Instant Pot Saute Setting
The Sauté is another non-pressure cooking program that can be used in place of a frying pan or flat-top grill. For recipes that call for browned onions or garlic, its important to sauté them before adding liquid to the pot as you will release a lot of flavor this way. Another reason to sauté first is for browning meat. Lastly, sautéeing before cooking is a great way to increase heat and reduce the amount of time your pot will take to come to pressure.
The Practical Guide You’ve Always Wanted For Those Confusing Instant Pot Buttons And Settings
Your dreams have officially come true! You finally got that Instant Pot and its time to start whipping up a few delicious meals. Buthow, exactly, do you work this thing?
People rave about how easy and quick it is to use, but looking at all the Instant Pot buttons, it seems that only a genius could actually figure out what all of them mean. Which button do I choose for what? Whats the difference between the NormalMore and Less settings? And should I cook on Low Pressure or High Pressure?
These questions instantly come to mind, but dont sweat, we got you covered. Heres a full guide to all of your Instant Pots buttons. So make sure to bookmark this for later!
Does It Really Cook Instantly As The Name Suggests
This is a tricky question and my answer is yes and no. I wouldnt say it cooks everything instantly but a lot faster than the usual methods. Its common sense that certain foods, like frozen foods or a big chunk of meat, would take a good amount of time. But still, IP cooks them considerably quicker than the conventional method, like in ½ or of the time. Not only that, the texture is so much tender and juicier. But dont expect to throw in a frozen whole chicken with some herbs and be ready for a fancy gourmet meal in 30 minutes! Not only is cooking a frozen chunk of meat not as tasty as fresh meat , even in a pressure cooker, it does not get cooked in an instant. Frozen foods usually take twice as long so if a recipe calls for 30 minutes for a chicken, use 60 minutes to be 100% sure that its thoroughly cooked. Its still better and quicker than defrosting it and then cooking it but dont expect miracles.
Regular meat dishes does cook much MUCH faster, like Pot Roast, Meat Loaf, BBQ Ribs, Beef Stew, Whole Chicken, Soups, Bone Broth, and the texture is so much more tender and juicier. They are also more nutritious because pressure cooking seals in moisture and nutrition.
Read Also: Insta Pot Tamales
Instant Pot Bean/chili Setting
The Bean/Chili setting button can be used to cook larger dry legumes such as beans and chickpeas in liquid or to cook chili or another type of stew that uses dry beans. The program settings use High pressure and result in different doneness of beans. When cooking beans, always use NR to release pressure after cooking is done. Below is how to use the Bean/Chili setting on Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add dry beans, liquid and salt to the pot. Secure and lock the lid. Select the Bean/Chili button. The default setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at High pressure for 30 minutes. If you press the button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More .
- Less mode 25 minutes at High pressure for a firmer bean texture or to cook black beans, dry lima beans, Navy beans, black-eyed peas, Adzuki, anasazi, dry peas.
- Normal mode 30 minutes at High pressure for a softer bean texture or to cook red kidney beans, white kidney beans , Pinto beans, black-eyed peas .
- More mode 40 minutes at High pressure for a very soft bean texture or to cook harder legumes like chickpeas and soybeans .
COOKING TIPS
Ensure dry beans are completely submerged in water. Dried beans double in volume and weight after soaking or cooking. To avoid overflow, please do not fill the inner pot more than to the ½ mark to allow for expansion.
Note: You can also use the Multigrain setting to cook most beans.
Main Instant Pot Buttons
1. Manual or Pressure Cook Button
This is the mode you will use most frequently on your Instant Pot . This is the main button to pressure cook any dish. Most recipes you will find online use the Pressure Cook button.
Press “Pressure Cook” button, then “+” or “-” to set the time to pressure cook. The maximum time you can pressure cook is 240 minutes.
Note: In old versions and models, the button was called Manual and in newer models it is rightly called “Pressure Cook”.
2. Pressure Level Button
This button is to switch between high and low pressure cooking. Press “Pressure Cook” button, then “Pressure Level” to switch.
3. “+” and “-” Buttons
These buttons are used to increase or decrease the cooking time.
4. Sauté Button
This is the mode to Sauté or brown food in the Instant Pot . Sauté with the lid open or with a glass lid. This is one of the main advantages of the instant pot, that you can sauté and cook directly in the same pot. This is the second most frequently used mode.
Sauté mode defaults to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the mode is canceled.
I use this mode in my Carrot Pudding recipe, and it makes cooking the pudding so much easier without much monitoring.
5 Adjust Button
6. Keep Warm/Cancel Button
Press this button to cancel the operation and switch off the Instant Pot.
When the instant pot goes in “Keep Warm” mode, the display shows L0:00 and starts counting up.
7. Timer Button
8. Steam Button
- Normal
- Less
- More .
9. Rice Button
10. Slow Cook Button
Read Also: How To Reheat Tamales In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Times & Instructions:
- Fit the chicken or turkey to the pot. A 3-4 lb. chicken should fit in a 6-quart pot either fresh or frozen, but consider the lack of flexibility there is when cooking from frozen and meal planning. If needed, you can cut the bird into quarters.
- Combine your favourite dry spice blend in a bowl and use it to thoroughly coat the chicken. A blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and rosemary is great. You can also choose your own flavour profile. Add fresh garlic cloves, onion, and other stuffers into the chicken cavity for additional flavour.
- Place a trivet into the Instant Pot and pour a cup of water into the inner pot. Then, place the whole chicken on the trivet breast side up.
- From frozen: Seal the Instant Pot lid and manually set to cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- From fresh: Seal the Instant Pot lid and manually set to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes per 1 lb.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pot NPR for around 15 minutes before performing a QR .
Check out these tasty whole chicken Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Meat/stew Setting
The meat and stew setting is best for cooking large or tough cuts of meat at high pressure. This button can be used for cooking meat pieces in a little broth or stews that contain meat in them. Below is how to use the Meat/Stew setting on Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add meat, seasonings and liquids to the pot. Secure and lock the lid. Select the Meat/Stew button. The default Instant Pot meat setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at High pressure for 35 minutes, which is suitable for most dishes like beef stew or pulled pork. If you press the Meat/Stew button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More .
- Less mode 20 minutes at High pressure for soft texture meat great for diced steak, pork or lamb, pork or beef ribs, ground meat like when making taco meat or Bolognese sauce, and most stews that use diced or ground meat.
- Normal mode 35 minutes at High pressure for very tender meat texture great for slightly larger pieces of meat and for stews that use tougher cuts of meat like Beef Bourguignon.
- More mode 45 minutes at High pressure for fall-off-the-bone texture great for pork shoulder, beef pot roast or lamb roast.
If desired, use the / + buttons to further customize the time. The cooking time may be adjusted at any time during pressure cooking.
COOKING TIPS
You May Like: How To Steam Artichokes In Instant Pot
There Are So Many Recipes For Your Instant Pot
The internet has gone wild for the Instant Pot, with countless personal blogs, cooking websites and Facebook groups devoted to it. Together they also generate a copious and steady supply of recipes. From Instant Pot Turkey and Gravy to Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup, its all there for the taking and tasting!chances are someone has tried it.
What If The Chicken Is Not Cooked
Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before safe to consume.
Once your cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, check the internal temperature of your chicken breast. If less than 160 degrees, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure.
If the chicken has reached 160 degrees, it will reach 165 degrees as it rests.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Burn Message Fix
Factory Reset The Less
Its possible to return your settings for your less-normal-more mode to its factory settings for each specific cooking program.
It is also possible to reset everything on your Instant Pot to a true factory reset for all cooking programs and other settings.
How To Use The Delayed Cooking Timer:
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
What Size Of Instant Pot Should I Use
You can cook chicken breasts in whatever size instant pot you have. Just make sure you add at least 1 cup of liquid, and then place the chicken in the pot in a single layer. If you have a smaller instant pot, simply cook your chicken in batches so you can keep it in single layers. If you have a larger instant pot, keep in mind it will take a little longer for your instant pot to come to pressure before cooking begins.
Pro Tips:
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
Shred the chicken with forks or a hand mixer and freeze it in individual bags to easily add to any weeknight dinner. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Or, chop the chicken and refrigerate to add to lunches throughout the week.
Recipes for leftover cooked chicken:
Instant Pot Ground Beef Times & Instructions:
- For plain ground beef, from fresh: Place the trivet or a steaming basket into the pot along with 1 cup of water. Then, place the beef in the trivet. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Finish up by quickly releasing the pressure.
- For plain ground beef, from frozen: Repeat the first steps above, then cook 1-2 lbs. of frozen ground beef on high pressure for 20 minutes. Finish up by quickly releasing the pressure.
- For meatballs, from frozen or fresh and raw: Place meatballs in a steamer basket. Cook on high pressure with 1 cup of water for 8-10 minutes per pound of meat.
Read Also: Can The Instant Pot Go In The Dishwasher
Short Ribs In Instant Pot
Short ribs are an absolutely delicious meal. Theyre often served in Asian-style cuisines with sticky, delicious sauces. They contain a lot of meat and a lot of fat which means they require longer cooking times for the fat to really marble well, creating a fall-off-the-bone, tender, juicy bite. With the Instant Pot, you can braise these babies in record time.
Instant Pot Recipes Made Simple
Do you wish you could find one-pot meals that are simple and easy to make and your family will love?
Youre about to find out how simple it is to make healthy, one-pot meals with your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker with my cookbook Instant Pot Recipes Made Simple. You can download it instantly to your phone, computer or e-reader, so its portable and can go with you anywhere!
With this book, youll get:
- Tried-and-true recipes the whole family will love including pot roast, spaghetti, tacos, carnitas, soups, and easy breakfast meals
- Instant Pot starter guide on how to use the buttons, tips and tricks, and more
- Printable shopping lists for ingredients
- Step-by-step video lesson on how to use your Instant Pot, pressure cooker safety, and some of my favorite tips and tricks
- Two-week meal plan that you can put into action for no-stress weeknight dinners
You May Like: How To Cook Brussel Sprouts In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
A chicken for every Instant Pot!
Apparently, one of the hottest gifts last Christmas was the Instant Pot . In case you didnt happen to find one of these under the tree, its a pressure cooker that can make basically everything meat, poultry, soups and stews, rice, even oatmeal in record time. Better still, its programmable, so you can load up the pot and set it to have your meal on the table any time in the next 24 hours.
So, since so many people out there are now the proud owners of shiny new Instant Pots, I figured they could all use some new recipes for things to make in them. And heres a great one to start out with: Flavorful Instant Pot Chicken Breast.
The pressure cooker is a great way to cook chicken. When you roast a chicken in the oven, you always have to keep an anxious eye on it to keep it from drying out. But a pressure cooker just seals in the juices, so it always comes out moist and tender.
And this particular Instant Pot chicken dish couldnt be easier. All you have to do is put the chicken in the pot, season it, pour in some broth to provide the necessary liquid, seal it up, and push the poultry button. Seriously, thats it!
When the valve releases, the chicken will be tender enough to shred with a pair of forks, so you can use it in any recipe that calls for shredded chicken. Or you can just slice it up and make some lovely, juicy chicken sandwiches. The choice is yours.
How To Set Cooking Times:
You May Like: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
Performance And Best Features
The Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus gives you a wide choice of cooking methods to prepare foods just the way you like be it pressure cooking in under 10 minutes or slow cooking over the course of four hours.
The accompanying booklet suggests specific settings in a chart, recommending 15 minutes for potatoes, and 20 minutes for beef stew, for example. With 48 pre-sets we found that it can get a little overwhelming. But, this variety of choice will come in very useful over time as you get to know your machine.
Its important to refer to the cooking chart that comes with the machine to get the best out of ingredients, as we found out when we used it to cook rice. On our first attempt we added too much liquid, which produced soggy unappetising results. On the second attempt however, we added the recommended 1:1 cup ratio of water to rice, and put it on the white rice setting for 12 minutes, which produced fluffy and delicious results.
To make our chicken tagine, we chose the stew setting, which pressure cooked on high for 35 minutes. At first it was hard for us to get our head around the fact that this appliance can cook meat so quickly. But we were very happy with the results the chicken that tasted good, and a sauce had a decent thickness to it.
What Is An Instant Pot
First things first, what even is this thing? In short, its an electric, programmable pressure cooker. So, if its just a pressure cooker, why does it have all these buttons? Well, my friends, that is because its not just a pressure cooker. It also functions as a slow cooker and a yogurt maker and has pre-programmed settings for different types of ingredients to take the guess-work out of pressure cooking. And to make your life easy. Which it does. Time and time again. Thats why everyone loves them so much!
Also Check: Reheat Food In Instant Pot