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March 10, 2020

23 surprising foods you can make in an Instant Pot

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There are plenty of ways to use your Instant Pot besides roast and soup! Here are 23 surprising foods you can make in an Instant Pot.

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23 surprising foods you can make in an Instant Pot

If you’re familiar with the Instant Pot you’ve for sure heard that you can make yogurt, rice and hard boiled eggs in it. But have you used it to make some of these foods? What crazy or surprising ways have you used your Instant Pot? I’d love to know!

Corn on the cob

I am so happy to have discovered that you can make corn on the cob in the Instant Pot. And it is SO fast and easy! This is a complete game changer for me. I never know how long to boil corn and it always seems to get overdone. Now I can get perfect corn every single time.

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Instant Pot Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob--sweet corn is slathered with garlic, butter, salt and pepper. The easiest and tastiest corn on the cob! You'll never go back boiling corn on the stove again.

Zero Minute Vegetables

Steaming vegetables in the Instant Pot is so easy and some vegetables only require a ZERO minute pressure cooking time! Some great zero minute vegetables to steam in the Instant Pot are: cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, frozen corn, asparagus, zucchini slices and green beans.

Instant Pot Zero Minute Vegetables

Jam

This amazing Instant Pot Strawberry Jam recipe uses just four simple ingredients (no fruit pectin needed!) and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Making homemade jam has never been simpler or easier, thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker!

Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
A small mason jar full of strawberry jam made in the instant pot, with fresh strawberries around it and a plate with toast and strawberry jam on it in the background

Chocolate Dipping

Using your Instant Pot as a double boiler is a great way to melt the chocolate and then keep it warm and melty as you dip, dip, dip until your heartโ€™s content. The Instant Pot keeps the chocolate the PERFECT temperature the entire time that you are dipping. I think that itโ€™s much easier to use than the stove top method or the microwave method because the Instant Pot is placed on the counter and your parchment or waxed paper is placed right next to it. This leads to much less mess and itโ€™s very convenient.

How to use your Instant Pot as a double boiler

Cornbread

Need to free up some oven space? Make cornbread in your electric pressure cooker. This recipe makes the same amount of cornbread as a 9 x 9 inch pan in the oven.

Instant Pot Cornbread
Instant Pot Cornbread--need to free up some oven space? Make cornbread in your electric pressure cooker. This recipe makes the same amount of cornbread as a 9 x 9 inch pan in the oven.

Caramelized Onions

If youโ€™ve ever caramelized onions before on the stove you know that it can be a somewhat laborious and long process. But in the Instant Pot itโ€™s amazingly easy, so easy you may never use your stove again to caramelize onions!

Instant Pot French Onion Chicken
cheesy chicken in a yellow dish

Crรจme Brรปlรฉe

Crรจme Brรปlรฉe, what a heavenly indulging treat that is light yet so satisfying. Easy enough to satisfy your weeknight cravings, yet fancy enough to impress your guests! Now you can make it in your Instant Pot!

Instant Pot Crรจme Brรปlรฉe
Instant Pot Creme Brulee | Instapot Creme Brulee | Pressure Cooker Creme Brulee | Instant Pot Dessert | Pressure Cooker Dessert #instantpot #recipes #dessert #easy #pressurecooker

Potato Salad

I have the best Instant Pot potato salad trick for you! It’s so easy and it’s fast. One of the coolest things that I’ve used my Instant Pot for is making potato salad. What’s so great about it, you say? In a four minute pressure cook time you cook all of the cubed potatoes and hard boil the eggs at the same time in the same pot.

Instant Pot Potato Salad
Need to make potato salad for a potluck or barbecue? I have the best Instant Pot potato salad trick for you! It's so easy and it's fast.

Popcorn

Most folks may not know it, but homemade popcorn is a surprisingly cheap snack to make. Itโ€™s even cheaper than buying those microwave popcorn bags, and you can flavor the popcorn however you like!

Instant Pot Popcorn
a black bowl of popped popcorn made in an instant pot.

Peeling Tomatoes

Iโ€™m going to show you the easiest way to remove skins from tomatoes! Use your Instant Pot to help you remove the skins in just a few minutes.

How to peel tomatoes the easy way

Cough Syrup

Making your own cough syrup from easy, familiar ingredients is such a great idea! Use this stuff all winter long to suppress those nasty coughs.

Instant Pot Cough Syrup
Instant Pot Cough Syrup

Proofing Bread

If you have a yogurt function on your Instant Pot you can use your IP to proof dough (raise dough) faster. It works so well. All you do is oil the pot so that the dough doesn’t stick. Place the dough in the bottom of your pot. Then select the yogurt button. Use the adjust button to cycle through until the light is on the “less.” My pot says 24 hours on the display. Then cover the pot with a glass lid or a plate. DO NOT use the normal Instant Pot lid. If you do the dough might raise so high that it pushes the valve up and indicates to the pot that there is pressure. You won’t be able to open the pot and the lid will be stuck. Let the dough double in size (or follow the instructions in your recipe). My dough only took 30 minutes to raise as opposed to the normal hour it would have taken sitting on the counter.

Proofing bread in the Instant Pot

Sterlizing Baby Bottles

When you have little ones, every minute saved is precious time you can spend with your family. With this video, you will learn how to sterilize multiple items such as baby bottles, sippy cups, etc in the Instant Pot. By doing this, youโ€™ll save tons of time compared to washing each piece separately. You will also ensure that all germs have been killed thanks to the steam produced during this process.

How to sterilize baby bottles in the Instant Pot

Baked Potatoes

I love making baked potatoes in the Instant Pot because they are: faster than the oven, fluffy and moist, donโ€™t require foil and you can pile in as many potatoes as will fit (even past the max fill line).

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
baked potato with cheese, sour cream and bacon on a white plate

Crusty Bread

Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread is full of whole grain, seedy goodness and is ready for dinner in a fraction of the time compared to typical no-knead Artisan bread.

Instant Pot Crusty Bread
Instant Pot Whole Wheat Crusty Bread next to a bowl of green soup

Frozen Ground Beef

Here’s a trick for you! If you need to brown some ground beef for a recipe like tacos or spaghetti but all your ground beef is frozen don’t worry! You can easily and quickly thaw ground beef using your Instant Pot.

How to thaw ground beef

Cottage Cheese

Making yogurt in the Instant Pot is all the rage, but if you have never had homemade cottage cheese, you are missing out.

Instant Pot Cottage Cheese

Dulce De Leche

You know whatโ€™s amazing? The fact that you can turn a can of sweetened condensed milk into a caramel dipping sauce with your Instant Pot. Itโ€™s just magical. Basically all you do is pour the sweetened condensed milk into little jars and place those jars on the trivet in the bottom of your electric pressure cooker. Add some water to the bottom of the pot and cook for 50 minutes and youโ€™ll have the cutest little jars of goodness. My favorite way to eat dulce de leche is to dip apples into it. Itโ€™s ultra sweet so granny smith apples balance it out a bit. These are a fun gift to give to a friend. Wrap up an apple in cellophane and throw in a little jar of caramel sauce. Who can resist that?

Instant Pot Dulce De Leche
Instant Pot Caramel Dipping Sauce (Dulce De Leche)--if you're a fan of all things sweet and caramelly you're going to love this dulce de leche that is a perfect dipping sauce for apples or to pour over ice cream. The best part is that all you need is your electric pressure cooker and a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Apple Cider

This Instant Pot Apple Cider recipe is the best drink for fall, and the holiday season, to keep you warm! Itโ€™s made in the pressure cooker with orange, lemon, apples, cranberries, cinnamon and cloves.

Instant Pot Apple Cider

Egg Loaf

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.

Instant Pot Egg Loaf Trick

Homemade Apple Sauce

Delicious homemade apple sauce just got easier, made in the instant pot or slow cooker. This Instant Pot applesauce recipe has no added sugar and can be made in just 15 minutes.

Instant Pot Apple Sauce
A bowl of homemade applesuace with cinnamon, made from the instant pot.

Spaghetti Squash

Making Instant Pot spaghetti squash couldn’t be easier (or faster). It is a perfect food if you’re trying to eat more veggies, cut down on calories or cut down on carbs. It adopts the flavors of whatever you season it with or whatever sauce you put over the top of it.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash--this is hands down the easiest and fastest way to cook spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is a healthy, low calorie alternative to regular pasta and because it has a neutral flavor it soaks up whatever seasonings or sauce you serve with it.ย 

Pumpkin Puree

Learn the easiest way to make Pumpkin Puree from scratch using the Instant Pot! Use homemade pumpkin puree in all your favorite fall recipes!

Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree
Learn the easiest way to make Pumpkin Puree from scratch using the Instant Pot! Use homemade pumpkin puree in all your favorite fall recipes!

Freezer Meals

I love cooking completely frozen foods in the Instant Pot! You can go from frozen to completely done in an hour. These 3 Instant Pot freezer meals are perfect to make ahead of time and then when you need a quick meal on a busy night pop one into your Instant Pot.

3 Dump and Go Freezer Meals

What is something surprising that you have made with your Instant Pot? Comment below and let me know!

You might also like…

9 Things You Didnโ€™t Know You Could Make In The Instant Pot

10 Things Not To Do With Your Instant Pot

5 Best Ways To Use The Instant Pot

Want more tried and true Instant Pot recipes?

Receive FREE daily Instant Pot recipes and tips in your email box. Sign up by filling out the gray form below. Other ways to follow: join the 365 Days of Instant Pot Recipes Facebook group and subscribe 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.

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15 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Collections, Instant Pot

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Katherine Thompson says

    February 26, 2021 at 10:48 am

    Hi Karen.
    My name is Katherine Thompson. I just want to say how much I enjoy your instant pot recipes so much. This is my first instant pot that I got from my sister and brother inlaw. They gave it to me for Christmas.
    Sincerely Katherine Thompson

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 26, 2021 at 10:58 am

      So glad you are enjoying the recipes Katherine! Keep up the good work!

      Reply
  2. Peggy King says

    July 18, 2020 at 12:17 pm

    Can I use blueberries in place of strawberries for instant pot jam? The strawberry jam turned out great!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 20, 2020 at 11:46 am

      I haven’t tried that Peggy. This recipe looks similar to mine for blueberries: https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-blueberry-jam/#wprm-recipe-container-7337

      Reply
  3. Mary Heidt says

    July 17, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    this is a wonderful series. I am going to try the cottage cheese soon. It looks really good. I am trying to eat better and anything that I can make at home makes me feel better knowing exactly what is in it. I have enjoyed many of your recipes and use some over and over. I too like the sausage, green beans, and potatoes.
    It is one of our favorites. Thanks again.
    Mary

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 20, 2020 at 11:51 am

      Thanks Mary! I’m so glad you are here ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Reply
  4. Pam says

    March 12, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    I have read so many reviews on these but would really like the opinion of an “Instant Pot Pro.” Which small silicone gloves do you recommend purchasing? Also, can you please let me know which stackable insert pans for pot in pot meals you use. I have a 6 quart.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 13, 2020 at 8:39 am

      Hi Pam I don’t have the silicone gloves so I need to try them all out and give an honest review! I have these stackable pans and they work great! https://amzn.to/2AAH5at

      Reply
  5. Terri Z says

    March 12, 2020 at 11:11 am

    This email is loaded with so many tips and recipes! Thank you, Karen, for always taking the time, that you do freely, to share with us so that we can make fantastic meals for our family!! I so appreciate and benefit from your IP knowledge!!

    Our go-to-favorite meal (and my Mom’s) is the Smoked Sausage, Potato and Green Beans. It’s so easy & you have all the components of a great meal, all cooked together in one pot. I would love more of these!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 12, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Yes I really love those one pot dinners they are great! Here are some more: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/25-one-pot-dinners-for-the-instant-pot/

      Reply
  6. Cathy says

    March 11, 2020 at 10:55 am

    Great comprehensive resource, allowing maximizing the use of our Instant Pots. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 11, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      You’re welcome Cathy!

      Reply
  7. Deb says

    March 11, 2020 at 9:05 am

    thanks for the tips on the spaghetti squash. can’t wait to try it

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 11, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      It’s the best!

      Reply
  8. Dianna says

    March 10, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    Thank you,

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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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.

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