We're taking the guess-work out of using your Instant Pot with more than 30 of the best Instant Pot recipes for beginners! With a mix of recipes from Whole Lotta Yum and a ton of easy Instant Pot recipes from other websites as well, you are sure to find something that will please even the pickiest of eaters in your home.
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Whether you are looking for chicken, beef, or sausage - we've got you covered. Keto, low-carb, paleo, and even Whole30? Yup, they are all included as well. This is seriously the best collection of easy and flavorful Instant Pot recipes you will find!
Easy Instapot Recipes
The Instant Pot is a kitchen game changer! It can cook just about anything out there from soups to stews to roasts, but it can also handle delicate foods like rice and yogurt as well. We use ours weekly for our meal prep but also throughout the week to heat up pre-cooked foods or prepare the side dishes for our dinners.
Oh, and as if that's not enough, the Instant Pot can even cook your foods from frozen! So even on those nights when you forgot to take something out you can still serve your family a homecooked meal!
If you are unfamiliar with your Instant Pot, don't worry. It's a pretty easy kitchen tool to use. The Instant Pot is a modern-day pressure cooker that has been updated and is so much more user friendly than the versions used in the past. These updates have brought pressure cooking back into kitchens even for those unfamiliar with the cooking method.
And one more thing, a technicality if you will. Instant Pot is the brand name and company responsible for the surge in popularity of this fabulous kitchen gadget. However, you will see an Instant Pot also called a pressure cooker, an Instant Pot or instapot, or even simply IP. All of these terms mean the same thing.
What are the Pros and Cons of an Instant Pot?
If you’re a pressure cooker beginner and just getting started with beginner Instant Pot recipes, here’s some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
- Saves time
- Versatilesince most Instant Pots are also multi-cookers and can also slow cook, saute, warm, steam, and has a yogurt maker.
- One-Pot Cooking
- Consistent Cooking Results
- Energy Efficient
Cons:
- It takes sometime getting used toa new cooking method
- Higher pricedthan other small kitchen appliances
- Takes up valuable counter space
- Doesn’t brown and crisp as well
- You can overcooka recipe and not know until it’s done cooking under pressure.
What are the basic directions for cooking with an Instant Pot?
- Sauté (if necessary): If the recipe requires sautéing ingredients, use the Sauté function. Make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot to avoid getting a “burn” notice.
- Add Ingredients and Liquids: Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot, ensuring there is enough liquid (usually at least 1 cup) for pressure cooking.
- Seal the Instant Pot: Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to "Sealing."
- Set Cook Time and Pressure Level: Select the appropriate cooking program or use the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting, then adjust the time and pressure level as needed.
- Release Pressure: After the cooking time is complete, the Instant Pot will beep. Allow it to release pressure naturally (which can take 10-25 minutes) or use the quick release by carefully turning the valve to "Venting."
- Open and Serve: Once the pressure is fully released and the floating valve drops, open the lid and serve your dish.
Top Instant Pot Recipe Tips
- Before you purchase your Instant Pot be sure the size is right. You can only fill the inside of your pot ⅔ of the way.
- Always, and I do mean ALWAYS, be sure to include at least 1 cup of liquid when using your instant pot. Otherwise, it will never come to pressure. (You need steam to create pressure)
- Cook time refers to the time your Instant Pot is pressure cooking. Depending on what is in your pressure cooker it can take up to 10 minutes for your pot to come up to pressure.
- Speaking of coming up to pressure, be sure your inner ring and pressure valve are both on properly or the instapot will not pressurize.
- NR means natural release and occurs when your instant pot has finished cooking and begins slowly releasing the pressure. QR means quick release and occurs when you hit the button and let the pressure out rapidly.
- You can cook pretty much anything in your Instant Pot. Seriously.
- Sauteing roasts prior to cooking is easy to do with the built-in saute feature.
- Depending on your model, some pots will call the manual mode Pressure Cook and others will call this Manual.
Types of easy instapot recipes in our post:
- Chicken Instant Pot recipes
- Pork instapot recipes
- Beef instant pot recipes
- Soup instant pot
- Healthy instapot recipes
- Vegetarian instapot recipes
Best Instant Pot Recipes: Chicken
Chicken is a super versatile meat that works really well in the Instant Pot. Fresh or frozen, pieces or even a whole chicken can be cooked up in less time than many methods of cooking. Plus, with pressure cooking, you retain a lot more of the natural juice and flavors of the meat.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
To start off, let's cook up from frozen chicken tenders! Frozen chicken tenders are a great item to have on hand for a variety of meals. Cooking them in the pressure cookers enables you to cook them up in less time than you would have spent thawing them! Once cooked, your tenders are ready to use in a variety of dishes. It's a perfect meal-prep item for the weekends and a great Instant Pot recipe.
Pressure Cooker Frozen Chicken Breasts by Whole Lotta Yum
Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
This 10-minute dump and go recipe is perfect for creating Mexican style chicken. Eat as-is or use the chicken in a variety of dishes including tacos, wraps, and salads. Taco chicken is perfect for low-carb and keto lifestyles.
Instant Pot Taco Chicken by Whole Lotta Yum
Honey Sesame Chicken
A stir-fry style dish you can create at home with your pressure cooker in less time than it takes to order out.
Honey Sesame Chicken by Thrifty Jinky
Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
A Mediterranean-style dish that cooks up at the same time. Boneless chicken thighs, potatoes, seasoning, and start. This recipe is gluten-free and contains Weight Watchers points as well.
Pressure Cooker Chicken and Potatoes by Recipes from my Pantry
Instapot Chicken and Rice
Whether you are using fresh or frozen chicken you can have this classic dish on your table in less than 30-minutes. Simply add your vegetables, meat, rice, and liquid, set your instapot, and let it go.
Instapot Chicken and Rice by Hostess with Heart
Pork Instant Pot Recipes
Pork is a versatile and flavorful meat that often gets overlooked unless it's bacon. But with options such as roasts, ribs, chops, and brats, it's one meat you definitely want to include in your Instant Pot routine.
Baby Back Ribs
Instant pot baby back ribs are tender, juicy, and fall off the bone by cooking them for just 30 minutes! No need to slow cook all day long when you can make tasty and delicious pressure cooker ribs quickly in your kitchen. These ribs are not only quick and easy, they are compliant with a wide variety of eating plans.
Baby Back Ribs recipe by Whole Lotta Yum
Pressure Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers
Italian instant pot sausage and peppers is a super simple yet amazing dish that is packed with flavor. Not only is it quick and easy, but it tastes like a sausage pizza! Low-carb and gluten-free, you can also quickly adapt this recipe for paleo and Whole30.
Sausage and Peppers Recipe by Whole Lotta Yum
Pressure Cooker Bratwurst
Bratwurst in beer (and butter!) has quickly become one of our absolute favorite dinners and keto bratwurst recipes we enjoy regularly. While these have always turned out well in a crock-pot, cooking them in an Instant Pot instead takes these gems to a whole different level.
Pressure Cooker Bratwurst by Whole Lotta Yum
Instapot Pork Chops
A fool-proof Instant Pot pork chop recipe that yields tender, juicy chops and gravy in one dish. Serve with your choice of sides and voila, dinner.
Instapot Pork Chops by 4 Sons R Us
Instapot Pork Tenderloin
This recipe contains directions for both a savory herbed roast, or a spicy style option, and cooks up in under 30-minutes. Use the juices in the instapot to create a flavorful sauce and serve with your choice of sides (cauliflower mash is in the picture above).
Instapot Pork Loin Recipe by The Bettered Blondie
Beef Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners
Beef. Need I say more? With so many wonderful cuts to choose from, and a variety of cooking options available, beef truly is one of the best meats to cook with. And with your Instant Pot, even low-end cuts can come out tasting like their more expensive counterparts.
Instapot Beef Roast (Mississippi Pot Roast)
Instant pot Mississippi pot roast is a quick and easy 5 ingredient roast recipe that combines the unique flavors of beef, pepperoncini peppers, butter, au jus mix, and ranch dressing mix to create a simple and juicy pot roast that will TRULY become one of your new family favorites! You can even make this a dump and go recipe by skipping the searing step!
Mississippi Pot Roast by Whole Lotta Yum
Pressure Cooker Chili
Instant Pot chili that hits all of the same notes of a slow cooker, without the multi-hour commitment of traditional chilis. Start to finish, this chili is ready to go in under an hour.
Chili recipe by Kristine's Kitchen Blog
Instapot Beef Stew
Saute your meat, add your liquid and veggies, and set your Instant Pot. It's truly that easy to make a seriously tasty Beef Stew in the instapot.
Instapot Beef Stew by Savory Nothings
Instapot Meatloaf Recipe
Skip the oven and enjoy the traditional flavors of meatloaf without heating yourself out of the kitchen.
Instapot Meatloaf Recipe by Rebooted Mom
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Avoid the delivery fee and questionable ingredients by whipping up your own homemade beef and broccoli at home. Saute, pressure cook, and get your rice going. It's that easy!
Beef and Broccoli recipe by My Organized Chaos
Instant Pot Recipe: Soups
Whether you are creating a big batch on the weekend to eat throughout the week, or looking for dinner tonight, soup in your Instant Pot is always a great choice. All you need is some liquid, meat, veggies, noodles or rice, and the possibilies are endless.
Instapot Chicken soup
An easy pressure cooker chicken noodle soup recipe that starts with rotisserie chicken and pressure cooks for just 3 minutes! Get all the flavors of homemade chicken noodle soup in your instant pot.
Instapot chicken soup by Whole Lotta Yum
Pressure Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Nothing says comfort food quite like a bowl of soup. What’s even better is when it’s a bowl of delicious and easy instant pot broccoli cheese soup. Not only is this delicious broccoli cheddar soup easy, but it’s also low carb, keto, gluten-free, sugar-free and it can also be vegetarian if you use a vegetable broth.
Pressure Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Whole Lotta Yum
Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana
This Zuppa Toscana instant pot soup recipe is a hearty kale, potato, and sausage soup that’s an Olive Garden copycat. It’s super easy to make and gluten-free.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana by Whole Lotta Yum
Italian Tortellini Soup
Making creamy Italian tortellini sausage soup is easy and will quickly become a favorite! Filled with sausage, tomatoes, tortellini, and spinach, you get all the food groups in one savory bowl. This is one recipe that will quickly become a family favorite.
Instant Pot Tortellini Soup by Whole Lotta Yum
Pizza Soup
A dump and go recipe that contains all your favorite pizza toppings and cooks up in just 1 minute! Pizza soup is low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
Pizza Soup by Whole Lotta Yum
Best Instant Pot Recipes that are Healthy
The Instant Pot is a great way to create healthy dishes that are full of flavor. Whether you are low-carb, keto, Whole30, or gluten-free, the instapot is a fantastic way to make dishes that are compliant with your eating plan and don't leave you feeling like you are eating diet food at all. Rich, hearty, and full of flavor are just some of the ways to describe the healthy pressure cooker recipes below.
Instant Pot Yogurt
If you own an Instant Pot, you also own a yogurt maker! Homemade yogurt is a great way to control the flavor and ingredients in your yogurt. This 2-ingredient recipe will have you making fool-proof yogurt in just minutes.
Yogurt Recipe by The Belly Rules the Mind
Whole30 Broccoli Chicken Stirfry
Paleo, Whole30, low-carb, and gluten-free, this Chicken Stir Fry is a quick and easy meal perfect for most eating plans. Plus, it cooks up in under 30-minutes!
Whole30 Broccoli Chicken Stirfry by Whole Kitchen Sink
Homemade Apple Sauce (no sugar)
Low-fat and sugar-free applesauce that simply lets the flavors of apples and cinnamon shine through. This is what applesauce should taste like.
Homemade applesauce by My Montana Kitchen
Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes
The fluffiest baked potatoes ever, without preheating your oven! Simply wash, stab, pressure cook, and top until you are satisfied. Oh, and this whole process takes less time than a traditional baked potato.
Baked Potatoes by Rhubarbarians
Instant Pot Bone Broth
Whether you are looking for chick, beef, or pork broth, this homemade Instant Pot recipe is just what you need. Perfect for soups, stews, and a variety of other recipes, bone broth a kitchen staple. Save yourself from store-bought versions by learning how to make your own.
Instant Pot bone broth by Beyond the Chicken Coop
Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipe
While meats tend to steal the show, your Instant Pot is perfect for creating a variety of vegetarian dishes. From simply cooking up your favorite veggies, to creating vegetarian meals like chili and stroganoff, your pressure cooker can handle them all.
Corn on the Cob
Fresh corn, butter, cream, and cold water all go in the pot. A few minutes later you have the creamiest, most flavorful corn you have ever eaten. Stop boiling corn on the stovetop and let your Instant Pot infuse your corn with flavor and freshness.
Pressure Cooker Corn by Whole Lotta Yum
0-Minute Broccoli
Yes, you read that right - zero-minute broccoli! Perfectly steam your broccoli in your instapot using on the time required to bring the pot up to pressure. Eat as is or top with your favorite cheese sauce.
Instant Pot Broccoli by Whole Lotta Yum
Rice and Beans
This dump and go recipe is perfect for vegetarians and those who prefer to eat gluten-free. Containing peppers, beans, and rice, simply add your ingredients to the Instant Pot and let it work it's magic.
Rice and Beans Recipe by My Gluten Free Kitchen
Copycat Vegetarian Harvest Chili with Squash
A copycat recipe of the Trader Joe's vegetarian harvest chili, this dish is a hearty and filling one-pot recipe. Contains both instapot and crockpot cooking instructions.
Vegetarian chili recipe by Glitter Inc
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Mushrooms, pasta, broth, and a variety of seasonings all come together in this one-pot pressure cooker vegetarian stroganoff.
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff by Cooking Carnival
Even More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Alfredo
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
- Instant Pot Eggdrop Soup
- Pressure Cooker Spinach Dip
- Pressure Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs
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Instant Pot for Beginners
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Easy instant pot Mexican shredded chicken makes dinner quick and easy, and only takes 3 ingredients. Use it for tacos, burritos, salads, and more! It's the BEST instapot recipe for beginners!
Ingredients
- 2 lb fresh chicken breasts
- 12 oz salsa (chunky mild or medium)
- 1 taco seasoning packet
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 5-6 oz size pieces.
- Add the chicken breasts, jar of salsa, and taco seasoning to the pressure cooker, no extra liquid is needed.
- Pressure cook on Manual (or Pressure Cook depending on your model) for 10 minutes.
- Natural release 5 minutes
- Add 1 cup of the pot liquid to the chicken before shredding.
- Shred the Mexican chicken with a hand-held mixer right in the pot or transfer it to a stand mixer.
- Great in tacos, taco salad, or as a shredded chicken taco bowl.
- Serves 8.
Notes
Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.
Swap green salsa for the red to make chili verde shredded chicken
Use it for salads, burritos, tacos and in wraps.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 211Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 96mgSodium 638mgCarbohydrates 4gNet Carbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 36g
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