120 Best 5 Ingredient Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do I get the most out of my Instant Pot? ›

Add at least half a cup of liquid, and don't go over the maximum. One of the things you'll learn about pressure cooking is that you don't need to add as much liquid as you would in regular recipes. But you'll still need to add some because the pressure cooker requires moisture to build that pressure.

Instant Pots are terrific for some dishes. Others are a big no-no. If you own an Instant Pot, you know how convenient it is when it comes to cutting down the time it takes to cook food, all through the magic of heat and steam. But while your Instant Pot has kitchen prowess, it can't cook everything safely.

The Instant Pot can gently steam and bake with ease — and keep you from heating up the oven when you want a sweet treat.

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.

Every pressure cooker manual has an “Important Safeguards” section at the beginning that says a pressure cooker should not be filled with food and liquid more than 1/2 full when pressure cooking beans, grains and rice (or “foamy” foods) and no more than 2/3 full for cooking anything else.

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.

Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, you'll need just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure. The Instant Pot manual suggests 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups, depending on the size of the 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.

Con– The Instant Pot uses steam under pressure to cook food and not everything is meant to be cooked in the Instant Pot. I attempted a crustless quiche which turned out well but it was too wet and moist to my liking and I prefer to cook it in the oven with dry heat.

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.

Can you use aluminum foil in an Instant Pot? ›

The short answer is good news. It is generally safe to use aluminum foil in an Instant Pot, but it is important to use it properly to avoid damaging the appliance or creating a potential safety hazard.

If you are interested primarily in slow cooking, you should buy a dedicated slow cooker. They're more reliable with a range of slow-cooker recipes than an Instant Pot. We found Instant Pot multicookers specifically could not successfully slow-cook dense, high-volume recipes such as beef stew or pot roast.

Despite its popularity in professional kitchens, a pressure cooker is rarely featured on cooking shows. But that doesn't mean celebrity chefs don't appreciate their value. In fact, many renowned chefs have sung the praises of pressure cookers.

The Instant Pot is also a useful kitchen tool for winter recipes in particular (all those soups and stews!), so consider how you cook from season to season to determine what size you need. The 6-quart option is Instant Pot's most popular size, as it does the job for most home cooks.

It's not just a pressure cooker

First off, an Instant Pot isn't just an electric pressure cooker. As a true multicooker, it sears, browns and sautes food like a stove-top skillet. It also steams delicate items such as fish, eggs and vegetables. Instant Pots double as standalone electric rice cookers as well.

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.