44 Easy Instant Pot Dinners That Require Zero (Or Very Little) Upfront Prep

Dinner tastes way better when it makes itself.

Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

Dinner tastes better when it makes itself.

So we've gathered more than 40 of the absolute easiest Instant Pot recipes we know — from classic chicken dishes, to hearty soups and stews, to family-favorite pastas. They're all made using a pressure cooker, and the majority are drop-and-go meals, meaning the appliance does all the hard work for you!

1. Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Lauripatterson / Getty Images/iStockphoto

There's nothing like a chicken pot pie to hit the spot on a cold day. But who has the time to spend hours preparing dough and filling? Not you, that's for sure (probably). Here's a recipe that gets incredibly close to the real deal in a tiny fraction of the time. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2. Instant Pot Short Ribs

tasty.co

Using your Instant Pot means you can get all of the deep, spicy-sweet flavors of Korean-style short ribs in much less time than traditional methods.

Recipe: Instant Pot Short Ribs

3. Instant Pot Corn And Bacon Soup

tasty.co

You'll crisp up the bacon directly in the Instant Pot, and the potatoes cook quickly (and directly) in the creamy broth. This tastes best with fresh summer corn, but canned corn totally works too.

Recipe: Instant Pot Corn And Bacon Soup

4. Instant Pot Carnitas

tasty.co

A quick-but-flavorful marinade does all the heavy lifting here, and the resulting tender carnitas are perfect for piling into tortillas or on top of loaded nachos.

Recipe: Instant Pot Carnitas

5. Shortcut Instant Pot Spaghetti

Joe Lingeman / Via thekitchn.com

The shortcut here is using jarred marinara sauce — which means prep is a total breeze. If you've never cooked pasta in an IP before, you're missing out. In many recipes (like this one) the noodles cook directly in the sauce, giving you an end result that's packed with flavor from the inside out.

Recipe: Shortcut Instant Pot Spaghetti

6. Instant Pot 2-Ingredient Salsa Chicken

ourbalancedbowl.com

It doesn't get much easier than this: just pour jarred salsa over boneless chicken breasts or thighs — then cook, shred, and pile into tortillas or serve over rice.

Recipe: Instant Pot 2-Ingredient Salsa Chicken

7. Pressure Cooker Salmon With Lemon-Dill Sauce

platingsandpairings.com

Depending on the size of your salmon, you can cook it on the small trivet (or rack) that came with your Instant Pot — or you can invest in a slightly larger all-purpose rack like this one.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Salmon With Lemon-Dill Sauce

8. Instant Pot Mac 'n' Cheese with Broccoli

eatyourselfskinny.com

This version takes classic mac and boosts the nutrition a little bit by using whole wheat noodles and adding fresh or frozen broccoli.

Recipe: Instant Pot Mac 'n' Cheese with Broccoli

9. Instant Pot Stir Fry (From Frozen)

ifoodreal.com

Clean out your freezer with this smart stir fry that combines mixed vegetables and chicken breasts or thighs. Serve with optional quinoa or rice on the side.

Recipe: Instant Pot Stir Fry (From Frozen)

10. Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Joe Lingeman / Via thekitchn.com

This ultra-easy version of Mississippi pot roast only needs five ingredients and the press of a button. Scoop the savory results over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or into a hoagie bun.

Recipe: Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

11. Creamy Cajun Chicken Alfredo

number-2-pencil.com

Dinner-wise, is there anything better than creamy, dreamy chicken alfredo? (Nope!) If you don't have cajun seasoning mix in the pantry, here's how to quickly make your own.

Recipe: Creamy Cajun Chicken Alfredo

12. Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

thegirlonbloor.com

White beans and a ton of veggies give this soup plenty of plant-based protein and vitamin A. It also only needs two minutes of active cooking time in the IP.

Recipe: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

13. Instant Pot Beef & Potato Stew

budgetbytes.com

This one requires a bit of slicing and dicing upfront, but it's nothing unmanageable. It also breaks down to just about $2 per serving — and makes enough for six.

Recipe: Instant Pot Beef & Potato Stew

14. Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

ketodietapp.com

This keto-friendly soup is high in protein and potassium — and couldn't be easier to make.

Recipe: Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

15. Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

gimmesomeoven.com

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free — and something everyone will love.

Recipe: Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

16. Instant Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

cottercrunch.com

To make this ring in at under $10, stick to just one type of potatoes (instead of two), and use canned corn instead of fresh.

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

17. Loaded Baked Potatoes

pinchofyum.com

You can cook a big batch of IP baked potatoes in just 12 minutes. To stretch one into a full meal, load it up with your favorite toppings.

Recipe: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

18. Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

fitfoodiefinds.com

The simple sauce — which includes soy sauce, garlic, and ginger — comes together quickly and packs a ton of flavor.

Recipe: Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

19. 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Egg Bake

kitschencat.com

Bacon, veggies, and frozen hash browns make this easy toss-and-go egg dish filling enough for dinner.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Egg Bake

20. Instant Pot Pinto Beans With Chorizo

budgetbytes.com

This breaks down to just $1.32 per serving. If you're vegetarian, swap the chorizo for soyrizo.

Recipe: Instant Pot Pinto Beans With Chorizo

21. Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

sweetpeasandsaffron.com

The versatile and super flavorful base can be scooped into lettuce cups or over rice — and is a solid starter if you're meal prepping for the week ahead.

Recipe: Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

22. Instant Pot Pasta Soup

eatwell101.com

A throw-and-go meal for those times when you can't decide between pasta and soup. 😋

Recipe: Instant Pot Pasta Soup

23. Instant Pot Pot Roast

oursaltykitchen.com

All the classic Sunday roast flavors you love — with way less time and effort. After a jaunt in the Instant Pot, you'll be able to easily shred the beef with two forks.

Recipe: Instant Pot Pot Roast

24. Vegan Instant Pot Tacos With Smoky Lentils & Rice

acouplecooks.com

The meat-free filling — of brown rice, lentils, and spices — is super versatile and makes a great base for meal prep bowls.

Recipe: Vegan Instant Pot Tacos With Smoky Lentils & Rice

25. Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs

damndelicious.net

After some quick browning — which is done directly in the Instant Pot so you don't need to worry about washing an extra pan — the chicken only needs five minutes of active IP time.

Recipe: Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs

26. Loaded Sweet Potatoes

eatinginstantly.com

IMO, sweet potatoes (and regular potatoes) are two of the best things to cook in an Instant Pot. Way faster than the oven!

Recipe: Loaded Sweet Potatoes

27. Chicken Taco Soup

Dear Crissy / Via dearcrissy.com, Dear Chrissy / Via dearcrissy.com

This may look involved, but several of the ingredients — corn, beans, etc — are canned, meaning it's more throw-and-go than you think.

Recipe: Chicken Taco Soup

28. 15-Minute Shortcut Meatballs

thebutterhalf.com

The shortcuts here are frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce. Impossible to mess up!

Recipe: 15-Minute Shortcut Meatballs

29. Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (Potatoes & Cauliflower)

twosleevers.com

Dicing everything into small pieces first means this only needs two minutes of pressure cooking.

Recipe: Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (Potatoes & Cauliflower)

30. Protein-Packed Vegetarian Chili

realfoodwholelife.com

High in protein and fiber thanks to the sweet potatoes and canned black beans — and clocks in at less than $10.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Vegetarian Chili

31. Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

lifemadesweeter.com

This recipe includes modifications for Keto and Paleo versions, and all are ready in less than 30 minutes.

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

32. Low-Carb Egg Roll In A Bowl

thegirlonbloor.com

The base here is ground chicken — but you could also swap in ground turkey, pork, beef, or soyrizo.

Recipe: Low-Carb Egg Roll In A Bowl

33. Instant Pot Chicken & Potatoes

lecremedelacrumb.com

A classic crowd-pleaser, and rightfully so. Bonus points for zero upfront chopping or prep. (Other than, of course, seasoning and tossing the ingredients into the pot.)

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken & Potatoes

34. Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

The Girl on Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com

In less than 15 minutes, dinner is ready. This would also work with shrimp, pork, or tofu.

Recipe: Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

35. Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry Stew

Joe Lingeman / The Kitchn / Via thekitchn.com

This hearty stew packs full two cups of spinach — and it's a great way to get your greens.

Recipe: Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry Stew

36. Beef & Bacon Chili

paleorunningmomma.com

This freezes really well, so feel free to make extra! There's a little bit of chopping as upfront prep, but it's nothing too complicated.

Recipe: Keto Beef & Bacon Chili

37. Instant Pot Pineapple Pulled Pork

aprilgolightly.com

This recipe uses chicken stock as the cooking liquid, but it works with water, too. (You'll still get a ton of flavor from the hoisin sauce.)

Recipe: Instant Pot Pineapple Pulled Pork

38. Instant Pot Moqueca

savorytooth.com

If you've never had Brazilian fish stew before, this belongs at the top of your To Make list.

Recipe: Instant Pot Moqueca

39. Instant Pot Wendy's Copycat Chili

anightowlblog.com

Hearty, filling, and crave-worthy year-round.

Recipe: Instant Pot Wendy's Copycat Chili

40. Vegetarian Portobello Pot Roast

gimmesomeoven.com

A plant-based meal that even carnivores will love. If you want, save little bit of chopping by swapping in baby carrots and baby potatoes.

Recipe: Vegetarian Portobello Pot Roast

41. French Dip Sandwiches

slowcookergourmet.net

Sandwiches, ranked: 1. French Dips. 2. All other sandwiches.

Recipe: French Dip Sandwiches

42. Keto Kung Pao Chicken

lifemadesweeter.com

All the sweet, spicy, and saucy flavors you love — but Keto-friendly.

Recipe: Keto Kung Pao Chicken

43. Instant Pot Chili Mac 'n' Cheese

Joe Lingeman / Via thekitchn.com

After a few minutes of browning the meat, almost everything else piles into the pot. Pour in some half-and-half at the end for extra creaminess, then dig in.

Recipe: Instant Pot Chili Mac 'n' Cheese

44. Freezer Prep Beef & Broccoli

thegirlonbloor.com

Reminder that the Instant Pot has a slow cooker setting — so any recipe meant for slow cookers (like this one) can be made in an IP, too.

Recipe: Freezer Prep Beef & Broccoli

For even more delicious recipes and meal ideas, download the award-winning Tasty app for iOS and Android! 🍳