Instant Pot Sous Vide Recipes: How to Use Instant Pot & Sous Vide

It is no secret that quick-cooking has extreme value; so, when you seek out instant pot sous vide recipes, you want the best tricks and most efficient tips.

We’ve all tried cooking in a single pot before- the unparalleled ease coupled with drastically limited dishes. It’s ideal. That said, pots overflow and require our supervision. Instant pots are the best of single-pot cooking; no mess, no oversight, and all the flavor and efficiency.

If you’ve never used one of these handy tools before, it will forever change cooking in your kitchen. In this article we breakdown the best instant pot dishes and all the secrets to their operation so that you can cook like an expert.

How to Cook Instant Pot Sous Vide Recipes

Preparing the Meal

The first (and most tedious) step in instant pot cooking is prep work. Frankly, this is the only part of instant pot cooking that requires some work (but don’t worry, the work is quick). From there, it is easy to get a delicious, home-cooked meal ready.

Rinse the pot

Give the pot a rinse and make sure there is water between the ceramic container and the element underneath. This is a safety precaution that prevents burning and keeps your food tasting how you want it to. Replace the ceramic pot and set aside the lid. Now the fun part begins.

Add Sauce

Whether you are using water, broth, or sauce, your food will need a fluid base to bring it all together.

These pots are not designed for dry food since the liquid keeps the food cooking at a low temperature for the required amount of time.

If you don’t have both, consider water with salt and some basic spices. Try out lemon and garlic. Or consider black pepper and thyme.

Maybe brown sugar and ketchup. The options really are endless. There are tonnes of flavor options- choose the one you like.

Add Vegetables

It is safe to say that your meal will need some vegetables. Whether these are onions for flavor, potatoes for starch, or greens for vitamins, this is a standard step.

Due to the fact that slow cookers operate for a significant amount of time (often over a whole day), it is better that we slice vegetables thick. The bulkier they are at the beginning, the more form they hold after cooking.

A Dash of Oil

Though closed-in cooking gives the opportunity for low fat, adding oil is essential to proper cooking. It does not have to be much, though including this fatty feature will prevent burning and improve the quality of cooking. It keeps the food lubricated and helps integrate the flavors.

Place the Meat

This step is last since this reduces the chances for contamination. The meat, in order to stay free of dangerous bacteria and other pathogens, should go from the fridge to pot right away.

If you are making a roast, slice it in half. Otherwise, large cubes hold their form well in the pot. Place them inside the container and close the lid.

Turn on the Instant Pot

Now that your meal is altogether (though not yet cooked), it is time to apply heat to the meal. One of the reasons these pots are so popular is for working individuals.

They cook slowly, but successfully. Usually, there are two settings on the machine: low and high. If you are going to be gone for the whole day (for example, leaving to work), leave the system on low. If you are setting up the cooker afternoon, then high is acceptable.

Tips and Tricks

Plan Ahead

If you are going into a busy week, save yourself time by planning your meals. With instant pot cooking, this can be as easy as identifying meat, a vegetable, and a sauce.

From there, you will have a great idea about your shopping needs. This way, at the supermarket, you can efficiently gather all the needed ingredients for a week of easy cooking.

If you are a fan of prep work, consider seeking out storage containers. With these, you can organize your meals before you cook the actual food.

Choose five different (large enough) containers that seal items airtight. Fill them with the raw ingredients for your upcoming dinners. This makes easy work during the week.

Make it the Night Before

Depending on your personal style, it may be easier to make the menu the night before. Slice the vegetables and thaw the meat. Set them aside for the morning.

When you wake up, place the items into the slow cooker. Turn it on to low and walk away for the day. By the time you return home, there will be a fully cooked meal, exactly how you like it.

Keep Safety in Mind

There are a few implications of safety when it comes to instant pot cooking.

Heat and Burns

When the pot comes out of its container, it will be surprisingly hot. Make sure that you wear oven mitts to protect from burns.

The contents, even though heated on ‘low’, are still incredibly hot to the touch. Be careful and leave a few minutes before serving.

Electrical Circuits

Anything with electrical components runs the risk of shorting. This can lead to problems ranging from a broken machine to an electrical fire. Proper maintenance prevents most of these pitfalls.

Make sure that you store the machine away from debris- on a clean and open counter. Keep all fabric far from the item.

Routinely check the element to make sure there are no apparent problems. At least once a week, dry out the element and resupply water into the bath.

Insurance Requirements

Depending on the type of homeowners or renters insurance you have, the requirements differ. Some plans are fine with electrical machinery plugged in while the resident is away.

Others are stricter. It helps to take a look at the parameters of your insurance agreement to ensure that you are above board.

Cleanup and Storage

It is essential to take proper care of your machine. After use, take out the ceramic bowl and let it soak. Make sure it does not go too quickly from hot to cold.

This could cause cracking. Once the item cools down, clean it thoroughly. The maintenance process includes the element beneath the bowl. Dry out the basin and leave the machine unplugged until you next use it’s a great skill

Slow cooker, or instant pot, cooking is a great way to improve taste while adding efficiency. You will have the best results as a beginner if you diversify your meals.

Keep things interesting- switch from fish to chicken, vegetables to stew (at least for the first little while). After a bit, you will be an expert readied with a set of favorites and ideas for new, exciting recipes.

Sous vide cooking translates to ‘under vacuum’ in its original French; so, to celebrate this culinary art we have compiled the comprehensive beginner’s guide to sous vide cooking.

Together, we will investigate the nuances of this artful method. We will make taste pop and food cook safely by using this efficient and cost-effective cooking method.

Whether you are vegetarian or carnivorous, sous vide is a great method to preserve taste maximize vitamin content in your food. Save time and improve your health by learning how to use this classic cooking craft.

What is Sous Vide Cooking?

Essentially, the process of the sous vide craft is simple, even for beginner cooks. Basically, it involves vacuum sealing the morsels which you plan to cook inside of a food grade bag.

All of the air leaves the food and we leave it encased in high-quality plastic. The quality of the plastic matters, since we want to prevent these pesky polymers from leeching into our food itself.

From there, we submerge the food into a water bath. The temperature of the water is exact (in order to properly cook the ingredients).

The heat your food requires is variable based on what you are cooking. Every meat protein and vegetable medley has a specific temperature need. The vacuum sealed food stays in the water bath for a pre-determined amount of time.

Just as the water’s heat is specific, so is the time we leave the food to cook. While it is difficult to burn food when we cook it this way, the quality of the morsel lessens if we do not leave the food to cook for the right amount of time. Follow instructions to the letter for best results.

Generally (and depending on what you cooked), you need to sear the remainders on a hot frying pan. This will crisp up the edges while leaving the center of the meat tender and cooked to perfection. Vegetables do not usually require this supplemental step.

Added Benefits of Sous Vide

When you are cooking in this manner, it is important to understand the benefits you gain from practicing this culinary craft. We’ve broken down these details here.

Texture

Taste is as much about consistency as it is the flavor. Steak may taste great, but if we don’t cook it to our exact taste specifications, then you will desire it less.

Because the cooking time is so specific, and void of the wild card impacts of air and atmospheric pressure, the opportunity for flaws drastically reduces. This means that the texture of your food remains constant every time you cook the meal.

Flavor

Since you are not boiling, frying, or baking the food, you can achieve flavor unencumbered by outside influences.

Whether it is taste leeching into the water, or metal touching the food itself, small things make massive differences in taste.

When you use this method, you seal the morsel by itself, so only the tastes you choose to come through to the final product.

Health

Food is generally healthy, especially before processing. When we boil food, the water leeches away essential vitamins and minerals.

If we fry food, we add fats that are neither necessary nor helpful to health. If we bake food, water leaves the item and takes with it essential micronutrients.

Since, when we cook sous vide, we seal the food, there is no opportunity for the morsels to lose nutrition. This means that our food stays as healthy as possible.

Simplicity

We have all gotten home from a busy day at work to realize that we still needed to spend an hour cooking. This method encourages ease.

Now, with a small bit of prep over the weekend, we can have meals done to order. Spend an hour of your spare time sealing your meals for the week.

Since they are under vacuum, they will last quite some time. Over the week, simply submerge them into the water bath to make the most of this method.

Different Sous Vide Methods

There are different approaches to cooking food this way. In order to find your fit, consider the different methods and find the way that suits your personal needs.

Vacuum Sealed at Home

One approach to this cooking method is to use a store-bought vacuum sealer. It is critical that you only use food grade bags to prevent contamination via polymers.

Food grade plastic does not leech into the items themselves and keeps you (and your loved ones) safe from edible harm.

Most major retailers sell vacuum sealers and accessories therefor. From there, you can get a metal clip and a large pot filled with water.

Clip the bag to the side of the pot and leave it for the appropriate amount of time to fully cook the food item in question.

Make sure, when removing the food, to be cautious of how hot the contents really are. Leave the item to sit for a few minutes before serving for the best results.

Professional Sous Vide Cooker

This is probably the most popular option for sous vide cooking. It is easily the simplest method of executing the task.

Major retail outlets will (more often than not) stock professional cookers. When we use these items, it provides the opportunity for unparalleled control of the water’s temperature.

Generally, they also feature a timer that makes sous vide cooking a precision art- almost a science. While these are an up-front investment, they save time and add ease to the cooking process.

When you look at these cookers, be realistic about the size which you will need. They come in an assortment of sizes; though, for personal cooking needs, smaller ones are fine.

Pre-Sealed Food Stuffs

Many supermarkets will sell food that has been pre-sealed. Whether it is brisket or vegetables, there are wide varieties of foodstuffs available for at-home sous vide cooking.

If you are looking to save on time, this is a very efficient method. Whether you are using a professional cooker or a pot and clip at home, this option makes sourcing items to cook very simple and straightforward.

A Final Word

While some posit that sous vide does not require vacuum sealing, it is generally better to follow stick to the proper method (especially at first). It will give you the best idea of the quality and taste of sous vide.

After this, you can adventure with different products and types, from jars to glass containers.

Until then, try out the method using technical correctness. This way, you get the full health and taste benefits sous to vide fans have grown to love.