Instant Pot recipes are some of the easiest and delicious meals you can make in no time. They are super quick, flavorful and can be done by pretty much anyone. With little guidelines, every beginner can prepare an amazing meal.
There are tons of recipes you can make from Instant Pot. To be honest, Instant Pot is my favorite way of cooking. I first started cooking meals in the Instant Pot about 5 years ago, and now I have well over100 recipes on my blog.
What is great about cooking in the Instant Pot is that you have a meal ready in usually 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish. Compared to the traditional stovetop way of cooking, Instant Pot does an amazing job at a fraction of the time. The secret is that ingredients are cooked at HIGH pressure. This drastically reduces cooking time. Also, if you cook meats, you will end up with juicy and tender meat. On top of that, you can cook frozen meats, sauté ingredients, or even steam vegetables in it. It is truly a handy kitchen gadget to have that does all the work for you.
In this post, I will share with you 5 of my ALL TIME favorite Instant Pot recipes that are easy and friendly for beginners. If you have an Instant Pot, I will teach you how to make some of my most popular recipes. All three recipes are very popular on my blog, and together they have over 10 million views on my blog and Facebook. Give them a try, and let us know which one is your favorite!
A little bit about me…
My name is Catalina Castravet, and I am the owner of Sweet AndSavory Meals. I am a professional chef and food blogger who is always on the lookouts for tasty and delicious recipes. Over the past 10 years, my team and I have created well over one thousand recipes, starting from quick breakfasts, to delicious dinner meals. All the recipes are shared for free with our beloved followers and readers.
What is an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker that is also multi-functional. It basically has the function of a slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker, yogurt cooker, and many more.
It is convenient because you dump the ingredients in the pot, and cook under HIGH pressure. This way, you end up with a quick and delicious meal.
1. Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Instant Pot Orange Chicken is one of my favorite Asian dishes. It is easy to make, flavorful, and will beat any take-outs. In addition, this dish is one of the most popular and visited on our site. So we hope you will love it just as much.
How to make Instant Pot Orange Chicken?
1.Start by sautéing the chicken in the pressure cooker for about 2-3 minutes until golden.
2.Then, make the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients, and pour it over the meat.
3.Stir gently, and close the lid. Then, cook under HIGH pressure for 5 minutes, followed by 10-minute natural pressure release.
4.Lastly, add the cornstarch and cook for a few more minutes to thicken the sauce.
5.Serve over freshly cooked rice.
For full recipe details, and short video tutorial, see the instant pot recipes.
2. Instant Pot Pork Chops
Instant Pot Pork Chops are tender, juicy and flavorful. This is a great weekday meal to enjoy with your friends and family.
You will need the following:
- 6 medium-large russet potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 2 cups carrots (cut into 2 inch pieces)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper (to taste)
For the Pork Chops:
- 1 1/2 lbs. / 3 bone in center cut pork chops
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
For the Apple Cider Mustard Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain / stone ground mustard
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
How to make Instant Pot Pork Chops?
1. First, season the meat with salt and pepper.
2. Then, sauté the pork chops on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
3. If you want to cook them with potatoes, then add some peeled potatoes to the bottom of the pot along with some chicken stock.
4. Cook on HIGH for 15 minutes
5. Serve warm.
3. Instant Pork Whole Chicken
Making whole chicken in the Instant Pot will result in the best chicken you can have. It cooks the chicken amazingly well resulting in juicy and delicious meat. Also, you can cook frozen chicken if desired.
You will only need:
- 1 (4 pounds) whole chicken
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons butter (room temperature or use olive oil)
How to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot?
- Just add the whole chicken to the pot. Then, add water or broth and set it on HIGH.
- Once done cooking, remove the bird from the pressure cooker and brush with melted butter mixed with your favorite seasoning.
- Lastly, broil it, checking often so the meat doesn’t burn.
4. Instant Pot Rice
If you are looking for perfectly cooked rice, then making it in the Instant Pot is the only way to go. I have tried making it many other ways, but Instant Pot always delivers the best results. You do not need to guess the water ratio, as it is always the same 1:1. Feel free to cook various kinds of rice in it, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
5. Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
This is the perfect recipe to a novice chef. It is one of the easiest comfort food one can make in the Instant Pot.
For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni (dry)
- 4 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened and cubed)
- 1 cup milk (warm)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (warm)
- 2-3 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup parmesan (shredded)
How to make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese?
- First, cook the Elbow macaroni by adding water, butter, and seasoning to the instant pot.
- Cook on High Pressure on 5 minutes.
- Then, add the milk, and heavy cream, and cheeses. Stir well.
- Enjoy it warm!
