Air fryer instant pot

By Alex Chung

Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

Combine two different appliances that each have a ton of functions just by themselves. Imagine what you could do with both of them combined… Well, now you don’t have to imagine! The instant pot company made an air fryer attachment that turns the coveted instant pot into an air fryer just with the switch of a lid and I had to try out.

Is it worth it?

Is it any good?

Can you survive with just the instant pot/air fryer if you had to?

Between the two there are so many different kinds and styles of foods that you could make so we are going to take it to the next level and try making a whole roasted chicken, crispy pork belly, fluffy steamed bao buns and much more!

One appliance, two lids, infinite possibilities? Click here to find out.

Air Fried Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken

  • 1 tablespoons salt

  • 1 tablespoon pepper

  • 1 teaspoon parsley

  • 1 large red onion

  • 1 large knob of ginger

  • A couple cloves of garlic

  • 2 cups of water

Instructions:

  1. Rinse off chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle on salt, pepper, and parsley.

  2. Cut onion & ginger into large pieces and shove into the chicken cavity along with garlic cloves. Tie together with twine.

  3. Add about 2 cups of water into the instant pot, place chicken inside, and pressure cook for 28 minutes.

  4. Once done, drain water into a measuring cup and save for later. Place the chicken back in, change the lid to the instant pot attachment, and air fry at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

 

Black Beans

Ingredients:

  • Reserved chicken fat from chicken recipe

  • 2 cup of chicken stock (from chicken recipe)

  • 2 cups of dried black beans

  • 1 cup of water

Instructions:

  1. Without washing the instant pot (so that you use the rendered chicken fat from the recipe above) add dried black beans to pot along with the 2 cups of reserved chicken water.

  2. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes then take the liquid off and saute for 20 – 30 minutes.

 

Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 dried puya chili

  • 2 dried chipotle chili

  • 2 dried guajillo chili

  • 2 dried ancho chili

  • ½ an onion

  • 1 container of cherry tomatoes

  • 1 head of garlic

  • Handful of cilantro

  • Juice of a lime

  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Get a pot of water boiling and then add in all your dried chilies. Shut water off and let it rehydrate for about 15 minutes.

  2. Cut your red onion into small pieces and combine with cherry tomatoes. Cut the garlic head in half horizontally, drizzle oil, and wrap in tin foil. Place everything into your instant pot and air fry at 400 F for 18 minutes.

  3. Deseed a couple of the rehydrated if you want a less spicy salsa. If not continue onto the next step.

  4. Add in the rehydrated chili peppers, air fried onions, tomatoes, and garlic along with cilantro, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and a splash of the pepper water. Blend until you have a salsa like consistency.

 

Taquitos

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of black beans

  • 1 cup of shredded chicken

  • ½ – ¾ of salsa

  • ½ cup of shredded pepper jack cheese

  • Corn tortillas

  • Oil spray

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl combine black beans, shredded chicken, salsa, and shredded cheese until you have a nice and cohesive mixture.

  2. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling into each tortilla and roll up. To avoid you corn tortillas from breaking by heating them up to make them pliable.

  3. Place them onto the air fryer tray and spray them with some oil. Air fry at 400 for 12 minutes.

 

Bao Buns

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of warm water

  • 2 teaspoon of instant yeast

  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

  • 1 teaspoon of salt

  • 2 tablespoon of neutral oil

  • 3 cup of AP flour

  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder

 

Instructions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixer and knead for about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and proof for 2 hours or until doubles in size.

  2. Knock down dough and roll out to ¼ inch thick. Cut out 4 inch rounds and brush the interior of the dough with a bit of oil. Fold in half and place on a parchment square. Let rise for about 45 minutes.

  3. Place on the steamer tray that comes with the pressure cooker. Place in pressure cooker and make sure not to lock the valve. Steam for 20 minutes.

 

Crispy Pork:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of pork belly

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 1 knob of ginger, thinly slice

  • 1 stick of cinnamon

  • A couple pods of cardamom

  • Pinch of cloves

  • 1 dried pepper

  • 2 tablespoon of

  • 2 tablespoon of soy sauce

  • 1 cup of water

  • 2 tablespoon of water

  • 2 tablespoon of cornstarch

 

Instructions:

  1. Place the pork belly in the pressure cooker and season with smashed garlic cloves, thinly sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, dried pepper, soy sauce and water. Closed lid and pressure cook on high for 32 minutes.

  2. Once done, take out the pork belly and set aside. Inside the pressure cooker there will be some liquid that we will thicken up.

  3. In a mason jar, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Set the setting to saute and once the pork liquid is bubbling, pour in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until it thickens and then pour thickened sauce into a mason jar to reserve for later.

  4. Score the pork belly fat and place back into the pressure cooker. Close up the pressure cooker with the air fry attachment and cook at 400 F. for 8 minutes. Then lower to 340 for another 8 minutes.

  5. Serve with bao buns, pickled radish, pork sauce, and cilantro!

 

Crispy Rice Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of rice

  • Leftover pork belly

  • Leftover pork sauce

  • Thinly sliced jalapenos

Instructions:

  1. Start by cooking some rice in the instant pot. Using a small loaf tin lined with plastic wrap, pack in about 1 inch of rice. Then place in chopepd up pork belly, leftover pork sauce, and thinly sliced jalapeno. Pack another layer of rice on top and then flip out of the container and onto a parchment paper.

  2. Place inside the pressure cooker and close with the air fryer attachment. Air fry at 375 degrees F. for 11 minutes. Then air fry at 400 F. for the last 4 minutes.

By Alex Chung

Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

Published