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Best Instant Pot Side Dishes

Instant Pot side dishes are easy and delicious to make. They’re great during the holidays because it frees up your oven for main dishes and are done in no time.

instant pot side dishes

Looking for the best Instant Pot side dishes to serve this year? We have a bunch for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and year round. Here are some super easy Instant Pot recipes your group will love. (originally published 11/19, affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Side Dishes

They’re not just great for the holidays though. During Christmas and Thanksgiving they’re a must because there’s never room in your oven for every single thing! Pressure cooking is the trick to getting everything done at the same time y’all. 😉

You can use a Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi to make any and all of these too. Most of them use the high pressure function and they all have that.

FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Now let’s start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

star wars instant pot

Instant Pot Side Dish Recipes

Whip out your favorite electric pressure cooker and try our Instant Pot potato salad where the potatoes and eggs are cooked together!

Yes there are many easy potato recipe ideas out there, but using your Instant Pot makes everything easier. Ok, so air fryer potatoes are the bomb too if you have one of those.

Instant Pot Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

If you want to try something new, make this lemon Instant Pot rice instead of brown rice. Instant Pot macaroni salad can be a great pressure cooker side dish too with burgers.

Need a favorite Instant Pot kids recipe? Whip up a batch of Instant Pot mac and cheese for them.

instant pot corn casserole recipe

If you’ve never made a batch of Instant Pot risotto it is easier than you might think.

On a healthier note, you can make Instant Pot butternut squash too. Or our red lentils Instant Pot recipe here. These are great Thanksgiving Instant Pot recipes for sure.

Instant Pot vegetable side dish recipes

instant pot cranberry sauce 3

Vegetables are always a big deal, especially in my house. My girls would honestly rather eat a plate full of asparagus rather than a steak!

Love Instant Pot beets? If you haven’t tried it this way it’s a game changer.

instant pot beets

Don’t have an Instant Pot pressure cooker? Is yours a Mealthy, Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi? NO Problem!!

Any of these will work the same, just follow these instructions.

  • That’s what’s great about all the great easy Instant Pot recipes out there. They are interchangeable. 
  • All of these will pressure cook on high and saute. Some may say brown/saute on the button but it is the same function.
  • Quick release by flipping the steam valve open, or allow it to naturally release the steam. That means you don’t touch it at all. It will come out on it’s own it about 15 minutes.

Let’s get back to a few other Instant Pot sides like our Instant Pot fried cabbage.

fried cabbage with bacon

Easy Instant Pot Sides

Collard greens are a Southern favorite for many, and healthy depending on what you add to it. This pinto bean chard risotto sounds good too.

Of course feel free to add other ingredients like a bit of brown sugar to these for sweetness, or bacon bits for a savory dish.

pressure cooker carrots 2

How long does it take to pressure cook vegetables?

That depends on what you’re making. There is also a difference depending whether you’re purely steaming them, or if they’re in the pot with other ingredients.

Typically though from fresh: cook for 3-4 minutes on high pressure and perform a quick release. From frozen: cook for 4-5 minutes on high pressure and perform a quick release.

how long to cook vegetables in instant pot
sauteed mushrooms

We even have an Instant Pot cooking times for beans if you want to make homemade Instant Pot refried beans as a side. There is NO soaking required if you do it this way!

That means more homemade recipes on the table this year for your family. I love that because it helps us to heat healthier year round.

Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!

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We hope this long list of Instant Pot side dishes recipes helps you create new meals for your family.

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Sammy

Friday 15th of November 2019

There is no link for the okra.

Barbara Schieving

Thursday 14th of November 2019

So many great ideas!

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