It’s no secret that I love my Instapot and I often get asked what recipes are my favorites, or what things to try first.
While it’s very appealing to dive right in and try a new recipe, the first thing I recommend is to follow the manufacturer instructions for the Pressure Test (which is basically heating up water to make sure your appliance can get up to pressure). The other big thing to note is the difference between Natural Pressure Release (NPR) and Instant Pressure Release (IPR) as each recipe will call for one or the other. Instant Pressure Release requires turning the pressure valve to release the pressure immediately when the cooking is done whereas Natural Pressure Release is when you allow the food to cook longer and the pressure to release on it’s own (usually takes about 20 minutes or so). With IPR, I recommend using a towel or oven mitt, and standing off the side (and not over the machine) as the release of steam was quite startling for me, the first time. And a good tip is to place the pressure cooker out in the open (and now below a countertop), or they’ll get a steam bath.
The first recipe I recommend trying in your Instapot (IP) is either hard or soft boiling eggs and there are many, many methods of doing this. Personally I prefer my eggs softer so I place 6-8 eggs in a steamer basket with 1 cup of water and select Manual > Pressure > Low for 4 minutes. When don, I do an Instant Pressure Release and move the eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking. I’ve had a long love-hate relationships with boiled eggs because they can be so hard to peel, but it’s no longer the case with this method.
This Cooking Times Cheat Sheet from One Good Thing By Jillee has been a great resource. I’ve printed off a copy to keep in my recipe album.
More and more websites and bloggers are coming out with Instapot recipes, but my favorite site for pressure cooker recipes is This Old Gal. And of course, with a few tweaks, many regular recipes can be adapted to cook in an Instapot. Now on to the good stuff…recipes!
- Spaghetti
-
Japanese Beef Curry (if you ask my husband and you’re familiar with Hawaii restaurants, he’ll say this rivals Curry House)
- Beef Barley Soup
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Chicken Broccoli Rice
- Tomato Bisque (this reminds me of my favorite tomato bisque from Nordstorm Cafe)
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Stock
- Silicone Sealing Ring (I now use 1 for savory foods and 1 for sweets, as these rings can often take on the smell of what you are cooking)
- Steamer Basket
- Trivet
- Cheesecake Pan
I can’t wait to hear about all the amazing recipes you’ll be making!