Find out everything you need to know about the Instant Pot Sous Vide functionality that’s built into some Instant Pot models. Use this easy cooking technique to perfectly cook restaurant-quality meals in your Instant Pot.
Table of Contents
- What is Sous Vide?
- Sous Vide Immersion Circulator vs. Instant Pot Sous Vide Function
- Why Use Sous Vide?
- Is Sous Vide Safe?
- Instant Pot Models with Sous Vide Functionality
- Recommended Equipment
- The Displacement Method
- How to Do Sous Vide in the Instant Pot – Step by Step Instructions (with video)
- Instant Pot Sous Vide Cook Times
- Tips for Success
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide (pronounced soo veed) means “under vacuum” in French. It’s a cooking technique that’s been around for decades but has recently become very popular not only with professional chefs but home cooks too.
Uncooked food is sealed in a plastic bag and immersed in a temperature-controlled water bath. The food is cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time. The result is perfectly and evenly cooked food.
Originally sous vide cooking was done using vacuum-sealed bags, but these days you don’t have to have a vacuum sealer. Freezer bags work great.
Sous Vide Immersion Circulator vs. Instant Pot Sous Vide Function
There are two ways of doing sous vide in the Instant Pot. The first is an immersion circulator and the second is a built-in Sous Vide smart program available on some Instant Pot models.
Immersion Circulators
The traditional and most popular method of sous vide cooking is an immersion circulator clipped onto a large container of water. The Instant Pot company makes immersion circulators that can be used with any container including any model of Instant Pot that is 6-quarts or larger.
Immersion circulators look like hand-held blenders. They usually clip onto a container with a wide base and heat the water to a precise temperature and circulate the water by agitating it. There are numerous brands that make sous vide circulators, including:
Instant Pot Sous Vide Smart Program
In this manual, I focus on the Instant Pot’s built-in Sous Vide smart program and not the sous vide immersion circulator.
You should know that the Instant Pot’s sous vide functionality isn’t truly sous vide because water isn’t circulated. However, the function works pretty well and is a great alternative if you don’t want to purchase an immersion circulator and you already own an Instant Pot with sous vide functionality.
If you want to have very precise temperature control and circulation of the water bath, you may want to purchase a sous vide immersion circulator.
Why Use Sous Vide?
Pressure cooking is fast, high-temperature cooking requiring at least one or more cups of liquid. Sous vide is long, low-temperature cooking with no liquid required.
Sous Vide Advantages
Here are some reasons you might want to try out sous vide:
- It’s a very forgiving method of cooking. It’s hard to overcook foods due to the low-temperature cooking. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the food will stay at that temperature. A medium-rare steak will stay medium-rare. Most recipes offer a range of sous vide cook times. As long as you remove the food within that time, your food will be perfectly cooked.
- It requires little to no liquid. This allows you to make recipes in the Instant Pot that aren’t suited for pressure cooking.
- Tough meats and lean meats can be cooked perfectly. Lean meats don’t do so well in the pressure cooker but chicken breasts cooked using sous vide can be cooked perfectly tender in the Instant Pot!
- It’s essentially hands-off cooking; you can walk away while the food is cooking.
- Sous vide allows you to cook food ahead of time and finish it on a grill or pan right before serving. This is especially helpful when you’re entertaining since food can be cooked ahead of time and left in the water bath until you’re ready to finish it and serve.
- Sous Vide is a great way to simplify meal prep. You can cook your food ahead of time, leave it in the bag and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.
Sous Vide Disadvantages
- You may have to finish foods on the grill, in a pan or broiler. This means more dishes to wash.
- Sous vide cooking times are long.
- The water bath can take time to heat up to the desired temperature.
- Some people may not be comfortable with the idea of cooking food in plastic.
- Food safety can be an issue IF you don’t follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Make sure you avoid contamination, store food properly, follow directions for minimum cook times and temperatures.
Is Sous Vide Safe?
Heat destroys bacteria, and since sous vide involves low-temperature cooking, you might be concerned about food safety.
There are two factors that destroy bacteria: temperature and time. With enough time, most food pathogens are killed at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If food is kept at this temperature for a long enough period, the microorganisms will be destroyed.
Sous vide recipes normally give you a time range for cooking. It’s important to stay within those parameters and cook your food for at least the minimum amount of time.
Once the food is cooked, make sure you either eat it immediately or chill immediately. Sous vide food, in particular, should be chilled in an ice bath before refrigeration.
For more detailed and technical information, read this Cook’s Illustrated article about Sous Vide Food Safety.
According to Instant Pot’s Duo SV manual:
For optimal temperature control, the pressure cooking lid must be fully closed or completely removed when cooking sous vide. Resting the lid on the cooker base, or using a glass lid, may cause the internal temperature to rise higher than desired
Instant Pot Duo SV Manual 05/12/2020
Instant Pot Models with the Sous Vide Smart Program
The following Instant Pot models (6 quarts or larger) have sous vide functionality:
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp
- Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus
- Instant Pot Duo Gourmet (available at Costco)
- Instant Pot Duo Plus (newer versions only)
- Instant Pot Duo SV (available at Walmart)
- Instant Pot Duo Viva (newer models)
- Instant Pot Max
- Instant Pot Pro
- Instant Pot Pro Crisp
- Instant Pot Pro Plus
- Instant Pot Ultra (using the Ultra smart program)
The Duo, Lux, Duo Nova, Smart Wifi do not (as of when this article was last updated) have the Sous Vide function.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, here are my guides on how to use some popular Instant Pot models:
Recommended Equipment
The first thing you’ll need is an Instant Pot with the Sous Vide smart program. Here are some other items that are recommended for sous vide:
- Freezer bags *
- Digital thermometer (I am a big fan of Thermoworks!)
- Silicone oven mitts
- Silicone tongs
* Use good quality freezer bags like Ziploc brand. * You can also use a vacuum sealer and vacuum bags or reusable sous vide bags.
The Displacement Method
What is the Displacement Method?
You’ll hear about the displacement method in sous vide recipes. The displacement technique allows you to remove air bubbles and seal a freezer bag while you submerge it in the water bath.
Why do you Need to Remove Air Bubbles?
Air is a poor conductor of heat and acts as an insulator. If there are air bubbles in the bag, they will keep the heat from reaching the food, which slows down the sous vide cooking process.
Removing the air bubbles allows the food to have more contact with the heat, which results in quicker and more even cooking.
How to Use the Displacement Technique
When you immerse the bag in water, the water exerts pressure on the bag in all directions, which forces the air out of the bag.
- After you place food in the freezer bag, press out as much air as you can and zip the bag closed except for 1 inch.
For purposes of demonstration, I used a glass bowl in the above photographs. You will do this in your Instant Pot.
- Gradually lower the bag into the water bath. You’ll see the bag self-seal: the bag will close in around the food. Use silicone tongs or a wooden spoon to gently push the bag down, if needed.
- Making sure you keep the opening above the water level, lower the bag until all the air is forced out.
- Zip the bag completely shut.
How to do Sous Vide in the Instant Pot
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Summary
- Add water to Instant Pot.
- Set the sous vide program temperature and time.
- Add food to the freezer bag.
- Place sous vide bag in the water bath.
- Remove food when cooking is complete.
[Recommended Reading: How to Perfectly Cook Sous Vide Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot]
1. Add Water to Inner Pot
- Fill the Instant Pot with water up to the 1/2-full mark or enough water for your food to be completely submerged.
- Close the lid and put the steam release mechanism to Vent.
2. Set the Sous Vide Program
Program the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus, Pro, Pro Crisp, or Pro Plus for Sous Vide
- Press the Sous Vide button.
- Turn knob to select the Sous Vide program (Custom, Beef, Poultry, etc).
- Press knob to confirm your selection.
- Turn knob to the desired temperature.
- Press knob to confirm the selection.
- Turn knob to set desired sous vide cooking time.
- Press the Start button.
- The display will change to On.
- Once the temperature has been reached, the Instant Pot will beep and the display will change to the sous vide cook time and start counting down to 00:00.
Program the Instant Pot Ultra for Sous Vide
Programming the Ultra for sous vide is better demonstrated through a video rather than step-by-step photographs. Watch the video below by pressing the play button ▶ below.
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Program the Instant Pot Duo Plus, Duo SV, or Duo Gourmet for Sous Vide
- Press the Sous Vide button.
- Press + or – buttons to adjust the temperature.
- Press the Sous Vide button again.
- Press + or – Time buttons to adjust the time.
- After 10 seconds, the display will change to On.
- Once the temperature has been reached, the Instant Pot will beep and the display will change to the sous vide cook time and start counting down to 00:00.
Program the Instant Pot Duo Crisp for Sous Vide
- Press the Sous Vide button.
- Press + or – Temp buttons to adjust the temperature.
- Press + or – Time buttons to adjust the time.
- Press Start.
- The display will change to On.
- Once the temperature has been reached, the Instant Pot will beep and the display will change to the sous vide cook time and start counting down to 00:00.
Program the Instant Pot Max for Sous Vide
- Select the Sous Vide smart program.
- Select Hour and turn the knob to set the desired sous vide cook time.
- Select Minute and repeat the process to adjust the minutes.
- Select Temperature and turn the knob to adjust the desired sous vide temperature.
- Select Start.
- Once the temperature has been reached, the Instant Pot display will change to the sous vide cook time and start counting down to 00:00.
3. Add Food to Sous Vide Bag
- While the Instant Pot is heating up, prepare your food to be cooked by placing it in a resealable freezer bag in one layer.
- Squeeze out as much air from the bag as possible and seal the bag, leaving a 1-inch opening.
4. Place Sous Vide Bag in Water Bath
- Once the sous vide temperature has been reached, gradually lower the bag into the water. Use a wooden spoon or tongs if needed.
- Air will get forced out as the bag gets lowered. This is called the displacement method. Keep the bag opening above water at all times.
- Finally, close the bag all the way until the bag is completely sealed.
- Close the lid.
5. Remove Food When Cooking is Complete
- When the sous vide cooking time is up, the Instant Pot will beep.
- Press Cancel, open the lid and using tongs, remove the bag(s) of food.
- Open the bag and transfer the food to a plate or cutting board lined with paper towels.
- Allow the food to rest for 10 minutes.
Instant Pot Sous Vide Cook Times
The sous vide temperature determines how well-done your food will be. The higher the temperature, the more well-done your food will be.
When you’re trying out your first sous vide recipe, I suggest following a tried and tested recipe.
There are so many great resources on the web. I really like America’s Test Kitchen. I also suggest that you read your Instant Pot manual for recommendations of sous vide cook times.
Here are some rough guidelines for cooking times. The actual cooking time will vary based on how well-done you want the food to be cooked and the size and the cut of meat.
Based on my experience with the models that I own, the maximum time you can set for sous vide is 99 hours and 30 minutes.
| Food | Temp (F) | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 145 to 150 | 1.5 to 4 hours | |
| Chicken thigh | 148 to 165 | 2 to 4 hours | |
| Turkey breast | 145 to 151 | 3.5 to 5 hours | |
| Steak | 130 to 140 | 1.5 to 3 hours | |
| Pork tenderloin | 140 to 150 | 1.5 to 3 hours | |
| Pork chops | 135 to 150 | 1 to 3 hours | |
| Firm fish (e.g. salmon) | 125 to 130 | 30 to 45 minutes | |
| Delicate fish (e.g. trout) | 120 to 130 | 20 to 30 minutes | |
| Scallops | 140 | 30 minutes | |
| Shrimp | 135 to 140 | 30 to 45 minutes |
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
WATER TEMPERATURE
When filling the inner pot with water, speed up the preheating process by using hot tap water. Just make sure the water temperature isn’t higher than your desired sous vide cooking temperature.
The first time you use the Sous Vide program, measure your temperature once the Instant Pot beeps to say the desired temperature has been reached. If the temperature is lower than the programmed temperature, increase the programmed temperature accordingly and let it heat up again.
When I tested the Instant Pot Ultra sous vide program (using the Ultra setting) I found that when the Instant Pot beeped to say the sous vide temperature had been reached, the temperature was lower than I set it to. However, the Ultra reached and maintained the desired temperature at some point during the cooking process and my food cooked just fine. You might want to conduct your own tests.
BAGGING THE FOOD
Make sure you use a good quality freezer bag. Thinner plastic bags are not safe to use for sous vide, may be made of lower quality plastic and may leak.
When bagging multiple pieces of food in a bag, lay the pieces flat with no overlap.
If your bag is floating to the top, place a metal trivet on the bag to weigh it down.
[Read more: How to use the Instant Pot trivet]
When cooking foods at above 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), you may want to double-bag your food since higher temperatures can weaken the plastic.
COOK TIMES
Generally speaking, you can let your cooked food sit in the water bath until you’re ready to serve it. Some foods can overcook if they’re left for too long. But this only happens after many hours in the water bath after the suggested cook time.
Sous vide recipes usually have a range of cooking times. The lower end of the range is the least amount of time to cook the food and the higher end is the most amount of time you can keep the food in the water bath without affecting the consistency of the food.
Delicate foods like eggs and fish can overcook if left in the water bath too long.
SEARING
Some foods can be served as is, but some foods like steak benefit from a quick high-temperature sear after sous vide is complete. Dry the food as much as possible before searing.
Heat up a cast iron skillet to high heat. Oil the skillet and sear the food. You can also choose to grill the food on high heat.
STORING
If you’re not going to eat the food right away, put the sealed bag into an ice bath to quickly chill the food and then refrigerate (still in the bag).
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John C
Thank you so much for such a thorough and descriptive tutorial. I have been looking forward to trying Sous Vide cooking and was delighted to find my Instant Pot includes this function.
One question I have is whether or not the temperature and quantity of proteins will influence the water temperature enough to require cooking time adjustments or would the prescribed cooking time already account for these variables? Obviously, a frozen protein would not be at all similar and probably not recommended for this cooking method but wondered about 6 chicken thighs vs. two for example. Thank you again…very helpful!
Paint the Kitchen Red
John, as long as the food isn’t any thicker or stacked i.e. you’re placing them side by side or in separate bags, you shouldn’t need to modify the cook time. And fridge temperature doesn’t change the cook time either. You can always err on the safe side and cook to the upper limit of the time range. I hope that helps.
John C
We were very impressed with the result…absolutely delicious. I did a package of Pork Tenderloins after seasoning and marinating overnight. My Instant Pot was running 2 degrees shy of 145 according to my thermometer so I simply added a few degrees and cooked 2.75 hours. Thanks so much for helping with this great method.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi John, that’s wonderful to hear – I love sous vide and am fairly new to the technique too. Glad you got to try it out.
Carl Cohen
Hi, really interesting article. I have an instant pot pro crisp and have used the sous vide function number of times. Each time I use it the instant pot temperature of the water is off by a number of degrees based upon a digital thermometer. I need to reset the temperature a few times in order to get it at the correct temperature that I want. The problem is that each time I reset it it takes another 20 minutes or so before it starts to clock again. It does hold the temperature once I play with it. Is there anything that can be done or as the article States maybe better to get a separate sous vide unit?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Carl, if you find that it’s consistently off by a certain number of degrees, could you just program the temperature by adjusting it by, say, 2 degrees to begin with? You might need to do a little experimenting. Sorry you’re having issues.
Nina
Greetings from the Uk. I just wanted the thank you for the fabulous tutorial on sous vide cooking 👏👏👏 I recently purchased an Instant Pot (Costco UK) and did not where to start with the sous vide setting. Your video has inspired me to get experimenting. Are ziplock freezer bags safe to sous vide with? I was worried about plastic (chemicals) being absorbed in the food during the slow poaching process. Thank you. Stay safe Nina (spelt differently to your name, but sounds almost the same)
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Nina, yes ziploc freezer bags are safe to sous vide with. Vacuum sealable bags are made of the same type of plastic. The website says they’re BPA and dioxin-free. Maybe this article will help you: https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/why-ziploc-bags-are-perfectly-safe-to-use-for-sous-vide-cooking/
Adra
Thank you. Had no idea where to start with the sou vide setting on my instapot max.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m glad you found the article helpful!
Tory
Are *Glad* freezer bags ok to sous vide in?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Tory – yes, I use both Glad and Ziploc.
Joanne
Can you put in bags in which the steaks are still frozen?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Joanne, yes you can sous vide frozen meats. You’ll need to add extra time though – maybe an hour to 1 1/2 hours.
Bo
How do you determine length of time to cook a roast? One occasion it might be 3 pounds, another it might be 2.5 pounds.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Bo, I would leave it in for closer to the upper range of sous vide cooking time if it’s a bit thicker. This site has some good information on cooking times according to thickness. Hope it helps: https://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html