Hungry now? Need a fast dinner? Here are 10 Instant Pot recipes that can be made in 30 minutes from start to finish. These recipes are perfect to make on a busy weeknight.

30 Minute Instant Pot Meals
Most of my recipes I would classify as easy recipes and a lot of them are made with minimal prep time. However when it comes to making an Instant Pot recipe from start to finish you have to include the coming to pressure time (about 10 minutes) along with the pressure release time. So although my recipes require very little babysitting most of the time they are not made in 30 minutes or less. However today I’ve compiled a list of 10 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less from start of prep to scooping onto your plate. These recipes are perfect for a busy weeknight! Enjoy!
Instant Pot Dump and Go Meatball Lasagna
A perfect dinner on those nights when you need dinner fast! This 8 ingredient pasta dish is faster than picking up pizza and it will be gobbled up in no time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Pressure Release Time: 5 minutes

Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Country Boil
A one pot meal with tender red potatoes, sweet corn, fresh green beans and smoked sausage. A perfect summer meal with tons of flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minutes
- Quick Release

Instant Pot Shells and Cheese
Creamy cheesy pasta shells (or macaroni) with slices of smoked sausage. An easy and delicious dinner that is kid-friendly and adults love it too!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 Minutes

Instant Pot Homemade Rice-A-Roni
Do you love “the San Francisco treat” but want to make it from scratch? Make this super easy version of Rice-A-Roni in your Instant Pot! It’s the perfect side dish for so many meals.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 Minutes

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans
Flavorful quinoa with salsa, black beans and sliced avocado. A fast and easy meatless meal or an amazing side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Natural Pressure Release: 10 Minutes

Instant Pot Smoked Sausage and Cabbage
An easy all in one pot meal of smoked sausage, potatoes, onion and cabbage. Dump everything into the pot and walk away!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minute
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 Minutes

Instant Pot 3-Ingredient Meatballs
These meatballs are a perfect appetizer. With only 3 ingredients and the use of your Instant Pot they literally take 3 minutes of hands-on time. They are super flavorful with a little bit of savory and a little bit of sweetness.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minute
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 Minutes
Instant Pot Penne In Cajun Mustard Cream Sauce
Make this Instant Pot Penne in Cajun Mustard Cream Sauce for a quick and easy weeknight meal. With options to prepare it with andouille sausage or meatless you can make everyone happy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minute
- Quick Release

Instant Pot Tomato Basil Parmesan Orzo
Orzo pasta is tossed with fresh basil, garlic, halved cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese for a perfect side dish or meatless meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 minutes

Instant Pot Teriyaki Salmon and Rice
Frozen salmon fillets are thrown into your electric pressure cooker with some rice and cooked until flaky. This is such an easy and fast way to make salmon. Serve your salmon and rice with veggies and you have a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Building Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minute
- Natural Pressure Release: 5 minutes

*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.
I can’t believe I gave my(YOUR) cookbook away to someone who just got an instant pot for Christmas—thinking I’ll just order myself another one!!! Then I find that you are not reprinting your cookbook!! Please reconsider!?
Oh no!!
hi Kerrn, how do I cook white beans and tomatoes sauce in the instant pot?
thank you in advance,
Tami
Do you have a traditional recipe for this that I can look at?
hi Karen
i would like to cook meat loaf in my one pot
also i can see ,you use nice
tools how to lift the cooking out of the pressure cooker
however, i livein Australia and i cant find any of them
i have as kt you
where i can get all this tools you told me at COS CO
i had to join COS CO bud to my disappointment it is not available in Australia
can you tell me please ,where else i can purchase them
i keep all the receipt from you on my Computer i love them
i am good at my slow cooker bud never use my one pot
thank you so much
you fan
Gisela
Do you have amazon access? I would look up Instant Pot sling and there are lots of products out there. Thanks for following along Gisela!!!
Hi,
I’ve recently bought a low carb pasta product called Gnoda pasta. It’s made by the people using the website gnom-gnom. Could you tell me how long it would take to make a pasta recipe in my pot.
I just looked online at the pasta. It looks cool! I have no experience with low carb pasta at all. I would experiment with it. Since it’s expensive add only 4 ounces of pasta and 1 cup water into the Instant Pot. I would start by testing it at 3 minutes with a 5 minute NPR.