With the heat of the summer kicking into high gear in my neck of the woods (Virginia), I am sharing some easy recipes that will not heat up your whole house. Last time I shared slow cooker recipes. This week I will share some of my favorite electric pressure cooker recipes.

Electric pressure cookers are becoming more and more popular. They are very easy to use and you can cook anything in them. The brand I use is Instant Pot. That is important because some of the buttons are brand specific. Check with your own brand to make the necessary adjustments.

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1lb. boneless chicken breast, frozen
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup salsa

Instructions

In small bowl, mix together the water and salsa. Place the frozen chicken breast in the pot liner and pour liquid over the top. Close the lid and set vent to the sealing position. If your cooker has presets, use the “poultry” setting then adjust the cooking time as needed (you will need more time for larger chicken breasts). As a rule of thumb, start with 7-10 minutes for frozen chicken breasts (see this chart for other options).

After the pressure cooker beeps (indicating the food is done cooking), do a “quick release” (carefully opening the pressure valve). When the pressure is completely released, open the lid. Place chicken on a plate and shred. Turn the cooker to “saute” and reduce the sauce. Return chicken to pot.

Serve over rice or on tacos.

Cheesy Chicken, broccoli, and rice

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • ¾ tsp. Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Garlic powder
  • 1⅓ cup long grain rice
  • 1⅓ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1½ Tbsp. flour
  • 1-2 cups fresh cut broccoli florets
  • 1½ – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Turn on your cooker’s “saute” preset. Add butter and heat until hot. When hot, add chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook chicken mixture until onion starts to get translucent. Add rice, broth and seasonings. Stir well.

Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer is up perform a “quick release”.

Whisk together milk and flour while the chicken and rice cook. Add milk and flour mixture and mix until it is well combined. Add broccoli and cheese and stir until well combined. Serve immediately.

These are just a couple of the wonderful recipes that I use for my Instant Pot. It has saved me so much time in the kitchen as well as heating my kitchen. There are so many recipes out there for the electric pressure cooker that you won’t be able to make them all.

Have a nice summer cooking all your favorites!