30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

Got a new Instant Pot? Discover popular recipes you can make in your pressure cooker for fast, healthy, and tasty family meals.

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (1)

All hail the Instant Pot, unofficial kitchen superhero of our time! With practically boundless powers to transform family meals into something fast, tender, and tasty, it’s no wonder the Instant Pot has become so popular with home cooks.

If you’ve recently gotten one of your own, you might be wondering where to start. This post gives you a solid foundation of recipes to let you hit the ground running with your newest gadget.

Our Instant Pot recipe round-up includes healthy and tantalizing dishes for your family, organized by meal type so you can find just what you’re looking for. Build your repertoire of great Instant Pot recipes right here! Enjoy.

Breakfast

Instant PotHard Cooked Eggs

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (2)

If you’ve never made hard “boiled” eggs in the Instant Pot, you’re in for a treat. Eggs cook perfectly (and perfectly fast) and the shells slip off easily every time.

Instant Pot Oatmeal

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (3)

Steel cut oats make a super-nutritious breakfast, and this no-fuss recipe lets you cook this traditionally slow-cooking whole grain quickly and easily in the Instant Pot.

Instant PotYogurt

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (4)

If you have a family of yogurt lovers, this recipe lets you batch-cook your own probiotic-rich yogurt from milk.

Soups

We love the Instant Pot for soups because it creates a long-cooked flavor in a short amount of time.

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (5)

Soothing, delicious chicken soup cooks fast in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (6)

This recipe uses pre-cut frozen veggies to cut down on prep time.

Minestrone Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (7)

This hearty vegetarian soup is filled with Italian flavor, with a vegan option, too.

Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Coconut milk and chicken broth add richness to this comforting Thai soup.

Comforting Beef Barley Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (9)

Healthy veggies and fiber-rich barley make this soup a balanced meal.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (10)

Chicken soup with carrots, celery and leeks provide comfort and warmth.

Instant Pot Chicken Stock

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (11)

Amazing, collagen-rich chicken stock can be ready in an hour with the Instant Pot.

Scrumptious Lentil Soup

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (12)

A mixture of two kinds of lentils gives this savory stew the perfect texture.

Beef, Chicken, Fish, and Pork

The Instant Pot works magic on your favorite protein, creating ultra-tender meat that falls apart at the touch of a fork.

All-in-one Instant Pot Chicken and Brown Rice

This is the most popular Instant Pot recipe on our site. Tender chicken and veggies cook together with whole grain brown rice for an all-in-one dinner.

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (14)

Healthy homemade sloppy joes are on the menu! Lock the lid and let the Instant Pot take care of the rest.

Instant Pot Salmon (10 Minutes from Frozen!)

No need to defrost your fish before cooking; this Instant Pot recipe makes perfectly tender salmon out of frozen fillets.

One Pot Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (16)

This recipe shows you how to cook your spaghetti squash right on top of the sauce. How amazing is that?

Pressure Cooker Chili-Lime Chicken

Use this delicious chicken in salads, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, sandwiches, and more. Skip the liquid smoke for a lighter, fresher-tasting chicken.

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (18)

Yummy Mexican pulled pork is achievable right in your own kitchen, thanks to the Instant Pot! Use these versatile carnitas in tacos, burritos, salads, or rice.

Paleo Instant Pot Mexi-Meatloaf

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (19)

This meatloaf skips the bread crumbs and uses salsa (choose mild for kids who can’t handle heat) and spices for a southwestern kick.

Instant Stew

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (20)

Hearty, beef stew is a winter classic, and a great Instant Pot candidate. This recipe calls for red wine, but you can use more broth instead if you like.

Instant Pot Whole “Rotisserie” Chicken

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (21)

It takes less than an hour to cook a tender, juicy, and flavorful whole chicken in the Instant Pot.

Easy One Pot Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (22)

In this unique recipe, you cook the pasta right along with the sauce.

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (23)

Prep this flavorful shredded chicken on Sunday to use in meals throughout the week.L

Texas Beef Chili

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (24)

Use your Instant Pot to make tasty chili with slow-cooked flavor in under an hour!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (25)

Cook these tender stuffed peppers in just five minutes under pressure.

Vegetarian Dishes

The Instant Pot is just as good with beans and other vegetarian staples as it is with meat. Check out these tasty vegetarian recipes you can cook under pressure.

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (26)

Vitamin-rich sweet potatoes and black beans pair with classic chili spices in this hearty vegetarian meal.

Chickpea Sweet Potato Spinach Curry

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (27)

You’ll find Instant Pot instructions for this vegan curry in the notes section of the recipe.

Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (28)

This vegetarian chili boasts a variety of nourishing ingredients like beans, sweet potato, and corn. It also calls for a half cup of beer, but feel free to substitute water or broth instead.

One Pot Pressure Cooker Penne Rigate Pasta

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (29)

Savory sauce and pasta cooks together in the Instant Pot!

Side Dishes

Don’t underestimate the Instant Pot’s ability to make side dishes super simple. This section has some make-ahead help, too: try batch-cooking your grains to use all week long.

Pressure Cooker Quinoa

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (30)

Quinoa cooks in one magical minute in the Instant Pot!

Instant Pot Brown Rice

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (31)

Your Instant Pot can make fluffy whole grain brown rice in no time.

Fresh and Frozen Vegetables

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (32)

The link above takes you to a helpful table on the Instant Pot site where you can learn how long to cook tons of different veggies under pressure.

Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes in the Pressure Cooker and Oven

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (33)

Pile in those potatoes! Make a big batch of creamy, perfectly-cooked sweet potatoes for quick veggie sides all week.

That’s a Wrap

That’s our list! Get comfy with your Instant Pot and share your own favorites in the comments below.

30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (34)
30+ Amazing Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What cooks best in an Instant Pot? ›

The pressure cooker makes the best hard boiled eggs that always peel perfectly. It cooks chicken breast without turning it to mush like the slow cooker does. It makes tender ribs and roasts. Grains and rice cook perfectly.

How full is too full in an Instant Pot? ›

Your Instant Pot should have a line on the inner pot to show the maximum amount of food you can cook in it at once (and it's there for good reason!). Overfilling your Instant Pot can affect the pressure that builds up inside, so you might end up with a mushy meal, or one that doesn't cook properly.

Why is my Instant Pot not cooking as well? ›

Often, this means that there's not enough liquid in the pot or that the liquid hasn't reached all the bottom corners of the pot, which is easy to fix by adding more liquid. You may also need to let your pot cool down if you've been sautéing on high heat for a while.

What is the best easy use Instant Pot? ›

The best Instant Pots in 2024
  • The quick list.
  • Best overall: Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid.
  • Most premium: Pro Crisp.
  • Best for beginners: Duo Plus.
  • Best alternative: Ninja Foodi 14-in-1.
  • Best for air frying: Ninja Foodi 11-in-1.
  • Best smart: Pro Plus.
  • Meet the team.

What cannot be cooked in Instant Pot? ›

6 Things You Should Never Cook in an Instant Pot
  1. Creamy Sauces. If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. ...
  2. Fried Chicken. The best fried chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and perfectly golden brown. ...
  3. Cookies. ...
  4. Burgers. ...
  5. Pie. ...
  6. Steak.

What is the best cut of meat for Instant Pot? ›

Best Cuts for Your Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot

You can cook any cut in a multi-cooker, but we recommend those from the chuck and round.

Why don t chefs use Instant Pot? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

Why did Instapot fail? ›

"In reality, Instant Pot's owners borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars and spent a significant chunk of that money on R&D, developing new products and employing lots of people in the process." This was a high-risk strategy — one that failed, but it's not necessarily all bad for everyone in Instant Brand's orbit.

What happens if you don't put enough water in Instant Pot? ›

Not adding any liquid to the Instant Pot.

It's necessary for steam to build up, ultimately creating a high-pressure environment used for faster cooking. Without sufficient liquid, pressure won't build — and you'll likely get the dreaded “burn” error.

What is the disadvantage of Instant Pot? ›

Con– The Instant Pot uses steam under pressure to cook food and not everything is meant to be cooked in the Instant Pot. I attempted a crustless quiche which turned out well but it was too wet and moist to my liking and I prefer to cook it in the oven with dry heat.

Can you put frozen meat in an Instant Pot? ›

It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the "Danger Zone" quickly. As a result, you don't run into the issues that you would find by cooking frozen food in a slow cooker, where it can stay too long in the Danger Zone and could become unsafe.

What is the most popular Instant Pot size? ›

The 6-quart Instant Pot (in any series) is the most popular size by far, and it's the one we recommend for most folks. It offers plenty of capacity for weeknight dinners, soups and stews, a pot of beans, or even a whole chicken, yet it doesn't take up a crazy amount of counter or shelf space.

Do professional chefs use Instant Pot? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

What is an Instant Pot good for? ›

The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker but also a slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, big sauté pot, steamer, and more. We have the 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo which is what we use for all our Instant Pot recipes. They also make a 3-Quart Instant Pot Mini and a hefty 8-quart Instant Pot.

Can I put frozen meat in an Instant Pot? ›

It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the "Danger Zone" quickly. As a result, you don't run into the issues that you would find by cooking frozen food in a slow cooker, where it can stay too long in the Danger Zone and could become unsafe.

Is Instant Pot better than stove top? ›

With stovetop cookers there's still a small risk of pushing the pressure too high and blowing the thing up, but the Instant Pot doesn't have that danger. And it also has different pressure modes, so you can set it at low pressure for things like soup and high pressure when you're in a hurry.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Frankie Dare

Last Updated:

Views: 6105

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Frankie Dare

Birthday: 2000-01-27

Address: Suite 313 45115 Caridad Freeway, Port Barabaraville, MS 66713

Phone: +3769542039359

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Baton twirling, Stand-up comedy, Leather crafting, Rugby, tabletop games, Jigsaw puzzles, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.