16 Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

Maximum When pressure cooking, do not fill the inner pot higher than the PC MAX — 2/3 line as indicated on the inner pot. When cooking foods that expand (e.g., rice, beans, pasta) do not fill the inner pot higher than the — 1/2 line as indicated on the inner pot.

Dried beans, stock, and rice are all great places to start since they only use the pressure setting, while the other recipes in this list are easy enough for beginners and will open your eyes to the possibilities of the Instant Pot.

Con– If you don't pay attention to setting the vent properly you will have to extend your cooking time. I can't tell you how many time I forgot to seal the pot and the steam was escaping rather than building up inside and cooking my food. Pro– Like I said earlier, you are not limited to soups and stews.

Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy products to curdle or separate, ruining the texture, taste and flavour of the dish. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers.

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

Overfilling the pressure cooker.

Follow this tip: When cooking beans or other foods that expand, fill no more than halfway, and for all other foods, fill the cooker no more than two-thirds of the way full. Your pressure needs open space for the pressure to build in order for it to function.

Benefits of a 6-quart Instant Pot: The 6-quart (and new 6.5-quart variation) Instant Pot is the most popular size for home cooks, as most recipes are written for that size.

Expert Response. The Instant pot can work like a slow cooker and when you leave it on a warm setting it will keep the food around 140 F so bacteria won't multiply. There would be a problem if they turned off the instant pot and left it over night. As long as the food stays warm out of the danger zone (40-140 degree F.)

Unlike nonstick cooking surfaces, the stainless steel pot presents no threat of harmful chemicals. Instant Pot also switches to a “warm” setting when it's done cooking, keeping food at a safe temperature for up to 10 hours.

Why does my Instant Pot smell weird? ›

If you've soaked and scrubbed your Instant Pot and still smell last week's curry chicken, one part is to blame: the silicone sealing ring. Because it's made from silicone (which is prone to absorbing odors) and is the end-point for a lot of concentrated, super-hot steam, it can get pretty stinky.

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.

Put meat on the bottom

It's not just pasta that should be on top – order matters with the instant pot. In general, it works out best if you put meat on the bottom. Here's why – anything that has sugars in it can burn if cooked too long.

Another tip, taken from an Instant Pot Facebook group, is to open the valve all the way on your Instant Pot lid when slow cooking. This allows some moisture and steam to release and keeps the Instant Pot from overcooking your slow cooker recipes.

In general, Instant Pots do so much more than just pressure cooking and can be used as a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer yogurt maker, sauté pan, and a meal warmer.

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.