21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (2024)

Think beyond hearty soups and stews.

Hannah LoewentheilPublished on April 25, 2019
21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (2)

BuzzFeed

You've probably been using your Instant Pot all winter long, but just because the temperatures are rising doesn't mean it's time to put this handy appliance away. Here are a bunch of lightened-up Instant Pot recipes for spring time.

Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com

Spring peas and asparagus meet creamy, rich risotto....but without any pesky stove stop stirring necessary. Get the recipe here.

Boulder Locavore / Via boulderlocavore.com

Even if you can't swing a trip to NOLA this weekend, you can whip up this homemade jambalaya in under an hour. Just cook the shrimp, brown the sausage, and sauté the vegetables, then toss everything into the Instant Pot and wait. Get the recipe here.

Crayons and Cravings / Via crayonsandcravings.com

Use your Instant Pot to cook the pasta and you won't even have to boil water to whip up this fancy-tasting meal. Get the recipe here.

Savory Tooth / Via savorytooth.com

Tossed in a dry seasoning of paprika, garlic powder, and cumin, this pulled pork is super tender and so flavorful. Serve it in sliders, tacos, or even on top of rice. Get the recipe here.

Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

You literally won't believe you can make this sticky, sweet-and-savory Korean chicken in twenty minutes. After all, you'd be waiting for your delivery food for longer than that. Get the recipe here.

7. White Bean Chicken Chili

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (3)

A Saucy Kitchen / Via asaucykitchen.com

The birds are chirping and the sun is out, which means we're well past hearty beef chilli season. This lighter white chicken version is the perfect seasonal replacement. Get the recipe here.

Winter might be over, but there are still plenty of chilly spring nights that call for chicken soup. Plus, we all know tortellini is the best kind of noodle. Get the recipe here.

I Wash You Dry / Via iwashyoudry.com

Not only does cooking carnitas in the oven take a long time, but its fairly intensive. To prepare this Instant Pot version, just sear the pork on all sides, add a handful of spices, and let them cook for about 80 minutes. Get the recipe here.

Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com

What does it take to turn a bowl of quinoa, chicken, and vegetables from meh to wow? Garlic, Dijon mustard, and a bit of honey go a long way. Get the recipe here.

11. Panang Curry

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (4)

Paint The Kitchen Red / Via paintthekitchenred.com

Made with coconut milk, Panang curry paste, chicken, and Asian vegetables, this creamy curry will quickly become your new weeknight standby dinner. Get the recipe here.

12. Cuban Black Beans

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (5)

The Natural Nurterer / Via thenaturalnurturer.com

Turn this flavorful, Mexican bean and vegetable medley into a satisfying meatless meal by serving it in quesadillas, tacos, or burrito bowls. Get the recipe here.

Savory Tooth / Via savorytooth.com

Are you afraid of cooking fish at home? Here's the solution. Season your salmon fillets with salt and pepper, set your Instant Pot to five minutes, and prepare to chow down. Get the recipe here.

14. Italian Wedding Soup

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (6)

Go Go Gourmet / Via gogogogourmet.com

Pro tip: Save time and money on this cozy soup by starting out with frozen co*cktail meatballs. Get the recipe here.

Kitchen At Hoskins / Via kitchenathoskins.com

You can make this fried rice with whatever kind of grains you like best from quinoa to brown rice. We love making a big batch on Sunday night and eating the leftovers throughout the week. Get the recipe here.

16. Chili Garlic Noodles

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (7)

Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com

Toss all of the ingredients into your Instant Pot and wait for dinner to cook itself. You can also add protein like shrimp, chicken, or beef. Get the recipe here.

Le Creme de la Crumb / Via lecremedelacrumb.com

You can season the chicken and potatoes in your favorite herbs and spices, then cook them at the same time. In just minutes your main course and side dish will be ready to eat. Get the recipe here.

Number 2 Pencil / Via number-2-pencil.com

Loaded with chicken, rice, black beans, tomatoes, and spices, this protein-packed meal will leave you feeling happily full. You can always substitute quinoa for the rice, and if you want to keep dinner meatless, just leave out the chicken all together. Get the recipe here.

A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com

You'll want to eat this spicy, creamy sauce made with mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and Sriracha on just about everything. Get the recipe here.

Eazy Peazy Mealz / Via eazypeazymealz.com

Cooking lasagna in the oven can be time consuming, but this Instant Pot version gives you perfectly cooked, cheesy lasagna in under an hour. Get the recipe here.

21. Chicken Pho With Rice Noodles

21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (8)

Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com

If you're looking for a seriously impressive recipe that's actually doable, this homemade from-scratch chicken pho is for you. It gets tons of flavor from a spice mixture of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and cardamom. Get the recipe here.

For more Instant Pot recipes and hacks, check out these posts:

14 Instant Pot Tips For Beginners

16 Instant Pot Recipes You Can Make With Just Five Ingredients

21 Easy Instant Pot Recipes That’ll Basically Cook Themselves

Trending Recipes

Trending Recipes

More Tasty Guides

More Tasty Guides

    See all
    21 Easy, Stress-Free Instant Pot Recipes For Spring (2024)

    FAQs

    What to cook on a low pressure Instant Pot? ›

    Hard-, medium, and soft-cooked eggs come out perfectly when cooked on a low-pressure setting. Along with eggs, you might see an occasional recipe for vegetables and fish use low pressure. Most of those recipes, however, give an alternative for cooking at high pressure with a shorter cook time.

    What can you not make in an Instant Pot? ›

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

    What do you cook in an Instant Pot first? ›

    When it comes to breaking your Instant Pot in, it's a good idea to start with some basic foods and simple meals you're already familiar with, then slowly expand your Instant Pot repertoire from there. Try making staples like eggs, sweet potatoes, rice, or lentils using just the pressure cooker function.

    What is the best meat to cook in a pressure cooker? ›

    You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

    What foods are best cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

    31 Quick Dinner Recipes for Your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
    • Harissa (Armenian Wheat and Chicken Porridge) ...
    • Pressure Cooker Corn Risotto. ...
    • Pressure Cooker Chunky Beef and Bean Chili. ...
    • Pressure Cooker Red Wine–Braised Beef Short Ribs. ...
    • Pressure Cooker Jewish-Style Braised Brisket With Onions and Carrots.

    What should never be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

    Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy products to curdle or separate, ruining the texture, taste and flavour of the dish. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers.

    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.

    Are Instant Pots bad for you? ›

    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.

    What to do before using pressure cooker for first time? ›

    Before first time use

    Clean the pressure cooker with a sponge using a mild detergent or soapy water and 2 or 3 drops of vinegar, before using for the first time. Any oil adhering to the cooker will yellow and harden if it is exposed to heat before the oil is cleaned off and will be difficult to remove.

    What do I need to know before using a pressure cooker? ›

    Pressure Cooker Safety Tips
    • Before Cooking, Check Your Equipment. Always check the rubber gasket (the ring of rubber that lines the lid of the cooker) to make sure it isn't dried out or cracked. ...
    • Don't Overfill the Cooker. ...
    • Use Enough Liquid. ...
    • Don't Pressure Fry. ...
    • Release Pressure in a Safe Way. ...
    • Clean the Cooker Properly.
    Aug 7, 2019

    Can you use pressure cooker for normal cooking? ›

    A pressure cooker, without the lid, can be used as an ordinary saucepan, of course. If it is the only large pan you have, I'd even recommend it, since pasta needs to be cooked in a lot of boiling water. of course yes… a pressure cooker without lock is a pot!

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Corie Satterfield

    Last Updated:

    Views: 5970

    Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

    Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Corie Satterfield

    Birthday: 1992-08-19

    Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

    Phone: +26813599986666

    Job: Sales Manager

    Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

    Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.