Instapot Hacks In The Healthy Kitchen

I have been using the wide 7.5-quart InstaPot for a while. It has been perfect for cooking grains like rice, farro, and quinoa, as well as dried beans such as garbanzo beans, pinto beans, and black beans. However, I have also been using it to make one-pot meals, such as chili, soups, and stews.

I like that I can dump all ingredients in at once, press an ingredient-specific button, and let it do all the heavy lifting for dinner. It also has a massive capacity, allowing it to often cook multiple meals at once. During the summer, it has negated the need for an oven, keeping the house cooler!

However, there have been a few surprises and glitches.

1) Rice needs a 1:1 ratio instead of its usual 2:1 ratio for water to grains. You only need half the water for most grains because the water does not evaporate during pressure cooking.

2) Make sure you clean all parts carefully, keep track of them, and put them back together correctly. This was never really a problem, but with so many good videos to watch, you're well aware of all the parts.

3) Press down on the lid while locking it. If you do not do this, the steam process will not be engaged, and one hour later, dinner will not be cooked.

4) The saute function is convenient, but do not use the Instapot Pot lid during this process, or it will make an error code saying there is too much pressure on a non-pressure function. It is best to cover it with a sheet pan.

5) Release the steam before opening the lid. But if the cooking has ended for 10 minutes, it will release by itself usually.

Our best healthy-meal successes to date:

• Huge batches of brown rice: I can freeze ahead so it is ready for more meals, but overall, the rice cooking function for white or brown rice is second to none if you measure in 1:1 ratios of grains to water. Since brown rice takes a lot of time on the stove and requires attention, I find I want to cook it more when I have an Instant Pot.

• Healthy stews: Potatoes, chicken, celery, carrots, lentils, and seasonings are one of my go-to dinners. It helps to cut up the potatoes, celery, and carrots so they cook at the same time as the chicken. Adding lentils is a huge fiber and nutrient boost. Chicken breasts cook for the default 15 minutes, but thighs need a longer time—25 minutes, possibly 30 if they have bones or are slightly frozen.

• Dried beans: Dried beans can be cooked in under an hour. See the chart below. You should add a tiny half tsp of oil to reduce foaming. Do not salt or add acid until after the cooking process.

• Chili: Combine your canned beans, ground turkey or chicken, canned tomatoes, and additional veggies with chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and you'll have a super delicious chili ready in just 15 minutes. I use the chicken setting for this.

• Shredded chicken: We have covered the topic of shredded chicken for meal prep. We use it for Buddha bowls, soups, chili, tacos, burritos, salads, and more. The InstaPot can cook large batches of chicken, which can be shredded in bulk in the mixing machine. Fill the pot with water and chicken breasts and use the chicken setting.

• Winter squash: Winter squash can be added whole with a few cups of water, and in 15 minutes, this tough veggie is ready to mash!

• Adding greens - it is easy to add fresh or frozen greens to a dish to add more flavor and nutrients.

Here is a cheat sheet from our experiments:

Whole Grains - rinse all whole grains first for best results

Pressure Cooking Times (High Pressure, natural release unless noted):

• Brown rice: 30 min, 1:1 ratio (grain: water) It is also about the same for white rice.

• Quinoa: 1 min, 1:1 ratio (grain: water). The Instant Pot will take time to build pressure and then release it naturally over time, so it takes about 15 minutes total. The quinoa is fluffy at the end.

• Farro: 20 min, 1:2 or 1:2.5 ratio (grain: water)

Tips:

• Rinse grains first to prevent starchy foam from clogging the vent.

• For tender but not mushy grains, use natural release so the pressure drops gradually. In other words, let the Instant Pot release pressure automatically instead of manually. However, if you are in a rush, you can cook a little longer and then release pressure by hand so you can use the items right away.

• Season with herbs and lemon after cooking.

Dried Legumes

Pressure Cooking Times (unsoaked → soaked; High Pressure, natural release):

• Black beans: 25–30 min → 8–10 min

• Kidney beans: 35–40 min → 10–12 min

• Chickpeas: 40–45 min → 12–15 min

• Lentils (green/brown): 10–12 min (no soak needed)

• Red lentils: 3–4 min (very delicate)

Sauté vs. Pressure Cook

• Sauté Mode:

  • Best for browning meat, blooming spices, and sweating aromatics.

  • Works like stovetop cooking—stir often to prevent sticking.

  • Use Low or Medium heat for longer sautés (like onions) to avoid scorching.

  • Do NOT cover with the InstaPot lid - use a cookie pan or other pot cover to set on top gently. This is a non-pressurized cooking method, and using the Instapot lid causes pressure to build up with a warning error code.

• Pressure Cook Mode:

  • Seals in steam and cooks food quickly using high pressure.

  • You must have enough thin liquid (usually 1–1.5 cups minimum) for the pot to come to pressure.