Instant Pot Italian Sausage

Anyone who has ever experienced the college dorm living can attest to some of the awful options in the cafeteria. Going to college has taught me that sometimes it is worth waiting for good food. This instant pot Italian sausage recipe is a replica of my college dorm sausage and rice. Cooking this meal in college was a struggle because we had no kitchen, so the microwave and a one quart rice cooker was me and my roommate’s best friend. 

Being a fan of Jamaican chicken sausage and rice, I grew fond of Italian sausage and rice. Although this Instant Pot Italian sausage recipe it is not made of chicken, it has a very distinctive taste that you will need to taste to fully understand. The ingredients are pretty affordable and simple, so simple that you can add and substitute any vegetables you would want or not want.

How to Cook Italian Sausage in the Instant Pot?

Cooking Italian sausage in the instant pot takes no more than 5 minutes. Usually, I would take the sausage casing off the sausage itself and break the logs in smaller pieces. Breaking the sausage into smaller pieces and removing the casing will reduce the cooking time. The Italian sausage casing has a different texture than the ground meat on the inside but it creates a seal for the meat and juices. 

What is Italian Sausage made of? 

First and foremost there must be freshly ground pork in any Italian sausage. Other than the main ingredient, ground pork, there are other dried herbs and spices. There most popular other ingredients in any Italian sausage are:

1. Curing Salt
2. Fennel Seed
3. Star Anise
4. Smoked Paprika
5. Onion Powder 
6. Garlic Powder
7. Black Pepper
8. Sheep or Pig Casing (Intestine)

What is the difference between Sweet Italian Sausage and Spicy Italian Sausage?

The essential difference between sweet and spicy Italian sausages are essentially the spices. In order to make the spicy version of the sausage, you may add chili powder or additional smoked paprika. The mixture for both sweet and spicy are the same with the addition or subtraction of heat.

You can simply make your own Italian sausage, even without the sheep or pig casing, especially when you have a Kitchen Aide Mixer. THIS Kitchen Aid Meat Grinder attachment would be a great investment because having this handy kitchen gadget will save you so much money with making your own sausages. There are even packet spices like this Backwoods Brands seasoning mix for sausages.

There are so many ways to cook and serve Italian sausages, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Below are 7 Different Ways to Enjoy Italian Sausage

1. Grill the sausages just the way they are until fully cooked on the inside. 
2. Without the casing, cook the meat for tacos, just like you would cook ground beef.
3. Steam the sausages for about 5 minutes, then thinly slice each of them and use for stir fry
4. Again, without the casing, make small breakfast patties, just like the ones from the grocery store. 
5. These tasty sausages can be added to ground beef for juicer burgers, without the casing of course.
6. The classic sausage and peppers
7. Instant Pot Italian Sausage (see recipe below)

How to Make Instant Pot Italian Sausage?

Surely, the full recipe will be below as usual but I would like to explain the simplicity of this one pot meal. My Instant Pot Italian sausage recipe will showcase fresh vegetables, Jasmine rice and Italian sausage of course. This recipe is one step short of being a dump and go recipe, only because you may need to brown the sausage for a few minutes before pressure cooking.

This Instant Pot Italian sausage recipe will generate two servings, which is perfect for couples or a single person wanting leftovers.

Are You Interested in Jamaican Instant Pot Recipes? Here are a few you could try.

1. Instant Pot Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Foot
2. Jamaican Curry Chicken (Instant Pot)
3. Chicken Foot Soup Recipe
4. Jerk Chicken Lasagna (Instant Pot)
5. Instant Pot Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken