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 should I cook in my new pressure cooker? ›

31 Quick Dinner Recipes for Your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
  1. Harissa (Armenian Wheat and Chicken Porridge) ...
  2. Pressure Cooker Corn Risotto. ...
  3. Pressure Cooker Chunky Beef and Bean Chili. ...
  4. Pressure Cooker Red Wine–Braised Beef Short Ribs. ...
  5. Pressure Cooker Jewish-Style Braised Brisket With Onions and Carrots.

What Cannot be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Here are six things you should always avoid cooking in a pressure cooker.
  1. Dairy products. Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. ...
  2. Fried foods. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers. ...
  3. Quick cooking vegetables. ...
  4. Cakes and bakes. ...
  5. Eggs in the shell.
Jul 23, 2023

What is the best meat to cook in a pressure cooker? ›

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 pressure cookers cook best? ›

Perfect for busy families or feeding guests without having to spend the whole night in the kitchen, pressure cookers are great for whipping up stews, soups and tough meat cuts as well as whole chickens, rice, beans and more.

Can I put frozen meat in 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.

Does food taste better in a pressure cooker or slow cooker? ›

As the ingredients cook under pressure, their flavors are concentrated, resulting in a richer taste. Tenderization: Pressure cooking breaks down tough fibers in meats and other ingredients, making them more tender and juicy.

Why is a pressure cooker unhealthy? ›

Pressure cooking can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate) and bioactive phytonutrients, such as betacarotene, glucosinolates (helpful compounds found in cruciferous vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids, that are beneficial for human health.

Why potatoes should not be cooked in pressure cooker? ›

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.

Can you put raw meat in a pressure cooker? ›

Diced Meat

Season your meat as you normally would. Heat a little oil using the Sauté function and sear the meat. Add 1 1/2 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc.). Cook for 20 minutes (per pound of meat) at high pressure for large chunks and 15 minutes (per pound of meat) for small chunks.

Do I need to brown meat before pressure cooking? ›

Brown it

Pressure cooked food doesn't brown so it's worth doing this at the start of cooking before adding liquid and putting the lid on. Meat looks and tastes more appetising with a little browning. Onions, garlic and spices also benefit in the flavour stakes from pre-cooking.

Can you overcook 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.

What size pressure cooker for 2 people? ›

Whole meal recipes for one or two persons can usually be accommodated in a 4-quart pressure cooker. 6-QUART: The most popular size for many families with two or more persons. 8-QUART: Popular for larger families.

What cooks food faster in a pressure cooker? ›

In fact, it's water that helps generate the high-pressure environment that makes your food cook faster. Most pressure cooker instructions state a minimum amount of water required for pressure cooking even a tiny amount of food.

What do I need to know before using a pressure cooker? ›

Pressure Cooker Safety Tips
  • Before Cooking, Check Your Equipment. Always check the rubber gasket (the ring of rubber that lines the lid of the cooker) to make sure it isn't dried out or cracked. ...
  • Don't Overfill the Cooker. ...
  • Use Enough Liquid. ...
  • Don't Pressure Fry. ...
  • Release Pressure in a Safe Way. ...
  • Clean the Cooker Properly.
Aug 7, 2019

Can you cook everything in a pressure cooker? ›

You can cook most food in a pressure cooker. However, most people use it to cook food that takes a long time to cook with conventional methods.

What is a modern day pressure cooker? ›

Modern pressure cookers typically have two or three redundant safety valves and additional safety features, such as an interlock lid that prevents the user from opening the lid when the internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, preventing accidents from a sudden release of hot liquid, steam and food.

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