100 Instant Pot dinner recipes your whole family will love, including the kids! How to cook frozen chicken breasts, beef or pork you need to use, we have pressure cooker weeknight dinner ideas for you!

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Do we have lots of easy Instant Pot dinner recipes for you today!! Yes. We. Do! I’ve been creating new Instant Pot recipes since this nifty pressure cooker came out over two years ago and now we’re here to share them all. (affiliate links present)

Instant Pot Family Dinner Recipes

I’ll share a few from blogger friends too so you’ll have family meal ideas for over 3 months! Looking for easy Ninja Foodi recipes? NO problem, you can use the same instructions for that pot too. It’s always helpful to think ahead and do some menu planning at the beginning of the week. That way I know what to buy, and nothing goes to waste.

It’s so amazing, you can even cook frozen meat in Instant Pot too. That means on my forgetful days when I haven’t taken anything out the day before I can still save the day when the kids are hangry at the end of the day. Whether it be vegetables, meat or desserts everything comes out great.

Let’s start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.

star wars instant pot

Instant Pot One Pot Meals

Below I have tried to make it very user friendly by separating them into various categories. I tend to make a lot of casseroles. Keep in mind that you can swap out the protein in any of them. Want to make a vegetarian version? Most of the time it is no problem eliminating the meat entirely.

Remember that large cuts of protein like pressure cooking a frozen roast will take longer, some up to an hour. Along with that they’ll need a natural release of pressure. This will increase the cook time to an additional 20-30 minutes for that step.

I have even figured out how to cook meat + grains like rice or pasta together with a sauce and have it come out like a casserole. NO need to use your oven anymore y’all. ๐Ÿ˜‰

instant pot recipes

Ninja Foodi Dinner Recipes

If you’d like to buy an Instant Pot I have the 6 qt. basic version and it works great for feeding the 5 of us, I don’t think I’d need anything bigger or “fancier”.

  • This Instant Pot pressure cooker air fryer lid has been a game changer for us!
  • I also have this Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer machine and I’m now obsessed with that. I actually love having both.

This is a very common question I ask myself every Sunday. What has helped immensely is to bring up a post like this and write down what I’m making every night.

Then I can buy what is necessary before shopping. Even if I forget to defrost my meat, I have also included instructions for things like frozen pork shoulder in Instant Pot for all of us too!

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
ninja foodi
instant-pot-dinner-recipes
instant pot sausage and rice

Cheap and Easy Instant Pot Dinners

We have a lot of easy Instant Pot beginner recipes to start with here, and a post on how to use an Instant Pot to get you going as well.

Pressure cooker lasagna casserole is the ONLY way to make lasagna! NO boiling required and way easier to eat. If you love Indian food you’ve gotta’ try our Easy Instant Pot butter chicken. Cheesy Instant Pot goulash is a family favorite, especially with my kids. 

Now some of the best Instant Pot recipes are just very simple. Meaning, they have 5 ingredients or less and focus on one main protein. My kids love the most basic meals I’d say, simple wins every time. Let’s continue on with a few more pressure cooker dinner recipes your kids will love!

This is probably one of our favorite meals. Creamy pasta with shredded chicken and lots of cheese it is a complete meal even your kids will go crazy over.

instant pot chili macaroni recipe

Instant Pot Kid Friendly Recipes

We have so many more because I have 3 of those buggers at home myself. Making a twist on a classic dish we love this Instant Pot chicken parmesan casserole

These are our throw together dinners we make on a weekly basis! Instant Pot tacos are always fun and we have 4 different types to choose from!

Instant Pot lasagna soup is a great choice. WAY easier than layering those floppy noodles that are hot.

boxed mac and cheese instant pot
kid friendly instant pot recipes

Family friendly Instant Pot recipes

Here is a list of more Instant Pot kids recipes!

If you’re looking to pressure cook the best tasting chicken, try Instant Pot honey mustard chicken tonight. It’s fall off the bone, or use boneless for oh so tender meat in less than 30 minutes. Here are a few fun extras your kids will love after dinner.

To make them smile you MUST make this 1 minute Instant Pot apple crisp

Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken
Instant Pot Tacos

InstaPot dinner recipes

We have a bunch of Easy Instant Pot chicken recipes on the blog you can try.

  1. Instant Pot beef recipes will include a bunch of Instant Pot ground beef recipes as well just to be convenient.
  2. Here’s a tip on how to defrost Instant Pot frozen ground beef if you’re forgetful like me.
  3. Having recipes for Instant Pot casseroles are always great to have on hand especially if you have a bunch of things that need to be cooked.

Steak in the Instant Pot is a win. If you can buy a few on sale, throw in some potatoes at the same time and it’s ready in just a few minutes!

  1. Lots of Instant Pot soups are needed when it’s chilly outside for sure, and make a great side dish too.
  2. You’ll find a variety of meat recipes in this roundup of Instant Pot pasta recipes.
  3. And if you want Instant Pot vegetable recipes we have those too, like our Instant Pot carrots!
instant pot casseroles
easy instant pot chicken recipes 4

Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot chicken cacciatore is a simple throw together meal. If you like a little heat these Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs are just totally amazing 

2 ingredient Instant Pot salsa chicken is super cheap and served over rice with some veggies is a fave. With only about 3 ingredients this Instant Pot teriyaki chicken is the simplest dinner packed with flavor

This is how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot. Pair it with some cornbread and air fryer vegetables for the perfect healthy meal. Sometimes it’s fun to put a bit of fruit into your dinner like this Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken!

instant pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs
Pressure Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Instant Pot dinner recipes

Next try our healthier version of an Instant Pot orange chicken recipe. You only need a few ingredients and it’s a healthy version from Panda Express.

We love a great twist on the traditional like this Bruschetta chicken

Pressure Cooker Beer Can Chicken 2
instant pot pasta recipes 2

Pressure Cooker Pasta Recipes

Our Instant Pot Italian wedding soup gets thumbs up every time and is fabulous using ground spicy sausage We’ve made this in our slow cooker too but this way takes a fraction of the time.

Easy Instant Pot minestrone soup is packed with natural flavors and just delicious….and super healthy too! Serve it plain or with chicken/shrimp = Instant Pot fettuccine alfredo

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instant pot dinner

Beef Instant Pot dinners

Pressure cooker beef pot pie soup is a twist on an old favorite.

An old classic made in no time at all with this Instant Pot beef stew

A heart meal = Make this duo of roast & potatoes some night.

instant-pot-dinner
5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

By The Typical Mom
Easy Instant Pot dinner recipes for a family that kids love are here. Cook beef, pork, chicken, frozen meat or chili mac with ground beef like we did here.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes
Servings: 6
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Equipment

  • 1 pressure cooker

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz spaghetti sauce, or tomato sauce
  • 15 oz kidney beans
  • 1 c pasta, elbow macaroni
  • 1 c beef broth
  • 1 packet chili seasoning

Instructions 

  • Set pot to saute and add olive oil with diced onions and ground beef. Cook until outsides are no longer pink. Turn pot off and scrape bottom of pot to remove stuck on meat.
  • Pour in everything EXCEPT noodles and then stir. Sprinkle small noodles in and gently submerge into the liquid but do not stir.
  • Close and seal lid and steam valve. High pressure cook for 4 minutes with a quick release. Stir and serve with cheese on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 818mg, Potassium: 780mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 386IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!
instant pot stew meat recipe
instant pot beef recipes

Instant Pot Soups

Instant Pot tomato basil soup needs only a few ingredients like tomato sauce and you can add tortellini too

Have leftovers during the holidays…make Instant Pot turkey soup We love this potato corn chowder soup made in our pressure cooker with fresh corn. It ended up in our top 10 best Instant Pot recipes of the year list.

I bet we can get you to like kale in this  Pressure cooker sausage soup, it is amazing

instant pot corn chowder
Instant Pot Soup Recipes 2

Instant Pot Pork Recipes

We always use pork when making Instant Pot ribs because they come out so tender.

instant pot hawaiian pulled pork

Instant Pot Fish Recipes

We have instructions on how to make Instant Pot salmon + a roundup of easy pressure cooker fish recipes here to choose from plus:

Then add some fish to a soup with this Instant Pot fish curry dinner.

pressure cooker fish recipes

Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes

Pressure cooker breakfast bundt cake is packed with egg, bacon, cheese and more.

Make an oatmeal bar with dried fruits and make Instant Pot oatmeal for breakfast/dinner!

Pressure Cooker Breakfast Quinoa
instant pot dinner recipes
instant pot crack chicken

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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10 Comments

  1. Loved these dinner ideas! So yummy and great ways to use my instant pot! Thanks for the ideas!

  2. All of the recipes I’ve tried from this list have been a hit so far! Can’t wait to work my way through more of them. Thanks for so many great ideas!

  3. I LIKE MOST OF THESE AND GOT A INTS POT FOR CHRISTMAS SO I CAN COOK WITH IT NOW THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT RECIPES

  4. I made a frozen pork loin that was delicious. Iโ€™m trying to find the recipe again, and Iโ€™m not having any luck at all.

  5. WOW – There are so many great ideas! I already have a few in mind to try! I think I will start with the oatmeal ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks!!