Side Dishes Archives - Pressure Cooker Meals

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

March 23, 2019 by Rose Atwater Leave a Comment

Instant Pot Chicken Stock is easy to make and full of so much flavor! This homemade bone broth can be made in less than half the time of stove-top or slow cooker methods – you’ll never want to make it any other way!

I’m a huge advocate for not wasting. I don’t like to waste time, money, food… you get the idea. For this reason, I’m always looking for ways to reinvent leftovers and use up produce that’s going bad. Those ideas are what led me to sharing how to make homemade Instant Pot Chicken Stock.

For Father’s Day last year, we gave my husband this grill/smoker combo. Since buying it, we’ve grilled countless times and he’s smoked briskets, roasts and now whole chickens.

Anywho – so we had the smoked chickens (two for our large family) over the weekend and they were incredibly delicious. But at the end of the meal, I had these two carcasses and lots of skin and bits of meat leftover and I just knew I needed to get one more use out of the leftovers.

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

That’s when it occurred to me that I could use them to make homemade chicken stock. Even better… Instant Pot Chicken Stock! I skimmed a few recipes, then dug through my refrigerator and pantry for leftoevers and ingredients that I could use for flavor.

Granted, nobody mentioned using smoked chicken for making broth but I figured I’d give it a try! Since I had two leftover chickens, I got out both of my Instant Pots and doubled up. I plan to use some of the stock in my chicken & rice recipe tonight and freeze the rest for later.

In each pot of chicken stock, here’s what I included: the carcass and scraps of meat, skin, etc, baby carrots (that had gone soft), half an onion (also on the verge of going bad), minced garlic, a bay leaf, and some salt and pepper.

Several recipes I skimmed through also suggested celery and other herbs and spices, but I didn’t have that on hand, so I rolled with what I had. I covered it all in water up to the fill line then used the manual setting.

The cooking times also varied from recipe to recipe… anywhere from 20 minutes to 120 minutes. Since I wanted to use the broth that night in our supper, I settled in the middle and did 45 minutes for one pot and 60 minutes for the other. I couldn’t tell much difference in the two, but generally speaking, I imagine the longer you cook it, the better it’ll be.

Once the Instant Pot beeps and is done, allow it to natural release for at least 30 minutes. Then you can strain it (discard all solids) and use it immediately! Or let it cool to store in the frig for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I did leave a few bits of chicken in the pot for the chicken and rice I was making, but usually I strain it all out.

And that’s it! Currently I use stock for homemade Chicken Dressing (think Thanksgiving), chicken & rice, chicken noodle soup, potato soup, and so much more! It’s full of flavor and cheap, cheap, cheap! Two of my favorite things!!

How to store homemade chicken stock…

If I keep any chicken stock in the refrigerator, I usually try to use it within 3-4 days (although I think it would keep okay for up to a week). I almost always just pour it up in quart jars. I freeze the rest of the stock in small one-cup freezer containers or these larger 4 cup containters.

While you’re here, be sure to check out this recipe for easy homemade Instant Pot beef bone broth.

Here’s the printable recipe for you:

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

Author: Rose Atwater
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 quarts
Category: Staples
Method: Pressure Cooker
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

Instant Pot Chicken Stock is easy to make and full of so much flavor! This bone broth can be made in less than half the time of stove-top or slow cooker methods – you’ll never want to make it any other way!

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass and scraps of meat

handful of carrots

half an onion, rough chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

a bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

water – enough to cover everything (or to the fill line)

optional: celery, thyme, ginger, or other spices you like!

Instructions

Cut onion and carrots, add to pot
Add everything else into the pot (whole)
Fill with water to the line right before the max line on your pot
Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes, quick release
Strain and store in jars in the fridge or in freezer-safe containers in your freezer.

Keywords: chicken broth, chicken stock, bone broth, stock, instant pot, pressure cooker, instant pot chicken stock, broth, homemade

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

February 4, 2019 by Rose Atwater 1 Comment

One of the things I’ve come to love the most about my Instant Pot is the option to make the most common and basic foods even easier. For instance, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes. Make easy, fluffy, perfect baked potatoes in your pressure cooker in half the time (or less), every time.

I know getting excited about baked potatoes probably seems a little nuts, but there is nothing more versatile, hearty and filling than a baked potato. Keep it simple with sour cream and butter for a side dish. Or load it up with broccoli, bacon, cheese, chili, seafood, and/or any number of other toppings for a complete meal.

Often I bake a few potatoes and set out toppings and we have a “potato bar” for lunch. It’s always a hit!

Anyway, baking potatoes in the oven takes at least an hour. But doing them in the Instant Pot is so easy and much faster. And if you get potatoes that are relatively the same size, you can perfect your “recipe” and get them perfect every single time without worry.

So… let me show you how easy it is.

First, gather your potatoes anc scrub them clean. I prefer medium, Idaho potatoes so I can make at least one per family member (there are 8 of us). Spread them out and poke holes in them with fork. No need to go overboard. Four or five jabs and you should be good.

You can, of course, do fewer potatoes. Or you can use larger “baking” potatoes . But if you do, you may have to adjust your cooking time by adding 2-3 more minutes.

Other than the potatoes, the only other ingredient you’ll need is one cup of water.

Place your rack in the bottom of your Instant Pot (or you could use a steamer basket), then pour the water in.

Stack the potatoes in and then put the lid on. Lock the lid and set the vent to “Sealed”.

Shop:

Press the “Manual” button, then set it for 12 minutes.*

After it beeps, let it depressurize using the natural pressure release or you can quick release after it sits for at least 10 minutes.

When you open up your Instant Pot, you’ll have perfectly “baked”, fluffy potatoes!

I like to test my potatoes by cutting into them with a butter knife to be sure they’re tender. Because I almost always use the same size potatoes, I don’t worry too much about it these days because 12 minutes is perfect for us. But if you use larger potatoes, you may have to reseal the pot and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

We served ours with butter and sour cream, salt and pepper. A steak from the grill and some broccoli and it was a delicious meal!

And that’s it! Do you love using your Instant Pot for staple foods and recipes?

Check out my these posts while you’re here:

Here’s the printable recipe for you: