Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Mexican Food Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Does the Instant Pot cook well as a slow cooker? ›

Touted as the do-it-all appliance for good reason, an Instant Pot is a multi-function pressure cooker that easily doubles as a slow cooker. The difference between pressure cooking and slow cooking is substantial, so we love that one appliance can do both, along with a slew of other cooking methods.

Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.

The Instant Pot's standard lid is designed to tightly seal and keep moisture in, which is great if you're pressure cooking pork shoulder — but less so if you're trying to slow cook fruit butter. Before you use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker, find a replacement lid.

When it comes to preserving nutrients, the Instant Pot's high-pressure cooking generally wins the battle. If you're looking for quick, healthy meals with minimal nutrient loss, the Instant Pot is your go-to. For rich, complex flavors and fall-off-the-bone tenderness, the slow cooker takes the crown.

If you are slow cooking in the Instant Pot, you should be able to leave your dish cooking overnight for as long as the recipe dictates. Anything that calls for 8 hours cooking time should be sufficient as long as you make sure you're up in time to take it out of the slow cooker once it's finished.

When comparing appliances, you'll find that the pressure cooker beats even the most energy-efficient slow cooker in terms of using less power and adding less heat into your home. Pressure cookers consume much less power than a standard electric oven, which uses around 2,000 watts of electricity on medium heat.

The Instant Pot® tempered glass lid seals in heat, steam, and flavor, and lets you keep an eye on your dish when steaming, slow cooking, and warming. With modern stainless-steel accents, this lid is also perfect for serving.

First make sure (if you're using the Instant Pot as a pressure cooker), the knob is set to, “Sealing.” If not, the liquid in the pot escapes through the top of the lid (because it's not sealed) and burns the food.

What happens if you don't put enough water in Instant Pot? ›

Can a Pressure Cooker Be Used Without Water? It is important to never run a pressure cooker without water. It cannot cook your food properly without water, and the pressure will build to such an extent that the lid, pressure valve, plugs, and hot food could be thrown all over the kitchen.

You can open your pot all you want during slow cooking.

Instant Pot Slow Cook Temperatures Explained

Low on the Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function is like the keep warm on a traditional slow cooker. The low setting reaches about 170 degrees F. Normal on the Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function is equivalent to low heat on a traditional slow cooker. Normal reaches 200 degrees F.

The cooker measures temperature....not pressure....so if anything affects the accuracy of the temperature sensor, it will malfunction. The most likely cause is having a large chunk of solid food, like a piece of meat, sitting on the bottom of the pot, directly over the center. That's where the temperature sensor is.

When comparing appliances, you'll find that the pressure cooker beats even the most energy-efficient slow cooker in terms of using less power and adding less heat into your home. Pressure cookers consume much less power than a standard electric oven, which uses around 2,000 watts of electricity on medium heat.

If you're a tech-savvy home chef looking for versatility and convenience, the Instant Pot might be your ideal match. However, if you value time-tested reliability, durability, and a focus on the art of pressure cooking, a classic pressure cooker could be your perfect culinary companion.

The Instant Pot cooks rice fine for most people, though the grains don't come out as fluffy and light as they do from a high-end rice cooker like our top pick, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10. Rice aficionados might want to keep their rice cookers, especially for cooking sushi-grade grains.

Use the warming function to keep your food warm until you're ready to eat — or to keep food you've made elsewhere warm! If your Instant Pot is clean, you can easily use it to keep food warm that you've made in the oven, microwave, or anywhere else. Use the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button on the bottom right of the panel.