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Homemade Instant Pot Ghee

5 from 5 votes
Total: 20 minutes
Serves 20

Learn how to make Homemade Instant Pot Ghee in less than 20 minutes. Ghee or clarified butter, also referred to as ‘Paleo Butter’ is a great cooking alternative that’s great for cooking at high temperatures.

Add a small amount of ghee to any dish, and it attributes a fantastic flavor and a creamy texture to any meal.

How to make ghee in Instant Pot

In this post, you will find answers to all your query- 

  • How To Make Ghee in Instant Pot 
  • Instant Pot Ghee using Unsalted Butter 
  • How to make homemade Ghee in 20 minute Instant Pot Recipe 
  • So, let’s get going and learn to make Ghee in Instant Pot.

Smell triggers memories, and we all have fond memories of the foods that we enjoyed as children. 

Ghee, for me, is ONE of them. It brings back so many beautiful memories that I had spent with my mother. 

She was an excellent cook and would feed us vegetables, bread and lentils smeared and cooked with generous amounts of homemade ghee, and we loved it to the core. Back then, everything in our house was cooked with ghee. 

My cooking inspiration comes from my mom, and whenever I make ghee, it makes me nostalgic and reminds me of her cooking. 

GHEE IS A MUST-HAVE!

Ghee is a staple in my house, and I use it in my day-to-day-cooking. It has a high smoke point and gives the taste of butter to whatever you are cooking.

But instead of the traditional approach (cooktop method), I prefer to cook ghee at times in my crockpot and sometimes in my Instant Pot.

Both the appliances are a great savior in the kitchen.  

If I find myself needed to cook ghee in a shorter amount of time, I toss the butter in my Instant Pot and have homemade ghee less than 20 minutes.

But if you prefer a more relaxed approach, try making ghee in a slow cooker. It’s equally good. At times, when I like to slow cook, my ghee than crockpot is my best buddy.

Homemade Instant Pot ghee in glass jars

WHAT IS GHEE?

If you are not familiar with ghee, then let me first give you a heads up. Ghee is a traditional food made from butter.

Ghee contains a higher amount of medium and short-chain fatty acids than butter, which puts it in the heart-healthy fat category that is good for you.

That is why I prefer ghee over butter. It is a good replacement for oil while making stir-fries, Indian curries, or sautéing just about anything. 

Butter is made up of water + milk solids+ casein (a protein found in milk) + butterfat.

Butter can go bad quickly in a tropical climate, but ghee doesn’t. Why, because when unsalted butter is cooked thoroughly, all the water, casein, and milk solids are removed from butter.

The liquid that is left behind is an all-cooked-up browned pure butterfat, and that is GHEE! These cooked browned milk solids at the bottom are what bring out the nutty flavor of ghee. 

Did you know – Ghee is one of those well-adapted foods that, if taken care of, can adapt to the varying environmental conditions.

Ghee cooking in Instant Pot

How to make Homemade Instant Pot Ghee?

The process of making Instant Pot ghee is pretty simple.

1. Unwrap the butter sticks and add them to the Instant Pot. 

2. Set your Instant Pot to the ‘Saute Mode.’ Adjust to ‘Normal setting’ (in the center of the display screen). Set an external timer for 15 minutes.

3. Soon butter sticks will start to melt.

4. Butter after 8 minutes should be bubbling actively, and milk solids will begin to separate. At first, the milk solids will form a white foam and float on top of the inner pot. 

Ghee being cooked in Instant Pot

5. 12 minutes into cooking the butter will start to sizzle and turn light in color. 

6. After 15 minutes of cooking, the water will start to evaporate from butter, and the caramelized milk solids will settle at the bottom of the pot.

Ghee cooking in Pressure cooker

7. Once the timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot. As the Instant Pot cools, the ghee will continue to cook in the IP. 

PROTIP – If the milk solids have turned brown at the bottom of the insert, remove the inner pot to avoid further cooking. We are looking at brown mill solid, not black. 

Ghee cooked in Instant Pot

8. Allow the Instant Pot ghee to cool comfortably. Strain the ghee through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean, dry jar.

9. Left behind caramelized milk solids after straining butter.

Strained caramelized milk solids

10. Store Instant Pot ghee in a cool dry place or refrigerator. For extended shelf life, store ghee at room temperature.

Strained Instant Pot ghee

COOL FACTS ABOUT Homemade Instant Pot Ghee!

» Ghee is a superfood with many health benefits. Ghee is known to have anti-inflammatory properties that help boost immunity.

» Ghee is lactose-free. People who are lactose intolerant can consume ghee without any worries. Instant Pot ghee

» Ghee aids digestion that can help heal your digestive tract problems.

» Ghee is excellent for frying, cooking, and sauteing because it has a high smoking point of 480 degrees F. That means it won’t burn quickly. But if ghee or any oil is heated past its smoke point, it is not healthy.  

» Ghee is full of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K and healthy fatty acids that contribute to a healthy heart, bones, and immune system.

» Ghee has a long shelf life. If milk solids are correctly cooked or browned, ghee can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 months.

» Ghee is an excellent replacement for butter in a recipe.

» Ghee can be used in making a pastry too. Chill the ghee and then use it in the recipe. Instant pot ghee

Fresh ghee in a glass jar

Can we freeze Homemade Instant Pot Ghee?

It’s actually not required. Instant Pot ghee

Ghee stores well at room temperature. If the milk solids were carefully removed, ghee would store well in your pantry in a dark, cool place, or even in your refrigerator.

Ghee will remain fresh for long (4 months) if stored in the fridge. The fridge is a better option than the pantry. Just make sure no water or moisture gets close to it. 

Store it in an airtight container so that it doesn’t pick up odors from other foods in the refrigerator.

But if you still want, you can freeze ghee for up to six months in an airtight container.

Store ghee in a cool dry place

Let Me Know What You Think!

Should you make homemade Instant Pot ghee, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

Homemade Instant Pot Ghee

5 from 5 votes
Homemade Instant Pot Ghee or clarified butter also referred to as ‘Paleo Butter’ is a great cooking alternative. Add a small amount of ghee to any dish and it attributes an amazing flavor and a creamy texture to any meal. 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Calories: 650 kcal
Servings: 20

INGREDIENTS 

  • 64 oz Unsalted Butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Unwrap the butter sticks and add them to the Instant Pot. 
  • Set your Instant Pot to the ‘Saute Mode.’ Adjust to ‘Normal setting’ (in the center of the display screen). Set an external timer for 15 minutes.
  • Soon butter sticks will start to melt. Butter after 8 minutes should be bubbling actively, and milk solids will start to separate. At first, the milk solids will form a white foam and float on top of the inner pot. 
  • 12 minutes into cooking the butter will start to sizzle and turn light in color. After 15 minutes of cooking, the water will start to evaporate from butter, and the caramelized milk solids will settle at the bottom of the pot.
  • Once the timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot. As the Instant Pot cools, the ghee will continue to cook in the IP. 
    PROTIP – If the milk solids have turned brown at the bottom of the insert, remove the inner pot to avoid further cooking. We are looking at brown mill solid, not black. 
  • Allow the ghee to cool comfortably. Strain the ghee through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean, dry jar.
  • Store ghee in a cool dry place or refrigerator. For extended shelf life, store ghee at room temperature.

RECIPE NOTES

 

Cooking Times will Vary!
If you plan to cook a smaller batch of ghee, than cooking times will vary. For 32 ounces of butter, cooking time will be somewhere between 10-12 minutes. 
But if you plan to cook 16 ounces of butter that cooking time will be just 8-9 minutes in ‘Saute mode.’
 
An Important Tip while making ghee!
Heat pocket or bubbles form when ghee is boiling.  
With the help of these bubbles, water releases the heat that has been built up during boiling. At this point, if the boiling liquid is disturbed or stirred, it gets a shock.
This shock causes the bubbles to form quickly, and because of that (if shaken or disturbed), ghee will explode or splatter all around. 
 
How to avoid this?
You really don’t have to stir ghee in an Instant Pot. Ghee will be done and cooked at the time mentioned. But if you still feel like mixing, then keep stirring the ghee continuously. Do not let it sit for more than 2-3 minutes.
If allowed to sit for more than 10-15 minutes without stirring, then it can be extremely dangerous. 
 

NUTRITION

Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 74g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 22mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2267IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Author: Ruchi
Course: All
Cuisine: American, Indian

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Comments

  1. Sonal says:

    I have been thinking h of making ghee in IP since a long time. Will follow your instructions and make it soon!

  2. Kari says:

    This is by far the easiest method for making ghee. I made 32 oz using your exact method plus adding some time and it came out great.

    Most recently, I discovered a recipe on the Whole 30 plan for “Better Butter” where fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, and nutmeg are added. Wanting a more universal “Better Butter” I opted to leave out the onion, chili pepper, and garlic from my batch. Using your method to the point where the foam is on top and bubbling away is when I added the aforementioned spice mixture. I then dropped down the temperature to low sauté and cooked it for 60 minutes. Appears to be flavorful and just perfect.

    • Ruchi says:

      Thanks for your kind words, Kari!
      I agree this is the easiest method for making ghee. Flavored ghee that sounds great. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Megan says:

    Once it is filtered, mine is a bit cloudy as the bottom and the rest is buttery yellow . Did I do something wrong or is that normal?

    • Ruchi says:

      Hello Megan,

      The cloud at the bottom means ghee is not strained well. Some of the milk solids have escaped the filter. Filter it again, and you should be all good.

  4. Elisabeth Groth says:

    I should have read the entire thing before making my small 4-stick batch! Turned out dark and smelling like butterscotch. I love the smell, can I (should I) still use this? Or did I ruin it and need a re-do?

    • Ruchi says:

      Elizabeth, sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work for you as you had imagined. I would suggest making a fresh batch as this dark-colored ghee may leave a slight aftertaste if you add it to your food.