The First Seven Things You Should Do With the New Instant Pot

If you are one of the many home chefs who jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon (or if you were playing with the idea of ​​getting one), you might be in a lot of emotion. Given the fact that this tool is packed with programmable features, choosing the “first recipe” can be a little overwhelming, but don’t worry. Just sit back, read the guide, and start with one of these seven delicious options.

But first, let’s discuss what we are working with. The Instant Pot is “a multi-functional 7-in-1 cooker * that combines the benefits of a pressure cooker, sauté, multicooker, rice cooker, double boiler, yogurt maker and food warmer.” * or 9-in-1 or 10-in-1. To be honest, I was initially skeptical about something that claimed to be so good at so many things, and was slightly repulsed by the cult community that surrounded the thing . I eventually gave up, mostly because I needed a rice and pressure cooker, but I just didn’t have room for a counter or cabinet for both. The Instant Pot has both, plus five more, allowing me to donate my slow cooker and try my hand at making yogurt. There are many different Instant Pot models to choose from (all are pretty much the same; some are standalone). sterilizing or more customizable and one looks like R2-D2 ), but you can currently get the 6L “Best for Starter” IP-DUO Nova model on Amazon for $ 99 .

Oh, and by the way: Instant Pot is by no means intuitive and I would not recommend using it. There are many buttons, functions and features, and you should read them all. Also, while it is one of the safest pressure cookers, it is still a pressure cooker, so make sure you understand how to properly seal and empty the pot before diving into it. However, don’t be alarmed. You should get up to speed quickly after a few recipes. Let’s start with the simplest.

Crack a few easy-to-peel eggs

Hard-boiled eggs (with a few flakes of Maldon salt) are one of my favorite quick and hearty snacks, and the Instant Pot makes perfect-cooked, easy-to-peel soft and hard boiled eggs in minutes. This method from Hip Pressure Cooking is a good approach – in fact, we covered it a few years ago – and it couldn’t be simpler. Just place whole eggs – as much as you want to eat – in the pot in the steamer basket or on the metal wire rack that came with the pot, along with a glass of water. Close the pot, close the outlet valve and press the manual button. Leave the pressure on “High” and adjust the time depending on how your eggs are cooked:

• Poached style: If you want a soft white color with runny yolk, set the timer for 1 minute.
• Soft boiled: 4 minutes
• Hard boil: 5 minutes

Once the timer has expired, release the pressure by sliding the steam release knob to the “vent” position, making sure that hands, faces, pets, children, and important documents do not get in the way of the escaping steam. Use gloves or tongs to remove the eggs and immerse them in ice water to stop cooking. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. When you’re ready to crash into the stash of eggs, tap the shells gently to make them crack, and then marvel at how easily the shell slides off the egg white. (I peeled a lot of eggs in my time, and these were some of the easiest things I have ever danced with.)

Grab a stock, drink some soup and make a chili

Broth, soups and chili peppers are lifesavers during these colder months, and by combining the browning power of the frying function with the intense pressure cooking medium, the Instant Pot lets you add tons of flavor to these comfort foods in no time. A good soup starts with a good broth, so let’s start with that first.

Stock up

There’s something comforting about stewing tons of bones and vegetables on the stove for hours, but honestly, who has the time? Any pressure cooker can help you cook broth in half an hour , but the Instant Pot Roast feature lets you roast meat right inside the pot before switching to the pressure cooker function, eliminating the need for an extra pot and bringing out all varieties of deep, delicious flavors. The video above will walk you through the entire process, but the Instant Pot’s versatility makes it much easier:

1. Using the “Sauté” function (press the button and wait for the word “Hot”), sauté two and a half pounds of chicken in one tablespoon of oil. Take out the chicken and remove the frosting from the pan with 100 ml of liquid, scraping off any tasty brown pieces (the video uses water, but I would use sherry).
2. Return the chicken to the pot along with chopped vegetables such as two small onions, a couple of carrots, two celery stalks, and four garlic cloves. Add two bay leaves, a teaspoon of whole peppers, salt to taste, and any other herbs you like.
3. Pour 10 cups of water, close the pot, slide the drain valve to the “seal” position and – using the “Manual” setting – cook on “High” for an hour. Let the air out, strain, cool and skim off the fat.

You now have a flavorful and collagen-rich broth ready for all sorts of delicious meals like soups, rice dishes (see risotto below) and even pasta , and you don’t have to keep an eye on a single pot of broth on the stove (or peel extra pot).

Super Fast Soup

Now that you have a delicious broth base, you are ready to make a meal with it. “Soup” is a broad category, but good chicken noodles are something you should always have (or at least know how to make) ready to go. You may already have a tried and true recipe that I wouldn’t dare change, but you can use the Instant Pot to make your soothing soup even faster. (If you don’t have a recipe, this one from Live Simply is a great helper .)

Start by adding salt a few chopped vegetables (most often carrots, onions and celery) and cook them in one or two tablespoons of oil using the Saute function. To keep everything well colored, add some flavorings (garlic, thyme, etc.) and fry for another minute or two. Add eight cups of stock, a couple of cups of shredded chicken, and your favorite dried noodles. Turn off the browning function, close and close the pot, and press the Soup button. Reduce the time to four minutes and go watch a funny YouTube video or something. (It takes about 10 minutes to pressurize the Instant Pot, so maybe watch two fun videos.) Release the pressure with the valve, open it and enjoy the delicious reward.

Eat chili when it’s cold

Chili is usually a multi-step dish that starts with soaking the beans – if you cook them with the beans, which I know some non-Texans like – and ends with a little braising. Instant Pot makes it all easy; you don’t even need to soak the beans.

There are a lot of chili recipes in Instant Pot, but I like to use this one as a template . To make a hearty pot of chili beans, you will need:

• 2 lbs. Minced meat, such as beef tenderloin
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-4 garlic cloves, chopped, depending on your preference
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes with liquid
• 2 cups dry pinto beans
• Condiments such as chili powder and cumin.
• About two glasses of broth or broth
• Your Favorite Chili, Based on Your Spice Tolerance

Turn on the “Sauté” function and when “Hot” appears on the display, sauté the meat, onions and garlic with a couple tablespoons of butter or (even better) bacon fat. Remove the meat and any other nutrients from the pan and add the jar of diced tomatoes, using the liquid to remove the frosting and scrape off any tasty brown pieces. Return the meat mixture to the pan along with all the other ingredients and run everything through two cycles of the Beans function. Relieve pressure with valve and enjoy.

Make the Tender Whole Chicken

It’s no secret that having a whole roast chicken can make your weekday lunches more filling and simple dinners very light. Cooking one in the Instant Pot will help you achieve this even faster. To start, take a fresh or thawed whole chicken (this will work for most birds) and season it generously with salt and pepper. Using the Saute function, sauté the chicken breast and sides in a tablespoon of oil. Remove the icing from the pot with a cup of broth, tuck a few fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary into the cavity of the bird and place it in the pot on top of a metal wire rack. Cook the chicken using the manual High setting for six minutes for each pound of chicken plus another two minutes. (For a five-pound chicken, this would be 32 minutes.)

Instead of relieving pressure by sliding the steam release knob to the “vent” position, let the Instant Pot cool and release steam naturally for about fifteen minutes. If the float valve does not lower within fifteen minutes, raise and release the remaining pressure using the valve. Remove the chicken from the pan, cut everything into nice slices and enjoy.

Bake the ham and sweet potatoes

The “baked” potatoes were the first thing I cooked with my Instant Pot, and it only took 15 minutes. To be honest, it almost looked like a hoax, since all I had to do was toss a couple of large red glasses along with a glass of water onto the metal insert of the counter. Simply chop the potatoes all over and, using the Manual function set to High, cook for 12-20 minutes (the larger the potatoes, the longer the cooking time).

Release steam quickly using the valve and carefully remove the hot potatoes from the pot. You can cut them up and enjoy them as they are, but if you absolutely want crisp, you can coat them with olive oil and salt and put them in the 400-degree oven for 10 or 15 minutes. Sweet potatoes and yams can be cooked the same way, so go crazy.

Don’t waste time with risotto

I admit there is a romantic quality about carefully pouring small portions of broth on top of arborio rice and watching it turn into an incredibly creamy rice dish, but we are all very important people with business to do . However, I love risotto, and the thought of making four servings of it in less than half an hour is just the magic I need in my life.

The video above tells the whole story, but gone are the days when we stood over a smoking kettle. As with many other Instant Pot recipes, you’ll start by pressing the Saute button. Once Hot is displayed, sauté 10 ounces of diced chicken with chopped onions, two cloves of minced garlic and a couple of ounces of diced pancetta in two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil for two or three minutes.

Season generously with salt and pepper and add 1 ½ cup arborio rice, a tablespoon of fresh thyme and half a cup of wine. Stir well, close the instant pan, press the button labeled “rice” and set the cooking time to 12 minutes. When the time is up, release the pressure, stir the risotto well, and add another five tablespoons of butter and four tablespoons of grated Parmesan. Stir again and let stand for three minutes. Ladle lovingly into bowls, sprinkle with plenty of fresh pepper on top and devour.

Once you’ve prepared these delicious meals, you will feel bold and start experimenting with your new favorite appliance. While there are tons of online recipe resources out there ( The Kitchn , The Prairie Homestead, and Nom Nom Paleo are great places to start), there’s no reason to limit yourself to the words and dreams of others. If you are used to the stovetop pressure cooker, you can adapt your favorite recipes for the Instant Pot, but keep in mind that electric pressure cookers operate at a lower pressure than the stovetop versions (about 11 psi), so just add steam minutes to the cooking time. Its versatility and instant cooking capabilities make it ideal for experimenting with all types of recipes, from perfectly cooked dried beans and grains to your favorite slow cookers on standby, without cluttering the counter with six extra appliances and the fanatical Fan Club surrounding it means a shortage of no inspiration.

This article was originally published in January 2017 and was updated on November 16, 2020 to add updated information on Instant Pot models, new images, and align content with current Lifehacker style guidelines.