8 Stupidly Simple Instant Pot Recipes

We’ve loved the Instant Pot since we first wrote about it way back in July 2016. The brilliant thing about electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot is that you can make dinner in under an hour with very little effort or attention. The results taste nearly as good as slow dinners made on the stove (sometimes better!), and you have only one pot to clean at the end.

You can find plenty of impressive, but involved, Instant Pot recipes showcasing the best that electric pressure cookers have to offer. I’ve made Melissa Clark’s spicy pulled pork for a dinner party to rave reviews, as well as one from our own test kitchen for lemon chicken and vegetables. But sometimes you just want an easy dinner idea that is as stupidly simple and foolproof as the gadget itself. Following are the fast, index card-ready recipes we regularly make for our families, each broken down by the Instant Pot settings you should use.

These shorthand recipes assume some basic knowledge of how the Instant Pot works, but a newbie can follow along after learning a few key terms. Sauté: Set it to Sauté mode on High heat and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until things start to soften and brown a bit. Manual: Set an exact cook time and pressure level (both indicated in the recipes). Quick release: Activate the pressure-release valve as soon as the cooking timer is up. Natural release: Wait for the pressure to release naturally until the safety valve deactivates and you’re able to open the lid (typically 10 to 20 minutes).

One-pot dinner ideas

Chile verde with chicken and white beans

Sauté onions and half of a poblano pepper; add 1 cup dry white beans and water to cover the beans a bit. Manual, high pressure, 15 minutes. Quick release. Add 1 pound chicken thighs, the other half of the poblano, any vegetable extras, and half of a jar of salsa if you want. Manual, high pressure, 20 minutes more. Quick release if you’re hungry, natural if you forget about it. —Tim Barribeau

Soy sauce chicken

Optional: Brown whole chicken in oil on Sauté. Add 4 cloves garlic, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches of ginger sliced, ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 4 cups water. Manual, high pressure, 25 minutes. Quick release pressure. —Ganda Suthivarakom

American-style chicken and vegetables

Sauté (or simply add to the pot if you’re short on time) about 4 cups’ worth of veggies cut to roughly equal-size chunks with a drizzle of oil and salt and pepper. Potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions, and garlic are all good options. Layer about 4 pounds of chicken leg quarters on top (thighs and breasts also work well, with or without bones), along with more salt and pepper and an optional bay leaf or other herbs if you’d like. Manual, high pressure, 20 minutes (15 minutes if using boneless chicken). Natural release until it opens on its own (about 20 minutes). Optional: Garnish with chopped parsley.

• Variation 1, chicken and rice: Add 2 cups of rice and about 2 cups of chicken stock or other liquid (make 1 cup of it cream if you like it creamy).
• Variation 2, Instant Pot coq au vin: Make the main recipe but add about 4 slices of bacon, chopped, to your sauté mix. Add a few glugs of red wine (up to half the bottle). Follow the same pressure instructions. —Jacqui Cheng

Tomato soup

Sauté about 6 cloves of smashed garlic with a roughly chopped onion. Add 2 cans of whole tomatoes and their liquid and seasonings (oregano, thyme, salt). Manual, high pressure, 10 minutes. Quick or natural release. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. —Courtney Schley

Easy sides and bases

Braised kale

Sauté sliced bacon until the fat is rendered. Add sliced shiitakes and chopped garlic. Add 1 bunch kale, chopped, plus 3 chunked carrots and ½ cup water or broth. Manual, high pressure, 8 minutes. Quick release. —GS

Rice pilaf

Sauté ¼ cup of broken-up spaghetti in 2 tablespoons of butter until the pasta is golden and fragrant. Add half of a medium onion, diced small, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Follow with 1½ cups basmati rice, 1½ cups water, and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot and cook on Manual, high pressure, 6 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. —Lesley Stockton

Coconut rice

Combine one 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk with 1⅔ cups basmati rice, rinsed (or you can do 1 cup coconut milk, ⅔ cup water, and the same amount of rice, but all coconut milk will be richer). Throw in a big pinch of salt and (optional) 1 or 2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger, and/or 1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic. Cook using the Rice setting (no adjustments necessary), natural release 10 minutes. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro if you want. —Marguerite Preston

Chicken stock

Combine chicken drumsticks/thighs and feet (or wings, or leftover bones, or whatever happens to be cheap), root vegetables, celery, garlic, onions, and any herbs you might like in the pot and add enough water to cover. Manual, high pressure, 90 minutes. Quick or natural release, then skim. —TB

Have a go-to shorty recipe for your Instant Pot? Share it in the comments so we can try it, too.