Whether you are a novice pressure cooker or are a pro that has been at it for a while, there are some great meat and poultry recipes that you can make with your pressure cooker. It does not matter whether you are preparing a whole chicken or a few eggs, pressure cookers not only cook faster than most other cooking methods, but they also ensure that the food you are preparing remains moist and flavourful.
Please note that it can be very easy to overcook poultry when preparing it in a pressure cooker as it is usually impossible to check the temperature or the level of doneness when your meat is cooking. As such, you should always pay careful attention to the recipes, as well as the cooking times to avoid mishaps in the end.
What to remember when pressure cooking meat, poultry, and eggs
Steaming hard boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are great for preparing in a pressure cooker. Simply place some eggs in a steamer basket and add some water before steaming. When done, the shells will fall right off.
Thighs tend to perform better than breasts
When it comes to poultry, thighs tend to perform a lot better than breast when put in a pressure cooker. Because chicken breasts are usually leaner than thighs, they only require a few minutes of cooking time before they turn from juicy to dry and overcooked. Because thighs contain a lot more fat content, they are not easily prone to drying out.
Try not to shred or dice breasts
Even if you are following a recipe that calls for chunks or cubes of chicken breasts, it is generally better and faster to cook the meat whole. If you would still like to have it in chunks, consider cutting it up or shredding it into your preferred size after the cooking process has already been completed.
Smaller poultry is best
If you are using turkey or chicken, the size of your bird matters a lot. Generally, you should avoid cooking birds that are larger than 4 pounds. This is because you want to make sure that your bird will fit easily into your pressure cooker without getting stuck against the edges. A smaller bird will also be easier to cook through evenly compared to a large one.
Right in the pot or in a trivet?
When preparing poultry, you can cook it in a trivet, if you want your chicken to steam or you can prepare it directly in the pot. Regardless of whichever method you pick, be sure to add sufficient amounts of water as instructed by your recipe.
Whenever you are cooking with a pressure cooker, you might not get the crispiest skin like you would if you roasted or deep fried your chicken. Like slow cookers, pressure cookers work by creating a moist environment that does not allow the chicken to dry out. If you are going for dry skin, you may have to make it crispy on your stovetop before serving.
Pair similar cuts together
If you want the best pressure cooker results for your poultry, you should avoid mixing different cuts of meat together. As such, white meat should not be mixed with dark; the same goes for bone-in and de-bonded cuts. Usually, meaty areas such as drumsticks and thighs, as well as bone-in pieces require longer cooking times compared to leaner and boneless pieces.
The Pressure Cooker Meat, Poultry And Egg Timing Charts
| Meat Variety | Brown | Liquid Minimum | Cooking Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, brisket, fresh or corned; 2-3 lbs. | cover completely | 45-50 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, brisket, fresh or corned; 4-5 lbs. | cover completely | 55-70 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, cube steak | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, flank steak | Yes | 1 cup | 35 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, ground - crumbled or patties | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, heart 3 to 4 lb | cover completely | 50 to 75 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, kidney | cover completely | 8- 10 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, liver; sliced | 1/2 cup | 5 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, neck bones | Yes | cover completely | 45 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, oxtails | Yes | cover completely | 40 to 45 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, pot roast, round, blade, chuck, or rump; 3-4 lbs | Yes | 2 cups | 35 - 45 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, rolled or rib roast (3 to 4 lb.) | Yes | 2 cups | 35 - 45 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, shanks - 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches thick | Yes | 1 1/4 cups | 25 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, short ribs | Yes | 1 1/4 cups | 20 to 25 minutes | Natural |
| Beef steak, round, chuck, blade, chuck, or rump; (1 to 1-1/2 inches) | Yes | 1 1/4 cups | 20 minutes | Natural |
| Beef steak, round, chuck, blade, chuck, or rump; (2 inches thick) | Yes | 1 1/4 cups | 20-25 minutes | Natural |
| Beef Steak, Tri-tip, Sirloin, Triangle | Yes | 1/2 cup | 8 - 12 minutes | Natural |
| Beef stew meat; 1 1/2 inch cubes | Yes | 1 cups | 15 minutes | Natural |
| Beef, tongue fresh or smoked (2 - 3lb.) | cover completely | 75 to 90 minutes | Natural | |
| Beef, tripe honeycomb (2 lb.) | cover completely | 35 minutes | Natural | |
| Chicken, boneless strips, tenders | Yes | 1/2 cup | 3 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Chicken, breasts with bone | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Chicken, breasts boneless | Yes | 1/2 cup | 5 minutes | Natural |
| Chicken, cubes | Yes | 1/2 cup | 3 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Chicken giblets - necks, gizzards or hearts | 1 1/2 cups | 25 minutes | Natural | |
| Chicken, livers | 1/2 cup | 2 minutes | quick or cold water | |
| Chicken, ground meat | Yes | 1/2 cup | 4 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Chicken, legs, drumsticks or thighs with bone | Yes | 1/2 cup | 7 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Chicken, legs, drumsticks or thighs boneless | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Chicken, wings | 1/2 cup | 4 minutes | quick or cold water | |
| Chicken, stewing; 4 to 5 lb. | cover completely | 30 to 35 minutes | Natural | |
| Chicken, wings | 1/2 cup | 4 minutes | quick or cold wate | |
| Chicken, whole, roasted (3 to 4 lb.) | 2 cups | 20 minutes | Natural | |
| Cornish Hen, whole | 1/2 cup | 8 minutes | Natural | |
| Duck, pieces | Yes | 1/2 cup; must use a rack | 8 minutes | Natural |
| Duck, whole (3 to 4 lb.) | Yes | 1 cup; must use a rack | 25 to 30minutes | Natural |
| Eggs, hard boiled | cover completely; must use a rack | 5 minutes | cold water | |
| Eggs, shirred, poached | 1/2 cup; use covered ramekins on a rack | 2 minutes | cold water | |
| Goat, young | Yes | Cook as per similar cuts under Lamb | ||
| Goat, mature | Yes | Cook as per similar cuts under Venison | ||
| Ham Hocks, smoked | cover completely | 40 to 50 minutes | Natural | |
| Ham (fresh-uncooked) picnic or shoulder; 3 to 5 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 30 to 40 minutes | Natural | |
| Ham, (fresh-uncooked) shank or butt - 3 to 5 lb. | 2 1/2 cups | 40 to 50 minutes | Natural | |
| Ham, Fully Cooked shank or butt - 3 to 5 lb. | 2 1/2 cups | 35 to 45 minutes | Natural | |
| Ham, Fully Cooked slice; 2 inch thick | Yes | 1 cup | 12 to 18 minutes | Natural |
| Ham, Fully Cooked slice; 1/2 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Ham, (fresh-uncooked) slice; 1 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 12 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb, breast - 2 lbs | Yes | 2 cups | 35 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb chops 1/2 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 5 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Lamb chops; more than 1 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 10 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Lamb chops; less than 1 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 8 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Lamb, riblets | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb, leg (3 lb.) | Yes | 2 cups | 20 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb, neck, shoulder (bone-in) 3 to 6 lbs | Yes | 3 cups | 25 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb, shanks | Yes | 2 cups | 20 -25 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb steak; 1/2 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 8 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Lamb stew meat; 1 inch cubes | Yes | 1 cup | 12-15 minutes | Natural |
| Lamb (Mutton Roast); 4 to 6 lbs | Yes | 2 cups | 45 minutes | Natural |
| Pheasant | Yes | 1 1/4 cups | 15 to 20 minutes | Natural |
| Pigeon (Squab), halved | Yes | 1 1/2 cups | 20 to 25 minutes | Natural |
| Pork chops or steaks, 1 inch or more, or stuffed | Yes | 1/2 cup | 8 minutes | Natural |
| Pork chops, or steaks less than 1 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cup | 6 minutes | Natural |
| Pork, loin 3-4 lbs | Yes | 1 cups | 25 - 35 minutes | Natural |
| Pork, Pigs feet | 1 cups | 30 - 45 minutes | Natural | |
| Pork ribs, spareribs | 1/2 cup | 10 minutes | Natural | |
| Pork ribs, baby back ribs | 1/2 cup | 12 minutes | Natural | |
| Pork ribs, country style (boneless) ribs | 1 cup | 14 minutes | Natural | |
| Pork, roasts, any cut, 3-4 lbs | Yes | 2 cups | 30 - 35 minutes | Natural |
| Pork sausage, Italian, Polish, Kielbasa, steam on a rack | Yes | 1/2 cup | 8 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Pork shanks | Yes | 2 cups | 35 minutes | Natural |
| Pork shoulder,or arm roast (bone-in) 3lbs. | Yes | 2 cups | 35 to 40 minutes | Natural |
| Pork shoulder, or blade roast (boneless) 3lbs. | Yes | 2 cups | 35 to 40 minutes | Natural |
| Pork, smoked neck bones | cover completely | 20 minutes | Natural | |
| Pork stew meat 1 1/2 inch cubes | Yes | 2 cups | 10 minutes | Natural |
| Rabbit | Yes | 1/2 cup | 12 to 15 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey breast, boneless (rolled) | Yes | 1 1/2 cups | 20 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey breast, 2-2 1/2 lbs whole with bone in | Yes | 1 1/2 cups | 20 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey giblets - gizzards or hearts | 1 1/2 cups | 25 minutes | Natural | |
| Turkey ground | Yes | 1/2 cups | 8 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey thigh (boneless) | Yes | 1/2 cups | 10 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey thigh (bone-in) | Yes | 1/2 cups | 12 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey whole, 10-12 lbs | Yes | 2 cups | 40 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey drumsticks (legs) | Yes | 1/2 cups | 12 minutes | Natural |
| Turkey parts thawed | Yes | 1/2 cups | 5 minutes | Natural |
| Veal chops or steak; less than 1 inch thick | Yes | 1/2 cups | 5 minutes | quick or cold water |
| Veal, leg 3-4 lbs | Yes | 2 1/2 cups | 50 to 60 minutes | Natural |
| Veal roast, 3 -`4 lbs | Yes | 2 1/2 cups | 40 to 45 minutes | Natural |
| Veal shanks | Yes | 2 1/2 cups | 18-20 minutes | Natural |
| Veal Stew meat; 1 inch cubes | Yes | 2 cups | 8 minutes | Natural |
| Venison, roast, any cut, 3 to 4 inches thick | Yes | 2 cups | 30 to 40 minutes | Natural |
| Venison, cubed, thin sliced steaks, chops | Yes | 1/2 cup | 18 minutes | Natural |
| Venison, thick sliced steaks or chops | Yes | 1/2 cup | 20 minutes | Natural |
| Venison, ground | Yes | 1/2 cup | 12 minutes | Natural |
Table by Miss Vickie Smith
* When using cuts of meat over 1 1/2 inches thick always use a meat thermometer to check the temperature for doneness. Find out more by looking at the temperature charts.
1 Liquid amounts given are based on the average used by today’s modern pressure cookers with a spring valve pressure release system. Use the recommended minimum given in your owners manual. The amounts can vary depending on the type of pressure cooker and the length of cooking time. When using a jiggle top model plan on doubling the amount of liquid used. check your owner’s manual for the manufacturers recommendation, generally the minimum amounts recommended for jiggle top models is 1 cup, and 1/2 cup for the valve type pressure cookers, which is sufficient for approximately 15 minutes of cooking time. to determine the amount of liquid used by your pressure cooker, do the Test Drive. Pressure cookers will lose more water in cooking time over 15 minutes, or if the heat is not lowered correctly once it come to pressure.