The Instant Pot is a brand of electric pressure cookers. They are very popular in modern cooking, and have become even more popular since their wide distribution via Amazon.
It can be difficult to navigate the vast amount of recipes available, and many recipes call for hours of cooking time in an electric or stove-top pressure cooker, which can be a nuisance when you are busy.
This book is full of recipes that were carefully crafted for the Instant Pot and all its features. The recipes are broken down by course, including appetizers, soups and salads, main dishes, sides, and desserts. There is also a recipe index so you can easily look up what you want to make!
The author has researched and tested all types of recipes in the Instant Pot to ensure they come out perfect every time. Reading through the reviews on this book, people have repeatedly said how helpful it has been in learning how to use the appliance properly.
Essential instant pot recipes
As more people purchase an instant pot, more users are seeking out essential recipes for the appliance. What is an essential recipe?
Those are the recipes that have multiple uses and can be used in many situations. For instance, chicken broth is a great thing to have ready to go in your recipe collection. You can use it to make a delicious soup or dish like pasta or risotto, or you can use it in recipes like chicken salad or casseroles.
You can make quinoa in the instant pot which makes for a quick and easy grain substitute. You can also make beans from scratch quickly in the appliance, which is a must if you are cooking vegetarian dishes.
Soup is also a great dish to make in the instant pot as it cooks quickly and evenly.
Rice recipes
Rice is a staple food, and making rice in the Instant Pot is a great way to test it out. You can make white, brown, and wild rice in the Instant Pot.
It is recommended you use less water for brown and wild rice as they already contain more moisture. Just make sure you add enough water so it will cook properly!
You can make recipes such as lemon garlic chicken rice, coconut curry chicken rice, and mushroom risotto in the pot. Try experimenting with your favorites!
The time it takes for the pot to cook rice varies depending on the type and if you use a cooker or not. The Brown Basmati Rice took 30 minutes without a cooker and 20 minutes with a cooker set to high pressure.
Beans and legumes recipes
Legumes are a staple food group and one of the most versatile foods to cook with. The Instant Pot has a few specific functions that make cooking legumes a breeze.
You can use the pressure cook function to speed up the cooking time of beans. This is especially helpful when you are craving a bean salad or salad topping, but do not have much time to cook the beans.
You can also use the natural pressure release to release some of the gas produced in the beans, which makes for a softer bean. This is great if you want to use dried beans in recipes, like black bean burgers or chili!
Try making homemade hummus with cooked chickpeas and no extra oils for a super healthy version. Or make some veggie packed burghul rice with basmati rice using the natural pressure release to cook it all in one go.
Soups and chilis recipes
Soup recipes are a great way to start making in the Instant Pot. You can make broths, thick soups, and thin soups all in the same device!
Soups that include vegetables, beans, or rice as part of the soup make for a more flavorful broth. If you want a pureed vegetable soup, then just omit the vegetables from the recommended water amount.
For instance, if you want a tomato soup, just put tomatoes in the pot with water and seasoning and you are good to go!
Soups can take longer to cook due to the added ingredients and sometimes liquid content.
Egg recipes
The egg recipe category is a favorite among many Instant Pot users. You can make everything from soft-boiled eggs to desserts with eggs as the base!
If you are looking to master the art of soft-boiled eggs, this is your guide. The author breaks down the steps on how to make perfect soft-boiled, poached, and gelatinized eggs in the pressure cooker.
Poached eggs can be a little tricky, but this guide offers some great tips on how to make them perfectly every time in the IP!
If you are a fan of egg bakes or frittatas, then you will love that you can cook these directly in the pot using indirect heat! Make sure to check out this guide for all the tips and tricks.
Lunchbox ideas
Now that you have a plethora of recipes, you can create lunchboxes with your child with ease. Most kids enjoy sandwiches, so add some meat or veggie slices, some cheese or lettuce or both, and a side of chips or fruit and you have a nice lunch!
You can also make your kid try something new by making one of the recipes in the cookbook and adding in a fun surprise- they will love it!
Some surprises people have had success with are: making pulled pork sandwiches with the Instant Pot BBQ Sauce recipe, making potato boats with cheese and broccoli inside, and making pasta sauces to put over rice.
Pork recipes
People seem to have a love-hate relationship with pork. Many people avoid it due to the higher fat content, but it is a delicious meat that can be used in many recipes.
If you are trying to eat less meat, pork is a good substitute for chicken as they are both lighter meats. When making dishes with rice, tofu or vegetable substitutes can be used as replacements.
There are several recipes that use pork in this book, including Pulled Pork Tacos, Classic Pork Chops, and Easy Chinese Rice Cooker Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli. If you are looking for some new recipes to try out, try baking or cooking these!
Baking cookies is one of the hardest things to do when using an electric pressure cooker. The steam released from the water contained inside can make your cookies flat and crunchy instead of soft and fluffy like we want them to be!
Try using slightly less water in the pot to reduce this effect.
Chicken recipes
Chicken recipes are some of the most common recipes. Everyone loves a good chicken recipe- especially in the form of a pressure cooker recipe.
The InstaPot has several great recipes for chicken that you will love. One of the best is the honey garlic chicken. This recipe is quick and easy, and it tastes amazing!
You start by coating the chicken in a mixture of spices before adding the rest of the ingredients. The sauce comes together quickly and easily, and then it is time to cook!
Once it is done, you can serve it with rice or veggies or whatever you like.
