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Using your Instant Pot to cook meat is one of the best ways to cook the main ingredient in your dish.
Pressure cooked meat is always tender and juicy – and you can pressure cook most cuts of meat in a fraction of the time it takes to cook in the oven.
If I have convinced you to cook your meat in the Instant Pot, you probably have a few questions.
Whether you’re wondering how long to pressure cook your meat or how to cook a certain cut of meat in the Instant Pot, keep reading! I’m breaking down Instant Pot meat cooking times for all types of meat and poultry in this post.
Cooking Red Meat in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is a great way to cook red meat, including both beef and lamb. Whether you’re hoping to cook a pound of ground beef or a full roast, here are the Instant Pot cooking times for red meat:
Ground Beef
A pound or two of ground beef can easily be cooked in your Instant Pot. And the best part about these simple instructions is that you can use them for all types of ground meat, including ground chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb.
Fresh ground beef should be placed on a trivet or in a steaming basket, along with one cup of water. Cook on high pressure for six minutes followed by a quick release.
Frozen ground beef should be placed on a trivet or in a steaming basket, along with one cup of water. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes followed by a quick release.
Roasts (chuck, rump, tri-tip, brisket, and pot roast)
To cook all types of roasts in the Instant Pot, you’ll first need to determine the size of your roast. The cook time for beef and lamb roasts is based on minutes per pound of meat and varies depending on how you prepare your meat before placing it in the Instant Pot:
Large chunks of roast should be cooked on high pressure with at least one cup of water for 20 minutes per pound of meat.
Small chunks of roast should be cooked on high pressure with at least one cup of water for 15 minutes per pound of meat.
Stew Meat: Diced meats are great for cooking in the Instant Pot. Cook stew meat with at least one cup of liquid for 20 minutes per pound of meat, followed by a quick release.
Short Ribs: To cook short ribs in the Instant Pot, start by heating oil using the sauté mode. Sear each side of the ribs, then remove them from the Instant Pot and drain the excess fat. Add at least two cups of liquid to the Instant Pot and cook the ribs on high pressure for 35 minutes for boneless ribs or 50 minutes for bone-in ribs. Finish with a natural release.
Instant Pot Cook Times for Pork
Pork is another type of meat that tastes amazing in the Instant Pot. And with several cuts of pork, there are so many delicious ways to enjoy it after it has pressure cooked!
Pork Tenderloin
Start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté mode and adding oil. Sear the pork loin to brown the sides, then add at least one and one-half cups of liquid to the pot. Place the trivet in your Instant Pot and cook the pork loin on top of the trivet. Cook the loin on high pressure for 20 minutes per pound of meat.
Pork Shoulder and Butt
Cut the pork shoulder or butt into large chunks to ensure an even cook, then sauté the chunks in oil on sauté mode. Remove the pork from the pot and add at least one and one-half cups of liquid to the Instant Pot. Place the trivet or steamer basket inside the pot and place the pork on top. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes per pound of meat and finish with a natural release.
Pork Ribs
Cooking pork ribs in the Instant Pot will require a little preparation. Start by removing the membrane from the back of the ribs, then configure the rack to ensure it fits inside the pot. Place the trivet in the bottom of the pot and add one cup of water. Cook the ribs on high pressure for 20 to 25 minutes and finish with a natural release.
Pork Chops
To cook pork chops in the Instant Pot, sear each side of the chop on the sauté setting. Then, add at least one cup of liquid to the pot. Cook the pork chops on high pressure for 10 minutes and finish with a quick release.
Pork Belly
Brown the outside of the pork belly on sauté mode, then add one cup of water to the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then finish with a natural pressure release.
Ham
Place the ham in the Instant Pot with the fat side up and add at least one cup of liquid. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a natural release.
Poultry Cook Times
Chicken is another type of meat that tastes great when cooked in the Instant Pot! Whether you’re cooking an entire bird or your favorite chicken cut, here’s how to cook poultry in the Instant Pot:
Whole Chicken or Turkey
Place the trivet in the pot and add one cup of water, then place the bird on the trivet with the breast side facing up. Cook a frozen bird on high pressure for 45 minutes, or cook a fresh bird on high pressure for eight minutes per pound. Either way, finish cooking with a natural release.
Boneless, skinless breast
Start by adding at least one and one-half cup of liquid to the pot, then cook fresh breasts on high pressure for eight minutes or frozen breasts on high pressure for 12 minutes.
Wings
Cook chicken wings in the Instant Pot using one cup of liquid for two to four pounds or ½ cup of liquid for two pounds or less. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes for fresh wings or 15 minutes for frozen wings.
Drumsticks
Chicken drumsticks can be cooked with one cup of liquid for 12 minutes for fresh or 20 minutes for frozen, both on high pressure, while turkey drumsticks should be cooked with one and one-half cups of liquid on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Thighs
Add one cup of liquid to the pot, then place the thighs in. Cook frozen thighs on high pressure for 20 minutes or fresh thighs on high pressure for 12 minutes.
If you want to download your own Instant Pot meat cooking times cheat sheet – go to our resource library here.
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