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:

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (2)

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

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (3)

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

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (4)

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

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (5)

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

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

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

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (7)

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.

6 Must-Have Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners (8)

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.

Discover More Details ›

Which Instant Pot for beginners? ›

Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

Easy to clean and super straightforward, this appliance is suitable for beginners and pros.

What does the 6 in 1 Instant Pot do? ›

While the Lux Mini has half the capacity of the 6-quart Lux, it has the same six functions (pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté, steamer, and warmer) and most of the same preset programs (soup/broth, meat/stew, egg, sauté, rice, porridge, steam, pressure cook, keep warm and slow cook), missing just the ...

Read On ›

What not to use in Instant Pot? ›

Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.

Is Instant Pot better than crock pot? ›

An all-in-one multicooker is the way to go for most home cooks, especially if you struggle to prep meals ahead of time. However, if you have no interest in pressure cooking but want something that slow cooks well, go with a Crockpot.

See Details ›

What are the disadvantages of an Instant Pot? ›

Con– The Instant Pot uses steam under pressure to cook food and not everything is meant to be cooked in the Instant Pot. I attempted a crustless quiche which turned out well but it was too wet and moist to my liking and I prefer to cook it in the oven with dry heat.

Explore More ›

Are Instant Pots worth it? ›

Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.

Find Out More ›

Can you put too much in your Instant Pot? ›

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

Get More Info ›

What makes an Instant Pot so special? ›

However, the Instant Pot is more functional than a slow cooker and a rice cooker combined because it can also pressure-cook. The word “instant” in the name gives it away: You can cook things astonishingly fast in a pressure cooker—even notoriously slow-cooking or labor-intensive foods, such as risotto and brisket.

What is the most common use of a pressure cooker? ›

Because they reach such high temperatures, they're not always the best cooking method for delicate foods like green vegetables or flaky fish. However, pressure cookers excel at braising and stewing cuts of meat, cooking tough ingredients like pulses from scratch, and slow-cooked dishes like stews.

Know More ›

Which is the easiest pressure cooker to use? ›

Fissler Vitavit Premium Pressure Cooker

Our testers also awarded it top marks for ease of use – it was straightforward to put together, the lid sealed nicely, and the long handle made it simple to manoeuvre. Plus, it remained cool throughout cooking, so there's less risk of burning your fingers.

Learn More Now ›

How do I get the most out of my Instant Pot? ›

Add at least half a cup of liquid, and don't go over the maximum. One of the things you'll learn about pressure cooking is that you don't need to add as much liquid as you would in regular recipes. But you'll still need to add some because the pressure cooker requires moisture to build that pressure.

Can I put frozen meat in an Instant Pot? ›

It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the "Danger Zone" quickly. As a result, you don't run into the issues that you would find by cooking frozen food in a slow cooker, where it can stay too long in the Danger Zone and could become unsafe.

What liquid to add to Instant Pot? ›

First, you must add liquid to the Instant Pot before cooking. Without sufficient liquid, pressure won't build — and you'll likely get the dreaded “burn” error. Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, you'll need just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure.

What order do ingredients go in Instant Pot? ›

Add in all the liquid ingredients first and the more dense ingredients to the top. This allows steam to build without scorching things on the bottom. We know it sounds crazy, but never ever stir! Add Enough Liquid – Make sure there is enough thin liquid in the pot so pressure can build without overheating.

View Details ›