Bity
These Instant Pot recipes are the ones that earned my pressure cooker its permanent spot on the worktop: fall apart beef stew, sticky pulled pork, a deep beef chili, creamy macaroni cheese and even homemade yoghurt. All fourteen come from my own kitchen, so every link below goes to a recipe I have tested, photographed and cooked on repeat.
I have grouped them the way I actually use the pot. First come the hearty dinners, then soups and stock, then the everyday staples, and finally breakfast. After that you will find my pressure time chart, a plain guide to natural and quick release, the habits that stop the dreaded burn notice and the questions readers ask me most.
Quick Breakdown
Why Instant Pot Recipes Save Me Time
A pressure cooker traps steam, so the temperature inside climbs well above boiling point. As a result, tough cuts turn tender in under an hour and rice cooks in four minutes. That is why the Instant Pot recipes below lean on a few simple habits rather than special ingredients.
- Fast: most of these spend 12 minutes or less at pressure.
- One pot: you brown, pressure cook and thicken in the same insert, so there is barely any washing up.
- Hands off: once the lid is sealed, you can walk away and help with homework.
- Cheap cuts shine: chuck, pork shoulder and bone-in thighs become meltingly tender.
Hearty Pressure Cooker Dinners
These six Instant Pot recipes are the weeknight dinners I lean on most, from a proper stew to a one pot spaghetti that the children ask for every week.
1. Instant Pot Beef Stew
If I could keep only one dish from this list, it would be this stew. I brown the chuck in batches so it sears rather than steams, then scrape the base clean before the lid goes on. Twenty five minutes later the beef is spoon tender, and the gravy is thick and savoury.
Get the Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe →
2. Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Browned chicken thighs sit on top of seasoned rice and frozen vegetables, and everything cooks together. The secret is not stirring once the layers go in, because that is what keeps the rice fluffy and the base free of a burn warning. It is simple, kid friendly and filling.
Get the Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe →
3. Instant Pot Pulled Pork
No smoker, no all day wait. Pork shoulder steaks get a smoked paprika rub and a quick sear, then an hour at pressure makes them shred with two forks. Meanwhile I keep the barbecue sauce out of the pot until the very end, since sugary sauce on the base is the classic burn notice trap.
Get the Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe →
4. Instant Pot Spaghetti
Here the pasta cooks right in the sauce, which sounds wrong until you try it. The dry spaghetti is laid criss-cross over the browned beef, then jarred sauce and water go on top without a stir. Eight minutes later you have a rich, saucy bowl and only one pan to wash.
Get the Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe →
5. Instant Pot Pork Chops
Boneless chops can go dry in a frying pan, but a short spell under pressure keeps them juicy. They are seasoned with garlic and Italian herbs, seared for three minutes a side, then cooked in a little water with all the browned bits scraped up. Serve them with mash and greens.
Get the Instant Pot Pork Chops recipe →
6. Instant Pot Pork Roast
This is my Sunday roast for days when the oven is busy or I simply forgot to start early. A three pound joint is rubbed with salt and pepper, seared all over, then pressure cooked until sliceable and tender. Finally, the cooking liquid becomes a quick gravy with a cornflour slurry.
Get the Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe →
Soups, Chili and Stock
Liquids are where a pressure cooker really earns its keep, because nothing evaporates and flavour gets pushed deep into every ingredient.
7. Instant Pot Chili
Chili that tastes like it simmered all afternoon, ready in half an hour. I toast the chilli powder, cumin and tomato paste in the beef fat first, then rinse the beans and scrape the base clean before sealing. The result is deep, rich and thick enough to pile onto a jacket potato.
Get the Instant Pot Chili recipe →
8. Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Four minutes at pressure, and the pasta cooks right in the broth. Thinly sliced bone-in thighs cook in exactly the same time as the fusilli, and the bones go in too for extra body. Then you quick release the moment the timer ends, and supper is ready in 25 minutes.
Get the Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe →
9. Instant Pot Chicken Stock
Every roast chicken carcass in our house ends up here. Bones, an onion, carrots, celery and a spoon of cider vinegar go in with eight cups of water, and 45 minutes later you have a golden stock that sets to a jelly in the fridge. It makes every soup on this list better.
Get the Instant Pot Chicken Stock recipe →
Easy Sides and Everyday Staples
These are the quiet heroes among my Instant Pot recipes, the basics I make every single week to fill lunchboxes and round out dinner.
10. Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
No roux, no draining and only fifteen minutes from start to finish. The macaroni cooks in salted water and butter, then milk and cheddar are stirred in to make a smooth, clingy sauce. Do grate the cheese from a block, because ready grated cheese is coated in starch that makes the sauce grainy.
Get the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe →
11. Instant Pot White Rice
Once you try this, you will never go back to the pan. Rinsed long grain rice and an equal amount of water is all it takes, because nothing evaporates in a sealed pot. The ten minute rest is what stops the base coming out wet, so do not skip it.
Get the Instant Pot White Rice recipe →
12. Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
The famous 5-5-5 method: five minutes at pressure, five minutes of natural release and five minutes in iced water. In fact, the shells slip off so easily that I have stopped dreading peeling a dozen for a picnic. Have the iced water ready before the timer ends.
Get the Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe →
Breakfast in the Pressure Cooker
Both of these can be made on a Sunday and eaten all week, which makes busy mornings far calmer.
13. Instant Pot Oatmeal
Two minutes at pressure gives you six portions of creamy porridge, and the natural release does the thickening. I portion it into tubs while it is still warm, then reheat it with a splash of milk each morning. Better yet, it freezes in muffin tins as neat pucks.
Get the Instant Pot Oatmeal recipe →
14. Instant Pot Yogurt
Just two ingredients: whole milk and a spoonful of live yoghurt. The pot boils the milk, you let it cool to blood heat, stir in the starter and leave it to set overnight on the Yogurt setting. It looks loose at first, then firms up beautifully once it is chilled.
Get the Instant Pot Yogurt recipe →
Instant Pot Recipes Cooking Time Chart
I keep this list stuck inside a cupboard door. It covers all fourteen Instant Pot recipes above, and the times are taken straight from each recipe card. Remember that the pot also needs 5 to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts.
| Dish | Time at high pressure | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Beef stew | 25 min | 10 min natural |
| Chicken and rice | 12 min | 10 min natural |
| Pulled pork | 60 min | 15 to 20 min natural |
| Spaghetti | 8 min | Quick |
| Boneless pork chops | 10 min | About 6 min natural |
| Pork roast, 3 lb | 45 min | Natural |
| Beef chili | 12 min | 10 min natural |
| Chicken noodle soup | 4 min | Quick |
| Chicken stock | 45 min | 20 min natural |
| Macaroni cheese | 4 min | Quick |
| White rice | 4 min | 10 min natural |
| Hard boiled eggs | 5 min | 5 min natural, then ice bath |
| Rolled oats | 2 min | 10 min natural |
| Yoghurt | Yogurt setting, 8 to 10 hours | No pressure |
Natural Release or Quick Release?
This is the question I get asked most. A natural release means you leave the valve alone and let the pressure drop by itself, which takes 10 to 20 minutes. Meat, stock, beans, rice and oats need it, because a sudden vent tightens meat and makes starchy foods foam through the valve.
A quick release means turning the valve to Venting as soon as the timer beeps. Use it for pasta, macaroni cheese and noodle soup, since they keep softening in the residual heat. The Mississippi State University Extension guide to electric pressure cookers explains both methods, along with safe internal temperatures for meat.
Tips for Better Instant Pot Recipes
Almost every disappointing result I have had came down to one of these, so they are worth a minute before you start any of these Instant Pot recipes.
- Scrape the base: after browning, deglaze and scrape every bit off the bottom. Stuck food is the main cause of a burn notice.
- Use enough liquid: the pot needs thin liquid to make steam, usually at least a cup, unless the recipe says otherwise.
- Layer, do not stir: with rice and pasta dishes, keep the starch away from the base by layering it on top.
- Thicken afterwards: add cornflour slurries, cream, cheese and barbecue sauce once the pressure cooking is done.
- Respect the fill line: never fill past two thirds, or halfway for oats and anything else that foams.
If you live at altitude, you will need a little longer and a touch more liquid. The Colorado State University Extension tips for electric pressure cookers give clear adjustments for cooking above 5,000 feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started With Instant Pot Recipes
What are the best things to cook in an Instant Pot?
Tough cuts of meat, stews, chili, soups, stock, rice, beans, oats and hard boiled eggs. Anything that normally needs long, gentle simmering is a perfect match, because pressure does the same job in a fraction of the time.
What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot?
Anything you want crisp, such as chips or crumbed chicken, because a sealed pot is full of steam. I also keep cakes, biscuits and quick cooking delicate fish for the oven or hob.
Is an Instant Pot better than a slow cooker?
Neither is better; they suit different days. The pressure cooker is for when you forgot to plan, while a slow cooker suits long, hands off cooking. Most Instant Pot models do both, which is handy.
Troubleshooting and Safety
Why does my Instant Pot say burn?
Usually something has stuck to the base, or there is not enough thin liquid. Release the pressure, scrape the bottom clean, add a splash of water and seal it again.
Do I need to add water to every recipe?
Almost always, yes, because the pot needs liquid to build steam. However, recipes like the chicken stock and pulled pork include it already, so follow each card.
Why is my meat still tough?
It is undercooked rather than overcooked. Seal the lid again and give it another 8 to 10 minutes at pressure, then let the pressure release naturally.
