19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (2024)

FAQs

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

Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.

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.

As explained by Kitchn, stirring the pasta with the liquid before locking the appliance and setting it to pressure cook will cause the dish to go sticky and gummy as it cooks, due to the way pasta releases starch under pressure.

Third, while conventional cooking forms intensify flavors by boiling off water, the pressure cooker keeps moisture in, which means your flavors can get diluted. This is why many recipes call for cooking in broth instead of water and why heavy rubs and spice mixtures are common in many Instant Pot recipes.

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.

Not good for cooking everything: Just like no one method is great for cooking everything, the Instant Pot isn't build to do it all. If you are not a fan of like stews and saucy things then pressure cooking might not be for you.

The 5-5-5 method involves the following: 5-minute cook time. 5-minute natural pressure release. 5-minute ice bath.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

Easy to clean and super straightforward, this appliance is suitable for beginners and pros.

If it shows on the front panel PO15 it means pressure on(PO) for (15 )minutes then it will count down.

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.

Is Instant Pot not healthy? ›

Even though some studies suggest that pressure cooking isn't the best way to preserve nutrients in food, no research exists to suggest that pressure cookers of any model or brand pose health risks. If you're a fan of your Instant Pot, don't worry: You can continue to safely use your appliance without worry.

Residue from previous cooking is a common cause of sticking, even on nonstick surfaces. Sometimes hot soapy water does not remove all the oils that build up over time. We recommend cleaning pans periodically with a non-abrasive cleanser.

Some of the most common culprits include using a damaged or dirty sealing ring, not closing the lid all the way, and a dirty Instant Pot. If there is food debris in your Instant Pot, it can compromise the pressure by blocking a part, such as the float valve, or simply burn up along the inner pot's underside.

Creamy Sauces

If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. The high heat and pressure can cause milk and cheese to curdle, separate or clump together. Instead, try adding in the dairy after the pressure cook cycle is complete, like we do in this 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.

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.

“Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says. The shorter cooking time may also result in the greater preservation of vitamins and minerals when compared to other longer types of cooking.