Get Cooking With These 24 Beginner-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

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Did you get an Instant Pot this year? Start with these 24 easy and delicious recipes and the pressure cooker will soon be your most used appliance.

By

Laurel Randolph

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Laurel Randolph

Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling "The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook."

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

and

Robin Shreeves

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Robin Shreeves

Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated January 10, 2023

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The Instant Pot is a popular electric pressure cooker that has won over dedicated fans with its ability to cut long cook times in half and make hands-on meals hands-off. They’re energy efficient, quiet, and won’t heat up your kitchen since almost no steam escapes during the pressure-cooking process.

If you’re just getting started with your pot, don’t skip reading the manual and take a minute to read up on this first timers guide. Perform a water test to make sure it’s working properly and to start getting comfortable with the buttons, then try one of the easy recipes below. Dried beans, stock, and rice are all great places to start since they only use the pressure setting, while the other recipes in this list are easy enough for beginners and will open your eyes to the possibilities of the Instant Pot.

Robin Shreeves joins Laurel Randolph in compiling this list.

  • Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock

    Get Cooking With These 24 Beginner-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes (4)

    One thing you should be using your Instant Pot to make time and time again is stock. You’ll get flavorful broth in half the time while using less water and you don’t have to babysit the pot. This recipe is easy to adjust and adapt based on what you have on hand and how much stock you want to make—it also freezes incredibly well.

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  • Instant Pot Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

    Steaming eggs in the pressure cooker results in easy-to-peel, perfectly cooked eggs every time. Using eggs that are a few days old and are still cold from the fridge helps ensure they peel comes off cleanly, as does a quick dip in an ice bath. Use your hard-boiled eggs to make deviled eggs, egg salad, or enjoy as a snack.

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  • Instant Pot Chicken

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    The Instant Pot is handy for poaching chicken breasts or thighs, whether you’re planning to make chicken salad, soup, or another dish. While the pressure cooker ends up taking about the same amount of time as the stovetop, it’s totally hands off and requires less water. Bonus: you’ll also have homemade chicken broth when you’re done.

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  • Instant Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon

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    Steel-cut oats have a tendency to stick and even burn on the stovetop if they are not faithfully stirred, but the whole grain breakfast cooks up nicely on its own in the Instant Pot. Apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon add sweetness and spice. For a bit of texture, top with toasted walnuts.

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    Continue to 5 of 24 below

  • Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken Taco Meat

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    The Instant Pot is a pro at simulating long braises which results in fork-tender meat. Chicken thighs are ideal for braising since they contain more fat than white meat chicken and, after cooking with spices and pineapple juice, they’re taco-ready in under an hour. In addition to tacos, try using shredded chicken on nachos and burrito bowls.

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  • Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

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    Risotto is the kind of dish that’s usually reserved for dinner parties and special occasions since it involves plenty of patient stirring over a hot pan. Until now! The Instant Pot does all of the hard work for you, freeing you up for other tasks and turning risotto into a weeknight win.

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  • Fast, No-Soak Instant Pot Beans

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    The Instant Pot is great at cooking tough items that usually require a long cook time, like dried beans. Even without soaking, you can have tender beans in about an hour that would beat their canned brethren in a taste test any day. Note that different varieties of beans require different cook times, so consult our cook time chart before beginning.

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  • Instant Pot Rice

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    While the Instant Pot is primarily known as a pressure cooker, it can stand in for a number of appliances, including a rice cooker. The gadget makes excellent rice if you follow a few guidelines: rinse the rice, add less water since almost no evaporation occurs, and use a natural release. If you end up with leftovers, freeze it for later or make fried rice.

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    Continue to 9 of 24 below

  • Instant Pot Taco Soup

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    After browning the beef and vegetables, this hearty taco soup cooks hands-off and will warm you up on a cold day from your head to your toes. Served with fun toppings like sour cream, green onions, and lime, it’s a meal in a bowl. Serve with crispy corn chips for dipping or crumbling over top.

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  • Instant Pot Ginger-Soy Tilapia

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    One big perk of pressure cooking is if you forget to thaw something overnight, you haven’t ruined dinner—you can cook thinner items from frozen, including fish fillets like tilapia. The fish is steamed above a flavorful mixture of soy, mirin, and ginger which doubles as a sauce. Serve with crisp-tender asparagus and soba noodles or rice.

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  • Instant Pot Potatoes

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    Steaming potatoes in the Instant Pot makes for effortless meal prep. The perfectly tender spuds can be used as-is for potato salad, mashed, crisped in the oven or air fryer, or tossed into a hash.

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  • Pressure Cooker Green Pork Pozole

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    A base of tomatillos, jalapeños, pepitas, garlic, onion, and cilantro are all blended together before it’s added to the Instant Pot along with pork and hominy to make this easy pozole. While the soup cooks, prep your crunchy and creamy toppings like radishes, avocado, and lime wedges.

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    Continue to 13 of 24 below

  • Pressure Cooker Moroccan Chicken

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    You can use store-bought or homemade ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) for this chicken recipe, and garlic, lemon, olives, and raisins add even more texture and flavor. Serve with couscous or rice and drizzle the cooking liquid over top.

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  • Instant Pot Whole Butternut Squash

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    If you hate peeling raw butternut squash (you’re not alone), try steaming it in the Instant Pot. Simply cut into four pieces, remove the seeds, and add to the steamer rack. After cooking, let cool for a few minutes and then simply scoop out the flesh, leaving the peel behind. Serve the squash tossed in butter and herbs or blend up in a soup.

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  • Instant Pot Refried Beans

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    From-scratch refried beans are less than an hour and a half away thanks to the Instant Pot. The beans cook from scratch in record time in the pot before being combined with sautéed onions, a little fat, and enough cooking liquid to make a creamy, savory mixture. Feel free to skip the blending step and leave them chunky if you prefer them that way.

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  • Instant Pot Beef Chili

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    This classic chili comes together quickly in the pot and it won’t heat up your kitchen as it cooks. Truly one pot, the veggies and meat sauté in the Instant Pot before the chili is pressure cooked. It’s easy to put your own stamp on it—swap the beef for shredded chicken, use fire-roasted tomatoes, or add some cumin.

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    Continue to 17 of 24 below

  • Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

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    Prefer your chili a different color? This white chicken chili hits all the notes of the stovetop version and is always a crowd-pleaser at home or potlucks.

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  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

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    If you’re running out of room on the stovetop, make this classic side dish in the Instant Pot and free up some valuable real estate. It’s an especially attractive option when prepping a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner, and the Instant Pot can do double duty by keeping the spuds warm until serving time.

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  • Instant Pot Baked Beans

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    Save 6 hours when you make your baked beans from dried beans by using the instant pot. Start with par-cooked beans, then sauté bacon and onions, then combine all the ingredients to make a side dish that's perfect with BBQ, meatloaf, or any other meaty main dishes.

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  • Instant Pot Potato Salad

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    Cook potatoes and eggs together in the pressure cooker. When they're done, peel the eggs, and then chop them up with the potatoes. Finally, combine them with a dressing full of pickles and crunchy raw vegetables. Serve it warm or chilled.

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    Continue to 21 of 24 below

  • Pressure Cooker Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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    If you need a quick dinner or party appetizer, these chicken lettuce wraps are the answer. Sauté chicken and seasonings in a simple sauce and use it as a filling for lettuce wraps topped with green onions, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Easy AND healthy.

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  • Instant Pot Chicken Soup

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    A giant pot of comfort in a fraction of the time it takes to make it on the stovetop. This recipe uses a whole chicken, but you can use any bone-in chicken parts you want (the bones add tons of flavor to the stock). Bulk it up by serving with cooked rice or noodles.

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  • Instant Pot Beef Brisket

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    Braising a big hunk of meat under pressure is genius. It takes the classic hands-off Jewish beef brisket and makes it even more hands-off. It cooks with aromatic vegetables that you blend into a savory gravy.

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  • Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

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    This recipe introduces you to the technique of adding vegetables to the pot midway through the process of cooking the meat, which keeps them from getting mushy. As the cooked brisket rests, you cook the veggies in the flavorful broth.

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Get Cooking With These 24 Beginner-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best first thing to cook in an Instant Pot? ›

When it comes to breaking your Instant Pot in, it's a good idea to start with some basic foods and simple meals you're already familiar with, then slowly expand your Instant Pot repertoire from there. Try making staples like eggs, sweet potatoes, rice, or lentils using just the pressure cooker function.

What foods should not be cooked in an 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 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.

Does the Instant Pot come with a recipe book? ›

Instant Pot comes with an owner manual and recipe book.

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.

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.

What should you never put in a pressure cooker? ›

Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy products to curdle or separate, ruining the texture, taste and flavour of the dish. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers.

What is the best meat to cook in a pressure cooker? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

Which Instant Pot for beginners? ›

Beginner-Friendly: Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1

The Duo Nova is best for: anyone who's extra cautious about cooking with pressure (or kitchen safety in general).

Is Instant Pot better than crock pot? ›

An Instant Pot does have more functionality (like sautéing, pressure cooking, slow cooking, and acts as a rice cooker, steamer, and warmer!) than a slow cooker, but if you don't plan to use all of its extra functions and just prefer the simplicity of a slow-cooker, then you might prefer a Crock-Pot.

Are instant pots worth it? ›

Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.

Can I use Pyrex bowl in Instant Pot? ›

Your Instant Pot. A trivet. A sling (you'll need aluminum foil) An oven safe dish (like Pyrex or a Springform pan)

Is Instant Pot owned by Pyrex? ›

Under different ownership after last year's bankruptcy, the popular multicooker is no longer part of the appliance conglomerate that owns Pyrex and Corelle.

What is the difference between an air fryer and an Instant Pot? ›

Although both can take the fuss out of cooking some meals, these two appliances have many differences. Air fryers help crisp up food that you may otherwise cook in a deep fryer, while Instant Pots cook meals that need a liquid element like stews, soups and rice.

What liquid to add to Instant Pot? ›

First, you must add liquid to the Instant Pot before cooking. Without sufficient liquid, pressure won't build — and you'll likely get the dreaded “burn” error. Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, you'll need just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure.

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