One Pot Demiglace in the Instant Pot: A Bold Recipe for Flavor, Frugality, and Full-Bodied Goodness

If you’ve ever tasted a sauce so rich it made the back of your tongue tingle with joy, chances are you’ve met a good demiglace. Traditionally, this deeply flavorful French sauce takes hours—if not days—to prepare. It requires patience, layers of ingredients, and stovetop commitment. But what if I told you there’s a way to honor the classic method while saving time, money, and waste—all in your Instant Pot?

Let me introduce you to the One Pot Demiglace. This version uses a clever mix of beef and lamb bones, leftover vegetable trim, and a modern pressure cooker to produce a decadent, silky reduction that’s ready in a fraction of the time. Plus, it turns your kitchen scraps into culinary gold. You’re going to roast the bones in the same pot you pressure cook the stock.

This recipe came about after a long winter of slow braises and roasts in my kitchen. I had bags of lamb shoulder bones from Easter, a pile of saved beef bones from a standing rib roast at Christmas, and a freezer full of carrot peels, onion skins, celery ends, and garlic trimmings. My grandmother, who grew up during the Great Depression, always reminded me: “Everything has a second life in the kitchen.” So I gave those scraps one more glorious performance—starring in this savory, umami-packed demiglace.

Stretching Your Dollar: Kitchen Gold from Scraps

We live in an era where groceries are more expensive than ever. That’s why recipes like this aren’t just about flavor—they’re about economy. Every time you peel a carrot, trim an onion, or smash a clove of garlic, you’re holding a piece of tomorrow’s flavor in your hands. Don’t toss those trimmings—save them!

Keep a labeled freezer bag in your freezer for each type of scrap: onion skins, garlic peels, celery leaves, carrot ends. When the bag fills up, you’ve got the base for a rich broth or a master sauce like this demiglace. It’s a way to make your groceries work overtime and reduce kitchen waste.

Air fryer lids that work with instant pot.

Upgrading your kitchen with an aftermarket Instant Pot air fryer lid is one of the smartest ways to enhance your cooking versatility without investing in separate appliances. This convenient attachment instantly transforms your Instant Pot into a multi-functional powerhouse, allowing you to perform multiple cooking techniques—from pressure cooking to air frying—all in one pot. Acting like a convection oven and pressure cooker in one, the Instant Pot air fryer lid lets you crisp, roast, broil, bake, and dehydrate with ease. It’s perfect for anyone looking to create healthier meals with less oil while saving time and counter space. Whether you’re searching for the best air fryer lid for Instant Pot or a budget-friendly Instant Pot air fryer attachment, this versatile accessory is a must-have for home cooks who want more functionality from their existing Instant Pot. With just one lid, you can unlock a whole new range of cooking possibilities.

One Pot Demiglace (Instant Pot Version)

Yield: About 2 cups of reduced demiglace
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 hours pressure cooking + 30 minutes roasting + 1 hour reducing
Total Time: Approx. 4 hours + overnight chilling

Ingredients:

2–3 pounds of raw beef and lamb bones (mixed)
1 6oz can of tomato paste
3–4 cups of vegetable trim (onion skins, garlic skins, carrot peels, celery leaves/stems)
(or substitute with fresh vegetables if trim is not available):
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Water (enough to cover bones up to halfway point in Instant Pot)

Instructions:

1. Roast the Bones (Using the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid):

Place the beef and lamb bones into the Instant Pot’s stainless steel insert.
Spread tomato paste generously across the surface of the bones. Stir the bones to ensure even distribution.
Attach the air fryer lid and set to Air Fry at 375°F for 30 minutes.
Roast until the bones are deeply browned and caramelized. This step adds richness and color to your demiglace.

Note: If you don’t have the air fryer lid, you can roast the bones in a 400°F oven for 40–45 minutes on a baking sheet.

2. Build the Stock:

After roasting, pour water into the pot until the bones are just covered—no more than halfway up the pot’s capacity line.
Add your vegetable trim (or substitute with fresh onion, carrot, and celery).
Lock the pressure cooker lid into place and set to Pressure Cook on High for 2.5 hours.

3. Natural Release and Strain:

After cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure. This may take up to 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid. The kitchen should already smell incredible.
Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the broth into a bowl, discarding bones and vegetable solids.
Return the strained liquid to the Instant Pot insert.

4. Reduce the Stock:

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (High) with the lid off.
Simmer the liquid gently, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by at least 75%—this may take 45 minutes to 1 hour. It’s ready when the reduction coats the back of a spoon.
Turn off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature.

5. Chill and Portion:

Once cooled, place the entire Instant Pot insert (or transfer liquid to another container) into the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, the fat will have solidified on top. Gently remove and discard or save for another use (like cooking potatoes).
Portion the demiglace into small containers, ice cube trays, or silicone molds for easy future use.