How To Convert A Recipe Into A Pressure Cooker Recipe

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I'm frequently asked how to convert a recipe into a pressure level cooker recipe. So the terminal time I converted a recipe to make in an Instant Pot, I wrote downwardly the steps. Today I'yard sharing my tips for converting recipes to make in electric pressure cookers.

How To Convert A Recipe Into A Pressure Cooker Recipe

Earlier you convert a recipe, ask yourself: Is the recipe a good choice for the pressure cooker?

The first step is picking a recipe that is well suited to the force per unit area cooker. The pressure cooker requires liquid to achieve pressure. So ideally the recipe will accept some liquid in the recipe already. Slow cooker recipes, soups, meats, legume and grain recipes are generally easily adapted to the pressure cooker.

If you want a crispy, fried blanket on your meat or veggies, force per unit area cooking is not the best method. If you're cooking meat that's very lean, or expensive and tender already, the pressure cooker is probably not the best method for cooking that meat.

collage of Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

The pressure cooker excels at taking tough, fat meats and turning them into tender, succulent meat. It excels at making soups quickly that sense of taste like they've simmered all mean solar day long.

It's also perfect for cooking root vegetables. Two of my favorite vegetables to cook in the pressure cooker are potatoes for tater salad and spaghetti squash. Information technology's the only way I cook rice now, and it makes cooking dry beans a breeze.

How do I know what melt time to utilize when I convert a recipe?

The next step is determining melt time. Ideally, y'all can observe a similar recipe online or in a cookbook and use the cook time used in that recipe. So change the ingredients to utilise the ingredients from the recipe y'all're adapting.

If you can't observe a similar recipe, then use a reliable chart to discover the cook time for the main ingredient in your recipe. I oft use the charts in Pressure Cooker Perfection from America's Test Kitchen, Vegan Under Pressure by Jill Nussinow, and Hip Pressure Cooking by Laura Pazzaglia. Hip Pressure level Cooking also has helpful melt time charts online.

As a starting point when adapting a recipe, I reduce the cook time of meat recipes cooked in the oven or on the stove past 2 thirds. For pasta I reduce the cook fourth dimension by one one-half.

What if the ingredients accept different melt times?

If you're cooking a dish with meat, the size and shape of the meat matters more than the volume of the meat. A large 3 lb. whole roast volition take much longer to cook than 3 lbs. of the same roast cut into bite size pieces.

Can you cut the meat so the cook time matches the cook time for other ingredients? For instance, modest seize with teeth size pieces of chicken breast have the aforementioned cook fourth dimension every bit white rice. And so cutting the craven into bite size pieces lets yous cook the chicken and rice at the same time.

If they don't have similar melt times consider cooking the longest ingredient showtime, then adding the vegetables, such equally potatoes and carrots and cook for a few minutes longer.

For example, if y'all recall the meat will accept 50 minutes to pressure level cook and your vegetables 6 minutes, cook the meat for 50 minutes and release the pressure. Add the veggies, put the chapeau back on, bring the pot back to pressure and cook for an additional half dozen minutes.

You lot may be able to wrap quick cooking items in tin foil or put a pot on a trivet on acme of the longer cooking item to wearisome down the cooking time.

How much liquid should I employ when I catechumen a recipe to a pressure cooker recipe?

By and large 1 cup of liquid. If you lot're using ingredients that contain lots of water, such as craven, fruit or vegetables, you may be able to apply less liquid.

Since there's very little liquid loss when yous pressure level cook, you lot mostly take to reduce the liquid in recipes like soups and braises so yous don't water down the flavour.

Pressure Cooker Thai Chicken Thighs served on a white plate

My Pressure Cooker Thai Chicken Thighs recipe is adapted from a slow cooker recipe from 365 Days of Dull Cooking. In that location'due south slightly less than 1 cup of liquid in the recipe, but because chicken releases lots of liquid while it cooks, there was no demand to change the amount of liquid. Notwithstanding, I was able to reduce the cook time from half-dozen hours to 9 minutes!

What ingredients shouldn't I use in the pressure cooker?

If there are thickeners, such as corn starch or flour, in the original recipe, make a slurry and add them after pressure level cooking. An example of how to make a corn starch slurry is my popular Beef and Broccoli recipe.

Don't flour your meat before browning it. It tin can create a layer on the bottom of the pressure cooking pot that will preclude it from coming to pressure.

Generally, add together dairy products and cheeses afterwards pressure cooking.

Should I do a natural or quick pressure release?

Meat generally benefits from a natural release just if you've got pasta or vegetables in the pot and yous're worried well-nigh overcooking the ingredients, use a quick pressure release. For more data visit my Quick Pressure Release or Natural Pressure level Cooker Release post.

Keep a notebook of tips when y'all convert a recipe for the Instant Pot.

Cooking in an Instant Pot or other electrical force per unit area cooker is easy, but y'all'll want to make notes when you convert recipes to make in one.

Write downward notes so y'all'll know what changes you fabricated and tin tweak the recipe the next time you brand it. Or, if you're cooking from a cookbook, I've started writing notes in the margins so I can duplicate what changes I made.

Once y'all've adjusted a couple of recipes, it gets easier. Yous learn to trust your instincts and use your senses.

If y'all'd like to print this postal service to keep in your notebook, I created a printable pdf version.

Now, it's your turn. I'd love to hear your tips and tricks. If y'all take a tip that helps you convert a recipe, please exit a annotate. If I didn't answer your question about converting a recipe, leave me a comment too and I'll practise my best to respond information technology.

Thanks!

If you're new to using the Instant Pot, exist certain and check out my posts on Which Instant Pot Button to Apply and Quick Force per unit area Release or Natural Pressure Cooker Release.

I'm calculation a great proffer past 1 of my long-time Pressure Cooking Today readers. She suggested new users make several reliable recipes written for the force per unit area cooker before trying to adapt their favorites to the pressure cooker. "Amend to experience some sure success before riding the cycle without grooming wheels, so to speak."

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