20+ Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

There are two reasons why the Instant Pot is a game-changer for healthy cooking. First, it has a stainless steel bowl, so there’s no yucky non-stick coating to worry about.

Secondly, it cooks food primarily with steam pressure from water, rather than using excess oil. Because the food cooks slightly faster than traditional cooking methods, it might retain more of its nutrients, too.

That’s why I was so excited to write The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. Not only is the pressure cooker great for batch cooking, like chicken breasts or quinoa, but you can also cook an entire meal all at the same time. Check out the printable recipe below for Chicken & Vegetable Bowls, which are cooked with a side of white rice, all at once.

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

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 watch my How to Use Your Instant Pot Video, sharing 10 things I think will help you get started right away.

1. Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Anytime someone in my family feels sick, this is the soup they ask for. There’s no sauteeing required, so you can literally toss the raw veggies, lentils, spices, and water into the pot, then secure the lid and press a button.

The soup will cook to perfection while your hands are free to do anything else.

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2. Chicken Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower “Rice.”

These Chicken Burrito Bowls come 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, so it’s rice-like without a lot of extra effort.

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3. Instant Pot Egg Bites

These Egg Bites come together in minutes, for a protein-rich breakfast or snack on the go. You can even freeze them to reheat for a fast morning. It’s helpful to have the silicone pan, but you can also use small ramekins as an alternative.

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4. Korean Chicken Bowls

photo by Inspiralized

These Korean Chicken Bowls are a fast and flavorful meal that you can serve over rice cooked pot-in-pot, or over protein-rich quinoa, as pictured here. (Don’t cook quinoa pot-in-pot, though… it doesn’t work!) My friend Ali shared this recipe from my cookbook over on her website!

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6. Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

photo by Well Plated

Erin shares this recipe from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I love this one, 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, too.)

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7. Hidden Cauliflower Mac and 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 alongside the pasta and practically dissolves when you give it a stir!

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8. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry

photo by Fit Foodie Finds

Lee 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!

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9. Wild Rice and Kale Salad

photo by Cookie + Kate

My friend Kathryne shares this easy make-ahead salad from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I love how the Instant Pot takes care of cooking the rice, so you can chop the veggies and make the dressing all at the same time.

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10. Instant Pot Salmon and Broccoli

Salmon cooks so quickly in the Instant Pot that I use a 0-minute (yes, zero minutes!) pressure cooking cycle. This means you can cook veggies with it, too! Top it off with fresh broccoli, and you have perfectly cooked salmon with non-mushy broccoli for a fast & healthy dinner.

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11. Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Steel-cut oatmeal is easier than ever to prepare 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 get on with other morning tasks.

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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.

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13. Chicken Tikka Masala (Dairy-Free)

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 that you can cook rice for serving at the same time in the same pot.

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14. Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

This tutorial teaches you how to make a big batch of cooked quinoa at the beginning of the week for easy breakfasts all week long, topped with cereal.

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15. 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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16. Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

If you like to cook chicken on its own for adding to stir-fries or salads during the 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.)

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17. Curry Chicken Lentil 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.

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18. Instant Pot 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.

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19. Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash

I will never cook a spaghetti squash in my oven again. It takes just 7 minutes of pressure cooking when you make it in the Instant Pot! (Plus the time to pressurize.) 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.

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20. Instant Pot Black Beans

When I first got my Instant Pot, I used it mostly for making 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.

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21. 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!

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22. 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.

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23. 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!

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24. Instant Pot Brown Rice

Brown rice can take up to 45 minutes on the stovetop, but the Instant Pot cooks it faster. (Without having to watch the stove to check on the water level.) This is the only way I’m willing to cook brown rice now, because the process is hands-off. Plus, the pressure cooker will turn off automatically when it’s done, so it’s perfect if you get distracted in the kitchen, as I do.

If you try these healthy Instant Pot recipes, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know which one you try. I appreciate your feedback!