25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (2024)

By Julie Kotzbach · Published: · Last Updated: This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

These 25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker will take you from novice to expert in a matter of meals! Grab your Instant Pot and let’s get cooking!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (1)

When I got an Instant Pot for Christmas, the first thing I learned to make was Instant Pot Chicken Breast. I loved that I could go from freezer to dinner in minutes! My Instant Pot has been a lifesaver, and today I’m helping you get started with your Instant Pot.

It took me months to get really comfortable cooking with a pressure cooker, so I want to make it super easy for all of you. Whether you like to use a classic pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, these recipes are sure to make cooking dinner a snap!

Each one is tried-and-true for a recipe win that’ll leave you feeling like a pressure cooker master!

25 RECIPES TO GET YOU STARTED WITH YOUR PRESSURE COOKER
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Hearty beef recipes are a favorite at my house. They invoke all the feelings of comfort food!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (2)

  1. Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon Recipe– A modern method for a French classic!
  2. Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Pot Roast– This is literally the best pot roast I’ve ever had!
  3. Pressure Cooker Beef Short Ribs– Tender and delicious, these short ribs are sure to be a hit!
  4. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches– I’m obsessed with these sandwiches!
  5. Instant Pot Korean Beef– So easy and SO delicious!

Chicken doesn’t get any easier than these flavorful pressure cooker recipes!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (3)

  1. Pressure Cooker Lemon Chicken – I love the bright citrus flavors and brinyolives together!
  2. Instant Pot Whole Chicken– Great for dinner or to help with meal prep!
  3. Instant Pot Chicken Chili – So comforting and hearty. I like having a different option than beef chili in my recipe book.
  4. Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice– Easy comfort food everyone loves!
  5. Pressure Cooker Fast and Easy Chicken Chile Verde– Mexican food is my favorite and this chicken is pretty fab!

Pack some serious flavor into your pork with these easy recipes!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (4)

  1. Instant Pot Pork Chops – I make these all the time. So easy and the gravy is really good.
  2. Pressure Cooker Bone-in-Ham with Maple-Honey Glaze– Your holiday ham recipe just got a whole lot easier!
  3. Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)– A must make for Taco Tuesday!
  4. Pressure Cooker Red Beans and Rice– One bite and you’ll want to make this Southern classic again and again!
  5. Instant Pot Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) – I love the flavors of this pork! Forget take-out. I can make it faster at home.

A big bowl of soup is one of my favorite meals, and they just got easier to make with a pressure cooker!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (5)

  1. Instant Pot Beef Stew – Classic comfort food made easy. Pressure cooking it gets all those flavors boosted in a fraction of the time as the stovetop preparation.
  2. Pressure Cooker Fresh Corn Chowder– I could eat this chowder every day!
  3. Instant Pot Meatball Soup – My kids love this soup. I love how easy it is to make!
  4. Chicken Noodle Soup in Pressure Cooker – This soup is a must-have for your recipe book!
  5. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup – This Italian classic is pure comfort food! Skip the restaurant and make it at home!

See how versatile your pressure cooker can be with these yummy recipes!

25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (6)

  1. Pressure Cooker Baked Beans– Let your beans cook while you fire up the grill!
  2. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – I love setting and forgetting my Instant Pot for these potatoes. Then I’m free to make the rest of our meal and then just finish them off when we’re ready to eat!
  3. Best Instant Pot Shrimp Boil– Great for smaller batches when you need a seafood fix!
  4. The Best Pressure Cooker Rice Pudding – Rice pudding was one of my favorites growing up, who knew you could make it in a pressure cooker?!
  5. 5-Ingredient Pressure Cooker Cheesy Egg Bake– An easy brunch dish great for feeding a crowd!

Our favorite tools to make these pressure cooker recipes

If you’re new to using a pressure cooker, extra sealing rings, a pair of silicone mitts, and a steam rack basket set areessential accessories. If you really want to have some fun with your pressure cooker try using it to make dessert in a spring form pan,or up your chef game and use your pressure cooker to try the sous-vide technique with this immersion circulator!

If you enjoyed these recipes you may also enjoy our collection of

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25 Recipes to Get You Started with Your Pressure Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What cannot be cooked in a pressure 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.

Can I put frozen meat in a pressure cooker? ›

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.

What is the best meat to pressure cook? ›

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.

What do you cook in a pressure cooker for beginners? ›

Robin Shreeves joins Laurel Randolph in compiling this list.
  1. Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock. ...
  2. Instant Pot Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs. ...
  3. Instant Pot Chicken. ...
  4. Instant Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon. ...
  5. Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat. ...
  6. Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto. ...
  7. Fast, No-Soak Instant Pot Beans. ...
  8. Instant Pot Rice.

What is the most common use of a pressure cooker? ›

Pressure cookers are designed to make short work of slow cook dishes. They're economical both in the amount of power they use and are also ideal for tenderising cheaper cuts of meat.

What happens if you leave meat in pressure cooker too long? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.

What happens to meat in a pressure cooker? ›

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes. Be sure to follow instructions carefully; at this speed, it's easy to overcook things in mere minutes.

Do you season meat before pressure cooking? ›

Heat oil in the pressure cooker and sear the meat on all sides. Season the roast, then add the broth, sauce, and onion. Seal the lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook on full pressure for 30 minutes.

How much water do I put in a pressure cooker for meat? ›

Pour in at least two cups of water; use 1 to 2 cups more if the beef is a tough cut or to reach the minimum amount recommended by the pressure cooker's manufacturer. Seal the lid and bring the cooker up to full pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook beef? ›

Slow cookers are much better for cooking root vegetables and tough cuts of meat because the long, low-temperature cooking process is great for adding moisture and breaking down fat. Pressure cookers can get hot enough for meats and vegetables to brown in them when cooking, but slow cookers can't.

What are pressure cookers best for? ›

The pressure cooker is the number one gadget for people who want to slice huge chunks off the cooking time of meat, pulses and sauces. From ribs that fall off the bone, to stew, casserole or braised meat, a pressure cooker can achieve great results in under an hour.

What dishes are safe in a pressure cooker? ›

As the name suggests, heat-proof containers should be heat or ovenproof- this includes high-temperature silicone, heat-proof glass (like pyrex), ceramic, stainless steel, aluminum and even copper! The forms should not be plastic or any glass that is not tempered.

Does food taste better in a pressure cooker? ›

But another good thing about a pressure cooker is it doesn't just cook long things like short ribs and roasts, it also makes food taste better! The flavor is more concentrated since the pot is sealed. There's no escaping steam.

References

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