How Long to Cook Foods in a Pressure Cooker

You can’t test foods for doneness while pressure cooking, so here’s a handy table that shows how long to cooks foods in a pressure cooker. The cooking times in the table begin when the pressure cooker reaches high pressure.

Always start with the shortest cooking time; you can always continue cooking under pressure for an additional couple minutes until the desired texture is reached.

Recommended Pressure Cooker Cooking Times

Food Cooking Time (in Minutes)
Apples, chunks 2
Artichokes, whole 8 to 10
Asparagus, whole 1 to 2
Barley, pearl 15 to 20
Beans, fresh green or wax, whole or pieces 2 to 3
Beans, lima, shelled 2 to 3
Beets, 1/4-inch slices 3 to 4
Beets, whole peeled 12 to 14
Broccoli, florets or spears 2 to 3
Brussels sprouts, whole 3 to 4
Cabbage, red or green, quartered 3 to 4
Carrots, 1/4-inch slices 1 to 2
Cauliflower, florets 2 to 3
Chicken, pieces 8 to 10
Chicken, whole 15 to 20
Corn on the cob 3 to 4
Meat (beef, pork, or lamb), roast 40 to 60
Meat (beef, pork, or lamb),1-inch cubes 15 to 20
Peas, shelled 1 to 1 1/2
Potatoes, pieces or sliced 5 to 7
Potatoes, whole, small or new 5 to 7
Potatoes, whole, medium 10 to 12
Rice, brown 15 to 20
Rice, white 5 to 7
Spinach, fresh, 2 to 3
Squash, fall, 1-inch chunks 4 to 6
Squash, summer, sliced 1 to 2
Stock 30
Sweet potatoes, 1-1/2-inch chunks 4 to 5
Turnips, sliced 2 to 3

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