Congratulations! You took the leap and purchased your first Instant Pot. You even took it out of the box! What now? Don’t be intimidated by your new kitchen tool. There are lots of easy Instant Pot recipes for beginners to get you started.
Here are 10 of our favorites:
1. Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos
Once you make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot, you will never make it any other way again. This recipe for Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos, from Spend With Pennies, is made with chicken breasts smothered in salsa and sprinkled with taco seasoning, resting atop chicken broth, done in 15 minutes. After a 10-minute NPR (natural pressure release), they will fall apart when barely touched with a fork. You can put them in hard or soft shells and add your favorite taco toppings!
2. Soup
Here’s the amazing thing about making soup in the Instant Pot: It tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all day, but it really takes just about half an hour from start to finish! Soups are great Instant Pot beginner recipes because you generally don’t have to get fussy with the ingredients, you can use what you have on hand, and they give you practice using the sautée function. Serve these with crusty bread and a salad and you have a yummy, nourishing lunch or dinner!
This Instant Pot lentil soup, from Copper State Style, is a thick and hearty meal that can easily be made vegan by omitting the ham and switching from chicken to vegetable broth.
This Instant Pot chicken soup, from What Great Grandma Ate, makes its own bone broth out of a whole chicken and will cure whatever ails you.
This smooth and silky Instant Pot carrot soup, from Pinch of Yum, has just five ingredients, is allergy-friendly, vegan, and can be as spicy or mild as you want.
3. Instant Pot mac & cheese
You will not believe how fast and easy it is to make homemade Instant Pot macaroni and cheese! This is definitely one of the first 10 meals you should make in your Instant Pot. You’ll never go back to the boxed stuff again — even your kids will agree it’s delicious!
4. Pressure Cooker white bean chili
This warm and savory pressure cooker white bean chili is ready in minutes and is delicious topped with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, lime or cilantro — or all of them! It tastes much more complicated than it actually is, making it one of the most impressive Instant Pot beginner recipes.
5. Sweet balsamic glazed pork
This incredibly delicious Instant Pot sweet balsamic pork roast, from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, is only made better by the lick-the-spoon-worthy sauce. Pork shoulder is the perfect cut of meat for this — avoid pork loin since it’s too lean — and cut it into chunks before putting it in your Instant Pot so it cooks more evenly.
6. Instant Pot spaghetti
This quick and easy weeknight meal is a sure crowd pleaser that is a true one-pot meal — With Instant Pot spaghetti, from The Salty Marshallow, there is no need for a pan to brown the meat, a pot for the noodles, a pot for sauce or a colander for draining. It all goes into the Instant Pot and you only have one pot to wash!
7. Instant Pot butter chicken
Skip the Indian takeout and whip up this easy Instant Pot butter chicken — one of the most delicious Instant Pot recipes out there for beginners.
8. Instant Pot BBQ pulled pork
Make the most tender Instant Pot BBQ pulled pork sandwiches you’ve ever tasted with either the sauce in this recipe from Le Creme de la Crumb or using bottled. Either way, make extra, because these sandwiches will go fast!
9. Instant Pot creamy Italian chicken breasts
One of the best things about this recipe for Instant Pot creamy Italian chicken breasts, from The Recipe Rebel, is that you can pull chicken breasts straight out of the freezer and still have dinner on the table in a snap. You can even add additional vegetables based on what’s in season.
10. Instant Pot classic pot roast dinner
No beginner’s guide to Instant Pot cooking is complete without an Instant Pot classic pot roast recipe like this one from This Old Gal. This recipe uses an unexpected ingredient to give the meat a whole new depth of flavor.
Which one of these 10 easy Instant Pot recipes for beginners are you going to try first?