10 of the Best Things to Cook with an Instant Pot

There are so many great recipes for the Instant Pot out there. Here are 10 of the best things to cook with an Instant Pot that I have found over the years. Did your favorites make the list?

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10 of the Best Things to Cook with an Instant Pot

#1: Hard Boiled Eggs

I know, I know. Hard boiled eggs are NOT that hard to make on the stove. And they don’t take that much time. But the reason to make them in the Instant Pot is not necessarily because it saves time. The number 1 reason to make hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot is because of how much easier they are to peel! This is a thing I promise. The peels practically slide off magically.

I love making a batch of hard boiled eggs each week and having them available for a quick protein-filled snack or to chop them up and put them on salad for lunch. I also throw a hard boiled egg into my kids lunches.

P.S. If you need a bunch of chopped boiled eggs for a recipe I have a great trick for you. Some people call this “egg loaf.” Basically you crack as many eggs in a dish that you need and then cook them very quickly in your Instant Pot. Once the eggs are cooked you can cut them up easily on a cutting board. I like to use these eggs for cobb salad, avocado egg salad, egg salad or potato salad. Here is a video on how to make an egg loaf…

#2: Yogurt

Making yogurt in the Instant Pot has completely changed my life for the better! I love making homemade thick and creamy Greek yogurt. I can make about 8 cups of yogurt for $2! What a deal! I love eating my yogurt every day with some berries or bananas and a little granola. It’s high protein and a great breakfast or snack. My brother-in-law likes to stir protein powder into his Greek yogurt for a high protein and delicious snack. I tried it and it almost tasted like pudding. So yummy!

Note: Not all Instant Pots have the yogurt button on them. In my opinion the upgrade is well worth the money! I also use the yogurt button to proof bread in my Instant Pot.

Once you do it a few times you won’t even need to look at a recipe you’ll just know the process. But here is my step-by-step video to get you started:

#3: Roast

I love making roast in my slow cooker but sometimes I don’t get it into the crockpot in time. That’s why I love the Instant Pot! I can make fall apart tender roast in the Instant Pot in less than 2 hours. You can even cook frozen roast. I have quite a few roast recipes.

Here are my favorites:

Instant Pot Mom’s Pot Roast — this one has roast, potatoes and carrots with lots of seasonings, no packets!

Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Pot Roast Dinner from Frozen! — you can cook a pot roast even if it’s frozen solid in your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot 3-Ingredient Rump Roast — this one just calls for three ingredients! A perfect recipe for a beginner at the Instant Pot.

#4: Legumes

The Instant Pot is the perfect vehicle to cook dried beans, chickpeas and lentils. The Instant Pot cooks them WAY faster than any other way. Seriously. It’s a game changer for those who like to cook legumes from scratch instead of buying canned goods.

#5: Rice

One of the very first things I made in my Instant Pot was brown rice. Brown rice on the stove has never worked great for me. I would always get the ratio wrong or the water would boil over. With the Instant Pot brown rice turns out perfect every single time!

You can make any type of rice in the Instant Pot! Here is a little cheat sheet for you…

Note: Some people have gotten the BURN notice while making rice in the Instant Pot. If you’re not making a large batch of rice (at least 1 1/2 cups or water or more) then I suggest making pot in pot rice instead.

#6: Potatoes

I make mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato salad and more potato dishes ALL the time in the Instant Pot. They cook up so fast! Sweet potatoes also turn out well in the Instant Pot. They do cook quicker than Russet potatoes though, so be careful not to overcook.

Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes and Sausage

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Instant Sweet Potato Mash

Instant Pot Mashed Ranch Potatoes

#7: Melting Chocolate

Although you don’t use the pressure cook function for this recipe the Instant Pot is a handy vessel to melt chocolate for dipping. Just read what 365 Days reader Marcia said! “When I saw this recipe, I thought to myself that this would work for dipping my truffles and buckeyes, which it did. I dipped 8 dozen oreo truffles (in white choc) and 16 dozen buckeyes (in milk choc) with very little effort. My chocolate stayed at the perfect temp and as I started getting low in the bowl, I just added a handful of chocolate and it melted quickly. No scorched chocolate. No constant stirring. Perfect in every way. I used my 3 quart Instant Pot which is shorter (on the counter) and it was easier to find a bowl to fit it.”

And Sharon said, ” This new way is so much easier than melting it in the microwave and then keeping it warm on the warming element on the stove. I won’t use the old way of preparing it again now that this is so much easier.”

#8: Cheesecake

The Instant Pot makes the perfect cheesecake! The reason? It uses steam surrounding the cake pan to bake the cheesecake. The moist air around the cheesecake cooks it in minutes with no cracks on the top of the cake!

Note: You will need a springform pan that is small enough to fit inside your Instant Pot. I use this 7 inch pan to make cheesecake* in the Instant Pot.

#9: Mac and Cheese

There are a billion recipes to make macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot out there. Why? Isn’t mac and cheese super easy and fast to just make on the stove? The answer is yes it is. However, the Instant Pot make the whole process hands off. I love throwing the ingredients into the Instant Pot and walking away. I love not having to worry about the water boiling over on the stove. The other thing is that the Instant Pot can keep the mac and cheese warm until you’re ready to eat. This makes it perfect for potlucks.

#10: Frozen Chicken

I am a procrastinator. I’ll start working on that personality flaw…tomorrow. So the fact that I don’t have to thaw my chicken when using the Instant Pot makes me so very happy! I have so many great recipes that use frozen chicken. Here are some of them…

Also, I have a video tutorial that talks about how long to cook chicken whether it’s fresh or frozen!

Thanks for reading about my personal opinions on what the best things to cook with an Instant Pot are! What are your personal best things to cook with an Instant Pot? I’d love to know! Comment below and tell me what I missed 🙂

What Pressure Cooker Do You Use?

Typically I used a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly.  It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.

Want tried and true Instant Pot recipes?

Sign up for my Instant Pot emails and you’ll receive a recipe or tip every day! You can also join the 365 Days of Instant Pot Recipes Facebook group which is run by my husband Greg and myself. If you’re a visual learner consider subscribing to my YouTube channel where I share Instant Pot stuff with you weekly.

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.