22 Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes to Make Once and Eat All Week
The best recipes are those that involve leftovers. And with the Instant Pot, making meals ahead for the whole week becomes a breeze. Whether you work from home or head into the office Monday through Friday, you’ll be thankful that you don’t have to worry about lunch or dinner with these 22 Instant Pot meal prep recipes. (Look at you, saving time and money.)
They come together in an instant (see what I did there?) and can often feed a crowd, so you'll have plenty of meals to devour at the ready. My favorites include baked potato soup, risotto à la carbonara and miso salmon chowder. Read on for all the lazy-cook inspo you crave.
1. Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 6
"This Instant Pot recipe has all the traits you crave," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains. "A creamy base and tender spuds, plus cheese, bacon and an ingenious crispy potato chip topping." Better yet, you'll only need 30 minutes to pull it off.
2. Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 4 to 6
"Chicken and dumplings is like a cozy cross between a soup and a stew, with tender meat, chunks of vegetables and pillowy dumplings instead of noodles," Gillen says. I'm partial to the homemade, chive-studded biscuits the recipe calls for, but I won't tell if you start with store-bought canned dough.
3. Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6 to 8
This dairy-free, vegan-optional soup is best finished with a drizzle of coconut yogurt, hot sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper. "This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to play with the amounts of ginger and garlic; I like mine extra gingery," Gillen adds.
4. Instant Pot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 4 to 6
This is not the antiquated cream of mushroom you're used to. It's far more herbaceous, lush (not gloppy) and umami-rich. "Use any type of ’shroom you like, and because I know you're wondering, the leftovers reheat beautifully," Gillen suggests.
5. Instant Pot Harissa Bean Stew
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 6
For the uninitiated, harissa is a spicy chile paste native to the Maghreb. "Many harissa recipes use tomatoes or peppers," recipe developer Urvashi Pitre writes. "I prefer my paste to be straight-up spice. Taste it once and you will find a million different uses for this lovely, spicy, versatile mix."
6. Instant Pot Risotto à la Carbonara
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6 to 8
This Instant Pot meal prep recipe is the definition of indulgence. "I absolutely adore [risotto] but rarely make it," recipe creator Meseidy Rivera writes, "because I don't have the time to give it the attention the traditional way requires. But with an Instant Pot or other multifunction cooker, you can enjoy the creamiest risotto any night of the week."
7. Instant Pot Cranberry Kasha Pilaf
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4 to 6
"The pleasantly chewy kasha, the soft, tart cranberries, the toasted, nutty walnuts and the slightly bitter kale all make for a colorful and tasty dish," Pitre explains. "Add a fried egg on the side for each person, and dinner is served in a jiffy. Use the leftovers as a cold salad the next day with just a dash of vinegar and oil for an easy dressing."
8. Instant Pot Spaghetti with Goat Cheese, Mint and Peas
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 6
Yup, you can make pasta in a pressure cooker—the more you know. Here's a hot tip: Add the dry noodles to the aromatics so they absorb as much flavor as possible, then quick-release the pressure once they’re cooked so they don’t turn mushy.
9. Instant Pot Hearty Tortellini Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot, beginner-friendly, high protein
- Serves: 4
Pantry staples (like store-bought tortellini, tomato paste and Italian seasoning) can make one unforgettable meal. "This throw-together soup is hearty, filling and family-friendly," Pitre asserts. "Add some toasted bread and a few slices of cheese, and dinner is served."
10. Instant Pot Miso Salmon Chowder
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, dairy free
- Serves: 4
Brace your taste buds for an generous dose of umami, courtesy of white miso paste. "For those who avoid soy, use whole milk, heavy whipping cream, almond milk or any other milk that you prefer with the exception of skim or fat-free," Pitre suggests.
11. Keto Instant Pot Greek Cauliflower Rice
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, low carb, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 8
Keto and low-carb dieters swear by the versatility and convenience of cauliflower rice for good reason. "It doesn't have a ton of flavor on its own, so you can really use it as a blank canvas for all kinds of delicious combinations," recipe creator Jen Fisch explains. "Greek flavors are some of my favorites, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand, so this is a version that I make a lot."
12. Keto Instant Pot Sausage-Kale Soup
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, low carb
- Serves: 4
Consider this soul-soother a choose-your-own-adventure recipe. "You can use any type of sausage you prefer (kielbasa, chorizo and Italian sausage are all great choices)," Fisch writes, "and depending on what you choose, you can really change the flavor profile of the soup."
13. Instant Pot Keto Indian Butter Chicken
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 4
Buttery, coconut-y and teeming with warm spices (like garam masala, cumin and turmeric), this Instant Pot meal prep recipe will wow you at first bite. Plate it with cauliflower rice (or basmati rice, if you're not on a low-carb diet), warm naan and fresh cilantro.
14. Instant Pot Spicy Thai Butternut Squash Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegan, gluten free
- Serves: 4
Isn't she lovely? The hardest part about making this fall stunner is chopping the butternut squash, if you ask me. Luckily, microwaving the gourd for just three minutes will soften it and make it much easier to cut. Thank me later.
15. Instant Pot Farro Risotto
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, Instant Pot, make ahead
- Serves: 4
Not only will you not have to stir this risotto into oblivion to pull it off, but it also gets its rich, thick texture without the help of dairy. "This version uses whole-grain farro instead of white rice and gets its creaminess from a 'cheesy' white bean puree,” recipe creator Nisha Vora writes.
16. Instant Pot Boston Baked Beans
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
To prep the beans, you have two options: You can soak them dry overnight in three to four cups water, or you can save yourself some prep time and soak them in three to four cups of hot water for one hour. Just don't use canned beans—the Instant Pot will turn them to mush.
17. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
This Instant Pot meal prep recipe offers endless pairing possibilities. Serve the simply seasoned poultry alongside rice, quinoa, salad, tortillas…the list goes on and on. (P.S.: To make the chicken in the slow cooker instead, thaw it completely then cook it on high for four hours or low for eight.)
18. Salsa Chicken
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
Whether you plate the chicken over rice, salad, potatoes or taco shells, it's an easy win for a busy weeknight. It'll only be as delicious as the store-bought salsa you choose to use, so pick one you love. Now, will it be red or green?
19. Five-Ingredient Carnitas Soup
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4
Now this stuff is good for the soul. You can use carnitas made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker (or, alternatively, store-bought rotisserie chicken), then combine it with stock, potatoes and salsa to turn it into a cheater's soup. Ta-da.
20. Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
Who says fiestas can’t happen during the day? "Adding in the rice at the very end without stirring will prevent the rice from sinking to the bottom of the Instant Pot; this is what signals the dreaded burn notice," recipe creator Chungah Rhee explains. "Layer and sprinkle the rice on top, patting it down slightly to submerge. Do not stir: This will lead to burrito-goodness-flavored tender, fluffy rice."
21. Instant Pot Lentil Curry
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, crowd-pleaser, high fiber
- Serves: 4 to 6
This Indian-inspired Instant Pot meal prep recipe calls for hardy green or brown lentils. "I don't recommend using red or yellow lentils in the Instant Pot," recipe creator Erin Clarke writes, "as their texture is more delicate and they tend to fall apart." Once it's cooked, plate it with rice, cilantro and lemon wedges.
22. Instant Pot Healthy Turkey Chili
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, make ahead
- Serves: 8
This lightened-up chili recipe uses turkey bacon and ground turkey in place of likely suspects like pork and beef. It's also packed with fiber and extra protein, thanks to pinto and black beans. I'll take extra sour cream on mine, please.
Food Editor
- Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
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- Studied English and writing at Ithaca College
