34
Cooking Time Tables
As with conventional cooking, cooking with the Instant Pot
®
is full of personal choices,
creativity, a lot of science, and little experimentation. No two people have exactly the same
tastes, preferences of tenderness and texture of food. The purpose of the Cooking Time
Tables is to provide you with a reference, however you are encouraged to experiment and find
the time settings that best suit your personal preferences.
There are other factors that may affect the cooking time. Different cuts of meat and diverse
types of rice, for example, may require different cooking times to yield the same tenderness or
texture.
When cooking frozen food, there is no need to defrost the food in the microwave first.
However, frozen food will prolong the pre-heating time and cooking time by a few minutes,
depending on the amount of food.
The timing indicated within the Cooking Time Tables are based on the cooking pressure within
the range of 10.15~11.6 psi.
The cooking time for seafood is typically short.The best result is achieved with the original
juice being retained in the food. Steaming is the ideal cooking method, howeverstewing the
food will also produce great results.
When steaming seafood, you will need at least one 1 cup (250 mL) of water, and an ovenproof
or steel bowl on a trivet. When seafood or fish are over-cooked, their texture becomes tough.
Unless that’s the intended result, you should control the cooking time precisely. Normally,
you’ll need to use the steam release handle to release the pressure and stop cooking as soon
as the programmed cooking period is over. An alternative is to take the natural cooling time (7
— 10 minutes) into consideration.
Seafood & Fish
FRESH
Cooking Time
(minutes)
FROZEN
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Crab, whole
Fish, whole 4 –
55 – 7
Fish, fillet 2 –
33 – 4
Fish, steak 3 –
44 – 6
Lobster
Mussels
Seafood soup or stock7 –
88 – 9
Shrimp or Prawn
SEAFOOD & FISH
N/A
4 – 6
4 – 5
2 – 41 – 3
2 – 3
2 – 3
3 – 4
55
33
44
88
35
If you would like to cook some specialty rice or
grains, please use the following grain : water
ratio.
The provided Rice Measuring Cup (180 mL) can
be used to measure the required grain to water
ratios. One cup of grain yields about one adult
serving.
RICE & GRAINS
Rice & Grains
Water
Quantity Ratio
(grain : water)
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Barley, pearl1 : 2 ½20 — 22
Barley, pot1 : 3 ~ 1 : 425 — 30
Congee, thick1 : 4 ~ 1 : 515 — 20
Congee, thin 1 : 6 ~ 1 : 715 — 20
Couscous 1 :
22 — 3
Corn, dried / halved
Kamut, whole1 : 210 — 12
Millet 1 : 1 ¾ 10 — 12
Oats, quick cooking
Oats, steel-cut
Porridge, thin
Quinoa, quick cooking 1
Rice, Basmati1 :
14
Rice, Brown1 : 122 — 25
Rice, Jasmine1 :
14
Rice, white1 : 14
Rice, wild 1 : 1 20 — 25
Sorghum1 : 320 — 25
Spelt berries 1 : 1 ½25 — 30
INSTANT TIP: Use the Smart Programs
Instant Pot
®
’s built-in [Rice] and [Multigrain] Smart Programs
provide the optimal method of cooking rice and grains.
1 : 1 ½ 2 — 3
3 — 5
20 — 251 : 3Wheat berries
(unsoaked)
(unsoaked)
1 : 2 10 — 15
2 : 2 ½
5 — 6
1 : 1 ¼
1 : 3
½2
42
51
71
22
21
14
12
14
e114
m132
½2
36
DRIED BEANS, LEGUMES, & LENTILS
INSTANT TIP: Save Time, Soak the Beans
Although not strictly necessary, soaking the dried beans can speed up
cooking significantly. Immerse the beans in 4 times their volume of water
for 4-6 hours.
Dried Beans,
Legumes, &
Lentils
DRY
Cooking Time
(minutes)
SOAKED
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Adzuki / Azuki / Aduki16 — 20 4 — 6
Anasazi20 — 25 5 — 7
Black beans 20 — 25 6 — 8
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas (chickpeas,
garbanzo
bean, or kabuli)
35 — 40 10 — 15
Cannellini beans 8 — 10
10 — 15 4 — 5
Great Northern beans25 — 30 8 — 10
Kidney beans, red 8 — 10
Kidney beans, white /
Cannellini
30 — 35
25 — 30
30 — 35
Lentils, green
Lentils, brown
Lentils, red, split N/A
N/A
N/A
Lentils, yellow, split
(moong dal)
18 — 20
5 — 6
10 — 12
10 — 12
8 — 10
N/A
Lima beans12 — 14 8 — 10
Navy beans20 — 25 7 — 8
Pinto beans25 — 30 8 — 10
Peas 6 — 10 N/A
Scarlet runner 20 — 25 8 — 10
Soy beans35 — 45 18 — 20
There are a few things to be aware of when cooking dried beans and legumes:
• Dried beans double in volume and weight after soaking or cooking. To avoid
overflow, please do not fill the inner pot more than half capacity to allow for
expansion.
• When cooking dried beans, use enough liquid to cover the beans.
Beans and legumes are less likely to be over-cooked, but if they are undercooked the texture
is typically unpleasant. Please consider the cooking time as the minimal time.
37
There are a few things to be aware of when cooking meat:
• Raw meat is perishable and should not be left at room temperature for more
than 2 hours (or 1 hour if room temperature is above 32°C / 90°F). When using
the [Delay Start] program, do not set time for more than 1 -2 hours. We recommend to
pre-cook the meat and select the automatic [Keep Warm] or [Warm] program to
maintain the food at serving temperature.
• Do not try to thicken the sauce before cooking. Corn starch, flour or
arrow-root may deposit on the bottom of the inner pot and block heat
dissipation. As a result, the pressure cooker may overheat.
You may want to brown the meat by selecting the [Sauté] program to seal the juices before
pressure cooking.
MEAT (POULTRY, BEEF & LAMB)
Meat
DRY
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Beef, stew meat 20 / 450 gm / 1 lb
Beef, meat ball
Beef, dressed
Beef (pot roast, steak, rump,
round, chuck, blade or brisket
(small chunks)
Beef (pot roast, steak, rump,
round, chuck, blade or brisket
(large chunks)
Beef, ribs 20 — 25
Beef, shanks25 — 30
Beef, oxtail 40 — 50
Chicken, breasts (boneless) 6 — 8
Chicken, whole 2-2.5 Kg 8 / 450 gm / 1 lb
Chicken, cut with bones10 — 15
Chicken, bones for stock
Duck, portions with bones12 — 15
Duck, whole10 / 450 gm / 1 lb
8-10 / 450 gm / 1 lb
40 — 45
20 / 450 gm / 1 lb
15 / 450 gm / 1 lb
20 / 450 gm / 1 lb
38
INSTANT TIP: Seasoning Beef— Try These On Your Next Meal
Beef: (approximately 500 g or 1 lb)
• 50 g (2 oz) butter, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 50 g (2 oz) butter, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 50 g (2 oz) butter, 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh chives, 1 tbsp (15 mL) grainy mustard
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Meat
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Lamb, cubes10 — 15
Lamb, stew meat 12 — 15
Lamb, leg15 / 450 gm / 1 lb
Pheasant 8 / 450 gm / 1 lb
Turkey, breast
(boneless)
7 — 9
Turkey, breast (whole)20 — 25
Turkey, drumsticks (leg)15 — 20
Veal, chops5 — 8
Veal, roast12 / 450 gm / 1 lb
Quail, whole8 / 450 gm / 1 lb
39
When steaming vegetables, you will need 1 cup (250 mL) of
water and an ovenproof or steel bowl on a trivet.
Due to short pressure keeping period, leaving the pressure
cooker naturally cooling down without using the steam
release will add some extra cooking time to the food. (Natural
Release — see page 7).
VEGETABLES
INSTANT TIP: Steaming Vegetables Preserves Vitamins & Minerals
When cooking vegetables, fresh or frozen, it’s recommended to
use steaming to preserve vitamins and minerals tothe
maximum. Steaming also retains the natural look of the
vegetable, adding aesthetic value to your dish.
Vegetables
FRESH
Cooking Time
(minutes)
FROZEN
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Artichoke, whole & trimmed 9 — 11 11 — 13
Artichoke, hearts 4 — 5 5 — 6
Asparagus, whole or cut 1 — 2 2 — 3
Beans, green, yellow or wax,
whole, trim ends and strings
1 — 2 2 — 3
Beetroot, small / whole 11 — 13 13 — 15
Beetroot, large / whole 20 — 25 25 — 30
Broccoli, florets 1 — 2 2 — 3
Broccoli, stalks 3 — 4 4 — 5
Brussel sprouts, whole 2 — 3 3 — 4
Cabbage, red, purple or green,
shredded
2 — 3 3 — 4
,neerg ro elprup ,der ,egabbaC
wedges
3 — 4 4 — 5
Carrots, sliced or shredded 2 — 3 3 — 4
Carrots, whole or chunked 6 — 8 7 — 9
Cauliflo
wer florets 2 — 3 3 — 4
Celery, chunks 2 — 3 3 — 4
Coliard Greens 4 —5 5 — 6
40
Vegetables
FRESH
Cooking Time
(minutes)
FROZEN
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Corn (kernels)1 — 22 — 3
Corn (on the cob) 3 —
54 — 6
Eggplant (slices or chunks)3 —
43 — 4
Endive 1 —
22 — 3
Escarole (chopped)2 —
33 — 4
Green beans (whole)2 —
33 — 4
Greens (chopped)2 —
34 — 7
Leeks2 —
33 — 4
Mixed vegetables 3 —
44 — 6
Okra 2 —
33 — 4
Onions (sliced) 2 —
33 — 4
Parsnips (chunks) 3 —
44 — 5
Peas (in the pod)1 —
22 — 3
Peas (green)1 —
22 — 3
Potatoes (cubed)3 —
44 — 5
Baby potatoes (whole)
Large potatoes (whole)
Pumpkin (small pieces)2 —
34 — 5
Pumpkin (larges pieces)
Rutabaga (slices) 3 —
44 — 5
Rutabaga (chunks) 4 —
66 — 8
Spinach
Acorn squash (slices)
Butternut squash (slices)
Sweet Potato (cubes)
Sweet Potato Large (whole)
Sweet Potato Small (whole)
Sweet Pepper (slices or
chunks)
Tomatoes (quarters)
Vege
Corn
(
ke
r
Corn
(
on
Eggplan
t
En
v
e
Escarole
8 — 10 12 — 14
12 — 15
1 — 2
6 — 7
4 — 6 6 — 8
3 — 4 4 — 5
12 — 15
17 — 19
8 — 10
12 — 14
1 — 3
2 — 4
2 — 3
4 — 5
3 — 4
8 — 10
15 — 19
10 — 14
8 — 10
41
When steaming fruit, you will need 1 cup (250 mL) of
water and an ovenproof or steel bowl on a trivet.
Often times, fruit dish recipes have precise
requirements of the fruits’ texture. Instead of leaving
the pressure cooker naturally cooling down, you’ll need
to open the pressure cooker using the Quick Release —
to release the pressure and stop cooking (see page 7).
FRUITS
INSTANT TIP: Steaming Fruit Preserves Vitamins & Minerals
Just like cooking vegetables, fresh or dried fruits are best
steamed to preserve the texture and taste as well as vitamins
and minerals. Steaming also retains the natural look of the
fruit, essential to your fruit dish. Cook fruit of equal size and
ripeness together.
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54
43
22
33
33
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44
33
33
44
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34
44
66
Fruits
FRESH
Cooking Time
(minutes)
FROZEN
Cooking Time
(minutes)
Apples (slices or pieces)1 — 22 — 3
Apples (whole)3 — 44 — 6
Apricots 2 — 33 — 4
Peaches2 — 34 — 5
Pears (whole)3 — 44 — 6
Pears (slices or halves)2 — 34 — 5
Plums2 — 34 — 5
RaisinsN/A 4 — 5