Instant Pots are a magical kitchen appliance that can do just about anything. Adding an Instant Pot to your kitchen will completely transform your cooking, and it will save you a ton of money. While we do love crockpots, sometimes you just don’t have the time in the morning to put your dinner together before running out the door. This is where the Instant Pot saves the day.
The Instant Pot is an all-in-one slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, and steamer. It is designed to cook your food to perfection, and it will cut your dinner prep and cook time down to just mere minutes.
If you were lucky enough to get an Instant Pot for Christmas, or you decided to splurge and buy one for yourself, here are fifteen popular Instant Pot recipes that are definitely worth a try.
Appetizers
1. Deviled Eggs
This go-to appetizer is budget-friendly and easily made in an Instant Pot. This comes from Pressure Cooker Recipes, and it starts with boiling eggs in the Instant Pot, then peeling them under cold water. The dressing features the classics – mayo, olive oil, dijon mustard, and white vinegar. But, it does kick up the spiciness by using sriracha instead of paprika for garnish.
2. Spinach Dip
Hot spinach dip is definitely a fan favorite, but you don’t have to buy a pre-packaged version or go to a restaurant to enjoy it. With your Instant Pot and this recipe from The Cents Able Shoppin, you can make cheesy spinach dip in just ten minutes. It is a perfect spread for sourdough bread or crackers or a dip for tortilla chips.
3. Pizza Pull-Apart Bread
You will need a springform pan or bundt pan for this recipe from By Pink, but it won’t take a lot of ingredients or time to make this popular appetizer. With just some pizza dough, olive oil, mozzarella, parsley, garlic, and mini pepperonis, you will have the perfect finger food to dip in pizza sauce.
Main Dishes
4. Creamy Italian Chicken With Penne
This popular recipe from Pressures On is quick and satisfying. In just 20 minutes, you can make a creamy and light dinner filled with tender chicken and perfectly cooked pasta. Add just a few seasonings, cream cheese, and parmesan, and before you know it, you will have a dinner where everyone will be asking for seconds.
5. Fully Loaded Mac & Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and the recipe from This Old Gal comes fully loaded with a crispy bacon garlic breadcrumb topping, which takes this dish to the next level. To get your mac & cheese extra creamy, use a combination of cheeses, including a melting cheese. Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, and Smoked Gouda all work well with this recipe, but sharp and extra sharp cheddar tends to be crumbly and gritty. You can also choose to use milk, yogurt, or heavy cream.
6. Pork Ribs
You can make tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs in under an hour with this Instant Pot recipe from Oola’s Brittany Baxter. You can opt for a traditional BBQ rub or get creative with a Jamaican Jerk Rub, an Asian marinade, or, Honey Garlic Marinade. Whichever flavor you choose, finish up the recipe and really seal the flavor by broiling the ribs.
7. Orange Ginger Chicken
With this recipe from Our Best Bites, chicken will go from your freezer to your dinner table in half an hour. This versatile dish features boneless, skinless chicken breasts, orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Spice it up with fresh ginger and garlic cloves, and serve this sweet and tangy Asian-inspired shredded chicken over rice with steamed veggies.
8. Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
When you make Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in your Instant Pot, it will end up tender and juicy with just a hint of spicy. It is perfect to serve on bread or over rice, or it can be a fun pizza topping. This recipe comes from Adventures of a Nurse and you can prepare it in under an hour. The Dr. Pepper flavor gives the pork an extra kick. It is easy to make a big batch and store it in the fridge so your family can grab some for a sandwich when they are hungry.
9. Spaghetti
This dinner staple is super easy to make in an Instant Pot and using just one pot makes for easy prep and clean up. This Spaghetti and Meat Sauce recipe comes from Oola’s Maria Cruz, and it features the spaghetti basics like Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and your favorite jar of tomato sauce.
You don’t have to cook the beef first or boil the pasta separately, which means this dish is ready in under 20 minutes.
10. Taco Pasta
If you have picky kids in the house, this might be the perfect recipe for you. Taco Pasta comes from the Foody Schmoody Blog, and it takes just six ingredients and 15 minutes of your time – perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Start by setting your Instant Pot to saute and throw in the ground beef. As it cooks, you will add in some taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Finally, add in small pasta shells and let it cook before topping it with shredded cheese. It is simple and delicious!
11. Crack Chicken Casserole
This recipe from The Typical Mom results in a pot full of creamy goodness. You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, then add some cream cheese, chicken broth, egg noodles, bacon, and ranch seasoning. In just 20 minutes, you will have a delicious dish that will be a hit with the whole family.
12. Herbed Pot Roast
A delicious meal for a large gathering, this recipe for Herbed Pot Roast from Thats Tasty will come together in a flash. And even though this dish will feed a crowd, the clean-up will take just seconds. The one-pot cooking technique will take this comfort food to a whole new level, and you don’t have to roast the meat for hours. The carrots, potatoes, and seasonings added to the chuck roast will result in a juicy masterpiece, and only takes slightly over an hour.
Desserts
13. New York Cheesecake
Yes, you can make a rich, creamy cheesecake with a crispy crust in your Instant Pot, just follow the easy steps from Pressure Cooker Recipes. Pamper yourself or impress your party guests with this rich, smooth, and creamy cheesecake that has a buttery graham-cracker crust, and a filling that features cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
If you would like to add some chocolate to your cheesecake, try this recipe for Oreo cheesecake from My Baking Addiction.
14. Chocolate Lava Cake
You don’t need your oven to bake this gooey chocolate cake. This quick and easy Instant Pot dessert idea from Paint the Kitchen Red has a short list of ingredients and a short prep time. And, if you want to add a hint of coffee flavor, just add a teaspoon of instant coffee grounds to the recipe. Don’t forget the finishing topping of powdered sugar to really nail this dessert.
15. Monkey Bread
Unlike the baked version of monkey bread, the Instant Pot version won’t crystallize and harden on top from the sugars and caramel sauce. It will have a texture closer to bread pudding, but still has all of the delicious flavors. All you need for this recipe from FoodNService is Grand’s biscuits, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar. You will also need some foil and mini-loaf pans. In no time at all, when they are hot and ready, pull apart and enjoy!
