Instant Pot Air Fryer Instructions (A Complete Guideline)

Instant pots have been in the cooking scene for a while. Although popular in the Asian regions for over like forever, it made its way to the US eventually. And it’s like the ultimate pot to have right after the cast iron pan.

As far as instant pots go, they can be used both as a pressure cooker and a regular cooking pot. Which makes them more convenient while cooking a pot meal. But Instant Pot Duo takes it up another notch by adding the air fryer functions to it.

And what better can be if you have one pot with not only cooking and pressure cooking but also air drying and air frying functionality? It’s a match made in heaven! But Instant Pot Air Fryer instructions are a bit different than your regular air fryer.

You also get a separate lid on it along with a pressure cooker lid. So when you are going to use the air fryer lid, you get to choose a lot of other functions that the instant pot has like roast, broil, bake, dehydrate, and obviously air fry. Additionally, you can also set the timer to your personal settings. 

Let’s get deep into it and walk through each of the instructions for your convenience.

Instruction On Operating The Instant Pot Air Fryer | Pressure Cooking And Air Frying

As the Air Fryer function is relatively new to the instant pot, you can do a whole lot with it. Roast? Yep. Dehydrate? Why not! Bake? Bring it on! 

All of these have separate buttons and options. Which makes it easier to use. So on with the instructions. 

Assembly Of The Instant Pot Duo Air Fryer

The instant pot duo has a separate inner pot, air fryer rack, and basket, along with an air fryer lid for the air fryer function. It comes with a package. So start with assembling all these components and take out the regular cooking pot and lid and set them aside. 

Cooking Modes And Instructions for Different Appliances

You can do a whole lot of cooking in the air fryer mode like any air fryer. Here are the settings and what you can do with it.

• Air fry

As we are into the air frying instructions, you just have to put your food in the basket, close the lid, and select the Air Fryer option. Then select cook. It will cook your food at 400 degrees making it crispy and airy without all the grease and oil.

You can also input the time manually in air fryer mode. Set the timer and press start to cook and after it beeps, your food is done. If you feel like it needs to cook a little more, simply close the lid and set the timer again. 

Some recipes require a toss mid-way. You can do that by releasing the lid. As it is different than the pressure lid, you can take it off anytime you want. And then place it back to cook the food completely. 

Other options for air fryers include baking, roasting, dehydrating, and broiling. 

• Bake

Like modern air fryers, you can bake cookies in them too. Simply place your cookie dough in batches on a parchment so they don’t stick to the basket. You can grease the bottom also with some oil or butter. And set to bake in Air Fryer mode. It works at 350 degrees making the cookies crispy on the outside, and gooey in the middle. 

• Roast

The roasting option is also available in the air fryer settings. You simply place your meat or veggies and set it to roast. And it will cook it like an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

• Dehydrate

A lot of us lack the option and affordability of a dehydrator. But with the instant pot duo, you can dehydrate almost anything like a dedicated dehydrator. Just use the Air fryer lid, slice up your food, and place it in the basket. And set it to dehydrate. It will take the same amount of time as a dehydrator as it cooks it slowly and removes all moisture. And you will be left with your desired fruits, veggies, or meats, dehydrated. You will need to take out the basket and replace it with the dehydrate/broil rack for this part. 

• Broil 

Broiling is essential if you want the crispy brown layer on top of your meat or fish. Simply place your food in the basket and select broil. It will fry the top part of your food in high heat. And after the instant pot beeps, you can take it out and enjoy your food. Remember to take out the basket and place the broiling rack instead. 

Note: Before taking out your food and starting right away, let it rest for a bit. It will make them more juicy. You can leave it in the basket in the instant pot or out on your counter. But take off the lid. 

Preheat Or Not Preheat

Like any other air fryer, you can preheat your instant pot in the air fryer mode. If your recipe requires a preheated fryer, you can do that. Simply press the Air Fryer option set the temperature to 400 degrees and run it for 4-5 minutes. And it will be preheated. You can air fry directly if you want if your recipe doesn’t call for it. 

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions and Answers)

How long does Instant Pot air fryer take?

Instant Pot air fryer takes the same time as regular air fryer. But the quantity is different as it doesn’t have the same space as large air fryers. 

What are the tips for using Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid?

The tip to using an Instant Pot air fryer lid is handling it with care. As there are a lot of components in it, you don’t want to break them. Spray the basket with a bit of cooking oil and it will make your food come out extra crispy. Always clean and store the lid securely after every use. 

Conclusion

You have to keep in mind, that you are getting two things in the same pot, a cooker and a fryer. So the quantity of the cooker is going to be different than regular air fryers. Maintaining the different parts of the Instant Pot Duo crisp might look difficult in the beginning, but you will get a hold of it after a few uses. And always keep your ear out for the mid-way beeps to toss and turn your food.