How to Make Your First Meal in Your Pressure Cooker

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Get your new pressure cooker out of the box and get cooking! In this post, I break down a standard pressure cooker recipe and include all the details you need to make your first meal in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express, Power Pressure Cooker XL, or any other brand of electric pressure cooker!

Make Your First Meal in the Electric Pressure Cooker - Shredded Barbecue Chicken from the Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook page 64

Welcome to part 4 of the Getting Started Guide. You’re ready to get cooking in your new electric pressure cooker!

One of my favorite things is how quickly meals come together in the electric pressure cooker. Many recipes on my site can be made in under 30 minutes. For this post, I’ve adapted one of my 30-minute meals, the Shredded Barbecue Chicken recipe from my cookbook, The Electric Pressure Cooker CookbookI often use this chicken for both sandwiches and salads—it’s one I often have on hand.

The recipe below expands on the steps in the cookbook recipe and includes specific details for the top brands of electric pressure cookers. You can refer to this post when making other recipes in the pressure cooker.

Make Your First Meal in Under 30 Minutes

Make Your First Meal in Your Instant Pot

We've taken our Instant Pot Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches recipe and explained every step along the way, so that you can get familiar with how to do the different tasks associated with the recipe.
This pressure cooker recipe will work in ANY brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express, Power Pressure Cooker XL, Zavor, Mealthy, or any other brand!
Active Time6 minutes
Additional Time20 minutes
Total Time26 minutes
Course: How To
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Pressure Cooking Today / Barbara Bakes LLC

Equipment

  • [An Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or other brand of electric pressure cooker]
  • The silicone ring that came with that device (I like to have separate for sweet and savory foods if yours came with more than one)
  • [Measuring cups]
  • [Knife]
  • [Instant-read thermometer]

Materials

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 3 smashed cloves of garlic
  • 1 large onion quartered
  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Food items to finish the meal such as buns to serve as sandwiches with chips and carrots, or a tossed salad and BBQ dressing

Instructions

  • A close-up of the inside of the pressure cooking lid, featuring the silicone ring in place

1. Check the lid

  • Ensure that the sealing ring is completely in place and nested around the inside of the lid, with no gaps or bulges.
  • a top-down shot showing the silver cooking pot in place inside the pressure cooking housing

2. Check the housing

  • Make sure that there is nothing between the housing and the cooking pot, and that the pot is in place and ready to cook.
  • A top-down shot of BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and smashed cloves of garlic inside the Instant Pot's cooking pot.

3. Mix liquid ingredients

  • In the pressure cooking pot, stir together 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, and 3 smashed cloves of garlic. Make sure that the BBQ sauce is well mixed with the water.
  • An overhead shot of three chicken breasts inside the Instant Pot with halved onions

4. Add remaining ingredients

  • Add 1 large onion, quartered, and 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts. (You'll remove the onions later, so no need to worry about chopping them pretty.
  • An overhead shot showing the sealing valve on an Instant Pot lid

5. Lock the lid in place and Seal

  • Verify that your pressure release switch is in the Sealed position. While the terminology and icons vary slightly among brands, the process is identical.

Here are instructions for the top four brands:

  • Instant Pot Duo: Turn the pressure release handle from Venting (steam icon) to Sealing (triple-S icon). In newer, push-button steam release models, the model seals automatically when the lid is locked in place.
  • Ninja Foodi: Turn the pressure release valve from Vent to Seal.
  • Crockpot Express: Turn the steam release valve from the Open/Release position (steam icon) to the Closed/Seal position (X over the steam icon).
  • Power Pressure Cooker XL: Turn the pressure valve from the Open position (steam icon) to the Lock position (bulls-eye icon).
  • a head-on shot showing an Instant Pot Ultra with the cook time set to 6 minutes at high pressure

6. Set the Pressure Level and Cook Time

    Select High Pressure and 6 minutes cook time. Again, the process is similar among brands; here’s how to do it in the top four brands:

    • Instant Pot Duo: To select High Pressure, use the Pressure Cook button, then use the plus and minus buttons to set the cook time to 6 minutes. (Older models of Instant Pot should use the Manual button in place of the Pressure Cook button.) No need to press start—after a few seconds, a beep will sound and it will start cooking according to your selections.
    • Ninja Foodi: To select High Pressure, press the Pressure button, then use the up and down Temp arrows to choose High. Then, use the up and down Time arrows to set the cook time to 6 minutes. Then press the Start/Stop button to begin the cooking process.
    • Crockpot Express: This pressure cooker doesn’t allow you to set a Manual cook time; therefore, you’ll need to choose the button with the closest cook time. For this recipe, select the Steam button and use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the cook time to 6 minutes. Press the Start/Stop button to begin the cooking process.
    • Power Pressure Cooker XL: Since this pressure cooker doesn’t allow you to set a Manual cook time, you’ll need to choose the button with the closest cook time. For this recipe, select the Rice/Risotto button and, if necessary, use the Time Adjust button to set a 6 minute cook time.
    • A finger turning the pressure release valve from the sealed to venting position

    7. Delayed Pressure Release

    • When the cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. (This means to leave the valve in the sealed position for the next 5 minutes. We're letting the chicken rest before we release the pressure.)
    • During this time, there's no need to touch the buttons or anything—your keep warm setting will track the amount of time that has elapsed since the cook time ended. Or you can turn off your pressure cooker and set a kitchen timer.
    • Pressure Release Switch and Float Valve of many common pressure cookers

    8. Release Remaining Pressure

      After 5 minutes, use a quick release to manually release any remaining pressure. Here’s how to do it in the top four brands:

      • Instant Pot Duo: Turn the pressure release handle from Sealing (triple-S icon) to Venting (steam icon). In newer models, you just need to push the button on the lid.
      • Ninja Foodi: Turn the pressure release valve from Seal to Vent.
      • Crockpot Express: Turn the steam release valve from the Closed/Seal position (X over the steam icon) to the Open/Release position (steam icon).
      • Power Pressure Cooker XL: Turn the pressure valve from the Lock position (bulls-eye icon) to the Open position (steam icon).
      • You’ll see and hear a jet of steam emerge from your pressure cooker. Wait until the steam subsides and the float valve drops.
      • Be sure to keep your hands and face away from the steam as it releases.

      9. Unlock and Remove Lid

      • Turn the lid to the unlocked position. Carefully remove the lid, pointing it away from your face and arms to avoid the steam. I like to wiggle the lid a little to shake off any water droplets that may have condensed on top, then I'll use the lid fins to nest the lid inside the pressure cooker housing. (Many Instant Pot models have this feature.)
      • an overhead shot of chicken breasts in a bowl after having been shredded by two forks

      10. Test for Doneness

      • Use an instant-read thermometer to verify each chicken breast is at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast after cooking. Remove the chicken from the cooking pot to a plate. Dice or shred the chicken, as desired.
      • (A shredding shortcut I love is I'll put the chicken in my KitchenAid bowl and pulse it until the chicken is as shredded as I want.)
      • an overhead shot of straining the juicies and discarding the solids

      11. Strain and retain the cooking liquid, and discard the onion solids.

      • If you like maximum BBQ sauce flavor, stir together up to 1 additional cup of barbecue sauce and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and combine with the chicken.
      • Otherwise, simply add the 1/2 cup of cooking liquid back to the chicken.
      • (If I know I'm going to have leftovers, I'll save the cooking liquid until I'm ready to freeze, then I'll add a little more to each individual ziplock bag.)
      • 12. Serve the barbecue chicken while it’s hot and ready!
      • For barbecue chicken sandwiches, toast some sandwich rolls and top with additional barbecue sauce.
      • Or make a wonderful barbecue chicken salad with chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, and shredded cheddar cheese, along with a drizzle of barbecue sauce and ranch dressing.

      To read the recipe in its original form, see our post on Instant Pot Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches.

      >> Your first meal is complete! You’re ready to move on to the next section!

      BBQ Chicken Sandwiches from the Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, page 64

      Part 5 in our Getting Started Guide suggests some easy pressure cooking recipes for you to make in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express, or other brand of electric pressure cooker.

      Before you know it, you’ll be making fabulous pressure cooker meals and wondering how you ever cooked without it!

      Pressure Cooking Today's Getting Started Guide—get to know your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express or other brand of electric pressure cooker

      The How To Use An Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Getting Started Guide Series

      Other How To Guides

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