Instant Pot Gravy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken gravy in an Instant Pot? ›

Combine water and cornstarch in the pot and stir to create a slurry. Add pan juices, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic salt and stir to incorporate.

Ingredients. Maltodextrin (From Maize), Modified Starch (1422), Salt, Natural Flavours, Sugar, Beverage Whitener (Contains Soy & Milk), Shortening Powder (Contains Soy & Milk), Mineral Salts (450, 508), Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Anticaking Agent (341), Thickener (Xanthan Gum), Vegetable Oil, Spice.

If you're cooking under pressure, you need a minimum of 250 mL (one cup) of water or another thin liquid (Broth etc; sauce will probably be too thick) You may need more in a very large cooker. Otherwise the pot won't come to pressure.

Don't add thickeners.

Pressure cookers work off the steam pulled from the liquid inside the pot, so it's important that you don't add thickeners like cornstarch or roux before the food starts cooking.

Cooking for too little time: As the gravy cooks, it slowly thickens, so if you don't allow it to cook long enough, it will be too thin. Set the stove on medium heat and bring your gravy to a boil before letting it simmer. Once the gravy has reached your desired consistency, turn off the stove and let the sauce cool.

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

Butter. Powdered gravy mixes are heavy on the salt and meat flavor. Their flavor is usually pretty aggressive and their mouth feel comes from starch, not fat or collagen. A big pat of butter will temper the harsh flavor and provide richness.

Bonus: Seasoning for Tasty Gravy

I only season my homemade gravy with salt and pepper, and it's delicious! If you want to add more spices, avoid anything with large pieces (such as dried rosemary) to keep gravy smooth. Thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and oregano all taste great.

Because pressure cooking is an enclosed form of cooking, there is no contact with air. Therefore, some nutritionists argue that the ingredients may remain uncooked from within which can hamper your digestion on being consumed.

Can you put too much liquid in Instapot? ›

Too much food or liquid in your Instant Pot while pressure cooking can lead to dangerous pressure levels. As a rule of thumb, don't let the total amount of precooked food and liquid in the inner pot go over the two-thirds line.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Nothing too complicated about reducing liquids in your pressure cooker. First, open the pressure cooker in the quickest method possible – Normal Release for electrics. Then, put the pan back on medium to medium-low heat without the top to reduce the recipe to the desired thickness.