The Instant Pot company’s 2023 bankruptcy came as a shock to proud owners of the appliance. American households had been sustained on Instant Pot recipes for everything from pot roast to turkey chili to meatballs for years by that time; many considered it to be the gold medalist of one-pot meals, especially ones that are usually slow-cookers but, like magic, take a fraction of the time with the steam-pressure device. You can even cook brown rice in an Instant Pot.
Already a fan of the device? No need to fret. Instant Pot Brands emerged from bankruptcy as a stand-alone company earlier this year. For those not yet Instant Pot-obsessed, who might not even be clear about the difference, yes, an Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, but that’s not the end of it: Using an Instant Pot for pressure cooking alone would be like buying from Breville only for their espresso maker (i.e., Breville makes a lot of great products). The higher ranges of Instant Pots can replace your slow cooker, rice cooker, air fryer, and more. It all depends on which Instant Pot you’ve got.
The IP is also an invaluable prep tool. You can use it to turn rock-hard winter squash, roots, and tubers into something more manageable (try Sarah Jampel’s trick for weeknight butternut squash with spiced chickpeas). With all that said, the selections below are mainly pressure cooker recipes. Ready to get cooking? Here are our go-to Instant Pot recipes for weeknight dinners, lazy nights in, and everything in between.
