When it comes to small kitchen appliances, nothing beats an instant pot. While people like their slow cookers and are fond of their blenders, those with instant pots love them! The instant pot revolutionized cooking as there are so many recipes for preparing delicious meals. It’s a time-saving appliance that makes eating healthy & delicious foods possible, even when you’re short on time.
Instant pots are trendy because they cook food fast. This type of counter-top cooker uses pressurized steam heat to cook food quickly, without drying it out. You can make pretty much make everything you could in your slow cooker, like roasts, stews, and pulled pork, but in a fraction of the time.
Cooking pot enthusiasts use instant pots to make all types of foods, including boiled eggs, cooked meats, and even cheesecake. If you’ve recently gotten an instant pot or are thinking of doing so, we’ve got some easy and delicious instant pot recipes to share with you. Bon Appetit!
1. Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is something everyone loves, and it’s “comfort food” at its best. This soup is a cinch to throw together, and it’s delicious. The best part is that everyone will think you slaved over the stove all day!
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt & ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups egg noodles
Directions:
Put the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, salt & pepper, and garlic powder in an instant pot and combine. Then pour the broth into the pot and stir. Close the lid and lock it. Put the instant pot on the ‘high’ pressure setting. Allow the pressure to build up for ten to fifteen minutes.
Release pressure with care using the quick-release method for about five minutes. Unlock the lid and remove it. Select the ‘Saute’ function. Then add the noodles and simmer until tender, about five or so minutes.
2. Chicken Hot Wings
This wings recipe is easy to make, and it’s perfect for Monday Night Football. Everybody loves wings, and most people can’t get enough of them. That’s why you should whip up a few batches to make sure the whole gang gets their fill!
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds of chicken wings
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoned salt (or your favorite seasoned salt)
- ½ cup of water
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- ½ cup hot sauce
- Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
Put the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle them with seasoned salt and toss, then place the trivet in the instant pot and put the wings on the trivet. Pour the water into the pot, then secure and lock the lid. Put the pot on the ‘Sealing’ function and set the pot on ‘High.’ Set the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
While the wings are pressure cooking for 5 minutes, put aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Then place a baking rack on top of the sheet. Spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray. Set your oven to the broiler setting, so it’s ready for the wings.
Once the wings are done cooking, release the pressure for 10 minutes, then turn the knob to ‘Venting” to release more steam. Take the lid off. Now it’s time to remove the wings and put them in a bowl. Pour half the hot sauce over them and mix, so they’re all coated.
Place the wings on the prepared oven rack & put them in the oven under the broiler. Broil them on both sides until crispy. Remove the wings from the oven and put them in a bowl. Toss with remaining hot sauce and serve.
3. Marinated Beef Roast
This delicious beef roast is a crowd-pleaser. It’s a perfect Sunday dinner or a nice mid-week meal to surprise the family. Just be sure you have the time to marinate the beef for a few hours in the fridge before cooking.
Ingredients:
- 3 ½ pounds eye of round beef roast
- 1 bottle dark beer (12 ounces)
- ½ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt & 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock
Directions:
Pat dry the beef and put it in a sealable plastic bag. In a bowl, combine the beer, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Pour the marinade mixture over the beef and close the bag. Put the beef in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
When you’re ready to cook the beef, remove it from the bag and pat it dry. Set your instant pot to ‘Saute’ and add the vegetable oil. When the oil heats up, add the beef and brown it slightly on all sides. Then take the beef out and set it aside on a plate.
Put the trivet in the instant pot and add the beef stock. Put the beef back in the pot on the trivet and lock the lid in place. Set the pot on ‘Sealing,’ then set the cook button on ‘Low’ pressure. Now set the timer to 4 minutes. When the beef is done cooking after 4 minutes, leave the lid on for 35 minutes. Your instant pot will automatically switch to the ‘keep warm’ setting when you do this.
Take the lid off after 35 minutes and remove the beef roast from the pot. Let it settle for about 10 minutes. Then carve the meat and serve.
4. Macaroni and Cheese
If you’ve got a macaroni-loving family, they’ll flip for this delicious instant pot mac and cheese dish. This recipe only uses a few ingredients that you probably have on hand already. It cooks up fast and easy in about twenty minutes. It’ll be at the dinner table in no time flat, which is always nice when you’re busy.
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups of water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)
- ½ cup half-and-half
Directions:
Put the butter in the instant pot and turn it to “Saute’. When the butter melts, turn off the pot. Then add the water, pasta, and salt. Seal and close the lid. Set the pot to “Seal’ and cook on “high’ for 6 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure.
When the cooking time is done, do a quick release of the pressure. Then turn the pot off. Open it and add the cheese and half-and-half and stir. Put the lid back on and let the pot sit for about 3 minutes. This will melt the cheese and thicken the sauce. Take to lid off and serve the mac and cheese immediately.
5. Applesauce
You don’t have to stand over a hot stove and stir like crazy to make great applesauce. Your instant pot can whip up a batch in no time flat. This stuff is so good you’re going to want to eat it all up at once. You’ll also want to put in on everything from latkes to ice cream. It’s divinely good!
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (Granny Smith is a great sort to use)
- ¾ cups of water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Put all the ingredients in your instant pot and stir to mix. Secure the lid and pressure cook on ‘High’ for 5 minutes. Release the lid slowly and let the pot be for about 10 minutes. Then do a quick release to let out the rest of the steam. Take the lid off and serve. It’s that easy!
6. Pot Meaty Pizza Dip
This pizza dip with lots of meat is great for dipping with your favorite Italian or French baguettes chunks. It’s cheesy-goodness at it’s best! This appetizer is sure to be the hit of your next get-together. Be ready for everyone to ask you for the recipe. It’s just that good!
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of bacon, cut into small pieces
- I pound Italian sausage with the casings removed
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups pizza sauce
- ½ cups pepperoni slices
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- Bread chunks for dipping
Directions:
Set instant pot to ‘Saute.’ Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 12 minutes or so. Drain the fat and put the bacon on a paper towel. Put the sausage in the pot and cook on ‘Saute’ for about 6 minutes until done. Drain the fat and wash out the pot.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Add the bacon and sausage to the mixture and stir. Put the mixture in a 1-quart baking dish that will fit in the instant pot.
Put the pizza sauce on top of the dip and spread it out. Then sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella. Top with pepperoni and parmesan. Cover the dish with foil.
Put the trivet in the pot and pour in 1 cup of water. Carefully place the baking dish into the instant pot. Lock the lid and pressure cook on ‘high’ for 15 minutes. Then slowly release the lid. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and use potholders to remove the baking dish.
Turn your oven on the broiler setting. When it’s hot, put the baking dish of dip under the broiler. Then broil the dip until the pepperoni starts crisping up and the cheese turns to a golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.
Wrap up
The instant pot is the most popular kitchen appliance since the advent of the microwave oven. There are so many reasons to love the instant pot, from deliciously tender beef roasts to stews, soups, and desserts. It’s a multicooker that can quickly make the recipes above and lots, lots more.
We hope you try a few of these recipes. We also hope that you get years of use out of your fantastic instant pot to prepare some delicious recipes for your family!
