Five Best Pressure Cooker Recipes

Pressure cooking is great for all kind of meals, especially cooking your best home-style meals in a fraction of the time. Plus, it’s healthier! 

Learn WHY it’s worth cooking with a pressure cooker.

Spicy Pulled Turkey Recipe

(Adapted from original recipe by Michael Rushlow, pressurecookerconvert.com)

This dish, with a savory South Carolina-style mustard bar-b-cue sauce, can be ready to enjoy in about an hour, including prep time.

2 tablespoons oil for browning

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

2 teaspoons hot sauce (or to taste)

1 teaspoons Liquid Smoke (or to taste)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2- to 3-pound turkey breast

seasoned salt, to taste

1/2 cup beer

Whisk together mustard, vinegar, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powders, dry mustard, celery seed, hot sauce, Liquid Smoke, and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Rub turkey breast with seasoned salt. In PC over high heat, brown breast in oil. Remove breast. Lower heat to medium. Add beer to deglaze, scraping bottom of cooker. Add mustard mixture and return turkey to PC. Seal lid, place regulator, and turn heat to high. When regulator begins to rock slowly, reduce heat, maintaining regulator’s rocking. Start timer for 40 minutes.

Remove PC from heat. Allow pressure to release. Remove turkey and return pot to low heat. Cook to reduce sauce. Using two forks, shred turkey breast. When sauce has thickened to desired consistency, add shredded turkey and stir. Serve alone or in buns.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.
 

Southwestern Chicken Soup

(Original recipe by Carole Howell)

Cool days call for hot soup, and this one will warm you inside and out. Green chilies add the zing.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for browning

1 cup onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes with green chilies, including liquid

3 cups chicken broth or stock

1-½ teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

minced cilantro, crumbled tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, and/or lime wedges, garnishes (optional)

Lightly brown chicken in PC. Add onion, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Seal lid, place regulator, and turn heat to high. When regulator begins to rock slowly, reduce heat, maintaining regulator’s rocking. Start timer for 6 minutes.

Remove PC from heat. Allow pressure to release. Remove lid and stir in corn and beans. Cook on low for 10 minutes, or until corn is done.

Makes 4 servings.

Baked Beans

(Adapted from wearever.com)

This recipe for a 6- to 8-quart PC feeds a crowd, with 8 to 10 servings. To serve 4, reduce all ingredients by half.

2 pounds dry Navy beans, soaked*

8 cups water

6 slices bacon or salt pork cut in 2-inch pieces

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup molasses

6 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

dash pepper

Drain beans, reserving 4 cups liquid. Combine beans, bacon, and onion in PC.

Separately, add 4 cups water to bean liquid. Mix liquid with remaining ingredients. Pour over beans. Seal lid, place the regulator, and turn on high heat. When the regulator begins to rock slowly, reduce heat, maintaining regulator’s rocking. Start timer for 25 minutes.

Remove PC from heat. Allow pressure to release.

*To soak beans: Sort for stones and discolored beans. In a pot on stovetop, combine dry beans with generous amount of water. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for least 1 hour. Return to boiling, cover, and remove from heat in cooker; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand at least 1 hour. For convenience, prepare beans the night before and allow to soak overnight.

Makes 8 to 10 servings in 6- to 8-quart PC.

Texas Barbecue Pot Roast

(Adapted from gopresto.com)

For beef or pork: Try them both! Use 6-quart PC, with cooking rack or steamer basket.

1/2 cup catsup

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup teriyaki or soy sauce

1 teaspoon crushed dry red pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 to 4 1/2 pound eye of round, bottom round, boneless chuck roast or pork loin roast

1 1/2 cups water for beef or 2 cups water for pork

1 large onion, sliced

Mix together catsup, preserves, brown sugar, vinegar, teriyaki or soy sauce, red pepper, mustard, and pepper. Place mixture and roast in large plastic bag or glass dish. Turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove roast from sauce. Reserve sauce. Add water and half of sliced onions to PC. Put roast in PC. Cover with remaining onions. Seal lid and place regulator. Cook at 15 pounds pressure, with regulator rocking slowly, for doneness: 8 to 10 minutes per pound for rare; 10 to 12 minutes per pound for medium; at least 12 to 15 minutes per pound for well done.

Remove PC from heat. Allow pressure to release. Remove roast from PC and keep warm.

Separately, simmer reserved sauce until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Transfer onions from PC to blender or food processor and purée. Add to sauce. Serve with sliced roast.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Apple-Walnut Whiskey Bread

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup apple butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped apples

1 tablespoon whiskey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups water

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in eggs, apple butter, wanuts, apples, whiskey, and vanilla. Pour batter into Grease a 7-3/8 x 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 inch loaf pan. Cover pan securely with greased aluminum foil making sure edges of foil will not contact water in pressure cooker. Make an aluminum foil lifter*. Place cooking rack or trivet and 4 cups water in Presto® pressure cooker. Place loaf pan on rack or trivet. Close cover securely. Do not place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Heat until steam flows gently through vent pipe. Cook for 45 minutes with steam flowing very gently through vent pipe. Lift bread from pressure cooker. Remove foil and cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.

Pressure Cooking Tip

To aid in placing and removing bowls or pans in a pressure cooker, try this easy tip for making a “lifter.” Pull out a piece of aluminum foil that will fit all the way around the pan plus about 8 inches more. It should be long enough to fit under the bottom of the pan and to provide handles on each side for lifting. Fold the foil lengthwise until it is about 3 inches wide. Position under pan and gently fold down handles. The “lifter” will enable you to lower the filled pan into the pressure cooker and to easily remove it after cooking.

Interested in slow cooking?  Here are our best slow cooker recipes.