Is It Safe to Cook Frozen Meat in an Instant Pot?

Updated: May 03, 2023

The answer, like your cook time with this amazing pressure cooker, is short. Yes!

Frozen hamShutterstock / Kei Shooting

Since the Instant Pot hit the market in 2010, it’s become one of the hottest products on Amazon.com. (There’s even a Bluetooth-connected version of the appliance now!) And one common question people are asking about this electric pressure cooker? If it’s safe to cook frozen meat inside this miracle appliance. Happily, for them, the answer is a resounding yes—and it works even better if you take a simple step beforehand. Also, find out if it’s safe to cook frozen meat in a crockpot.

Tack on Some Time

The Instant Pot is a countertop pro when it comes to cooking meats, even if they’re frozen, but the manufacturer points out that there is a longer preheat and cook time for frozen meats, which is based on the amount of food you are going to cook. Our writer used Instant Pot’s directions on her own countertop cooker, with great results.

The simple step to save you even more time? Some experts recommend that you cut up larger, thicker cuts of meat (roasts, breasts, sirloin, pork tenderloin, you name it) before you freeze them. Yep, all you have to do is chop it up while it’s fresh. Those smaller pieces will be easier to get in to the pot and quicker to cook.

More Reasons to Love Instant Pot

There’s almost nothing this small appliance can’t do. It serves not only as a pressure cooker, but it can also function as a steamer, yogurt maker, a slow cooker or even as a warming pot. This highly rated appliance can do just about anything you need it to do in the kitchen.

People using the old pressure-cooking method from the past know that it could be finicky at best and potentially dangerous at worst. But the Instant Pot makes pressure-cooking safer, more hands-off. Plus it offers you the ability to cook up to six times faster than traditional methods, while at the same time reducing the energy required to operate the appliance.

And if there was ever a reason to make the switch from the slow cooker, being able to go straight from freezer to pot might have to be the one. Stock your freezer with ready-to-go roasts, and you’ll be eating well on the quick (and easy).

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