35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

You’ll love these Healthy Instant Pot Recipes! With these easy pressure cooker recipes, you’ll get delicious weeknight dinners on your table faster than ever. Plus, ideas for breakfast, side dishes and meal prep!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (1) Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

The more I use my Instant Pot, the more I realize what an amazing appliance it is. I couldn’t live without my Instant Pot at this point – it saves me so much effort with preparing quick, healthy meals!

You can use your Instant Pot as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer or rice cooker. You can also sauté veggies, brown meat and make yogurt in an Instant Pot. I use the Instant Pot sauté and pressure cook functions most often.

If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, read my guide on How to Use an Instant Pot.

I own multiple Instant Pots. I’ll often have two Instant Pots cooking at the same time if I’m doing food prep for the week or making a main and side dish for dinner. You might think I’m crazy, but it is so convenient!

I regularly use both the 6 quart Instant Pot and the 8 quart Instant Pot DUO. I love and highly recommend both, depending on your needs. The 8 quart is great for when you are feeding a crowd or meal prepping large batches of dried beans, etc. The 6 quart is perfect for feeding a family on a daily basis.

Why you need an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker)

  • You can make true one pot meals in your Instant Pot.
  • If you forget to start your slow cooker, you can make dinner fast in your Instant Pot.
  • You can safely and effortlessly cook meat from frozen.
  • It’s a hands-off way to cook. You don’t need to watch a pot on the stove or a pan in the oven.
  • You can make many meal prep staples quickly and easily, including shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs, steel cut oats and cooked beans (from dry).
  • The pressure cooking process develops delicious flavors quickly. I’ve never had a better chili than my Instant Pot Turkey Chili!

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

ThisInstant Pot Spaghetti is one of the best Instant Pot recipes for a fast family dinner. Everything cooks together in one pot: meat, pasta and sauce!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (2)

ThisInstant Pot Butternut Squash Soup has the best flavors of fall wrapped up in a deliciously easy soup!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (3)

Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are always moist, tender and flavorful! These pressure cooker chicken breasts cook perfectly in minutes from fresh or frozen for a quick dinner.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (4)

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup is the perfect hearty meal to warm you up. This homemade recipe tastes just like the restaurant version and is loaded with healthy vegetables and hearty beans.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (5)

Enjoy an easy savory meal with this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe. Perfectly juicy and seasoned with a homemade spice rub, make these chicken thighs in your Instant Pot in just 30 minutes, start to finish.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (6)

TheseEasy Peel Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are so simple to make and easy to peel! They are a great healthy meal prep option for breakfasts, snacks and lunches.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (7)

This vegetarian Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a warmly spiced soup that’s filled with tender lentils, vegetables and tomatoes.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (8)

This Instant Pot Potato Soup is the perfect thick and creamy soup for a chilly winter evening meal.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (9)

We can’t get enough of thisInstant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup! This healthy one pot dinner can also be made in the slow cooker.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (10)

Instant Pot Pinto Beans are a versatile recipe that you can use to make many delicious meals.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (11)

ThisInstant Pot Greek Chicken has only 5g net carbs. This delicious and healthy meal will have you coming back for more!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (12)

These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are an easy meal, perfect for a weeknight. Load them up with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (13)

Everyone who tries thisHealthy Turkey Chili Recipe says it is the best turkey chili they’ve had! I bet your family will love it too.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (14)

Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms has loads of flavor from onion, garlic and mushrooms plus an herb and seasoning blend.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (15)

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash is an easy, hands-off way to cook this versatile ingredient. It turns out tender and perfectly cooked, ready to enjoy with marinara sauce or use in your favorite recipes.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (16)

This vegetarian Instant Pot Lentil Chili with black beans, quinoa, lentils and veggies is a healthy and hearty chili recipe.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (17)

Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is always a family dinner favorite! Made with brown rice and packed with veggies, this healthy dinner cooks in under 30 minutes.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (18)

Enjoy this delicious Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup made easy and fast in your pressure cooker.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (19)

ThisInstant Pot Brown Ricerecipe is a hands-off way to cook fluffy brown rice! This easy pressure cooker rice recipe helps to simplify dinner prep.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (20)

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is a foolproof recipe that turns out perfect every time. The easiest way to cook corn on the cob!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (21)

Make your favorite takeout food at home with thisPressure Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken & Noodles recipe.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (22)

Cook your ownBlack Beans in your Instant Pot!These Mexican-flavored black beans are easy to make, with no soaking required! Use them in burritos, tacos, salads, enchiladas or as a side dish.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (23)

Weeknight meals just got easier with this deliciousInstant Pot Whole Chicken. The leftovers are perfect for sandwiches!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (24)

You can never have too many chili recipes and thisInstant Pot Chili is flavorful and easy to make.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (25)

ThisInstant Pot Chicken Noodle Soupis perfect for cold winter days!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (26)

Breakfast just got easier with these foolproof Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. They come out perfect every time!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (27)

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are an easy side dish, or add your favorite toppings and make them a meal.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (28)

ThisInstant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic is an easy low carb and low effort meal for any day.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (29)

A sweet and savory honey garlic sauce makes this easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe something special.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (30)

Perfectly fluffy Instant Pot Quinoa cooks quickly in the pressure cooker. Enjoy it as a side dish or use it in your favorite quinoa recipes.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (31)

When you need a cozy, healthy dinner that cooks in one pot, this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is just the recipe. You can make it with fresh or frozen chicken.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (32)

Breakfast for dinner? ThisInstant Pot Frittata Breakfast Casseroleis crazy delicious and loaded with healthy veggies. This tasty pressure cooker breakfast is easy to make and an excellent make-ahead meal!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (33)

This Instant Pot Applesauce is an easy and delicious homemade apple sauce recipe that pressure cooks in just 6 minutes.

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (34)

See how to cook moist, tender and juicy chicken breasts in your Instant Pot for shredding. This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is quick and easy to make and it turns out perfect every time!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (35)

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (36)

5 from 11 ratings

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Servings: 7 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 minutes mins

Pressurize Time: 26 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

This Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is one of our favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes!

Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or half rounds if large
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, about 4 medium, cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 cup chopped green beans, 1 inch pieces, fresh or frozen
  • ¾ cup frozen corn
  • ¾ cup frozen peas
  • 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  • Turn on the Instant Pot's saute function and add the olive oil. When hot, add the chopped onion and celery. Saute, stirring often, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, turn off the Instant Pot, and stir for 30 seconds.

  • Pour the vegetable broth into the pot and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients: carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir.

  • Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time to 4 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down.

  • When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes by just leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then, quick release the remaining pressure by carefully moving the steam release valve to the venting position. Once all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.

  • Remove the bay leaves. Stir the soup, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • This soup is delicious served with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the soup for a bright, fresh flavor or a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
  • Try using other vegetables in this vegetable soup recipe, such as zucchini, cubed butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Note that zucchini will become very soft after pressure cooking.
  • To make this soup even more of a hearty meal, you can add canned beans or pasta. Canned beans can be added before pressure cooking. It is best to cook pasta separately and add it to the soup after pressure cooking.

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 188kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 917mg, Potassium: 606mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 5468IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course, Soup

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

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.

What not to use in 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.

Is pressure cooking healthy? ›

Cooking methods vary in their ability to retain nutrients, and pressure cooking stands out. Research, including a study from the 1990s, suggests that pressure cooking retains about 90 to 95 percent of food nutrients, outperforming other methods like steaming, roasting, and especially boiling.

What cooks good in an Instant Pot? ›

71 Of Our Best Instant Pot Recipes That Are Total Game Changers
  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. ...
  • Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth. ...
  • Tangy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs. ...
  • Instant Pot Carnitas. ...
  • Instant Pot Pasta Primavera. ...
  • Instant Pot Cinnamon Rolls. ...
  • Instant Pot Baby Potatoes. ...
  • Vegan Instant Pot Tacos with Smoky Lentils and Rice.
Dec 13, 2023

Are there side effects to using Instant Pot? ›

Even though some studies suggest that pressure cooking isn't the best way to preserve nutrients in food, no research exists to suggest that pressure cookers of any model or brand pose health risks. If you're a fan of your Instant Pot, don't worry: You can continue to safely use your appliance without worry.

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.

What should never be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Here are six things you should always avoid cooking in a pressure cooker.
  1. Dairy products. Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. ...
  2. Fried foods. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers. ...
  3. Quick cooking vegetables. ...
  4. Cakes and bakes. ...
  5. Eggs in the shell.
Jul 23, 2023

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.

What cannot be pressure-cooked? ›

In fact, there are a handful of foods that just shouldn't be pressure-cooked. Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks.

What are the disadvantages of pressure cooker food? ›

Disadvantages of cooking food in a pressure cooker

However, starchy foods may form acrylamide, a harmful chemical, when pressure cooked. Consumption of this chemical on a regular basis may lead to health issues like cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders.

Does pressure cooking destroy vitamins? ›

MYTH: Pressure cooking destroys vitamins and minerals.

With a few exceptions, one which we note below, scientific data supports pressure cooking as one of the cooking methods that preserve the most vitamins1.

Are pressure cooked potatoes healthy? ›

When a potato is pressure cooked and cooled a large portion of its starch is converted into “resistant starch” – a healthier starch that isn't fully digested and instead used by the body like fiber – lowering blood cholesterol and fats.

Are instant pots worth it? ›

Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.

Do chefs use Instapots? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

Are Instant Pots safe to eat from? ›

Yes, electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot are generally safe and easy to use.

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.

Do professional chefs use Instant Pot? ›

Even professional Chefs find benefits in the Instant Pot's ability to reduce total cooking time. The pressure cooker's steam moistens the food in the pot. This cooks the food quickly without losing moisture. Little to no nutritional value is lost because pressure cooking is a closed cooking method.

What's healthier Instant Pot or air fryer? ›

Instant Pot uses pressure cooking method to make food faster and easier, while air fryer uses hot air method to make oil-free and healthier food. Yes, you can make healthy and oil-free recipes using Instant Pot, but you can also use it to make cakes and junk food.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Virgilio Hermann JD

Last Updated:

Views: 5861

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Virgilio Hermann JD

Birthday: 1997-12-21

Address: 6946 Schoen Cove, Sipesshire, MO 55944

Phone: +3763365785260

Job: Accounting Engineer

Hobby: Web surfing, Rafting, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Ghost hunting, Swimming, Amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.