25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What Cannot be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

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.

Before first time use

Check the pressure cooker pot, lid and other parts for any damage or cracks. * Remove the safety cover and rubber gasket to check. Some products may have oil or dust remaining from the production process.

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the "Danger Zone" quickly. As a result, you don't run into the issues that you would find by cooking frozen food in a slow cooker, where it can stay too long in the Danger Zone and could become unsafe.

Pressure cookers are designed to make short work of slow cook dishes. They're economical both in the amount of power they use and are also ideal for tenderising cheaper cuts of meat.

Disadvantages of cooking food in a pressure cooker

However, starchy foods may form acrylamide, a harmful chemical, when pressure cooked. Consumption of this chemical on a regular basis may lead to health issues like cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders.

Advantages of pressure cooking include reduced cooking times and retention of nutrients, plus it's a great way to make energy-efficient, one-pot meals. The downsides include problems with foods that have different cook times and not being able to check the progress of the food cooking.

Just like in a slow cooker, most dairy products such as cheese, milk and sour cream will curdle in an Instant Pot, no matter if you use the pressure cooking setting or the slow cooking setting. Add these ingredients after the dish cooks or avoid making the recipe in the Instant Pot altogether.

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes. Be sure to follow instructions carefully; at this speed, it's easy to overcook things in mere minutes.

Most modern electric pressure cookers make it impossible for someone to open them while pressure is building on the inside. But, regardless, you shouldn't attempt to open one while it's in use. If you need to open your cooker while food is cooking, turn it off first and release the pressure before opening.

What to do after pressure cooker is done? ›

You may choose to wait until the pressure naturally lowers and the lid-lock disengages, or you can wait 10 minutes until the recipe finishes cooking and open the valve for a slightly faster method. Either way will offer several benefits, including: Keeping food warm. Allowing meat to tenderize.

The pressure cooker is the number one gadget for people who want to slice huge chunks off the cooking time of meat, pulses and sauces. From ribs that fall off the bone, to stew, casserole or braised meat, a pressure cooker can achieve great results in under an hour.

Place steaks in the bowl and fully coat them with the seasoning. Place on a separate plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After they have chilled, use the Saute setting on your pressure cooker and sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes. Then lock the lid and cook the steaks on high pressure for another 8 minutes.

Diced Meat

Season your meat as you normally would. Heat a little oil using the Sauté function and sear the meat. Add 1 1/2 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc.). Cook for 20 minutes (per pound of meat) at high pressure for large chunks and 15 minutes (per pound of meat) for small chunks.

A pressure cooker saves 90 percent of the energy used to boil a pot on the hob. Some foods are perfect to cook under these hot and steamy conditions: a meat stock, for instance, takes advantage of all the pressure cooker's benefits.

But another good thing about a pressure cooker is it doesn't just cook long things like short ribs and roasts, it also makes food taste better! The flavor is more concentrated since the pot is sealed. There's no escaping steam.

There are numerous options available for the pot-in-pot method. Instant pot-safe bowls can be made of stainless steel, glass, ceramic, silicone, aluminum, bamboo, or copper.