Favorite Instant Pot recipes
Friends, do you have an Instant Pot in your kitchen? My parents-in-law kindly gifted us one last Christmas… and it took me until this summer to open the box. It just seemed intimidating – like another thing to learn that I didn’t really seem to be missing in my life. Plus, I didn’t know any Instant Pot recipes (and didn’t really need to add anything more to the 100+ “recipes to try” on my Pinterest board).
It might have taken going into lockdown, but I eventually did open the box. Even then, my and the Instant Pot’s relationship was a slow burn. There’s a learning curve to the mechanics, and it was frustrating to me when a recipe with a 5-minute cooking time actually took 20 minutes due to the pressurizing and venting.
A few months in, I’ve mastered the mechanics and have a small collection of Instant Pot recipes that we love. I’ve still got a lot to learn – I’m not really comfortable translating a slow cooker recipe to the IP freehand, preferring to lean on IP-specific recipes – and when I use the Instant Pot as a slow cooker, I miss the way the delicious smell of whatever’s cooking wafts throughout the house.
It seems like it’s here to stay, though, so let’s talk Instant Pot recipes! These are a few I’d recommend – and I’d love to hear yours!
Photo from Our Savory Life
Cacio e Pepe with Crispy Garlic Basil Chickpeas | This was the very first IP recipe I ever made! Kind of like grown-up mac and cheese.
Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing | I don’t generally like arugula, but this is yummy – we serve it with pork tenderloin on the grill! You cook the wild rice in the IP, which makes this come together really quickly.
White Chicken Chili | I use only half the cream cheese in this one :)
Chicken Burrito Bowls | The texture was a little bit glue-y, so might try to adjust a few things next time.
Creamy, Lemony Chicken and Potato Soup | This one is my favorite of the bunch – SO yummy! A favorite new recipe for sure.
Friends, I’d love to hear: do you have an Instant Pot? What favorite recipes can you share with me (and everyone else) in the comments? :)
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If you haven’t tried hard boiled eggs in your IP, you are missing out! It’s silly, but I hardly ever made them stove top because it seemed difficult to time and they were always over or under done. As an added bonus, IP hard boiled eggs peel so easy! Even my little kids can do it! The “Recipe”: add about 1 cup water to the pot and set the eggs on the wire rack (I usually do 6-8 so I’ve never tried stacking). Set for 5 minutes and allow for 5 minute natural release before you lift the rack out and into ice water. If you let it release longer than 5 minutes (not that I’ve ever done that ;) ) you are just more likely to get the gray ring around your yoke, no biggie.
Also, corn on the cobb! Add about a cup of water, the wire rack and shucked corn (I stack log cabin style and can get at least 6, depending on length and thickness), set for 2 minutes and then you can release immediately or wait a few minutes. As a bonus, you keep all the nutrients you lose by boiling. Just make sure you keep the lid on if you are not eating right away as it will dry out quicker.
I am a very systematic cook and rarely cook without a recipe, but whipping these two “recipes” above without looking anything up makes me feel proficient in the kitchen! Ha!
I love it, Kristin! I’ve yet to use the wire rack, so you’re giving me some good inspiration :)
You can do it! Good Luck!
Definitely adding that lemon chicken and potato soup to my list! I have also been intimidated by my Instant Pot and so I am still very much a beginner but so far my favorite IP recipe has been risotto! I love risotto, but don’t always make it (especially as a side dish) because it is labor intensive with all the stirring. This recipe means it comes together really quickly AND I think it’s better than most stovetop risottos I’ve made! I serve with a protein and salad. It’s fantastic! https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a24280714/instant-pot-risotto/
Ooh, I love risotto! Will definitely have to check out that recipe!
I also love risotto! I have a wonderful recipe involving fresh summer corn and tomatoes, but between cooking with kids and a rice-adverse husband, I haven’t made it in many years. I will look up your recipe and include it in my lunch prep for next week! Can’t wait!
I made this chicken tinga https://pinchofyum.com/the-best-chicken-tinga-tacos the other day and it worked like a charm! The recipe isn’t an IP recipe but the blogger gives instructions on how to do it in the IP. So so easy!
And this chicken tortilla soup is a family favorite that my mom always makes — we double the chicken and do the tortilla chips in the oven instead, but you could always just serve with store-bought chips! https://www.acozykitchen.com/instant-pot-chicken-tortilla-soup.
Hey Ana! I’ve made that tinga recipe the original way – I’ll have to try the IP version next time!
We don’t use our Instant Pot much for meals, but use it almost exclusively to make homemade yogurt. My kids love yogurt so we make a gallon at a time (I know, so much!) and they eat it every day for breakfast with fruit and granola, or to throw in for smoothies or in place of sour cream. It has saved us so much money. I can’t remember which recipe we used originally, but we’ve tweaked it to perfect the best greek yogurt. The process is a little tricky when you first start, but we are in the rhythm now to make it every few weeks. :) We also use the IP to make rice and hard-boiled eggs… I’ll have to check out those other recipes!
LOVE that lemon chicken soup! I’m actually making it tonight :) If you don’t have the Half-Baked Harvest Super Simple cookbook yet, I highly recommend it specifically for the Instant Pot recipes! The chicken tortilla soup and gumbo recipes in particular are phenomenal.
I think my top use for the Instant Pot, though, is to make shredded chicken (for enchiladas, barbecue chicken sandwiches, etc.). It has saved the day so many times when I didn’t pull meat out to defrost early enough!
Have heard SO many good things about the HBH cookbook! Stephanie Shaul raves, too :)
I added the creamy, lemony chicken and potato soup to my list of recipes to try, thank you! These were really good, https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-hawaiian-chicken-tacos
Ok so if this post was on someone else’s blog would you be persuaded to purchase an instant pot? That’s the million dollar q! I’ve been on the fence about one but mainly because it seems like it would make mealtime a longer process for us (which is already long some nights) and like you mentioned, I like the smell of dinner cooking whether that be from an oven, stovetop, or crockpot. Inquiring minds!
I would not, haha! I don’t necessarily think it would make dinner a longer process – maybe at first as you get the hang of it – and sometimes it does make it shorter or more hands-off. But if you have a crockpot, you’re not getting THAT much more utility out of it!
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