Is Cooking With An Instant Pot Healthy
Cooking with an Instant Pot is not inherently any more or less healthy than other cooking methods. That said, if the ease and convenience of the Instant Pot recipes helps you make more homemade meals or dabble with cooking a wider variety of foods, then this appliance can be a boon for your diet.
These 45 easy and healthy Instant Pot recipes will help you do just thatmix it up in the kitchen and churn out more homemade meals without spending oodles of time over the stove. They run the gamut from vegetarian to meaty, side dish to main course, classic to unconventional, and breakfast to dinner. Youll also find Instant Pot recipes for beginners. Add a few to your rotation for some yummy, nutrient-rich, low-lift, and gratifying Instant Pot goodness
A note about the word healthy here: We know that healthy is a complicated concept. Not only can it mean different things to different people, but its a word thats pretty loaded , thanks to the diet industrys influence on the way we think about food. At SELF, when we talk about food being healthy, sure, were talking about foods that are nutritious, filling, and satisfying. But were also talking about foods that help you connect with your culture, promote joy, and simply taste delicious. Some of those foods might fall into conventional ideas of what healthy is. And some might not. We selected these recipes with all of that in mind while also trying to appeal to a wide variety of nutritional needs and taste buds.
Instant Pot Caramelized Onions
Caramelized onions typically require a great deal of attention and time, as the low and slow cooking provide a perfectly tender and golden brown result. But thanks to the Instant Pot®, this typically labor-intensive recipe because an achievable weeknight dish. These sweet and jammy onions are the perfect accompaniment to sandwiches, grain bowls and more.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Caramelized Onions
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
This healthy Instant Pot split pea soup recipe is the ultimate meal! Its filling, plant based, and easy to make in a pressure cooker. This tasty dinner recipe is full of cozy, lightly smoky flavor. And all that’s required is chopping an onion, celery and carrot. That’s it! Let your Instant Pot do the rest of the work.
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College Student Dinner Ideas
Many of my recipes make 4-6 servings. Thats a lot of food for one person! If youre a big eater you can make the entire recipe and then use the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next few days. Another choice would be to halve the recipe. Please read How to Halve an Instant Pot Recipe so you can do it the right way.
Pasta Dishes
Pasta is pantry friendly and cheap. And there are plenty of whole grain pasta options if youre looking to up your nutrition. Pair the pasta with a protein and a delicious sauce and youre set.
Instant Pot Pork Loin With Carrots And Onions
Pork Loin is so lean that it’s often overcooked and turns out dry –but not with the Instant Pot. After just thirty minutes, you have tender and juicy pork in a rich, savory sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes for a quick and easy comfort meal.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pork Loin with Carrots and Onions
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How Do I Use My Instant Pot
If you are a beginner, you probably got confused with all the buttons on the Instant Pot. It looks so intimidating and you think that if you press the wrong button, you will ruing your special dinner. Well, I have a great tip for you:
Forget about all the buttons and focus only on the most used ones: Pressure Cook, Cancel, Saute and + – . That’s all :]
Some models have a “manual” button instead of “pressure cook”. They are exactly the same.
After a while, you may want to use the slow cooker setting or change the pressure level.
But for now, focus only on the buttons above. It’s enough to make 99% of the best Instant Pot recipes on Corrie Cooks.
Meal Prep Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Cook a couple of pounds of chicken at the start of the week, shred it up, and you have the base for an infinite number of quick and easy meals. This version of the meal prep staple is so flavorful, you don’t need to do much– or really anything– to dress it up. But if you want to, we have plenty of ideas.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chili
Also Check: Maker’s 46 Old Fashioned Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore Dump Dinner
Who doesnt love a big bowl of pasta with red sauce? Its even better as a full meal with tender chicken and briny olives. Simply dump all the ingredients into the Instant Pot® and this Italian classic will be on the table in little over a half hour!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore Dump Dinner
Banana & Walnut Instant Pot Oats
Its hardly fair to consider steel-cut oats a viable morning meal option considering that they take quite some time to cook. Perhaps for the weekend, but you deserve more than quick oats mid-week. Even on the most hectic morning, this vegan banana and walnut porridge are full of fiber, slow carbs, and whatever mix-ins or stir-ins you like. Were thinkin about you, almond butter. Recipe from Knead to Cook.
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Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
This speedier version of Swedish meatballs is streamlined and made in an Instant Pot®, but loses nothing that we love about the classic recipe. Gone is the step of chilling and resting the subtly spiced meatballs we brown them as soon as theyre formed. We also bypass the tedious process of making a roux and whisking in broth to form the rich, creamy gravy. Instead, we simply pour the broth over the meatballs, dot it with pieces of beurre manie and let the Instant Pot® do the work. After the steam is released, all thats left to do is stir in some heavy cream.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash With Marinara
This might be the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash pierce a whole squash all over with a fork, then cook it in a pressure cooker until perfectly tender. It cooks in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven, and there’s no need to struggle with cutting the sturdy squash beforehand.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash with Marinara
Recommended Reading: Gluten Dairy Free Vegetarian Recipes
Instant Pot Lentil Tortilla Soup
Tacos and burritos are fine and dandy, but sometimes, the traditional flavors and ingredients of Mexican food are meant for soup. This tortilla soup is meat-free with pinto beans, black beans, lentils, and corn makes up the bulk of it. Top off with your favorite garnishes. Slice some avocado to cool things down if you like. Recipe from Peas and Crayons.
Instant Pot Blueberry Corn Muffin Bites
These mini muffin bites quickly come together in your Instant Pot®, thanks to corn muffin mix and a silicone egg bites mold. With only five ingredients and thirty minutes to spare, you can have a delicious blueberry muffin at the ready for breakfast or snack time.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Blueberry Corn Muffin Bites
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One Pot Dinners For The Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is great for making rice or hard boiled eggs but when you get it to make your entire dinner for you that equals winning in my book. These 25 one pot dinners for the Instant Pot need to appear on your menu soon. Youll eat a great dinner and it wont be an hour of work. Hooray!
Instant Pot Chicken Asparagus Potato Dinner
Moist bites of chicken, cubed potatoes and crisp bites of asparagus are tossed with a seasoning blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder and more to create a well seasoned one pot dinner. Use the Instant Pot to make this dinner quickly.
Instant Pot Brown Rice Pilaf with Chicken Sausage
A quick, easy and healthy meal of seasoned brown rice with carrots, peas and chicken sausage.
Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers are stuffed with brown rice, black beans and salsa and cooked perfectly in your electric pressure cooker or your crockpot. You can make them vegetarian or with meat, its up to you. Top with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy this healthy weeknight dinner.
Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Rice
A throw everything into the Instant Pot and walk away meal! Flavorful rice and chicken that has all the great flavors from chicken fajitas! Make it with brown or white rice.
Instant Pot Garlic Mushroom Chicken
A creamy sauce is spooned over mushrooms, tender bites of chicken . A delicious dump and go recipe that you can make with frozen chicken.
Instant Pot Tips And Tricks To Know
There are so many tips and tricks for an Instant Pot you can find a ton of them here: 18 tips and tricks for the Instant Pot.
One of my favorite tips is that you can actually wash the whole lid of the Instant Pot.
It took me a while to figure that out and it is a game-changer! Just pop the whole thing in the dishwasher and it is good to go.
Check out this kit of accessories to up your Instant Pot game and make cooking in the Instant Pot even easier with our easy Instant Pot recipes too!
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Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
“Healthy” and “gnocchi” are not often used in the same sentence. The little potato balls are a delicious treat but used in this veggie-filled soup, they make for a good-for-you dinner option! One bowl packs in less than 200 calories. Plus, it requires only 10 minutes in the Instant Pot and is a better deal than the all-you-can-eat soup at Olive Garden.
Get the recipe from Sweet Phi.
Hard Boiled Eggs Without A Stove
Why make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot? Because of the change in pressure, theyre a lot easier to peel than their traditionally boiled counterparts, so you can spend more time eating your eggs and less time wrangling with tough shells. From there, chop them up into an egg salad over toast for a simple dinner.
Also Check: Renal And Diabetic Diet Recipes
Instant Pot Beef Curry
This rich, savory Japanese-style beef curry is typically made with little blocks of store-bought Japanese curry roux. Since the dish comes together so fast in an Instant Pot®, we use the time gained to make a homemade roux with basic pantry ingredients. Combined with Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, grated apple and beef broth, the result is a mildly sweet, spicy curry packed with extra umami. You can serve it over white rice or udon noodles. You can also make it without the beef and pour the sauce over Japanese-style breaded and fried pork or chicken cutlets .
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Beef Curry
Instant Pot Coconut Chicken
Spice up your weeknight dinner game with boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked with soy sauce and vinegar in the Instant Pot a little bit of unsweetened coconut milk added in at the end makes for a super creamy sauce that you’ll want all over a side of jasmine rice.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Coconut Chicken
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Best Instant Pot Recipes
Weve rounded up 20 of the very best Instant Pot dinner recipes from our own archives as well as from other food bloggers we love from around the internet.
We hear this question over and over again: what is the best thing to cook in Instant Pot? Well, today were answering that excellent question! Weve rounded up 20 of the very best Instant Pot dinner recipes from our own archives as well as from other food bloggers we love from around the internet. So, without further ado, we present the 20 best Instant Pot recipes!
Instant Pot Corn On The Cob
No need to heat up a big pot of water and your kitchen in the process just to enjoy some fresh summer corn. Cooking corn in a pressure cooker with minimal water allows the flavor to shine through, and it couldn’t be easier. Serve simply with butter, salt and pepper.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
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Healthy Instant Pot Chili
Next up in these favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes: chili! This vegetarian chili is full of big flavor! Instead of meat, this one features healthy plant-based proteins: two beans and lentils. But it keeps meat-lovers satisfied with lots of spices to make a hearty meal. Load it up with all the toppings for the full experience .
Healthy Instant Pot Recipes Youll Want To Cook Over And Over Again
Instant Pots have dominated the home cooking scene for years for good reason: There are just so many tasty and healthy Instant Pot recipes that you can make with the beloved gadget. This nifty appliance is capable of doing a lot, from whipping up dinner on a moments notice to being a key player in meal prep planning. The Instant Pot is perhaps most well known for its pressure-cooking function, which uses large amounts of pressure to cook everything from meat to vegetables more quickly than normal. But this device has also got a bunch of other cool functions that make it even more of a kitchen ninja.
Well expound on the Instant Pots rapid cooking capabilities in a minute, though. First, lets talk about the other benefits of adding delectable, filling, easy, and healthy Instant Pot recipes to your repertoire. Beyond the fact that its a heck of a timesaver in that it cuts down on cooking time, Instant Pots can also make cleanup way faster and easier. You wont end up with a sink full of dishes when everything is made in just the one pot.
The tool is also extremely handy on hot days when youd rather not turn on the oven or stove, because as a small and insulated device, its not going to release a ton of heat into your kitchen.
Read Also: Simple Chili Recipe With Tomato Juice
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Here’s another fan favorite Instant pot recipe: creamy wild rice soup! This soup is oh so comforting, featuring white beans, carrots, mushrooms and wild rice. And, its vegan! Its naturally creamy using cashews blended with some of the soup to create a silky smooth texture. It makes for a filling and satisfying wild rice soup.
Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
This Instant Pot Spaghetti is one of the best Instant Pot recipes for a fast family dinner. Everything cooks together in one pot: meat, pasta and sauce!
This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup has the best flavors of fall wrapped up in a deliciously easy soup!
Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are always moist, tender and flavorful! These pressure cooker chicken breasts cook perfectly in minutes from fresh or frozen for a quick dinner.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup is the perfect hearty meal to warm you up. This homemade recipe tastes just like the restaurant version and is loaded with healthy vegetables and hearty beans.
Enjoy an easy savory meal with this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe. Perfectly juicy and seasoned with a homemade spice rub, make these chicken thighs in your Instant Pot in just 30 minutes, start to finish.
These Easy Peel Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are so simple to make and easy to peel! They are a great healthy meal prep option for breakfasts, snacks and lunches.
This vegetarian Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a warmly spiced soup thats filled with tender lentils, vegetables and tomatoes.
This Instant Pot Potato Soup is the perfect thick and creamy soup for a chilly winter evening meal.
We cant get enough of this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup! This healthy one pot dinner can also be made in the slow cooker.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans are a versatile recipe that you can use to make many delicious meals.
Read Also: Swanson Chicken Rice Soup Recipe
I Got An Instant Pot For Christmas And I’m Afraid To Open The Box
First of all, you are not alone. According to our research, almost 70% of the users were afraid of the Instant Pot before their first usage in some regard.
I’ve been there too – don’t worry, I’m here to help you First of all – What Is an Instant Pot anyway?
An Instant Pot is a brand of electric pressure cooker or multi-cooker. It has multiple functions that allow you to prepare a wide range of recipes and meals.
It works at extremely high heat and forms a tight seal when cooking. This creates immense pressure inside the pot and enables the food within to cook at a much quicker rate than regular stovetop cooking.
Instant Pots perform best when preparing longer cooking items such as rice, legumes, and thick cuts of meat. All the same, they can cook just about anything: yogurt, oatmeal, cakes, stews, and more!
The Instant Pot acts as a slow cooker, rice cooker and pressure cooker, and can also transform into an air fryer if you have the right accessory. You can use them to fry, sauté, steam, and sterilize.
If you are into a special diet, the Instant Pot is super useful, since you can make steamed vegetables, perfectly tender chicken breast, oil-free jasmine rice and many more healthy Instant Pot recipes.
Now that you know the Instant Pot much better, you can open the box, do the Instant Pot water test and check these easy Instant Pot recipes I made especially for you.