Whether you just purchased an Instant Pot or you’ve been using one for a while, you’ll love this collection of over 25 Easy Instant Pot Recipes! You’ll find recipes for Instant pot pulled pork, white chicken chili, mushroom risotto and more! If you’re wondering if an Instant Pot is worth having, this post also covers pros and cons and frequently asked questions to help you learn more about this amazing appliance!

25+ Easy Instant Pot recipes long collage pin

I’ll never forget the pressure cooker that my mom had when I was growing up. It made me afraid to use one until I got to cooking school, which is where I fell in love with pressure cooking.

The pressure cooker that I owned back then was difficult to clean, however, which took the fun out of using it for me.

When the Instant Pot came on the market, I was completely intrigued. It took a while for me to purchase one because I already owned a pressure cooker, but once I finally did there was no going back.

It is so user friendly and so easy to clean that it instantly became one of the best purchases I’ve made.

It does everything my old pressure cooker did so much better, and it does a whole lot more including cooking rice, slow cooking, making yogurt, etc.

There is nothing this wonderful appliance can’t do, and this collection of over 25 Easy Instant Pot Recipes will prove that.

If you don’t own an Instant Pot and are wondering if it is right for you, be sure to check out the the Instant Pot pros and cons, as well as frequently asked questions below.

Instant pot black beans in a bowl with instant pot in the background

Instant Pot pros

There are so many pros to owning an Instant Pot — it’s truly one of the best appliances I’ve purchased.

  1. It cooks food in a fraction of the time. Recipes like pulled pork and beef stew cook up in about an hour as opposed to 3 hours or more.
  2. Hands-off cooking. Unlike cooking on the stove top or the oven, there’s no need to keep an eye on the Instant Pot. Just set the timer and walk away.
  3. Flavor, flavor, flavor. The steam is sealed inside the Instant Pot, which means that the flavor of your food will be intensified.
  4. It is a multi cooker. It browns and sautés food, it steams eggs and fish, it cooks rice, makes yogurt and of course it’s a slow cooker as well.
  5. It’s extremely safe to use. Many people that I talk to are a bit anxious about using a pressure cooker. That said, the Instant Pot is the easiest and safest pressure cooker I’ve ever used. It has built-in safety features, so if you follow the instructions carefully you should not have any issues.
  6. Easy clean up. The Instant Pot is extremely easy to clean, and is also dishwasher safe. This includes the stainless steel inner pot, lid, sealing ring and steamer basket.
  7. It cooks food without heating up the house. There’s nothing worse than cooking over a hot stove top or turning on the oven on a hot day. The goods news is that the Instant Pot makes it possible to cook and keep your house cool!
  8. It cooks food from frozen. You can easily cook recipes like shredded chicken using frozen chicken breast. Note: the cooking time will be longer and the frozen chicken breasts must not be stuck together.
  9. You use less water or liquid. My Instant Pot mashed potatoes are the perfect example as all you need is a cup of water as opposed to filling an entire pot.

Instant Pot cons

There are many advantages to owning an Instant Pot, and only two disadvantages as far as I’m concerned.

  1. Additional cooking time. The biggest disadvantage is that when you’re cooking something in the Instant Pot that cooks fairly quickly, such as this Instant Pot chicken and rice, you have to account for 10-15 minutes extra for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and 10 more minutes to naturally release the pressure. This turns a 25 minute cook time into a 45-50 minute cook time. However, if you’re cooking something that normally takes hours, you are still saving time!
  2. Storage space. The only other disadvantage to owning an Instant Pot is that it takes up storage space. If storage is tight, you may feel that it isn’t worth having one more appliance. However, if you own a slow cooker, you could definitely consider replacing it with an Instant Pot because it does have a slow cooker feature.
Instant pot beef bourguignon in the Instant Pot

FAQs

What is an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot is an electric multi-cooker that nearly does it all. It is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker and more.

What exactly does an Instant Pot do?

The Instant Pot does it all. There’s no longer a need to have a separate slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, etc. as the Instant Pot covers all of these bases.

This device is even better than a slow cooker as it provides a way to brown food using the Sauté mode before slow cooking instead of doing it in a separate pot on the stove top. This was a huge selling point for me!

Is an Instant Pot worth having?

It’s extremely convenient, and it cooks meals like black beans or short ribs in a fraction of the time compared to the stove top or slow cooker. One of the best parts about it is that it provides a hands-off way to cook. Simply set the timer and walk away!

Which model of Instant Pot should I get?

I recommend purchasing the Instant Pot Rio 6-quart (which replaces the Instant Pot Duo). It’s large enough without being too large. It has all of the functions you need (maybe more than you need), without being overly complicated.

25+ Best Instant Pot Recipes

This collection of best Instant Pot Recipes are nice and easy, and perfect for beginners and those with lots of practice using this great appliance as well. It includes everything from black beans and brown rice in the Instant Pot to beef stew and mushroom risotto!

Instant pot brown rice in a white bowl

Instant Pot Brown Rice

Instant Pot Brown Rice is the hands off way to cook perfectly tender, fluffy brown rice every single time! It's the perfect side dish and it's great for meal prep!
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Bowl of beef bourguignon with spoon digging in

Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

This Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew that cooks up in a fraction of the time in the pressure cooker! It's a hearty, satisfying gluten-free dinner that the entire family will love!
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Instant pot black beans in a bowl with a spoon

Instant Pot Black Beans (No Soaking)

Instant Pot Black Beans are tender, creamy and the quickest way to make homemade black beans! Recipe includes 2 variations!
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Instant pot chicken wings piled on a plate with ranch dip

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Instant Pot Chicken Wings are amazingly tender in just 8 minutes! They're smothered in a sweet, spicy honey buffalo sauce for the perfect game day recipe!
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Chicken and rice in the instant pot with wooden spoon digging in

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice a family-friendly one pot dinner that takes just minutes to prep. It's dairy and gluten-free, and it's ready in about 1 hour!
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Homemade vegetable broth in a jar surrounded by veggies

Homemade Vegetable Stock

Homemade Vegetable Stock is so fresh tasting and easy to make that you'll never buy it again! It's a great way to utilize those veggie scraps, it's freezer friendly, and recipe includes cooking methods for the stove top, slow cooker and Instant Pot!
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Fork shredding spaghetti squash

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash (Instant Pot, Oven & Microwave)

Learn how to Cook Spaghetti Squash easily in the Instant Pot, microwave, or bake it in the oven! It's a cost effective gluten-free, lower carb alternative to pasta and it's great for meal prep!
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Guinness beef stew in a bowl

Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew

Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew includes tender chunks of beef, chunky vegetables and a rich, flavorful sauce spiked with Guinness stout! It cooks up in about 1 hour and it makes a great meal prep dinner!
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Mashed sweet potatoes in a serving bowl

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot, Stove Top)

These Mashed Sweet Potatoes are creamy and delicious with the flavors of orange and rosemary. They're an easy side dish that's perfect for any occasion! Recipe includes both Instant Pot and stove top instructions.
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Instant pot risotto with mushrooms on a plate

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

Instant Pot Risotto is creamy and delicious with mushrooms, fresh lemon and plenty of parmesan! It's perfect every time with no stirring involved and it's on the table in 30 minutes!
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Homemade pumpkin puree in a bowl

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Learn How to Make Pumpkin Purée with my easy tips! It's velvety smooth with a delicious fresh flavor, and it is freezer-friendly!
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Bowl of garlic mashed potatoes topped with chives

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are creamy, fluffy and cook up in 8 minutes! They free up stove top space and can be made in advance!
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Polenta in Instant Pot

Instant Pot Polenta

Instant Pot Polenta is soft, creamy and perfect every time! It's an easy gluten-free side dish that can be easily customized with your favorite cheese, butter or herbs!
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Instant Pot Pork Chops

Instant Pot pork chops are always tender and juicy. We love serving this easy pork chops recipe with a side of mashed potatoes or egg noodles!
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Easy Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin – A Mouthwatering Dinner Idea!

This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin is loaded with flavor! Rosemary, garlic, maple syrup, and more add to a delicious dinner, complete with gravy!
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Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast

EASY instant pot pot roast and potatoes recipe with gravy makes the perfect family-friendly dinner. This juice and tender pot roast will be your favorite!
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Instant pot pulled pork in a white bowl

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Instant Pot Pulled Pork is the full proof way to achieve tender, flavorful pulled pork in about one hour! It's so easy to make and it's great for meal prep!
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Pumpkin risotto in a bowl with fork digging in.

Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin Risotto is creamy and comforting with sweet roasted pumpkin, fresh thyme and smoky bacon. Use canned pumpkin puree as a timesaver and make it vegetarian with one simple swap!
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bowl of instant pot ratatouille with spoon in the bowl and bread alongside

Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille

Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille is a classic french vegetable stew made with the pressure cooker in under 30 minutes!
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Instant Pot ribs with bbq sauce and scallions

Instant Pot Ribs

Instant Pot Ribs are the foolproof way to make delicious, tender pork ribs every time! Recipe includes cooking times for both baby back ribs and spare ribs!
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Instant Pot shredded chicken in a white dish with parsley

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is perfectly tender, flavorful and is ready in mere minutes! It's perfect for chicken salad, tacos, enchiladas and pasta, or freeze for up to 3 months!
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Instant Pot braised short ribs over mashed potatoes

Instant Pot Short Ribs

Instant Pot Short Ribs are braised in red wine until tender and flavorful and they cook up in about 1 hour! They're dairy and gluten-free and are worthy of any special occasion!
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Instant pot sweet potato chickpea curry in a bowl with lime and cilantro

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry is packed with veggies, hearty chickpeas and a creamy, flavorful coconut red curry sauce. It's a quick and easy vegan dinner that's great for meal prep!
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Instant pot vegetable soup in a bowl with parsley and pepper.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is healthy, flavorful and so easy to make! It's gluten-free, vegan and great for meal prep!
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Bowl of instant pot white chicken chili with spoon digging in

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is packed with tender shredded chicken, creamy white beans and loads of flavor. It's a hearty, delicious one pot meal that's ready in about 40 minutes!
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