6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (2024)

Did you just get a new Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and you’re not sure where to begin? I’ve gathered 6 must have Instant Pot recipes for beginners like me! These are basic recipes that will simplify your meal prep and save you tons of time!

I have several friends who own and love their Instant Pots, so after much research and finding a great deal we went ahead and purchased one. If you’re hearing about the Instant Pot for the first time, I’ll give you a little overview:

The Instant Pot is a multi-functional electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté and more! I purchased the 6-quart Instant Pot IP-LUX60 6-in-1. The model I owndoes not have all of the functions of the 7 in 1 Instant Pot. If I were to buy this again,I would have purchased the 7 in 1 for the extra features (like yogurt making).

[As a member of Amazon and other affiliate programs, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. All images were used with permission.]

Why I Bought an Instant Pot:

TIME SAVER!

This instant pot can cook an entire chicken in just 30 minutes. White rice takes just 8 minutes and beans cook in just10-15 minutes for soaked beans or 35-40 for dry beans!

RICECOOKER

I’m terrible at making rice, I’m too impatient and my rice often turns out watery, or too starchy. I’ve been able to make perfect rice in my new Instant Pot!

SIZE

I love having a slow cooker but ours is HUGE. I hate dragging it out and I’m prone to burning food in it, likely because there is too much empty space in the large pot. The Instant Pot is a more compact size and fits in the corner of our counter easily. I can also tuck it away in the cupboard!

PRICE

I found my Instant Pot on Amazon for a great price. These go on sale often, so keep watching for a great deal! I think the Instant Pot is worth every dime, I’ve already used it 5 times since it arrived last week.

LESS MESS

With the Instant Pot I can sear my meat, sauté onions and garlic or cook ground beef right in the pot. Then I simply dump in the rest of the ingredients and cook it all in the samepot!

SAFE

When I hear “pressure cooking” I get a little freaked out, I picture an exploded pot with rice all over the walls. This electric pressure cooker has 10 safety measures that ensure that using the pot is safe!

PURCHASE YOUR Instant Pot!

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (1)

If you’re new to using your Instant Pot, like me then you’re probably looking for a place to start. Below are some easy recipes to help you get started using your Instant Pot. I’ve gathered 6 recipes to get you started today!

Oatmeal in the Instant Pot:

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For a quick breakfast, Laura from Hip PressureCooking.com has excellent clear instructions on how you can make oatmeal in your Instant Pot. She also has a handy chart to help you figure outhow to cookdifferent types of oatmeal. Once you know how to make the basic oatmeal you can try her Strawberries and Cream Rolled Oatmeal Recipesit looks delicious.

Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot

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My husband and son love potatoes. Ever since living in Ireland for 2 years my husband is a happy man if hecan eat potatoes every single day! I love that I can bakepotatoes in the Instant Pot! Chelseafrom MakeRealFood.com shares how she cooks up Baked Potatoes in the Instant Potin no time!

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

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Boiled eggs are a big part of mylow-carb life and once I saw how perfect hard boiled eggs in the Instant pot turned out I was sold! Weekly meal prephas always been a bigkey to my healthy eating and this recipe is going to save me so much time and frustration! Jennifer at PreDominantlyPaleo shows you how she cooksperfect, easy to peel hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot.

Perfect Rice in the Instant Pot

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Oh Rice! We love to eat itbut I hate cooking it. When I make rice itnever quite turns out perfect. I’m not the most patientcook and my rice either turns out too chewy, watery or is too sticky! Laura has2 great ways to cook rice in the Instant Pot, she also shares a super handy chart to help you cook the perfect pot of rice! There might be hope for me yet!

Frozen Meat in the Instant Pot

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I’m excited to try cooking frozen meat in our Instant Pot. This will be aHUGE time saver and Laura has great instructions on how cook frozen meat in the Instant Potthe right way!

Chicken Stock in the Instant Pot

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When our children were much youngerI was always boiling chicken bones on the stove. I used homemade chicken broth all of the time! I’ve since found life to be too busy and I’ve started buying canned broth or using… gasp…bullion cubes! It’s just not the same. The flavor and nutrients in homemade bone broth are hard to beat! Barbara at PressureCookingToday.com has clear and detailed instructions on how to make your own homemade chicken stock in the Instant Pot.

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Want 5 more great recipes for your Instant Pot? Check out 5 Instant Pot Recipes for Back-to-School (or just very busy nights!)

Now that you have your Instant Pot,you’ll want to add in a few accessoriesto help you make the most of your new pressure cooker. Click the image below to see my favorite accessories to use with my Instant Pot.

10 Useful Instant Pot Accessories:

It can be overwhelming when you buy a new kitchen gadget and there are hundreds of recipes online, I hope these recipes help you get started using your Instant Pot with confidence!

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (2024)

FAQs

What is the best first thing to cook in an Instant Pot? ›

When it comes to breaking your Instant Pot in, it's a good idea to start with some basic foods and simple meals you're already familiar with, then slowly expand your Instant Pot repertoire from there. Try making staples like eggs, sweet potatoes, rice, or lentils using just the pressure cooker function.

What does the 6 in 1 Instant Pot do? ›

Instant Pot Lux 6-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Sterilizer, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, and Warmer, 8 Quart, 12 One-Touch Programs. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

What is the most basic Instant Pot? ›

Basic: Instant Pot Rio. Classic: Instant Pot Duo. Beginner-Friendly: Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1.

What happens if you don't put water in the Instant Pot? ›

Not adding any liquid to the Instant Pot.

It's necessary for steam to build up, ultimately creating a high-pressure environment used for faster cooking. Without sufficient liquid, pressure won't build — and you'll likely get the dreaded “burn” error.

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

It takes about 5 minutes for the cooker to come up to high pressure, 5 minutes to cook the eggs, and then 5 minutes of natural pressure release before removing the eggs from the cooker—hence the "5-5-5" method.

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 does the 7 in 1 Instant Pot do? ›

The Instant Pot Duo is proud to proclaim it's a “7-in-1” appliance, featuring the following functions: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer. The device has its temperature and pressure sensors dialed in, resulting in precise results when cooking.

What are the 7 functions of Instant Pot? ›

Product Details
  • Slim base and modern design with the same cooking capacity: an upgraded version of the best-selling Instant Pot® Duo® 6-quart.
  • 7-in-1 functions: pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, yogurt, steam, sauté and keep warm.

Is Instant Pot 9 in 1 worth it? ›

This is a great pressure cooker, actually cooks dried beans fully, great as a slow cooker too. One of the better $99 I've spent in a while! Cooks rice, short ribs, stews and soups easily and with easy clean up. Good programmable options for delayed start, etc...

What size Instant Pot for 2 people? ›

Instant Pots come in 3-, 6-, 8-, and 10-quart sizes. 3-quart Instant Pots work best for singles or couples, the 5-quart serves three to five people, and the 8-quart will easily cook for six or more.

What is the lifespan of an Instant Pot? ›

The average lifespan of an Instant Pot ranges from 2-5 years, but it can last longer depending on how often it's used and how well-maintained it is. So it's safe to say Instant Pots aren't commonly being replaced, and may even be a one-time purchase.

Are instapots worth it? ›

If you're looking to save counter space or don't want to spend a lot of money on separate appliances, then an Instant Pot could be worth the expense. However, if you're only going to use one or two functions of the Instant Pot, it's worth considering if separate devices would be more cost-effective.

Can I submerge my Instant Pot lid in water? ›

Can you submerge the Instant Pot lid? You can submerge it in a sink of soapy water or in the dishwasher. The only part you can not submerge on the Instant Pot is the base which contains the electrical parts.

Why did the Instant Pot fail? ›

“In particular, tightening of credit terms and higher interest rates impacted our liquidity levels and made our capital structure unsustainable,” Mr. Gadbois said. Instant Brands said in a statement on Wednesday that the new financing would allow the company to continue paying workers, vendors and suppliers.

Can you overcook meat in Instant Pot? ›

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast. Undercooking it would result in a tough piece of meat.

What order do ingredients go in Instant Pot? ›

Different ingredients take different amounts of time to cook so it's important to add them in stages throughout the cooking time. Ingredients that take longer to cook will need to be put into the Instant Pot® first, and then any quicker ingredients can be added at the end and cooked on the sauté setting.

Do you have to brown meat before Instant Pot? ›

Many recipes, such as my Instant Pot Pot Roast, call for browning meat or sautéing vegetables before pressure cooking. Instead of dirtying another pan on the stove, you can do this right in your Instant Pot.

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