20+ Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

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Need some new healthy instant pot recipes for meal prep or for lunch and dinner? Here is a collection of the best healthy instant pot recipes that you can make in a jiffy!

20+ Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (1)

What is an Instant Pot?

I have theDuo Plus 9 in 1 Instant Pot. The DuoPlus replaces 9 commonly used kitchen appliances – Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice/Porridge Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake/Egg Maker, Sauté/Searing, Steam, Warm, and Sterilize.

It’s quite the multi-use product, isn’t it? And bonus feature is that because these healthy Instant Pot recipes are really only using the one pot, it falls under the #OnePotRecipe category too! Minimal dishes! Win-Win! If you want to learn more, here’s myWhat’s An Instant Potpost that also breaks down each Instant Pot model! You can also click here to see all the Instant Pot Recipes I have on this blog!

Need some side dishes?

Before you get started, here are some sides that you can make in the Instant Pot to go with these meals, if you’re like me and own more than one pressure cooker!

  • Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
  • Instant Pot Basmati Rice with Butter and Garlic
  • Instant Pot Coconut Lime Rice
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • “Baked” Potatoes in the Instant Pot
  • Instant Pot Lentils
  • Instant Pot Chickpeas
  • Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
  • Instant Pot White Navy Beans

The Best Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

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Quick, moist, and, and hands-off, you’ll love making Instant Pot salmon! Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can pressure cook them from both fresh and frozen.

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This Instant Pot cilantro lime chicken is such a versatile recipe. Use the shredded chicken in a bowl, tacos, or burritos!

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This simple Instant Pot beef and broccoli takes only a couple of minutes to put together! You sauté a couple of ingredients and then add in the sauce. Then you let the Instant Pot do the rest!

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You will love this Instant Pot chicken and broccoli recipe as it’s an easy chicken dinner that’s healthy and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

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Coated with a sweet but spicy sticky sauce, you’ll love this super easy Instant Pot spicy garlicky sesame chicken. All you need are some pantry staples to make this sesame chicken in the pressure cooker.

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This Instant Pot tomato soup comes together with pantry staples! Even better, it’s freezer-friendly as it uses coconut milk instead of dairy!

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This Instant Pot chicken taco recipe is bursting with flavor! I like to serve it with mango salsa and lime crema, so it tends to disappear off the table fast.

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You only need a few simple ingredients to make this Instant Pot shredded Hawaiian chicken. The hardest part about this recipe is shredding the chicken!

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Comforting and hearty, this Instant Pot spaghetti is made with simple, wholesome ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen! Even better, it’s freezer-friendly, so I always freeze any leftovers, so I have dinner for another day.

Want good quality meat for these pressure cooker recipes? Try Butcher Box! It’s an easy and convenient way to have hormone and antibiotic-free protein delivered to your door! I love knowing I have a freezer that’s well stocked with quality proteins – especially when I’m really busy!

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This beef and tomato soup is a childhood classic for me. Thrown into the instant pot, this soup comes together so quickly and easily! No need to babysit a pot on the stove.

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Freezer friendly, hearty, and comforting, this Instant Pot beef and barley soup is perfect for a cold day!

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Ok, making steak in the Instant Pot may seem controversial but trust me on this one! This Instant Pot steak and mushrooms recipe is so tender and flavorful!

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A take-out classic, this Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken and Rice recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy! The rice is made pot in pot, so everything cooks together.

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Want a meatless version of my kung pao chicken recipe? Try my Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas and Rice recipe!

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Have you tried making chicken tinga in the Instant Pot? It is so easy, flavorful, and saucy! Turn it into a burrito bowl or tacos!

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A mix of sweet and savory, this Instant Pot cashew chicken recipe comes together in a flash! Add some veg near the end, and you’ll have dinner ready in no time.

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Making carnitas in the Instant Pot is SUCH a time saver! I like to crisp it up in the oven but if you have the air fryer attachment on the pressure cooker, then you can save yourself the time of clearing out your oven of sheet pans!

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Want something with a little kick? Try this Instant Pot spicy honey garlic chicken recipe! It uses a lot of kitchen staples, so it’s definitely more budget-friendly than ordering take out!

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This Instant Pot chicken teriyaki recipe is full of bold flavors that you get at a restaurant! Make it at home with a few simple ingredients and serve it with some rice and steamed veggies to make it the perfect dinner.

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Made with simple and nutritious ingredients, this chicken vegetable soup comes together so easily in the Instant Pot. Light but still hearty, this Instant Pot chicken vegetable soup is perfect for any meal.

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This Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta is super easy to make and is packed with veggies. Bursting with flavor, saucy, and a family favorite, this kid-friendly pasta is sure to be a hit for you!

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This Healthy Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles Recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner! This Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodle recipe is so quick, easy, and versatile you’re going to want to make all the time!

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This Healthy Instant Pot Turkey and Lentil Chili Recipe is the perfect meal for any night of the week! The turkey keeps the calories low and the extra boost of lentils in the chili helps keeps you feeling full.

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This Instant Pot Salisbury Steak Styled Meatballs Recipe is inspired by the salisbury steak frozen dinners in the frozen food aisle. These yummy salisbury steak meatballs are lightened up by using both turkey meat and beef with mushrooms and take under 30 minutes to make!

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This delicious and easySpicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep is inspired by the chicken burrito bowls from Chipotle! It’s so easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes to meal prep for four days or as a quick dinner for the entire family!

Need More Recipe Ideas?

  • Healthy Shrimp Meal Prep Recipes
  • Budget Meal Prep Recipes
  • Healthy Make Ahead Work Lunch Ideas (Hot and Cold!)
  • 17 Chicken Breast Recipes
  • 10+ Easy Meatball Recipes
  • Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
  • 10+ Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Want good quality meat for these pressure cooker recipes? Try Butcher Box! It’s an easy and convenient way to have hormone and antibiotic-free protein delivered to your door! I love knowing I have a freezer that’s well stocked with quality proteins – especially when I’m really busy!

Other places to connect with me
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20+ Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

6 Things You Should Never Cook in an Instant Pot
  1. Creamy Sauces. If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. ...
  2. Fried Chicken. The best fried chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and perfectly golden brown. ...
  3. Cookies. ...
  4. Burgers. ...
  5. Pie. ...
  6. Steak.

Are Instant Pot meals healthy? ›

Cooking in an “instant pot” or pressure cooker is a great method for preparing your food on many levels — including the nutritional level, according to registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD. “Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says.

Does Instant Pot take nutrients out of food? ›

No, it doesn't. The speediness at which Instant Pots cook might seem like a cause for concern, but according to the majority of scientific evidence, it isn't. One 1995 study dubbed pressure cooking the best out of several other cooking methods because the pressure-cooked foods retained more nutrients than the others.

Does Instant Pot count down when cooking? ›

The instant lot will count down from the time you set it. to. When the time is up, the pot will automatically turn. over to keep warm and will display an L0:00.

Why shouldn't potatoes be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

Is cooking in a pressure cooker unhealthy? ›

Yes, cooking in a pressure cooker is healthy as it uses steam to cook food, the insulated and sealed body does not allow the water to evaporate thus preserving the nutrients in the food. Pressure cookers do not require oil to cook making them even healthier.

What are the disadvantages of a pressure cooker? ›

Advantages of pressure cooking include reduced cooking times and retention of nutrients, plus it's a great way to make energy-efficient, one-pot meals. The downsides include problems with foods that have different cook times and not being able to check the progress of the food cooking.

Does pressure cooking bone broth destroy nutrients? ›

Since pressure cooking doesn't require a much higher temperature and shortens the cooking time, there is less time for nutrient loss. For this reason, pressure cooking may actually preserve nutrients better than other methods of cooking.

Are Instapots safer than pressure cookers? ›

With stovetop cookers there's still a small risk of pushing the pressure too high and blowing the thing up, but the Instant Pot doesn't have that danger. And it also has different pressure modes, so you can set it at low pressure for things like soup and high pressure when you're in a hurry.

Is rice cooked in a pressure cooker healthy? ›

Water normally boils at 100deg C or at normal air pressure (i.e. at sea level). At this level, no matter how much heat is supplied to the water, the temperature will not go above 100deg C. It is perfectly healthy to cook rice in pressure cooker.

Does a pressure cooker destroy vitamins? ›

In fact, a 1995 study found that pressure cooking preserved nutrients in food more than other cooking methods. Another study measured levels of Vitamin C and B-Vitamins in food and found these levels of vitamin retention (the amount remaining in food after cooking):

Is it better to steam or pressure cook vegetables? ›

Steaming beat both methods, retaining more nutrients than boiling or pressure cooking, because the greens weren't dunked in water, which can leach out the nutrients.

How long do Instant Pots last? ›

If you're using your pressure cooker on a daily basis and investing in regular maintenance, it may last you up to five years. On average, though, most pressure cookers perform well for up to three years. After that, it's time to consider investing in a replacement.

Is it normal for Instant Pots to hiss while cooking? ›

Hissing, for example, can seem unexpected and even indicative of pressure cooker failure when you first hear it. In reality, your pressure cooker is supposed to hiss. The noise indicates the successful release of steam from the cooking unit either at the end of its cook time or when pressure gets too high.

How healthy are cook ready meals? ›

Whatever your reasons, ready meals aren't always as nutritious as cooking a meal from scratch. This is because they don't always provide your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Ready meals can be high in salt and fat and low in other nutrients.

Is eating home cook meals healthy? ›

It's proven to be healthier

Some studies suggest that people who cook more often, rather than get take-out, have an overall healthier diet. These studies also show that restaurant meals typically contain higher amounts of sodium, saturated fat, total fat, and overall calories than home-cooked meals.

Are Instant Pots good for meal prep? ›

Instant Pot and other electric multi-cookers can make meal prepping and batch cooking faster and easier. If you're motivated to cook healthy whole foods for yourself and your family, this tool can really help support your efforts. Reason #1: Pressure cookers cook faster!

Does pressure cooking cause acrylamide? ›

Swiss researchers wanted to test this and found that potatoes cooked at high pressure for 20 minutes had almost no acrylamide formation when compared to other high-temperature cooking methods.

References

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