38 Beginner Instant Pot Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners

These Instant Pot recipes are about to save you from hunger and hefty takeout bills on busy nights. If you own an Instant Pot, you know just how valuable the modern pressure cooker is. It saves you time, money, and tons of effort when preparing everyday dishes. The device can be a bit daunting, though, when figuring out what recipes to make and how to make them. That’s where the following beginner Instant Pot recipes come in.

1. Pressure-Cooker Ramekin Eggs: Your favorite veg, eggs, and cream go into individual ramekins, get pressure-cooked, and come out ever-so slightly soft so you can spread the whole thing over toast. (via Brit + Co)

2. Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup: This beginner-friendly soup is nutritious thanks to eight different vegetables. It receives richness from sweet Italian sausage and lots of cannellini beans. Plus, it’s blissfully Tuscan thanks to juicy San Marzano tomatoes, lemon, and fresh parsley. (via Brit + Co)

3. Instant Pot Steamed Cod With Ginger Scallion Sauce: From a frozen state, fish only takes 5 minutes to pressure-cook. From there, it’s just about adding the sauce and serving with rice. (via Brit + Co)

4. Fluffy Instant Pot Quinoa: The keys to fluffy, flavorful quinoa: rinse off the pseudo-grain’s bitter coating with water, sauté it in the Instant Pot until toasted, and cook it with broth on the gadget’s rice setting. (via Brit + Co)

5. Instant Pot Carnitas: Pressure-cooker carnitas mean you can decide you want tacos at 6pm and sit down with a plate of porky goodness by 6:35pm. This flexible recipe has a flavorful base of pork shoulder, aromatic veggies, adobo sauce, and beer, but you can also get creative by adding your own combination of herbs and seasonings. (via Brit + Co)

6. Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich: Our version of Pinterest’s most-pinned Instant-Pot recipe cooks tender chuck roast in nutty ghee, which we serve on buttered pretzel rolls with mild cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and leftover juices for dipping. (via Brit + Co)

7. Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs: Why make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot? Because of the change in pressure, they’re a lot easier to peel than their traditionally boiled counterparts, so you can spend more time eating your eggs and less time wrangling with tough shells. From there, chop them up into an egg salad over toast for a simple dinner. (via Brit + Co)

8. Baked Potato Soup: Gussy up this Instant Pot potato soup with all your fave fixings. (via Brit + Co)

9. Instant Pot Salmon Dinner: Salmon, sweet potatoes, and broccoli can be steamed up all together in three minutes via the wonders of the Instant Pot. (via Brit + Co)

10. Instant Pot Paleo Orange Chicken: The classic American-Chinese staple is made even quicker when seared and pressure-cooked in the IP. (via Brit + Co)

11. Instant Pot Vegetarian Frittata: Frittata may be brunch fare, but it also makes an easy fridge clean-out dinner. (via Brit + Co)

12. Basic Pressure-Cooker Chicken Breasts: All you need is water, salt, and pepper to make this 10-minute chicken breast, which is easy to shred for salads, soups, and more. For extra moisture and flavor, we suggest brining the chicken in salt water overnight and sprinkling in a touch of brown sugar and peppercorns. (via Brit + Co)

13. Pressure-Cooked Vegetarian Chili: This fool-proof recipes relies on quinoa to naturally thicken the chili. (via Brit + Co)

14. Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta: You can whip up this creamy chicken pasta in less time than it takes to go out for an Italian dinner. (via Brit + Co)

15. Instant Pot Beef Stew: Chances are after you make this stew for the first time, you’ll go back again and again. (via Brit + Co)

16. Instant Pot Butter Chicken: Spicy butter chicken makes for a romantic weeknight at-home date night. Serve with plenty of naan and basmati rice for scooping up that addictive sauce. (via Brit + Co)

17. Instant Pot Pork Sliders: With a pressure cooker, you can create *actually* tender pork that’ll have your friends thinking you lead a double life as a pit master. (via Brit + Co)

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18. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Ramen Soup: Authentic-tasting ramen can be hard to come by. The secret to making it yourself is homemade chicken broth, which the Instant Pot makes possible in under an hour. (via Steamy Kitchen)

19. Instant Pot Chicken Adobo: You’ll never think of chicken as boring once you’ve tasted this Filipino adobo, which is redolent with garlic, vinegar, and pepper. (via Savory Tooth)

20. Instant Pot Veggies: Dinner gets boring really quickly when you’re serving the same side dishes day after day. With just four ingredients and less than five minutes, you could have these veggies on the table, ready to accompany any main dish. (via 365 Days of Slow Cooking)

21. Instant Pot Salmon With Chili-Lime Sauce: Eating healthy is a cinch with a pressure cooker. There are no time excuses, and you have the advantage of using minimal to zero oil when cooking your protein, like this chili-lime salmon. (via Savory Tooth)

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22. Instant Pot Thai Chicken Rice Bowl: Put that sauté function on your Instant Pot to good use with this Thai-inspired rice bowl. Counteract the soft cooked texture with crunchy peanuts and raw carrots to serve. (via Wondermom Wannabe)

23. Pressure Cooker Bang Bang Pasta: If this Thai-American dish is a household favorite for delivery nights, then this recipe will be invaluable. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)

24. Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon: Your beef chuck roast will never come out tough or dry when you make it in the Instant Pot. (via Savory Tooth)

25. Instant Pot Thai Chicken Noodles: You don’t have to look much further for your perfect meal. These restaurant-worthy Thai noodles are everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and they’ll be ready in just 15 minutes. (via 365 Days of Slow Cooking)

26. Instant Pot Easy Mac and Cheese: Say goodbye to powdery boxed macaroni and cheese and take the guesswork out of making it at home with this simple Instant Pot version. (via 365 Days of Slow Cooking)

27. Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts: Thankfully, side dishes like these bacon-y Brussels sprouts aren’t immune to the power of the Instant Pot. (via Savory Tooth)

28. Instant Pot Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo: This time- and money-saving chicken Alfredo uses only the Instant Pot so dirty dishes can be kept to a minimum. (via No. 2 Pencil)

29. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili: Now that you have an Instant Pot, you’ll finally be able to make chili with the press of a button. The best part? It takes only 10 minutes. (via Wondermom Wannabe)

30. Restaurant-Style Chicken Tortellini: Keep your homemade Italian seasoning on hand, and you can make this authentic dish whenever your heart desires. Serve the finished chicken on tortellini with a creamy sauce, diced tomatoes, and basil. (via 365 Days of Slow Cooking)

31. Instant Pot Carnitas: Use the slow-cooker setting on your Instant Pot for succulent, beer-braised pork shoulder. Doesn’t it look dang good in the center of that burrito bowl? (via The Roasted Root)

32. Instant Pot Whole Chicken: A healthy dose of dried herbs and garlic powder help brighten up this chicken dish. It takes just 40 minutes to get it from the Instant Pot to your table. (via Savory Tooth)

33. Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce: In less than 15 minutes, sauté and pressure-cook your way to luscious tomato sauce. (via 365 Days of Slow Cooking)

34. Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage: Sorry, Grandma, but this stuffed cabbage is just as good as yours and way easier. (via Girl and the Kitchen)

35. Instant Pot Lo Mein: The Instant Pot is basically a takeout food-lover’s best friend. Enjoy cooking everything from perfectly tender noodles to veggies. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)

36. Instant Pot Sesame Chicken: Takeout may seem like the better dinner choice when you’re short on time, but cooking at home can be *much* faster. With your Instant Pot, you can have sweet and spicy honey sesame chicken on the table with the press of a button. (via Julie Harrington)

37. Instant Pot Pork Lettuce Wraps: When all else fails, lettuce wraps are a great last-minute dinner that you can use to clean out your fridge. These happen to be full of nutrients and get a surprise texture from wheat berries. (via Sidewalk Shoes)

38. Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup: At once light and hearty, chicken tortilla soup is the meal you’ll crave when you want some comfort food that won’t make you need a nap afterward. (via The Seasoned Mom)

RELATED: Easy Pressure-Cooker Recipes Even a Beginner Can Make

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Additional reporting by Paige Johnson and Anna Monette Roberts