One of the things I love about my Instant Pot is how it can make healthy food fast. These healthy Instant Pot recipes are some of my favorite weeknight meals because I can dump the ingredients in my pot, press a button, and walk away while my meal cooks to perfection.
Below you’ll find some of my favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes so you can try them for yourself. If you’re a little intimidated by your Instant Pot, be sure to check out my video here, sharing 10 things I think will help you get started right away.
Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
1. Vegan Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup
Jen from Simple Green Smoothies shares this dairy-free soup from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I make it at least twice a month as part of my weekly meal prep, and it’s quickly become a fan favorite. I love how comforting it is. It reminds me of Thanksgiving in a bowl!
2.
This easy one-pot meal comes together in minutes, thanks to the magic of the Instant Pot. The chicken cooks on the bottom of the pot, while a bowl of cauliflower florets cooks on top, in just a 4-minute pressure cooking cycle. When it’s done, the cauliflower can be flaked into rice-like pieces with a fork!
3. Instant Pot Egg Bites
This healthy Instant Pot recipe comes together in minutes, for a protein-rich breakfast or snack on the go. You can even freeze them to reheat for a fast morning.
photo: Inspiralized
These Korean Chicken Bowls are a fast and flavorful meal, that you can serve over rice that you cook pot-in-pot, or over protein-rich quinoa like Ali from Inspiralized did here. (Don’t cook quinoa pot-in-pot, though… it doesn’t work!)
5. Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Soup
This healthy Instant Pot soup is made with green lentils for plant-based protein, and lots of veggies! It’s a great option for meal prep, because it makes enough for a meal right away, plus leftovers for an easy packed lunch.
6. Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
photo: Well Plated
Erin from Well Plated shares this recipe from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I love this recipe because it has the flavor you love, with a sneaky serving of extra veggies and less cheese, for a “lightened up” version. (Like all of the recipes in my Instant Pot cookbook, this recipe includes a tested dairy-free option.)
7. Hidden Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese
This creamy Mac n’ Cheese packs a sneaky serving of veggies, and is lightened-up by using less cheese than traditional recipes. I love how the cauliflower cooks at the same time as the pasta, and practically dissolves when you give it a stir after cooking!
8. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Vegan Curry
photo: Fit Foodie Finds
Lee from Fit Foodie Finds shares this fast vegan dinner from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. Red lentils and sweet potatoes cook so quickly under pressure, your entire meal is ready in less than 30 minutes!
photo: Cookie + Kate
My friend Kathryne, from Cookie + Kate, shares this easy make-ahead salad from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I love how the Instant Pot takes care of the cooking the rice, so you can chop the veggies and make the dressing all at the same time.
10. Instant Pot Salmon (with perfectly steamed broccoli!)
Salmon cooks so quickly in the Instant Pot, I use a 0-minute (yes, zero minutes!) pressure cooking cycle so that I can cook it with veggies, too. Top it off with fresh broccoli, and you have perfectly cooked salmon with non-mushy broccoli for a fast & healthy dinner.
11. Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oatmeal is easier than ever when you prepare it in the Instant Pot. Instead of waiting for water to boil and watching the stove to make sure it doesn’t boil over, or burn to the bottom of your pan, you can just add the oats and water, press a button, and walk away while you accomplish other morning tasks.
12. Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs can be a pain to peel, but not when they are pressure cooked! In this tutorial you’ll learn how to make eggs (soft, medium, or hard) that are easy to peel for a fast, protein-packed option you can add to any meal.
13. Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Lisa from 100 Days of Real Food shares this recipe from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I love that it’s naturally dairy-free, and how you can cook rice for serving at the same time, in the same pot.
14. Instant Pot Pad Thai Stir Fry
photo: Hummusapien
You can cook your favorite healthy pasta quickly in the Instant Pot, then use the sauté function to saute the veggies for a quick one-pot stir fry! The creamy peanut sauce is addictive, and your hands are free to make it while the Instant Pot does the rest. Thanks to Alexis from Hummusapien for sharing this one!
photo: SkinnyTaste
Cooking beans from scratch is a breeze with the Instant Pot, and this recipe shows you how to make an easy refried version with the fat. Make sure to use dried beans (not canned) to get correct results! Thanks to Gina from SkinnyTaste for sharing this one.
16. Make-Ahead Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Quinoa makes a hearty breakfast because it’s a complete source of plant-based protein. This tutorial teaches you how to make a big batch at the beginning of the week, for easy breakfasts all week long that you can top like cereal.
17. Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup
This creamy and comforting soup is dairy-free and packed with flavor! You can use frozen bags of cut-up squash to make it as fast and easy as possible.
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I love using my Instant Pot to prepare the quinoa part of this make-ahead salad, so my hands are free to chop the veggies and make the dressing at the same time. It makes you extra-efficient! When the quinoa is done, you can use the big bowl of the Instant Pot to stir it all together.
19. How to make PERFECT Chicken Breasts in your Instant Pot
If you like to cook chicken on its own, for adding to stir fries or salads during your week, here’s how to make a batch in your Instant Pot without drying it out! This is the ONLY method I’ve found that makes chicken breasts that aren’t rubbery. (Otherwise chicken thighs are more fool-proof.)
20. Comforting Curried Chicken Stew
This easy soup makes such a comforting Fall meal. I love how you can just add all the ingredients to your Instant Pot, press a button, and walk away! No dairy or flour required.
21. Peaches & Cream Steel Cut Oatmeal
Jenn from Once Upon a Chef shares this creamy, dairy-free breakfast made easy in your Instant Pot. I love how you can use frozen peaches to skip the prep work!
22. Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash with Chicken
This is another easy one-pot meal I developed for Whole Foods Market. I love how you can cook the spaghetti squash in just 7 minutes, then use the Instant Pot again to sauté everything together.
23. Vegan Chickpea Curry
This curry recipe comes together quickly when you use a can of cooked chickpeas. I love that it’s made without coconut milk, and features lots of veggies!
24. Fat-Free Spaghetti Sauce
This recipe is low-effort and low in calories, and bursting with flavor! I love how all you have to do is add the ingredients, press a button, and walk away.
25. Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
I will never cook a spaghetti squash in my oven again. It takes just 7 minutes when you make it in the Instant Pot! I like to cut it in half for a super-fast cooking time, but you can even cook it whole if you prefer. Directions are included for both ways in this post.
26. Instant Pot Black Beans
When I first got my Instant Pot, I used it mostly for making some kitchen staples from scratch, like black beans. You can make them for a fraction of the cost of using canned beans, and without preservatives. Freeze them in 1 1/2-cup portions so you can use them in place of canned beans in recipes.
27. Instant Pot Quinoa
Making quinoa couldn’t be easier in your Instant Pot, and it makes a protein-rich alternative to rice. Instead of waiting for water to boil on the stove, or making sure it doesn’t burn to the bottom, you just add the quinoa and water, press a button, and walk away. It’s perfectly cooked every time!
28. One-Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
This one-pot meal showcases the magic of the Instant Pot, as it cooks the main course on the bottom of the pot, and a bowl of cauliflower “mashed potatoes” on top, all at the same time– in the same pot! Thanks to The Blender Girl for sharing it from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. You can watch us make this dish by going to the recipe on her blog!
29. Vegetarian “Cheeseburger” Salad with Special Sauce
The Instant Pot takes care of cooking the seasoned lentil “meat” for this recipe, keeping your hands free to whip up the dairy-free “special sauce” and chop the salad veggies. Thanks to Brittany of Eating Bird Food for sharing this one from my book!
30. Instant Pot Frittata
This easy egg bake makes a healthy breakfast that cooks while you get ready for work or school. When you chop the veggies into small pieces, there’s no need to saute them before you get started with this healthy Instant Pot recipe.
31. Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes turn out soft and tender when you cook them in the Instant Pot, without the risk of burning them. I tested this method for weeks so you’d have a fool-proof formula for figuring out how long to cook sweet potatoes by their weight!
32. Instant Pot Brown Rice
Brown rice is one of my family’s favorite side dishes, but it can take up to 45 minutes when you cook it on the stove. With the Instant Pot, you can just add the water and rice and walk away to accomplish other tasks while it cooks to perfection.
Intimidated by your Instant Pot?
Here’s a 3-minute video with 10 things I think you should know, to help you get started:
Looking for more healthy Instant Pot recipes?
The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook is loaded with quick & easy recipes, made with real food ingredients– without using processed seasoning packets or refined sugar. There is a photo for every recipe, along with the nutrition information you might need, and all of the recipes call for ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. (I’m a lazy cook myself, so if it’s not easy I won’t make it!)
Order Your Copy Today:
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I hope you’ll enjoy all of these healthy Instant Pot recipes!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have another favorite healthy Instant Pot recipe? Please share in the comments below!
