cold water first to avoid clumps. And ALWAYS add the thickener after pressure cooking.

Since I grew up eating stew thickened with flour, thats how I wrote this recipe. Stir together the flour and cold water into a slurry. Stir the flour mixture until smooth, add a little of the warm broth from the stew to the flour slurry, and stir some more until smooth. Then pour this whole mixture back into the pressure cooking, again stirring constantly.

However, if you prefer cornstarch thickeners, go for it! Start with 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water and add to the cooking pot. Select Saute and simmer until the stew thickens.

Remember, the stew will thicken as it cools, so you dont want to overdo it.

Recommended Reading: How To Convert Slow Cooker Recipe To Instant Pot

For Whole & Halved Brussels Sprouts:

• Wash your brussels sprouts first. You can choose now to halve them or keep them whole. Halving them will work better if you want a more authentic roasted end result.
• Place a steaming rack or the trivet into the pot along with one cup of water. Then, place the brussels sprouts into it.
• Cook the sprouts on HIGH for 1 minute and follow up with a quick release of pressure. The 1-minute cooking window is better for halved sprouts or small sprouts. Cook for 2 minutes if you have large, whole sprouts.
• Once the sprouts are softened, you can set them aside. Pour out the water you used to cook with.
• Set the pot to saute mode and add 1-2 tbsp. of coconut oil, olive oil or butter . A high smoke point is ideal. Now, add the sprouts back in. You can add a little garlic, lemon or herbs
• Saute until crispy with desired spices and serve.

Pressure Cooker Roast Beef & Vegetables

March 27, 2017 by Rose Atwater

Another great recipe for your Instant Pot is this classic comfort food, Pressure Cooker Roast Beef & Vegetables. There is nothing more satisfying than the classic Sunday dinner meal of a pot roast. The problem for a modern day mother is that waiting 4-6 hours for that roast beef to finish cooking in the oven or slow cooker just doesnt work for our busy schedules. The solution? Making this delicious pressure cooker roast instead!

Use this recipe as a great guide for your favorite cuts of beef or for a pork shoulder. This Pressure Cooker Roast Beef & Vegetables Recipe is sure to become one of your go-to meals that satisfy the whole family.

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You Can Cook Just About Anything In The Instant Pot But It Does An Especially Good Job At Cooking Fresh Summer Vegetables They’ll Retain Their Nutrients And Cook Up In A Flash

Whip up your vegetable side dishes using an Instant Pot, and theyll be ready in a fraction of the time it would take to cook them in the oven or on the stovetop. Its as easy as adding 1 cup of liquid to the pressure cooker, adding your vegetables and sealing the lid.

Unless otherwise noted, use the trivet included with the Instant Pot as a steamer basket and cook everything using the Manual mode set to high pressure.

Why Are You Cooking Vegetables With The Meat Wont They Be Too Soft

I like to add in a small amount of onions, celery and carrots to create a really flavorful gravy, they are only intended to add flavor to the meat juices and are not supposed to be served alongside the meat as they are much too soft to eat.

Ive got directions in the recipe card for cooking additional vegetables to serve with the meat after the pot roast is cooked, it only takes a couple of extra minutes!

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Instant Pot Beef Roast Times & Instructions:

• If you cut your roast into large chunks: Cook on high pressure with the minimum amount of water required for 20 minutes per pound of meat .
• If you cut your roast into smaller chunks: Cook on high pressure with the minimum amount of water required for 15 minutes per pound of meat .
• Optional: Pre-heat oil in your pot on saute mode, and use your favourite dry rub or marinade on the beef. Before setting the pot to come to pressure, sear your meat on all sides to brown and lock in flavour.

Try these recipes: Instant Pot Pot Roast with Potatoes & Carrots or Instant Pot Balsamic Dijon Roast

Instant Pot Saut How To Saut In An Instant Pot

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Sauté How to use Instant Pot sauté mode, plus tips for success. Using this function of your Instant Pot can save you time and help you to make the best Instant Pot meals!

The sauté feature of the Instant Pot is one of the reasons that I love cooking in my Instant Pot pressure cooker. It allows me to make flavorful meals, all in one pot. You can brown meat, sauté vegetables, pressure cook and thicken sauces, all in your Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot sauté mode is fairly straightforward, but I want to answer some common questions and set you up for the best success when using your Instant Pot.

This guide to sauté mode will cover:

If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, start by reading my easy Instant Pot instructions for beginners.

Also Check: How To Cook Ground Turkey In Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pork Chops Times & Instructions:

• Preheat oil in the inner pot on saute and get the surface hot. Season pork chops as desired and sear on either side for 3-4 minutes.
• Add sauces, vegetables, and/or fruit to the pot for a full meal. Here, things like BBQ sauce, potatoes, or apples would work really well. Dont cook with delicate/green veggies.
• Cook on high pressure with at least 1 cup of water for 10 minutes .
• Finish up with a quick release of pressure.

How To Make Instant Pot Pot Roast:

I used a 3lb beef chuck roast for this recipe. It has some nice marbling but not too much fat. I seasoned the chuck roast with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Next, I started browning the roast on both sides on the saute mode of my DUO 6 quart IP. I like to add the oil, then let the IP get nice and hot, then add my roast. I let it brown for 5 minutes per side, then removed it, put it on a platter, and set it aside.

Next, I added the onions and garlic and sauteed them for 3 minutes. I added a few tablespoons of beef stock to the pot to help remove the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

Next, I added the sliced mushrooms and let them saute for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Then, I stirred in the red wine , beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and turned the saute mode off.

Finally, I added the roast to the pot , locked the lid in place, and selected the meat/stew setting for 60 minutes .

After the pressure cook time completed, I allowed the pressure to natural release for 15 minutes. Then I turned the nozzle to Venting to manually release any remaining pressure.

Next, I carefully unlocked and removed the lid, then gently removed the pot roast, setting it aside and covering it with tin foil.

I added the cut up potatoes and carrots to the pot then locked down the lid and pressure cooked them for 4 minutes.

Then I did a quick release and removed the lid.

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Tips For The Best Instant Pot Beef Stew

• Brown the beef so that it gets that delectable crust. Crust = FLAVOR, so dont skip this step. It takes a little bit of patience but will be well worth your time.
• Deglaze the pot and scrape up every brown bit. Deglazing both adds richness to the stew and ensures that you dont receive the dreaded Instant Pot burn warning.
• Use wine if you like. I wrote the recipe for deglazing the stew with beef broth to keep it simple, but you could certainly do an Instant Pot beef stew red wine deglaze instead.
• Pile on the veg. I loaded this soup with lots of healthy vegetables, so it truly can hold its own as an all-in-one meal.

What Is Pot Roast

Pot roast is more of a method than a specific cut of meat. To make it, sear a large cut of beef until browned on all sides, and then cook it with aromatics like herbs, onions, carrots, and broth until its melt-in-your-mouth tender.

You can make this in a Dutch oven on the stove-top, in the oven, in a slow cooker, and in a pressure cooker. In this recipe, we are using a pressure cooker to make the pot roast. A pressure cooker takes the cook time down dramatically.

Also Check: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot

Can You Cook The Potatoes With The Pot Roast

The potatoes become too soft when cooked together with the beef roast. For this reason, after the pot roast is tender and done cooking, I remove it from the pressure cooker and cook the potatoes. The potatoes cook for about 6 to 8 minutes in the pot roast gravy which gives them a wonderful flavor.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can slice or shred the beef.

Dont Stew With Stew Beef

Braising turns tough cuts of beef into tender, succulent bites, but you want to skip the pre-cut stew beef when youre at the grocery store or butcher. Oftentimes, stew beef is cut into irregularly shaped pieces and can have a lot of tough gristle that will never get tender. Picking up a piece of boneless beef chuck instead means that you can easily trim off all the unwanted parts first, then make sure the pieces are cut into uniform 1 1/2-inch pieces that will cook evenly and quickly in the pressure cooker.

Searing the beef cubes first creates all those tasty browned bits that make the finished sauce that much more delicious, but you dont have to spend a lot of time searing the cubes all over. Searing just one side saves you time, so be patient with the process, sear in two batches, and let one side of the beef get nice and dark.

Read Also: How To Reheat Chili In Instant Pot

How To Make Instant Pot Hibachi Steak

• Now you will thicken the sauce by adding 1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp of water. Press on SAUTE and add the corn starch slurry to the sauce once the sauce is boiling. Mix with a wooden spoon until the sauce has thickened.
• Press on CANCEL, and add in the sliced zucchini. I have added raw zucchini, but feel free to steam or cook it in a wok beforehand.
• Cover with the lid and let the zucchini steam for 5 minutes. If your zucchini is precooked, then skip this step and just add it straight in.

Serve over Instant Pot white rice, or Instant Pot brown rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Cook The Meatloaf And Add The Topping

To cook in the Instant Pot seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. To cook in the oven preheat the oven to 375-degrees then cook for one hour or until done.

While waiting for the meatloaf to cook make the topping by combining the remaining ketchup, mustard, and dark brown sugar. Once the meatloaf is cook remove from Instant Pot or oven then pour the topping on top then broil for 6 minutes.

Serve immediately and store leftovers for up to one week in an airtight container. If you liked this you may enjoy Instant Pot Monkey Crack Bread, Classic Chicken Pot Pie, or Extra Cheesy Taco Casserole!

Recommended Reading: How To Convert Slow Cooker Recipes To Instant Pot

Instant Pot Roast Beef

These cooking instructions apply to chuck roast, rump roast, tri-tip, brisket, and pot roast. The most important thing to consider is that a successful and delicious beef roast is based entirely on minutes per pound of meat being used, so having an accurate measure of the size of your roast is important.

These cuts are mostly cheaper and larger cuts of meat, making them perfect for feeding families, entertaining, or buying in bulk to save money. These cuts are also notoriously tough and take a long time to cook. With the Instant Pot, you can cut back on cooking time significantly with tender, juicy results every time. You get that slow-cooked or braised flavour without the wait.

For these recipes, use enough liquid for the pot to come to pressure and to avoid a burn notice . You can also use broth to cook instead.

How Do You Make Instant Pot Chicken And Vegetables

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For Whole Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans:

• Break off the stringy ends or trim your beans. Then, clean the green beans.
• Add the trivet or your steamer basket to the inner pot as well as a cup of water.
• Steam on high pressure for 2 minutes and follow up with a quick release for more tender beans. If you like softer beans, you can let the pot naturally release for 3-5 minutes before turning the valve.
• Try our Instant Pot green bean casserole here.

Instant Pot Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is similar to butternut squash, but its got an entirely different flavour. Its a bit nutty and a little less sweet, but it is delicious nonetheless. Its large cavity makes it fantastic for stuffing with sausage, meat, grains, and fall flavour infusions with dried fruits, fresh herbs, and more. Its also a healthy side dish. Personally, I love mine with a healthy spoonful of grass-fed butter and cinnamon.

Also Check: How To Cook Acorn Squash Whole

Deglaze Pressure Cook And Do A Natural Release:

• Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove the brown bits that are stuck at the bottom.
• Add the broth, seasonings and fresh herbs and return the meat and any collected juices to the instant pot.
• Select Cancel/Warm. Close the lid and set the pressure valve to seal.
• To cook select Manual and set the timer.
• When the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes.
• Release any remaining pressure and open the lid.

For Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:

• Begin with the recipe above. If you prefer to have your mashed potatoes without skins, make sure to peel the potatoes prior to cooking.
• When the potatoes are done the cooking, unseal the lid and add in your favourite mashed potato ingredients. You can reserve some of the water in the pot for mashing, or replace it entirely with milk/a milk substitute.
• You can follow any mashed potato recipe you like for the next step. Mash everything together in the pot for a one-pot meal. The residual heat will also make it easy to mash the spuds and blend everything together. Plus, the potatoes will be hot for serving if your pot is set to the warming function.
• Add-in ideas: olive oil, butter, milk, buttermilk, heavy cream, coconut milk, almond milk, salt, pepper, sour cream, chives, Parmesan cheese.

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