The Foods you MUST cook in an Instant Pot

If you’re new to the Instant Pot or don’t have one you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. “It’s just a pressure cooker, right?” Just give it a shot. You have to try making these particular foods in the Instant Pot and then you’ll understand why the craze.

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The Foods you MUST cook in an Instant Pot

“I’ll never make it any other way again!” I asked the 365 Days Facebook group, “what foods do you make in the Instant Pot now that you won’t make any other way again?” I got 239 comments on that post. People love their Instant Pots 😂. Here are the most common answers from (least amount of votes to greatest):

Steel Cut Oats/Oatmeal

Steel cut oats are a hearty grain that take quite a bit of boiling on the stove. I like to make them in the Instant Pot. I use 1 cup oatmeal to 2 cups water ratio and then pressure cook for 4 minutes with a natural pressure release. Try my pumpkin pie steel cut oats this fall.

Old fashioned oats also work well in the Instant Pot. Try Instant Pot cinnamon banana oatmeal for a delicious and hearty breakfast.

Mac and Cheese

Nothing beats homemade macaroni and cheese! And when you use the Instant Pot for mac and cheese there’s no draining of the water. Try my Instant Pot 3-cheese mac for the ultimate cheesiness!

Yogurt

Yogurt is something that I had never even considered making before I got an Instant Pot. Homemade yogurt? What? But now I make it every couple weeks or so. It’s the best! And so much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store. Try my Instant Pot Greek Yogurt that’s super thick and creamy and tangy.

Chili

No more simmering your chili on the stove for hours. Make it in your Instant Pot in less than an hour. Try my down home Instant Pot chili with cornbread for a hearty supper. Or you can try the popular white chicken chili too!

Chicken

Quite a few responses were chicken recipes. Many of those were just shredded chicken to use in other recipes. I do have to say throwing chicken into a pot with some broth and walking away is a pretty awesome way to cook chicken! I like Instant Pot Seasoned Shredded Chicken for all sorts of recipes! It’s so flavorful. I like to use a combination of chicken breasts and thighs.

Risotto

If you’ve made risotto on the stove before you know how laborious it is. Lots and lots of stirring. The Instant Pot changes all that and makes creamy risotto with hardly any work at all. This is a game changer. Try Instant Pot Parmesan Risotto and you’ll never go back to the stove again.

Risotto! So much easier than stir, stir, stir on the stove and turns out perfect every time!

Kathy

Cheesecake

Cheesecake was a popular answer. Cheesecake in the Instant Pot turns out with no cracks on top, it’s lighter and creamier too. There are all sorts of cheesecake recipes out there but I’m partial to my Instant Pot turtle cheesecake recipe.

Corned Beef

Corned beef from an Instant Pot turns out incredibly tender. It’s much faster than a slow cooker or oven. Try my Instant Pot corned beef with a creamy dijon mustard sauce.

Pasta/Spaghetti

So many of you said you make spaghetti in the Instant Pot. You know what’s crazy? I’ve tried spaghetti with marinara a few times in the Instant Pot and haven’t been able to get it to turn out quite right. But I do make pasta dishes all the time in the Instant Pot and love that there is no water boiling over on the stove and no draining of the water. It’s my favorite! Try Instant Pot rigatoni and sausage or Instant Pot cheater lasagna.

Corn on the Cob

Once you try Instant Pot corn on the cob you’ll never go back to boiling it on the stove again. For amazing flavor try my Instant Pot Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob.

Potatoes/Mashed Potatoes/Potato Salad

Whether it’s baked potatoes, mashed potatoes or potato salad you will love using your Instant Pot to cook potatoes! Try my Instant Pot potato salad trick where you cook the eggs and the potatoes at the same time or Instant Pot baked potatoes for a baked potato bar dinner.

Potato salad! I hated making it until I started using the Instant Pot! So fast and easy.

Julie

Dried Beans

If you’re going to cook dried beans I really don’t think there’s a better and faster way than the Instant Pot. Try Instant Pot Appalachian Soup Beans for a comforting bowl of creamy pinto beans flavored with smoky ham.

Soup/Stew

From Instant Pot Italian Sausage and Spinach Soup to vegetable soup to split pea soup there’s just not an easier and faster way to make soup than the Instant Pot. I love using the saute function to saute the onions, carrots and celery of a soup. It’s so handy!

Most soups and stew! Tonight I made Zuppa Toscana. Two nights ago it was Italian Meatball wedding soup. Leftovers w/b going into to freezer and come out when I don’t feel like cooking (just 2 of us). Love my IP and the recipes here.

Lessley

Ribs

Cooking Instant Pot ribs involves coiling the rack of ribs inside the Instant Pot liner. They turn out so tender! Many people like to finish them up on the grill or in the oven.

Ribs! The best ever in a quarter of the time.

Diane

Rice

I’ve never owned a rice cooker so I can’t compare the Instant Pot to a rice cooker. However I do know that cooking rice in the Instant Pot instead of the stove is like magic. Especially brown rice.

Roast

Beef pot roast was a super popular answer. I like making my roast in the Instant Pot and then adding in the potatoes and carrots later so they don’t get mushy. Try Instant Pot Grandma’s Roast to have a childhood flashback.

Hard Boiled Eggs

The number one answer to the question “what food do you make in the Instant Pot now that you won’t make any other way again?” was hard boiled eggs!!! Is it any wonder? The peels slide off like magic and there’s never the gray ring around the yolk. They are perfect protein packed snack and taste great on salads. Try Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs.

Some other answers were: artichokes, beets, boiled peanuts, bone-in chicken, cabbage rolls, cauliflower, egg bites, grains, grits, jambalaya, lasagna, meatloaf, pulled pork, quinoa, rice pudding, squash, homemade stock, sweet tea and turkey breast.

What is the #1 food you’ll never make any other way again?