25 Best Instant Pot Recipes for 2025: Quick, Easy & Delicious

The Instant Pot has earned its reputation as the most useful appliance in the kitchen. It pressure cooks, slow cooks, sautés, steams, and makes yogurt — all in one pot with minimal cleanup.

These 25 recipes represent the best of what the Instant Pot does: making tough ingredients tender, saving time without sacrificing flavor, and producing results that would take hours on the stovetop.

Soups & Stews

1. Chicken Tortilla Soup

Time: 25 minutes total Sauté onion and garlic, add chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, cumin, and chili powder. Pressure cook HIGH 15 minutes. Shred chicken, serve with tortilla strips, avocado, and lime.

2. Classic Beef Chili

Time: 45 minutes total Brown ground beef with sauté function. Add kidney beans, diced tomatoes, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika. Pressure cook HIGH 20 minutes. Best chili you'll make in under an hour.

3. Lentil Soup

Time: 30 minutes total Sauté onion, carrots, celery, garlic. Add red lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, cumin, turmeric. Pressure cook HIGH 15 minutes. Healthy, filling, budget-friendly.

4. French Onion Soup

Time: 50 minutes total Caramelize onions with sauté function (20 min). Add beef broth, thyme, bay leaves. Pressure cook HIGH 10 minutes. Top with toasted bread and gruyère. Broil until bubbly.

5. Tuscan White Bean Soup

Time: 35 minutes total Sauté pancetta, garlic, rosemary. Add dried white beans (no soaking!), chicken broth. Pressure cook HIGH 35 minutes. Stir in spinach and parmesan to serve.

Chicken Dishes

6. Honey Garlic Chicken

Time: 25 minutes total Mix honey, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar. Add chicken thighs. Pressure cook HIGH 12 minutes. Reduce sauce with sauté function. Serve over rice.

7. Chicken Tikka Masala

Time: 30 minutes total Sauté onion and garlic, add spices (garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric). Add chicken, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk. Pressure cook HIGH 10 minutes. The Instant Pot's best-loved Indian dish.

8. Buffalo Chicken (Shredded)

Time: 20 minutes total Chicken breasts + buffalo sauce + ranch seasoning. Pressure cook HIGH 15 minutes. Shred with forks, toss in sauce. Use for sandwiches, bowls, pizza topping.

9. Whole Rotisserie-Style Chicken

Time: 50 minutes total Season whole chicken, sear breast-side down with sauté function. Add broth, pressure cook HIGH 25 minutes per 3 lbs. Crispiest skin: finish 10 minutes under broiler.

Beef & Pork

10. Pot Roast (Chuck Roast)

Time: 90 minutes (but only 10 minutes active) Season chuck roast, sear all sides. Add carrots, potatoes, onion, beef broth, Worcestershire. Pressure cook HIGH 60-80 minutes per 3-4 lbs. Fork-tender results that take 8 hours in a slow cooker.

11. Pulled Pork

Time: 80 minutes Season pork shoulder with dry rub. Add apple cider vinegar and chicken broth. Pressure cook HIGH 60-90 minutes (until 200°F internal). Shred and toss in BBQ sauce.

12. Korean Short Ribs (Galbi)

Time: 60 minutes Soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, pear (for tenderizing). Short ribs + sauce. Pressure cook HIGH 35 minutes. Finish 5 minutes under broiler. Extraordinary.

13. Bolognese Meat Sauce

Time: 45 minutes Sauté soffritto + ground beef + pork. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, wine, milk. Pressure cook HIGH 20 minutes. Better than stovetop sauce simmered for hours.

Pasta & Grains

14. Mac and Cheese

Time: 15 minutes Pasta + water + butter + salt. Pressure cook HIGH 4 minutes. Quick release. Stir in cream, cheddar, cream cheese. The Instant Pot mac and cheese is legitimately excellent.

15. Risotto (No Stirring!)

Time: 25 minutes Sauté onion, add arborio rice, white wine. Add warmed chicken broth. Pressure cook HIGH 6 minutes. Stir in parmesan, butter. Same result as 30 minutes of constant stirring.

16. Brown Rice (Perfectly Cooked)

Time: 25 minutes 1:1.25 ratio rice to water. Pressure cook HIGH 22 minutes, natural release 10 minutes. Most consistent brown rice result of any cooking method.

Vegetarian & Sides

17. Mashed Potatoes

Time: 20 minutes Quartered Russet potatoes + water. Pressure cook HIGH 10 minutes. Drain, mash with butter, cream, salt. Fastest restaurant-quality mashed potatoes.

18. Steamed Artichokes

Time: 20 minutes Trim artichokes, add lemon and bay leaf. Steam HIGH 10-12 minutes. Serve with drawn butter. What takes 45 minutes on the stovetop takes 10 in the Instant Pot.

19. Baked Potatoes

Time: 25 minutes Pricked potatoes on trivet, add 1 cup water. Pressure cook HIGH 15 minutes. Crispy skin: brush with oil, broil 5 minutes. Never touch an oven for baked potatoes again.

20. Hummus (from Dried Chickpeas)

Time: 50 minutes (but virtually no active time) Dried chickpeas + water + baking soda. Cook HIGH 40 minutes. Blend with tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil. Silkiest hummus possible from scratch.

Breakfast

21. Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Time: 15 minutes 1:3 oats to liquid ratio. Pressure cook HIGH 3 minutes, natural release 10 minutes. The texture steel-cut oats are supposed to have — without 30 minutes on the stovetop.

22. Egg Bites (Starbucks-Style)

Time: 20 minutes Blend eggs + cottage cheese + fillings in jars or silicone molds. Steam LOW 8 minutes. Silky, protein-packed, meal-prep friendly.

Beans & Legumes

23. Black Beans (No Soaking Required)

Time: 35 minutes Dried black beans + water + aromatics. Pressure cook HIGH 30 minutes. Season after cooking (salt before toughens skins). Better than canned, ready in under an hour.

24. Chickpea Curry

Time: 30 minutes Sauté onion, ginger, garlic, spices. Add dried chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk. Pressure cook HIGH 35 minutes (from dry). Serve with rice or naan.

Dessert

25. Cheesecake

Time: 50 minutes (+ chill time) The Instant Pot makes the best cheesecake: no water bath, no cracking, perfect texture. Press graham cracker crust into 7" springform pan. Pour in cream cheese filling. Pressure cook HIGH 35 minutes on trivet with 1 cup water.

Instant Pot Tips

Always add minimum liquid: At least 1 cup for most recipes to reach pressure.

Natural release vs quick release: Natural release (wait 10-15 min before opening) for meats and dishes that benefit from continued cooking. Quick release for vegetables and pasta.

Don't overfill: Maximum fill line is 2/3 for most foods, 1/2 for foamy foods (beans, grains).

Sauté before pressure cooking: Building flavor with the sauté function first makes a significant difference in depth of flavor.