I got a pressure cooker for Christmas, not the original Instant Pot, a NuWave pressure cooker. Which in my book, can do just about everything an Instant Pot can do! So, of course, I have been Googling and Pinteresting Instant Pot recipes for beginners to see what I should start with.
I was so excited to get started using it and making my dinner prep easier. I can honestly say this is my new favorite kitchen appliance!
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If you have never tried it before, pressure cooking can sound scary at first. I promise you once you get the hang of it, you will be using that baby like a pro!
Straight out of the box, my NuWave Pressure Cooker included the actual pressure cooker, the inner pot, a soup ladle, a rice spoon, and a measuring cup. Now, there is plenty that you can cook with everything included, however, if you want to get creative here are a few suggestions to add to your kitchen.
Now keep in mind, these suggestions are for the Instant Pot, and not the NuWave Pressure cooker. If you are debating which one to purchase, keep in mind, the Instant Pot lid can be fully removed, the NuWave (at least the 8-quart version I have) cannot be detached. So, I can’t make popcorn ?.
Optional Accessories
- The Instant Pot is also available in 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart to fit just about any size family.
- Mini Angel Food Cake Pans-These are great for making little angel food cakes in your pressure cooker or other baked goods – (monkey bread, bundt cake, etc).
- Steamer Basket – Available in 3, 6, and 8-quart sizes, can be used for any brand or pressure cooker. There is also a 3-piece divided basket where you can steam multiple types of veggies at once, which is also available in a 3, 6, or 8-quart.
- 9-Inch Glass Lid – This is for the 6-quart Instant Pot only. Make sure before you purchase, you check if your pressure cooker lid can be completely removed, otherwise, this accessory will not work for it.
- Silicone Lid – Now you don’t even have to worry about putting your leftovers in an extra bowl. Now you can keep everything fresh inside the inner pot and pop it back in the pressure cooker to warm it back up.
- Stainless Steel Trivet – This is essential for cooking things like ground chuck or making baked potatoes.
- Spring Form Pans – These are great for making things like cheesecake or other baked goods in your pressure cooker.
- Silicon Sealing Rings – The silicone sealing rings can wear over time, it’s always good to have a few extra on hand.
- Bread Proofing Basket – Want to try your hand at artisan bread making? Make sure you pick up one of these babies!
- Dutch Oven – Dutch ovens are great for making artisan bread! It provides that beautiful crusty outside.
Looking for an accessory kit, here is a good one that includes a steamer basket, springform pan, egg steamer tack, steamer trivet, tongs, mini silicon mitts, a cooking time guide, an egg bites mold, and a dish clip (for canning).
But before I move on to the recipes, make sure to bookmark this page! That way when you are looking for something easy and super quick to make in your pressure cooker, you can come back here whip up one of these quick and delicious recipes.
30 Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners
Sides and Snacks
Did you know that you can make popcorn in your Instant Pot?! Keep reading to find out this trick and other easy and delicious snack and side recipes.
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These Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings are a great recipe to try if you are new to making chicken wings. The best part, you don’t even have to worry about thawing out the chicken first.
Simply broil a few minutes, in the end, to get that nice crispy to them while keeping them nice and juicy! This is a great Instant Pot recipe for 2, quick appetizers, for the big game day!
With 14 different Instant Pot rice recipes, there will be no shortage of beautiful, fluffy rice for the whole family. White rice only takes 15 minutes, while brown rice takes 20 minutes and the best part, you won't have to stand over the stove stirring.
Because I try and keep metal utensils out of my pressure cooker, I prefer to use these plastic rice spatulas for scooping out my perfectly cooked rice.
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I love me some egg salad on toast, but I hate boiling eggs. I can never seem to get them right. Either the yolks turned grey or they didn’t peel easy and I wound up with a whole bunch of botched eggs.
This is the recipe I used when I tried hard-boiling eggs in the Instant Pot for the first time and they came out perfect and still come out perfect every time that I make them! You can use either an Instant Pot egg rack or an Instant Pot vegetable steamer basket to make these hard-boiled eggs.
We love mashed potatoes in our house. It is a great side dish for just about any meat. However, we generally opt for instant mashed potatoes from a bag or box, only because it’s the quickest and easiest option.
Now, creamy, homemade mashed potatoes are just as easy to make as the boxed variety with this Instant Pot mashed potato recipe!
Got some last-minute company coming over and need to whip up a snack quick, try out these super easy Instant Pot sesame garlic chicken wings! Great for a party or hungry teenagers!
One of my top Instant Pot recipes of 2019, these chicken drumsticks are sure to please. Pair with some rice and veggies or munch on them while playing board games for family game night.
Baked potatoes are a great frugal dinner choice. I especially love doing a baked potato bar where everyone can add their own fixins’.
These Instant Pot baked potatoes only take a few minutes to cook up and are way better than your traditional microwaved or oven-baked potato because they turn out perfect every time without any hard spots.
Buffalo chicken dip is one of my favorite things to make (and eat) for parties. I normally use canned chicken to speed up the recipe and get nice little small chunks of chicken.
With this recipe, you can use whole chicken breasts and be dipping your chips in this creamy delicious Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip in less than 20 minutes!
This is another one of my favorites to have (and eat) at parties! With just a couple of ingredients and a few minutes, you can be serving some delicious cocktail weenies to your guests.
These Instant Pot cocktail weenies recipe can easily be thrown together before you run out the door with only two to three ingredients.
Instant Pot Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Cream Cheese Parmesan Sauce
I was never a fan of Brussel sprouts, but cover them in bacon and creamy sauce and I’m all over that! In 2 minutes these Instant Pot creamy brussels sprouts with garlic cream cheese parmesan sauce are ready as a delicious side dish.
I haven’t tested this recipe in my pressure cooker yet, as you need a glass lid which I haven’t gotten yet.
However, if you do have the traditional Instant Pot with the glass lid, this Instant Pot popcorn recipe will work just fine.
Slice up some kielbasa and toss in some BBQ sauce and you have yourself a delicious treat. These Instant Pot barbecue kielbasa bites are great for a party or weekend finger food.
This is also a fun Instant Pot recipe for summer that you can easily double or even quadruple (depending on the size of your pressure cooker) for a crowd.
Dinners
Find your next Instant Pot dinner with these filling and easy to make recipes.
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I don’t normally cook a whole lot of chickens, but you bet your buns I’m gonna be stocking up next time they are on sale! A whole rotisserie-style chicken in 30 minutes, yes, please!
One of the things that I love about Instant Pot whole chickens is that you can do so much with them. From eating it right off the bone to making some chicken noodle soup, the possibilities!
This isn’t your average mac and cheese, this is a flavor-packed, three-cheese delight! And the best part, it takes less than 10 minutes to get it on the table!
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is so simple to make, you can even whip ir up right after the kids get home from school when they are all starving! This recipe also makes a great Instant Pot lunch recipe.
Soups are a big staple in our house, especially during the winter. With it being so cold here and the tons of activities the kids are in, soups are just easy to make and everyone loves them.
Now, with a pressure cooker, I don’t even have to plan 24 hours in advance to whip up a delicious soup! This Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup only requires a handful of ingredients, which I normally have on hand anyway and goes great with some toast or grilled cheese.
I grew up in Italy, so Italian foods are obviously my favorite! Even though I love the cooking process of Italian foods (they take their time) I don’t always have time to cook a great Italian meal.
Now you too can whip up a gourmet Italian meal even on a weeknight! This Instant Pot creamy Italian chicken with penne is so flavorful and simple to make you will be sure to add it to your family meal plan.
These Instant Pot chicken and dumplings are such a simple recipe. To make it even easier, you can precook the chicken and freeze it. This makes for a super quick, weeknight meal.
This is also a meal that you could easily adapt to a freezer meal, which I love being able to plan ahead!
I prefer to shred the chicken. I use this hamburger meat chopper, which works amazing for getting those perfect bits of shredded chicken. Rather than chop, simply press down and turn.
You can be chowing down on this amazing chili within an hour! Although this recipe does have more ingredients than the other recipes mentioned, it is very easy to make!
This Instant Pot chili is also a great recipe for using up leftover veggies. Don't forget the toppings like sour cream, cheese, and avocado!
These Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs will quickly become a family favorite! This recipe is so simple, even one of the kids can throw it together with frozen meatballs, noodles, and condensed soup.
I love adding this to our meal plan for nights where I don't have a lot of time to cook but still want a hearty meal.
As one of the most popular recipes on this list, the Instant Pot pot roast is a family favorite for many. With this recipe, you don’t have to worry about planning 24 hours in advance, you can have this roast on the table in about an hour and 15 minutes!
? So don't forget to pin this one for later! ?
Time to try out the saute setting on your pressure cooker! Add some veggies and potatoes and these Instant Pot boneless buttery ranch pork chops and you have a one-pot meal!
I personally love these paired with herbed couscous and some sauteed mixed veggies.
Even though my kids are pretty good at eating veggies, I try to add them to recipes whenever possible (because my husband isn't always great at eating all of his veggies). And, of course, what family doesn’t love spaghetti?
This Instant Pot veggie-packed spaghetti with meat sauce is the perfect way to get the best of everything, more veggies, and a quick meal that everyone will love.
Instant Pot Breakfasts and Desserts
I would have never thought to make a cake or apple crisp in my pressure cooker, but guess what?
You can!
Read on to see some of the delicious breakfast and dessert recipes that you can make in your Instant Pot.
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You do need a 4 1/2 inch angel food cake pan for this cake, but seriously, how cute and delicious do these look? I am drooling over this Instant Pot angel food cake with powdered sugar glaze...and the sprinkles of course!
Enjoy a slice by itself or with a scoop of your favorite ice cream!
I would have never thought to brew tea in a pressure cooker! But, really...why not! I think I might have to try some chai next!
This Instant Pot Blackberry Iced Tea is such a great Spring or Summer beverage to sit outside and sip on!
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts! I love that you can do so many things with it, even a plain cheesecake you can top with chocolate, strawberries, nuts, caramel (now I want turtle cheesecake...)
If you have ever cooked a cheesecake in an oven before, you know how finicky it can be. This is a simple, fool-proof New York Style Instant Pot cheesecake recipe that will turn out perfect every time! Also, this is a great recipe to test out using your springform pans.
I absolutely love homemade yogurt! My 4-year-old’s favorite snack is my homemade yogurt with homemade almond granola, and it makes me feel better knowing exactly what is in it!
I love this Instant Pot yogurt because I don’t have to worry about incubating it in my dehydrator, which is totally what I used to do. Not a pretty sight when you forget about it for a couple of days...
This Instant Pot fluffy oatmeal is a healthy and filling breakfast option great for the whole family. It only takes 10 minutes so you can even make it in the morning before school.
I like to make plain oatmeal and let the kids customize it with their favorite toppings. Honey and peanut butter is a common favorite around here.
In addition to your pressure cooker, you are going to need a dutch oven for this Instant Pot Sourdoughbread if you don’t already have one (that is my next kitchen purchase!) You can use the homemade yogurt from above to give the bread that traditional sourdough flavor.
Also, if you plan on getting serious about making artisan bread, you might also want to look into a proofing basket to help get that perfectly crispy crust. That is what also gives it those pretty flour rings.
Applesauce is a great afterschool snack for kids of any age. My 10 and 8-year-olds mix it with cottage cheese (not sure where they got that from). I hate buying the jarred stuff though cuz of all the sugar in it.
I do my best to give my kids whole food snacks. That is why I love this Instant Pot applesauce and have added it to my recipe repertoire.
Grab your bundt pan and a roll of biscuits and you've got yourself a sweet breakfast or a dessert. Top this Instant Pot monkey bread with a sweet glaze or some optional nuts for a delightful crunch.
This Instant Pot baked banana french toast is so easy to make and such a treat for dessert or breakfast! Top with plain or candied pecans for a sweet crunch!
Rice pudding is acceptable for breakfast right? Why not!
This Instant Pot rice pudding can be made even healthier with the addition of non-dairy milk, but will still be just as creamy and decadent.
My high school best friend and I used to make apple crisp on a weekly basis. It was our favorite after-school snack. Now this Instant Pot apple crisp is easier than ever to make and even more tasty using a pressure cooker.
