There is no doubt that a pressure cooker is one of the best ways to quickly and easily cook food that, in a conventional pot or pan, would take longer to prepare. Examples include dried pulses, a whole chicken and parts of certain types of meat. When you cook these in a pressure cooker, the result is always tender and cooked to perfection - and it doesn't use so much energy either. But can all types of food be prepared in this way? And for how long do you need to cook food in a pressure cooker?? At OneHowTo we'll explain everything you ever wanted to know about this topic.
What types of food can I cook in a pressure cooker?
You can use a pressure cooker to make any dish you want in a much quicker time than normal. However, some foods cook better in a pressure cooker than others. Foods like fish, pasta or fresh vegetables are not ideal for this type of cooking, as they generally cook quite quickly using conventional methods.
However, dried pulses, such as chickpeas, beans and lentils; meats, like chicken, veal, lamb, offal, duck and tripe; even octopus, meat casseroles and fruit compotes; all these are perfect for the pressure cooker.
Take a look at the different sections to find your desired ingredient to know how long to cook your food in a pressure cooker.
Cooking time in a pressure cooker: poultry
The pressure cooker is perfect for cooking poultry in a sauce or a stew, giving you fast, delicious results. The average cooking times are:
- Whole chicken: 10 to 15 minutes
- Duck: 15 to 20 minutes
- Turkey (in pieces): 15 to 20 minutes
- Pigeon or partridge: 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size
Cooking time in a pressure cooker: red and white meats
Stews and similar dishes can be prepared much quicker using a pressure cooker, with the following approximate times:
- Pork tenderloin: 15 to 20 minutes
- Rabbit: 10 to 15 minutes
- Lamb stew: 20 to 25 minutes
- Veal stew: 20 to 25 minutes
- Whole cuts of veal: 20 to 25 minutes
- Corned Beef: 25 to 30 minutes
- Tripe stew: 30 minutes
Cooking time in a pressure cooker: dried pulses
Pulses are among the most popular types of food to make in a pressure cooker, as they normally take so long to cook. Approximate cooking times are as follows:
- Chickpeas: 10 to 30 minutes
- Dried beans: 15 minutes
- Lentils: 10 to 15 minutes
- Broad beans: 10 to 15 minutes
Cooking time in a pressure cooker: shellfish and seafood
If you want to prepare your shellfish and seafood quickly, a pressure cooker is extremely useful. It is not recommended for cooking small types of shellfish, such as prawns or mussels, but it is great for the following:
- Octopus: 15 minutes
- Spiny lobster: 10 minutes
- Clawed lobster: 5 to 7 minutes
- Spider crab: 5 to 7 minutes
- Large crabs: 5 to 7 minutes
Cooking time in a pressure cooker: other foods
- Fruit compote: 8 to 10 minutes
- Pork or veal pieces: 30 minutes
- Casseroles: 25 to 30 minutes
- Meat broth: 15 to 20 minutes
- Fish soup: 10 minutes
If you want to read similar articles to How Long to Cook Food in a Pressure Cooker - Estimated times, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.