When it comes to kitchen trends, 2017 is quickly shaping up to be "the year of the Instant Pot." Bloggers are professing their undying love for it, entire Pinterest boards are dedicated to it, and it’s been featured on leading news sites. A pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pan, steamer, yogurt maker, and stockpot warmer in one (whew!), this Canadian-born gadget can pretty much do everything from boil eggs and braise ribs to make lasagna and bake cakes, all in record time.
It seems almost too spectacular to be true—can a kitchen appliance really be that life-changing? Yes. Yes, it can. But don’t just take our word for it—check out these recipes for yourself. Saving time, space, and energy, these 27 dishes will help you make the most of your Instant Pot—or just convince you to get one.
Soups and Stews
1. Golden Lentil and Spinach Soup
Photo: Kitchen Treaty
It usually takes 20 minutes just to boil lentils, and that doesn't even include any cooking. With the Instant Pot, you not only get perfectly pressure-cooked legumes, but also a hearty soup filled with spinach, onions, and carrots in just 35 minutes.
2. Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
Photo: Delicious Meets Healthy
Stews are known for tasting better the longer they cook, but this beefy, brothy recipe proves how the Instant Pot can get you that same depth of flavor in a fraction of the time. The generous splash of marsala wine doesn’t hurt either.
3. Tortilla Soup
Photo: Foraged Dish
From ingredients to preparation, everything about this tortilla soup is as simple as it gets. Onions and garlic make up its fragrant base, while shredded chicken adds some protein-packed body. Twenty minutes in the Instant Pot later, it’s ready for your favorite toppings.
4. Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Photo: Detoxinista
To keep this coconut butternut squash soup from getting too sweet, this blogger adds a good dusting of curry powder for some savory spice. The Instant Pot takes care of sautéing and pressure-cooking the vegetables, so all you need to do is blend it as a final step.
5. Pork Goulash
Photo: Peas and Peonies
Let the Instant Pot bring central Europe into your kitchen with this incredibly easy goulash. Lean pork is a tasty departure from regular beef, while two types of paprika give it that distinctive Hungarian flavor.
6. Smoky Vegan Split Pea Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Navy Beans
Photo: Healthy Slow Cooking
Sweet potatoes add some extra body, while navy beans provide even more protein to this main meal-worthy soup. Nutritional yeast keeps it vegan while giving it a slightly cheesy flavor. The best part? While it would take all day to cook in a slow cooker, the Instant Pot has it on the table in 20 minutes.
7. Indo-Chinese Corn Soup
Photo: Veggies Save the Day
Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine is pretty popular in restaurants, but now you can create that flavor-packed combo at home thanks to the Instant Pot. Corn and cabbage simmer to perfection with sesame oil and soy sauce for just 10 minutes before the mixture is ready for blending.
8. Low-Carb Keto Chicken “Noodle” Soup
Photo: Healthful Pursuit
If you can’t find daikon radish, we’re pretty sure zucchini noodles will do the trick just as well in this lighter take on chicken noodle soup. It may be a lower-carb recipe, but somehow it's as comforting as the real deal.
Entrees
9. Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
Photo: Mommy's Home Cooking
Lean ground turkey is smothered in a homemade, lower-sugar teriyaki sauce and pressure cooked until the meat soaks up all that sweet soy flavor. In just 15 minutes, you have 16 meatballs ready to be ladled onto rice, eaten on a salad, or simply devoured on their own.
10. Instant Pot Chop Suey
Photo: Eat Something Delicious
You won't find eggs in this chop suey, but a ton of meaty mushrooms, bell peppers, snow peas, and celery in a slightly spicy, thickened-up sauce makes it a fun way to eat more veggies. If you don’t have coconut aminos or tapioca starch, use soy sauce and cornstarch for similar results.
11. Lentil Bolognese
Photo: Knead to Cook
Lentils are often used as an alternative to beef Bolognese, but it usually takes a ton of stirring to get the flavors just right. Here, the only work you’re doing is chopping the veggies. By the time your pasta is boiled, the Instant Pot will have your meatless sauce all ready to go.
12. Instant Pot Hawaiian Fried Rice
Photo: Real Food Real Deals
Like most Hawaiian-inspired fried rice recipes, this one comes with the usual suspects of ham and pineapple. But the use of brown rice, plus the fact that everything—including the grain—is cooked right in the Instant Pot at the same time, makes this version stand out.
13. Five-Ingredient Instant Pot Carnitas
Photo: A Calculated Whisk
“No, thank you. I don’t care for a five-ingredient recipe that involves melt-in-your-mouth, Mexican-spiced shredded pork,” said no one ever. Make this.
14. Asian Sesame Instant Pot Chicken
Photo: Living Sweet Moments
Unless you live in a Chinese take-out restaurant, there’s no quicker way to get this favorite chicken dish on your table than with this recipe. The gingery soy, honey, and sesame sauce needs just five minutes of pressure cooking with the chicken to yield mouthwatering results. This recipe alone may be reason enough to buy an Instant Pot.
15. Instant Pot Pasta and Spinach
Photo: The Centsable Shoppin
It’s hard to believe that an entire pasta dish can be made in just 12 minutes, but this recipe shows that it’s not just possible, it’s also delicious. Simple flavors like garlic, butter, and olive oil make it irresistible, while four or five cups of spinach let you get your veggies in among the richer ingredients.
16. Instant Pot Mixed Bean Chili
Photo: Every Nook and Cranny
Full disclosure: The Instant Pot instructions for making this chili are a bit involved, but it mostly amounts to pressing different buttons at various intervals until you’ve got a smoky, spicy potful of beans and veggies. Easy enough, right?
Sides
17. Mexican Rice
Photo: Eat Within Your Means
It isn’t a complete Mexican meal without this classic tomato-tinged side. Cook it up in just 35 minutes—that includes the cooking time for the rice—and use brown basmati to give this gluten-free dish more fiber.
18. Vegan Creamy Black-Eyed Peas
Photo: Healthy Slow Cooking
With just onions and dried beans as its main ingredients, this dish isn’t just easy, it’s also one of the most inexpensive side dishes you can make. While most black-eyed pea recipes involve bacon, the liquid smoke and paprika give this more than enough flavor so you don’t miss the meat at all.
19. Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Photo: A Pinch of Healthy
Baking potatoes the traditional way can be hit or miss—depending on oven “hot spots,” or over- or under-cooking, you can end up with raw or overly mushy spuds. Turn to the Instant Pot for perfectly fork-tender sweet potatoes every time and serve them alongside your favorite lean protein and veggies to make clean eating that much easier.
20. Sweet Orange Brussels Sprouts
Photo: Foods for Long Life
Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to make these Brussels sprouts. Glazed with just a bit of maple syrup and orange juice, then sprinkled with black pepper, the sweet and spicy combo is so addictive, we won’t be surprised if you’re busting out the Instant Pot at the height of summer to eat these.
21. Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
Photo: Cleverly Me
Why pay for Chipotle when making cilantro lime rice at home is this simple? Seventeen minutes in the Instant Pot and three ingredients will get you a fluffy, fresh-tasting side dish that you’ll want to eat even on days when Mexican isn’t on the menu.
22. Garlic Ginger Red Cabbage
Photo: My Life Cookbook
It looks simple, but there’s nothing bland about this pile of purple cabbage. Generous dashes of garlic and ginger give it just enough kick, while a touch of coconut oil and butter add richness. Serve it up as a fantastic (and healthier) alternative to mayo-drenched coleslaw.
23. Vegan Refried Beans
Photo: Brand New Vegan
Thanks to the Instant Pot, it’s easier than ever to forego the lard-filled, canned refried beans in grocery stores and make your own vegan version. With onions, jalapeños, and creamy pinto beans cooked down to creamy perfection, you’ll forget there’s no oil or butter in here at all.
Desserts
24. Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Photo: A Pinch of Healthy
There’s so much to love about this cake. Not only is it in and out of the Instant Pot in an hour, but it’s also packed with plenty of good-for-you ingredients, from the whole-wheat flour and the mashed banana to the Greek yogurt.
25. Vegan Pear and Cranberry Instant Pot Cake
Photo: Healthy Slow Cooking
Even if you don’t consider yourself a baker, rest assured it’s almost impossible to screw up this cake. Made from start to finish in the Instant Pot, it’s pressure-cooked until light and spongy. Even if you don’t want to garnish it with fresh cranberries, there are plenty inside the batter so you’ll still get that tart burst of flavor in each bite.
26. Very Vanilla Rice Pudding
Photo: Cookistry
With milk instead of half and half, just half a cup of sugar, and an egg for some unexpected protein, this recipe is definitely one of the lighter ways to enjoy rice pudding. Serve warm or chilled—the Instant Pot can make a big batch at once, so you can try it both ways.
27. Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
Photo: This Pilgrim Life
End your meals with this warm but light and fruity yet spicy concoction of stewed apples. Going the Instant Pot route saves you the hassle of stirring the slices on the stove, plus its quick-cooking method means you’ll be digging in in just two (yes, two!) minutes.