Best Pressure Cooker Fish Recipes

Great pressure cooker fish recipes! When you’re looking for a healthy dinner prepared in no time at all in your Instant Pot, Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi like this pressure cooker salmon recipe. There’s no need for an oven anymore!

We love fish!! Any kind of fish, I don’t think there is anything out of the ocean we don’t like. Yes, even my 3 girls beg for fish if we give them a choice of what to eat. Sushi is actually their favorite dinner! So, since we’ve created so many easy Instant Pot recipes it was only right to put together a collection of easy pressure cooker fish recipes for everyone to enjoy, and share this Instant Pot salmon recipe below as well. (affiliate links present)

• Do you have a favorite fish but you’d love to learn how to cook it in your pressure cooker?? Well we’ll share how to make pressure cooker salmon below + a bunch of other pressure cooker fish recipes.

Well we love anything that swims, and every type we’ve tried using this method has come out tender, flaky, and moist as ever!

Whether you are using an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, a Crockpot Express, or some other brand it really doesn’t matter.

• This fish Instant Pot cooking times chart will give you an idea on how long each variety takes to cook.

I use this chart quite frequently when adding to our pressure cooker fish recipes in order to have a base for how long each fillet will take.

Like our Instant Pot salmon here. I started in the middle cooking it for 3 minutes on high pressure but it was a bit underdone for my liking so the next piece I put in for 4 minutes and it was perfect!

• We got our salmon from ButcherBox (you can get free bacon + $15 off your order too here). It’s a great way to have quality meats delivered right to your door too! (special thanks goes out to them for sending us this box so we could show you how we used their salmon in the pressure cooker)!

Recently I forgot to defrost a few fillets so I threw them in my pressure cooker anyway. Guess what?? Our pieces of Instant Pot frozen salmon came out flaky and delicious with just 1 more minute of cook time!

• That is a great tip to remember when you have a forgetful moment too. 
• Salmon is such a great food with Omega 3 that we all need. If you live in an area where fish is hard to come by this is a great option since it’s delivered to your door. 

This is what the package we received. Freshly caught in Alaska and ready to cook right out of the bag if you use our directions above. 😉

Variations in how long to cook fish in the Instant Pot

• The size of the fillet
  • of course a 1/2 lb. piece is going to cook quicker than a 3/4 lb. fillet
• The thickness of the piece of fish you’ve chosen
  • if you buy an entire fillet like we did the middle section(s) are going to be thicker than the end pieces so they will take a minute or so longer to cook all the way through
• How well done you like your fish
  • this is a biggie….my husband would prefer to barely have his fish seared on both sides and eat it just like that vs. myself who wants it cooked thru but not overcooked where it begins to turn gray
• The method in which you cook it
  • yes we are talking all about pressure cooker fish recipes here but I have cooked Instant Pot fish using enclosed stackable pans as well as on a trivet like you see here, the latter (below) takes a fraction of the time to cook
• Whether it’s fresh or frozen
  • our Instant Pot tilapia was frozen but came out perfect using this method.
• If you add other ingredients like our Instant Pot shrimp boil.

We will share a list of easy pressure cooker fish recipes below but this is what you need to make pressure cooker salmon:

• Fillet – we used a 3/4 lb. piece, timing below is appropriate for that size
• Squeeze of lemon juice – totally optional, a few lemon slices on top can be used
• Butter or I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter we used on top – about 1 tbsp, olive oil could be used
• Dill – fresh is best, feel free to use dried if that’s all you have
• Salt and Pepper – or anything else you like to season fish with
• Tinfoil – so you can make a foil “bowl” like we show you in the video, you can alternatively spray the trivet
• Trivet – this one with handles attached is the best

Great healthy Instant Pot recipes and pressure cooker side dishes to serve with your salmon or fish

1. Instant Pot white rice 
2. Perfect quinoa in your pressure cooker
3. Electric pressure cooker mashed potatoes

Here are the simple steps to follow to get it to a perfectly flaky fillet of salmon you see here:

We are going to assume you have defrosted your pieces beforehand. If not follow our directions for frozen salmon which are the same but adding 1 extra minute to your cook time.

• Pour your water into the inner liner. You can add slices of lemon into it too if you’d like an added boost of that flavor and scent.
• Place a trivet in the middle and your fillet(s) on top. Do not overlap your pieces.
• Sprinkle any and all seasonings you’d like on top with a slice of lemon and I like a pat of butter as well. These options are up to you depending on the flavors you desire.
• Close your lid and steam valve.
• Set to high pressure for 4 minutes.
  • timing will vary slightly depending on how thick your pieces are and how “well done” you like your fish to be (it’s best to have it a bit underdone vs. overdone so it’s nice and flaky)
  • with the time it takes to reach pressure the total time will be about 15 minutes
• Release the pressure once done, this is called a quick release.
• Use a spatula to lift out. Sprinkle with additional seasonings if desired and enjoy immediately

List of easy Instant Pot fish recipes

• Our Instant Pot shrimp alfredo was a hit with the kids!
• Instant Pot shrimp has instructions on how to cook pressure cooker frozen fish in it.
  • Here’s how to do an Instant Pot shrimp boil.
• This flaky Instant Pot fish recipe shows you how to cook fish and vegetables together. Separately cooked but together in your pressure cooker.
  • Thai style pressure cooker fish is a great flavor profile.
• Although canned fish this pressure cooker tuna casserole is amazing.
  • We used canned clams for this Instant Pot clam chowder as well but fresh could be used if you preferred.
  • Here’s another pressure cooker fish chowder recipe as well.
• Gefilte fish in the pressure cooker are possible too…haven’t had those in decades.
• You can make this seafood chowder in your pressure cooker, there are instructions included

Want to try salmon in the air fryer too? Do it!!

Instructions for cooking salmon in your pressure cooker is below. This method works great with just a cup of water!

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5 from 2 votes

Pressure Cooker Salmon

Great pressure cooker fish recipes! When you're looking for a healthy dinner prepared in no time at all in your Instant Pot. Like this Instant Pot salmon recipe. No need for an oven anymore. 

Course Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword fish, instant pot, pressure cooker, salmon

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 9 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 293kcal

Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb salmon filet
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 sprig dill fresh
• 1 pinch salt optional
• 1 tbsp butter we used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
• 1 pinch garlic salt

Instructions

• Pour 1.5 c water into your pressure cooker and lower down a trivet. 
• Make a "boat" using foil (watch video in post for a demonstration) so butter doesn't drip down into your inner pot. Put your piece of salmon on your foil "boat" skin side down.
• Put a slice of lemon (optional) and tbsp. of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on the top of your salmon filet. (you can alternatively squeeze the lemon on at the end, if you put lemon slice on now the salmon will not be cooked through as much under the lemon itself - personal preference, my husband likes it this way, I prefer a squeeze of lemon after it is done)
• Sprinkle fresh pcs. of dill (or dried) on top as well as a pinch of salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Close lid and steam valve and set to high pressure for 4 minutes (for 3/4 lb., 3 min. for smaller pieces or if you like it under done and quite pink). Do a quick release.
• Lift out fish, use a spatula to remove from foil boat or trivet and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Pressure Cooker Salmon

Amount Per Serving (3 oz)

Calories 293 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 108mg36%

Sodium 145mg6%

Potassium 833mg24%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 245IU5%

Vitamin C 1.9mg2%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.