People will tell you that you can’t cook a Steak in the Instant Pot. I’ve even read a poster tell another member of a Facebook group that they were “money wasting idiots” for cooking an expensive steak in an electric pressure cooker. Well, after watching my video and trying this recipe and this method, you’d be an “idiot” NOT to cook your steaks in the Instant Pot! Ok, maybe that’s a little too far, but I promise after you try your hand at Sous Vide cooking you will wonder why on earth haven’t you been sous vide cooking EVERYTHING.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous Vide means “Under Vacuum” in French. The sous vide cooking method consists of sealing your food in an air tight bag and then cooking it in water that is kept at the desired temperature of the finished food. Have you ever wondered why if you want a steak cooked to 140° F in the oven, you have to place the temperature of the oven to 350°F and not the temperature you want your food to be cooked at? Well, that’s because air is a terrible conductor of heat. It would take so long for the heated air to bring your food up to temperature, that it would be a dried out mess. Not only that, but because you have to have the oven turned up so high, it doesn’t transfer heat well so by the time the inside of your food is cooked, the outside is overcooked.

Water conducts heat much better than air, so it does a much better job of transferring heat to your food. That is why you can bring the water to the exact temperature you want your food at and not higher like you would if cooking in an oven or on the grill. The air tight bag, helps this heat transfer to go directly to the food. It also protects the food inside and keeps all the juices and moisture that is naturally in the food, right where it should be. That’s what makes it different from just placing food directly into a hot container of water. That would work, but all the flavor and juices would seep out into the water. That’s why boiled food doesn’t take so good.

-Why does Sous Vide recipes have time ranges?

You will notice when looking up Sous Vide recipes, that they give a very broad time range. For steaks, the time range is 1 to 3 hours. The reason this is, is because the minimum time shows you the least amount of time it takes to not only bring the food to temperature, but also hold it long enough so any bacteria or bad microbes, will die (even in “danger zone” temperatures of 120°F – 136°F) and thus make the food safe to eat.  I am not going to go into the science of this in depth, you can find a great article on safety, the “danger zone”, and sous vide here.

Before we start, here is a list of the Instant Pot models that have the Sous Vide button…

• Viva 6 & 8 QT
• Duo Plus 3, 6, and 8 QT
• Max
• Duo SV 6 QT
• Duo Evo Plus 6 & 8 QT
• Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 8 QT

If you do not have one of the above Instant Pots, no worries. Instant brand makes separate Sou Vide Immersion Circulators. The Accu SV800 and the Accu Slim.

Here is a detailed video to help walk you through Sous Vide in your Instant Pot.

How to Sous Vide a Steak in the Instant Pot 

Recipe by Lana Horruitiner Perez  

• 2, 1.5 inch thick boneless New York Strip Steaks
• Salt
• Pepper
• optional, any other Seasoning you like on your Steaks
• 10 cup Water

Equipment:

• Vacuum Sealer and Bags or Gallon Size Freezer ZipLoc Bags

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-Fill your Instant Pot liner 2/3 the way up with Water (approximately to the 10 cup line on the 6 QT models).

-Place the lid onto the Instant Pot and close. You don’t need to worry about the position of the vent because you won’t be pressure cooking. Press the “SOUS VIDE” button and adjust the time and temperature according to the following cooking chart.

-I usually do 137°F for 1 1/1 hours. Press “START” and allow the Water to come to temperature.

-While the Water comes to temperature, start to prepare the Steaks. Sprinkle the Steaks with Salt and Pepper or whatever seasoning you like.

-Either Vacuum seal the Steaks individually or use the Ziploc bag method shown in the video.

-Once the Water in the Instant Pot has come to temperate, submerge the steaks in the Water. Be sure that Water can circulate all around the food. This means don’t allow the bags to touch the side or touch each other.

-Place the lid back on and allow to cook fro the entire length of time.

-Once Steaks are done, remove from bags and pat dry.

-Sear the Steaks in either the Instant Pot under “SAUTE” set on “HI” or in a very hot cast iron pan. Do not over cook. The searing should only take 30 seconds to less than a minute on every side.

-You do not need to rest the Steaks. You can serve right away.

-Buen Provecho!