How To Pressure Cook In Instant Pot

How To Cook Dry Beans In The Instant Pot

My goal for the next few months is to share 1-2 Instant Pot recipes a month. Many reader friends are new Instant Pot owners, and I want to help you feel confident using your new appliance.

For many meals, the Instant Pot isnt necessarily a faster way to cook . The appeal of the Instant Pot for these meals is the hands-off time it provides the cook.

Now there are a number of recipes that shorten the overall cooking time when you make them in the Instant Pot. Soup is one meal that takes less time to make in the Instant Pot than on the stove-top or in the slow-cooker. This chicken and rice soup is the perfect example. Raw chicken, uncooked rice, and veggies are fully cooked into a creamed soup in under 30 minutes.

Beans are another great example of a meal that can be made quickly in the Instant Pot.

Dry beans are a very time-consuming ingredient to prepare and cook. First, theres the soaking step, which does help with digestion . Then, after about 12 hours of soaking, the beans are ready to be cooked for hours in the slow-cooker or on the stove-top. The Instant Pot just laughs at this laborious task and says, Let me show you just how quick and easy it can be to cook dry beans.

Instant Pot Slow Cook Setting

The Slow Cook is a non-pressure cooking setting that is compatible for use with any common slow cooker/Crockpot recipe. The pot is heated but is not pressurized and the Less, Normal and More modes correspond to Low, Medium and High slow cooker settings but you will need to adjust the time manually.;

You might want to use this setting for making dishes ahead of time while youre away from home or overnight. There are times when slow-cooking might work better for certain recipes than quicker pressure cooking. Below are the steps for how to use the Slow Cook setting on Instant Pot.;

One Caveat To Pressure Cooker Eggs

The only un-perfect thing about this way of hard boiling eggs is that, every so often, one of the eggs will crack its shell during cooking. When this has happened to me, it’s usually been during the 5 minute “natural release” period after the eggs are already cooked, so the crack is only superficially cosmetic. Not ideal if you’re planning to dye a bunch of Easter eggs, of course, but perfectly fine for deviled eggs.

If your eggs seem to be cracking more often, or are cracking before the whites are set, try cooking them at low pressure instead of high pressure. My own tests at low pressure gave inconsistent results. But every pressure cooker is a little different, and you might have better luck with yours.

The jury is still out on unicorns and affordable airfare. But easy-to-peel eggs? At least they are real.

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How To Cook Instant Pot Bulgur

Is bulgur wheat faster in an Instant Pot than on the stovetop? Not really. So why make it in an Instant Pot? Well, a pressure cooker is a totally hands off method: theres no need to even boil water. Throw in the ingredients and youre good to go: then finish dinner while the Instant Pot does its magic!

This Instant Pot bulgur recipe uses the low pressure setting of the pressure cooker. While that might not sound interesting in itself, out of all of our healthy Instant Pot recipes, this is the first one to use low pressure. So make sure to select the Low setting when you cook!

Here are the basic steps on how to make Instant Pot bulgur:

What Are Spare Ribs

The most common cuts of pork ribs are Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, and St. Louis Style Ribs.

Spare Ribs are the cut of pork ribs from the bottom of the rib cage . The full slab of meat has straight & flat bones.

Its meaty, tender, and packed with porky flavors. In comparison, Spare Ribs are longer and a bigger cut of meat than baby back ribs and St. Louis Style Ribs, while likely being the least expensive!

Spare Ribs are really popular in Chinese cuisine especially the Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce!

Whereas, Baby Back Ribs are the cut of pork ribs from the top of the rib cage .

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Every Instant Pot Button Explained

Soup/Broth.;This button cooks at High Pressure for 30 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 40 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.

Meat/Stew.;This button cooks at High Pressure for 35 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 45 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.

Bean/Chili. This button cooks at High Pressure for 30 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 40 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 25 minutes.

Poultry. This button cooks at High Pressure for 15 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 30 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 5 minutes.

Rice. This button cooks at Low Pressure and is the only fully automatic program. It is for cooking white rice and will adjust the cooking time depending on the amount of water and rice in the cooking pot.

Multigrain. This button cooks at High Pressure for 40 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 45 minutes of warm water soaking time and 60 minutes pressure cooking time.;Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.

Porridge. This button cooks at High Pressure for 20 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 30 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 15 minutes.

Less | Normal | More.;Adjust between the Less | Normal | More settings by pressing the same cooking function button repeatedly until you get to the desired setting.

and Buttons.;Adjust the cook time up or down .;

Slow Cook. Adjust to slow cook on low , normal , or high . Use and to increase or decrease the cook time.

Cancel.;End a cooking program at any time.

How To Cook Barley In An Instant Pot

You only need barley;;and water to cook barley in a pressure cooker. I also recommend adding a little salt and oil for the best flavor and fluffy texture. Heres how to do it.

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Do You Need The Instant Pot Glass Lid

Amazon

Finally, theres the issue of the Instant Pots lid. Slow cooker lids dont create a seal on the pot, allowing steam and moisture to escape throughout the extended cooking process. The Instant Pot lid, on the other hand, is designed to create a tight seal for pressure cooking.

While you can slow cook meals in your Instant Pot with the lid vented, the brand recommends using its tempered glass lid for best results. This inexpensive lid more closely resembles that of a traditional slow cooker, helping you replicate recipes more closely. However, before you purchase a glass lid for your Instant Pot, you may want to check if any glass lids you already own fit onto the appliance. The lid should rest on the inner pot, not the outer shell.

When you follow these steps, youll be able to make your favorite slow-cooked recipes in your Instant Pot and, if you want, reclaim cupboard space by kicking your old slow cooker to the curb.

Instant Pot Tempered Glass Lid, $11.99 from Amazon

Consider this official glass lid if you’re using the Instant Pot as a slow cooker.

Visit our Slow Cooker Week headquarters for everything else you need to know .

Pressure Cook The Cake

Although the Instant Pot has plenty of fancy features I considered to cook the cake , to keep the recipe as simple as possible and accommodate different brands of electric pressure cookers, I went the simple route and cooked it on high pressure .

• Add 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot. This will prevent the dreaded Burn warning.
• Lower the cake into the Instant Pot via either the foil sling or the trivet.
• Seal and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then vent immediately.
• Let the cake cool, then its time for

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Instant Pot Poultry Setting

The poultry Instant Pot setting is best for cookingyou guessed itchicken! The mode you choose depends on the size of the chicken pieces and the cut as chicken breast needs less cooking time and is easily overcooked compared to chicken thighs. You can use this setting to cook chicken meat or a dish that contains poultry in it such as chicken and potatoes or chicken and rice . Poultry setting is only available on 6-quart and 8-quart models, not on the mini! Below is how to use the Poultry setting on Instant Pot.

• Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add chicken, seasoning and liquids to the pot. Secure and lock the lid. Press the Poultry button. The default setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at HIGH pressure for 15; minutes, which is suitable for larger pieces of chicken. If you press the Poultry button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More .;

If desired, use the / + buttons to further customize the time. The cooking time may be adjusted at any time during pressure cooking.;

COOKING TIPS

Allow poultry to rest for 5-10 minutes, depending on size. It will reabsorb cooking juices for tender, succulent meat. Essentially, what this means is that you should allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally when possible.;

What Is The Timer Button For

Some models have a button that reads Timer. While you may think that this is the button that sets the cooking time for your Instant Pot, it actually delays cooking time and will start the cooking when the timer counts down. You can set the cooking time with the plus/minus buttons or the dial, depending on the model.

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What Can You Cook In An Instant Pot

Since Instant Pots require liquid to get up to pressure, pressure cooking is mainly used to cook moist foods. These include beans, soups, meats, squash, mashed potatoes, stocks, and more. In general, you’ll want to avoid pressure cooking fried, delicate, or crispy items. Noodles can also give Instant Pots a hard time.

However, there are other functions that Instant Pots can perform that may be better suited for these foods. For instance, the wildly popular Instant Pot DUO60 has presets that go far beyond just pressure cooking and include everything from slow cooking and porridge to steaming and poultry settings.

For the uninitiated, pressure cooking may sound scary. And, the stovetop pressure cookers of yesteryear could be dangerous as the quick, unexpected release of pressure might destroy everything in its path resulting in an emergency room visit and kitchen remodel. Fortunately, with today’s electric pressure cookers, there’s virtually no chance your unit will malfunction and cause damage. Most units have several fail-safes that regulate the amount of pressure and how it’s released.

That said, there are a few precautions you should take. Make sure you set up your Instant Pot in a safe place. Many people are tempted to put their electric pressure cooker on the stove, but we’ve seen enough pictures of Instant Pots melted and mangled from someone turning on the burner to caution you against this location.

What Is Pork Shoulder

Pork Shoulder is the cut from a pigs shoulder, though sometimes labeled as Pork Butt or Boston Butt.

Youll usually see pork shoulder being sold as a big slab of meat with fat or fat cap. This fat adds flavor and keeps the meat tender as it cooks. It can also be sold bone-in, or boneless.;

Pork Shoulder is a great cut of pork to cook in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker because its a tough cut of meat thats fatty and full of connective tissues.

So its super easy to cook as a whole or in chunks with a variety of recipes, and itll come out tender, juicy, and flavorful.

*Shopping Tip: Pork Shoulder is usually quite a bit cheaper in Asian markets . So if youre able to shop at an Asian market that sells fresh meat, you might want to check them out first.

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What Is The Instant Pot

Instant Pot is a pressure cooker — and then some. It also sautés, slow cooks, makes rice and steams veggies and poultry. It’s an all-in-one device, so you can, for instance, brown a chicken and cook it all in the same pot. In most cases, Instant Pot meals are ready to serve in less than an hour.

Its quick cook times are thanks to its pressure-cooking function, which locks steam created by liquid , building pressure and pushing steam back into the food.;

But don’t confuse it with a stovetop pressure cooker. Unlike your grandparents’ pressure cooker, this Instant Pot eliminates safety concerns with a lid that locks, and stays locked, until the pressure is released. ;;

Yes, you can cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot.

Cook Potatoes In Your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

We went on a picnic for Fathers Day. And at the last second we decided we wanted Potato Salad. Its a good thing I had my Instant Pot. I was able to whip up a yummy potato salad in no time. And I thought maybe it would be a good idea to share how to cook potatoes in case anyone else is wondering. The fact is you can have delicious, soft potatoes to eat in 10 minutes if you cook them in your pressure cooker. Its simple. While you are cooking your potatoes you can get the potato salad fixings cut up and the sauce made so as soon as the potatoes are done you just add the chopped veggies and mix in the sauce.

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When To Select Low Pressure

Low pressure should be used for delicate foods like eggs, fish, and vegetables. However, all of these foods can also be cooked using high pressure for a reduced amount of time. If you are confused about whether or not to use low or high pressure, its best to stick to high pressure. This should be specified in recipes.

A Quick Recap Of Key Cooking Stages

As we discussed in this post, there are three key phases to cooking in the Instant Pot. Once you add all ingredients and liquids, secure and lock the lid and choose your setting and time, the following things happen:

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Natural Vs Manual Pressure Release

When the cook time is up on your Instant Pot, there’s still one more step — releasing the pressure.;

There are two ways the pressure can be released. With natural pressure release, the valve on the lid stays in Sealing position and the pressure dissipates naturally over time. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to more than an hour, depending on what you were cooking. Low-liquid meals take much less time than high-liquid meals, like soup or chili.;

The other option is manual pressure release . Here, you’ll carefully move the valve into Venting position and watch as steam shoots out of it, releasing the pressure. This method is much faster, but very high-liquid meals, like soup, can still take about 15 minutes to release pressure manually.

So which one should you use? Consider that with natural pressure release, the Instant Pot is still full of pressure, so the food will continue cooking while the Instant Pot is in Sealing mode. Manual pressure release is useful — and necessary — when you’ve built in enough cooking time and cooking needs to be stopped as fast as possible.

If the goal is to cook a meal quickly, set enough time on the Instant Pot to cook your food and release the pressure manually when the time is up.;