19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (2024)

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19 easy instant pot recipes for beginners using all real food ingredients. Now you have no more excuse – go forth and become an instant pot expert! I believe in you!

19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (1)

It’s the last week of Instant Pot July, and it’s been an awesome month of talking shop about our favourite new tool: the magical Instant Pot. In the months leading up to this, I really fell hard for my IP, and now declare it to be my most valuable small appliance in my kitchen. It’s just so darn convenient!

Since I get asked so frequently, here are the models thatI recommend:

The one I have: Instant Pot Duo80 7-in-1 8qt for families of four or more, especially if you like to batch cook, or even just cook once and eat leftovers for a few days. (My sanity is 100% reliant on tactics such as this.)

The smaller, 6qt version if you have 3 or less people in the household, or if you hate leftovers: Instant Pot Duo60 7-in-1 6qt.

But friends – I’ve had my Instant Pot for seven months now. If there’s one thing I’ve heard over and over again from others in regards to their IP, it’s the fear of getting started! If you’re a newbie who’s hesitant about taking the plunge, welcome to your official hand-holding as you finally dive in.

The Instant Pot can seem intimidating, to be sure. It’s big and scary, and unless you’re already used to a stovetop pressure cooker, using it will mean learning a brand new cooking technique. I know how overwhelming that can feel.

Which is why it’s a darn good thing it’s pretty much idiot-proof.

And I say that with as much love as possible. If *I* could figure it out, anyone can! (Says the creative-minded writer with ZERO natural ability in the concrete/hands-on/kinesthetic/technology world. And yes, a kitchen appliance with buttons counts as technology, ha!)

Whetheryou just got an Instant Pot recently, or you’ve had it sitting there for months staring at you intimidatingly, or even if you’re already on your way to IP expert status, here is a compilation of some of the best basic recipes that are super easy to make in your shiny Instant Pot BFF. (Or soon-to-be BFF, anyway.)

First, a few words of advice fromothers. Go read these articles, and then come back and pick a recipe from the list that sounds good to you.

THEN MAKE IT. Today. Like, now.

I know you can do it – I believe in you. *Insert motivational cat poster, sappy believe-in-yourself pop ballads, and my best cheerleader impression.* (And apologies for that last one. It was obviously unhelpful, and I should have predicted that.)

Best Tips & Tricks Articles:

4 Things I Learned About My Instant Pot in the First 6 Months | Red & Honey

So Your Instant Pot is Still in the Box… How to Get Over the Hump and Finally Cook Something| Traditional Cooking School

Instant Pot Tips and Tricks 101 | Once a Month Meals

10 Basic Instant Pot Techniques | Kitchen Stewardship

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash | Attainable Sustainable

Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice | Kitchen Stewardship

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili | The Humbled Homemaker

Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken| Red & Honey (right here!)

Instant Pot Lemon Pudding Cups | Traditional Cooking School

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup | Dr. Karen S. Lee

Instant Pot Apple-Cranberry Steel Cut Oats | Kitchen Stewardship

Instant Pot Rice Pudding | Traditional Cooking School

Instant Pot Bone Broth Tutorial | Phoenix Helix

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes | Make Real Food

Instant Pot Best Ever Chili| Red & Honey (right here!)

Instant Pot Italian Lentil Dinner | Kitchen Stewardship

19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (2)

Instant Pot Potato Salad with Magical Bacon Superpowers| Red & Honey (right here!)

Instant Pot Mac n’ Cheese | Kitchen Stewardship

Instant Pot Applesauce | Don’t Mess With Mama

How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot | Red & Honey (right here!)

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs | The Prairie Homestead

How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot | Kitchen Stewardship

Instant Pot Herb Chicken Lunchmeat| Red & Honey (right here!)

Umami Instant Pot Pot Roast | Pressure Cook Recipes

Instant Pot Yogurt | Kitchen Stewardship

There you have it! 19 super easy Instant Pot recipes for beginners that you can easily add to your repertoire to start feeling like an IP rockstar. After this, you’ll be well on your way to Instant Pot expert.

Now – go forth and fall in love with your Instant Pot. It’ll love you right back and you’ll both live happily ever after.

Related: Quick Healthy Meals Ultimate Guide (101 Tips, Recipes, and Strategies)

Happy cooking!

19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (3)

19 Easy (Real Food) Instant Pot Recipes for Hesitant Beginners (2024)

FAQs

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 do you cook for the first time in an Instant Pot? ›

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.

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.

What is the most easiest to cook? ›

17 Of The Easiest Recipes Of All Time (Seriously)
  • Smoked Gouda and Mushroom Quesadillas. ...
  • Sheet Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage. ...
  • Scrambled Egg Tacos. ...
  • 15-Minute Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. ...
  • One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Artichokes. ...
  • Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Soup. ...
  • Sticky Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp.
Jan 2, 2019

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 disadvantage of Instant Pot? ›

Con– If you don't pay attention to setting the vent properly you will have to extend your cooking time. I can't tell you how many time I forgot to seal the pot and the steam was escaping rather than building up inside and cooking my food. Pro– Like I said earlier, you are not limited to soups and stews.

What is the 5 5 5 method for Instant Pot? ›

The 5-5-5 method involves the following: 5-minute cook time. 5-minute natural pressure release. 5-minute ice bath.

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).

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.

Can you 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.

Can you put frozen chicken in an Instant Pot? ›

Place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot inner pot. If you are cooking more than one, make sure they are separated to achieve even cooking throughout. To separate frozen chicken breasts, place them in cool water until they have thawed enough to pull apart. Add one cup of chicken broth to the pot.

What is the difference between an Instant Pot and a pressure cooker? ›

An instant pot and a pressure cooker are both cookers that use pressure to cook food. They are similar because they have a sealed jar with a valve that releases the tension. The main difference is that an instant pot has an added feature that allows it to be used as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer.

What is the most basic meal to cook? ›

Here's what they had to say about practicing essential techniques and base recipes.
  • 01 of 10. Cream-Based Soup. Victor Protasio. ...
  • 02 of 10. Roast Chicken. Julia Hartbeck. ...
  • 03 of 10. Pizza. ...
  • 04 of 10. Pasta Carbonara. ...
  • 05 of 10. Whole Roasted Fish. ...
  • 06 of 10. Risotto. ...
  • 07 of 10. Garden Salad. ...
  • 08 of 10. BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich.
Feb 1, 2024

Why shouldn't potatoes be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

Why don t chefs use Instant Pot? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

What cannot be pressure-cooked? ›

But just because this versatile gadget can technically do it all, that doesn't mean it should. In fact, there are a handful of foods that just shouldn't be pressure-cooked. Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks.

References

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