Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

Do you have an Instant Pot yet? These 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes will make you love your Instant Pot so much more.Instant Pot meals can be so quick, easy and healthy. Find some new favorite recipes from this list to make healthy dinners in an instant.

Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2)

Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

Keep reading to find my favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes.

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Have you heard all the hype about Instant Pots?

If you haven’t gotten one yet, it’s not too late. This popularkitchen gadgetis a game changer.

I love my Instant Pot– it makes some of my favorite one-pot dinners so quick and easy.

Many people buy an Instant Pot because they are so popular, but then they don’t know what to make.

Well today I’m sharing my favorite 50 Instant Pot recipes. Not only are these recipes relatively quick and easy- they are also healthy.

If you aren’t sure what an Instant Pot is, check out my post all about them and what they do HERE.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD BEGINNER RECIPES IN THE INSTANT POT?

I know that an Instant Pot can seem a little intimidating at first with all the different buttons, functions, and safety features. Practice a few simple recipes before you try something really ambitious.

Some great beginner recipes to try are boiled eggs, a stew, shredded chicken, and “baked” potatoes. It’s also easy to make a quick pasta dish (you thought pasta was already a quick meal, but wait until you try it in theInstant Pot ).

An Instant Pot doesn’t have to be confusing and intimidating, it can be so easy to use after you sit down and read the instruction booklet. Once you know a little bit about the different buttons and settings, you should dedicate some time for a few practice recipes. This is a must, you’ll get the hang of your Instant Pot pretty quickly and it will make so much sense if you read through the manual and do some tests.

Some of my favorite foods to make in the Instant Pot include vegetable soup, chicken breasts, and scalloped potatoes. It cooks so fast- and dinner is ready in what feels like an instant. Once you get the hang of the pressure cooking settings, you should try making rice, beans, yogurt, and steaming vegetables.

WHAT CAN AN INSTANT POT DO?

Really a better question is “what CAN’T an Instant Pot do?” An instant pot can do almost everything–okay well they can’t be used to make foods crispy, crunchy, or fried. Also, the texture won’t always be the same in the Instant Pot as with other methods.

An Instant Pot is a programmable electric pressure cooker with 7 functions. It speeds up cooking and uses less energy.It’s very convenient and quick, you don’t always need to plan well in advance for a healthy dinner with an Instant Pot.

An Instant Pot is an awesome multi-cooker that can be used to slow cook, pressure cook (with many different functions), cook rice, steam, make yogurt, saute/brown, and warm foods.

You can pretty much find a recipe for making almost any food in the instant pot- even things like popcorn, cheesecake, or lasagna (you’ll need an additional pan to go inside the pot).

BEGINNER TIPS FOR USING AN INSTANT POT

An Instant Pot is usually so much faster than cooking meals on the stove or in the oven- rice, pasta, stew, meat etc. It may not take long to cook your meal, but it can take some time to get up to pressure at the beginning and a few more minutes to release pressure at the end of cooking.

Instant Pot recipes will be called “4 minute pasta” or “5 minute rice” but actually it could take an extra 15+ minutes because of pressurizing the pot. Don’t worry– there’s a trick to make if faster.

My favorite tip- turn on the saute button while you are filling the pot and getting ready to turn on the Instant Pot. This “pre-heats” the pot. Then,use boiling water or hot water (you’ll usually need at least 1 cup of water to pressure cook). That way, it will already be hot inside the pot and it will come to pressure even faster and your food will be done in about an instant.

Most foods will cook in less time than you think. Get yourself a food thermometer so you can double check when your meat is done.

I like to experiment a little bit with my InstantPot.I think of a meal I would like for dinner, and then find a similar Instant Pot recipe version online to know how long to pressure cook it. Want scalloped potatoes? Cook them for 1 minute. Want easy soups? Cook it for less than 10 minutes.

It can take some time to perfect your Instant Pot recipes- but you can still have amazing flavor and perfect texture once you get the hang of it.

HOW DOES AN INSTANT POT WORK?

If you have an Instant Potyou can pretty much get rid of your rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, and steamer and save counter space. An Instant Pot is one kitchen gadget that does 7 different things. But, how does it work?

You put the food into the inner pot which then goes into the base and the lid goes on top. The base has sensors for temperature and pressure. The lid has a seal that forms an airtight chamber. Heat is applied and the pressure increases inside the pot which cooks the food.

You choose how long to cook an item and then theInstant Pot will release pressure until you can safely open the lid. It’s not scary like our grandparent’s old stovetop pressure cookers- the Instant Pothas a safety feature so it won’t open if there is too much pressure inside. It’s safe and fairly easy to use with a little practice.

BEST REASONS TO GET AN INSTANT POT- WHY I LOVE MY INSTANT POT

I use my Instant Pot probably 3+ days out of the week. I love that my Instant Pot saves counter space and cabinet space- I got rid of some of my other kitchen appliances because my Instant Pot does it all.

I love that I can set up the Instant Pot and basically forget about it. Meals that used to take a long time for me to “babysit” and watch on the stove now take me next to nothing as I can just throw it in the pot, press start, and come back when dinner’s ready.

The Instant Pot is great for foods that you want soft and tender and FAST– you can cook beans, rice, potatoes, and meat so quickly it’s insane.It can do what a slow cooker does in usually less than 20 minutes.

AnInstant Potis easy to clean, easy to use, and easy to make almost any of your favorite cooked meals.

Looking for some healthy and delicious side dish recipes you can make in your Instant Pot? Check out this video for three of my favorites:

Now, here are the Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes that my family LOVES:

Here’s some of my Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas {Mexican Shredded Pork}

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Need some ideas for other healthy recipes?

Try the 30-Day Healthy Eating Meal Plan.

30-Day healthy menu plan consisting of delicious recipes the whole family will enjoy. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snack recipes everyday for 30 days. Check it out here.

Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (3)

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Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (4)

Top 50 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

In fact, there are a handful of foods that just shouldn't be pressure-cooked. Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks.

Is cooking in an Instant Pot healthy? ›

Many nutrition professionals promote using the Instant Pot, too. Dr. Andrew Weil, a medical doctor who specializes in nutrition and creator of the original anti-inflammatory diet, says that pressure cookers are safe to use and may actually be the best way to preserve nutrients in food compared to other cooking methods.

What should I make first in my new 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.

Can I put frozen meat in Instant Pot? ›

Yes, it is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker or an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot. However, if you only have the slow cooker version of the Instant Pot, then it is not safe to cook frozen food in it.

Why potatoes should not be cooked in pressure cooker? ›

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

Does pressure cooking destroy vitamins? ›

Pressure cooking can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate) and bioactive phytonutrients, such as betacarotene, glucosinolates (helpful compounds found in cruciferous vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids, that are beneficial for human health.

What are the disadvantages of a pressure cooker? ›

Advantages of pressure cooking include reduced cooking times and retention of nutrients, plus it's a great way to make energy-efficient, one-pot meals. The downsides include problems with foods that have different cook times and not being able to check the progress of the food cooking.

Does pressure cooking bone broth destroy nutrients? ›

A pressure cooker will save you batch time and get you 75% of the nutrition benefits of bone broth. That being said, it will lack the additional nutrients and minerals which require long and slow simmer times to harvest from the bones and animal parts.

Can you put raw meat in a pressure cooker? ›

Diced Meat

Season your meat as you normally would. Heat a little oil using the Sauté function and sear the meat. Add 1 1/2 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc.). Cook for 20 minutes (per pound of meat) at high pressure for large chunks and 15 minutes (per pound of meat) for small chunks.

Are Instant Pots nontoxic? ›

Instant Pots and Your Health

Far from being toxic, these modern kitchen wonders use food-grade materials and sophisticated cooking methods to keep your meals safe and nutritious. Whether you're pressure cooking, slow cooking, or making yogurt, Instant Pots offer a lead-free, mercury-free, and hassle-free experience.

Which cooking method is the best to retain nutrients? ›

Alternative cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, steaming, stir-frying or microwaving generally preserve a greater amount of vitamins and other nutrients.

Do chefs use Instant Pots? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

Does pressure cooking cause acrylamide? ›

Pressure cooker - whether steel, carbon steel, aluminium- does not produce any acrylamide nor does it destroy nutrients. All that it do...

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