20 Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

Like everyone else this year, we've hopped on the Instant Pot bandwagon. This magical small appliance is a miracle worker, combining an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker all in one handy unit! These 20 Instant Pot recipes pack a triple punch for busy families — their fast, they use one pot and the keep your waistline slim! So take a peek and get some inspiration to put that Instant Pot to work!

1. Instant Pot One-Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | 390 calories

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You'll love the fresh, zesty taste of this easy-to-make Instant Pot One-Pot Spaghetti With Meat Sauce, plus this dish comes together in less than 15 minutes start to finish! Get the recipe here.

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2. Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs | 244 calories

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These 20-Minute Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are dinner perfection when you need a quick, tasty meal. Serve these flavorful meatballs over rice, quinoa, or steamed veggies. Get the recipe here.

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3. 4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken | 120 calories

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This 4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken is perfectly moist and tender, and the spices and salsa give it such a lovely burst of flavor. Just 4 ingredients dumped into the Instant Pot and you have a healthy, protein-packed dinner for just 120 calories! Get the full recipe here.

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4. Instant Pot Chili | 346 calories

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Well Plated by Erin's Instant Pot Chili is the most efficient and tastiest way to make chili! This chili recipe is rich, hearty and healthy with turkey, black beans and sweet potatoes...talk about comfort food! Get the delicious recipe here.

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5. Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken | 340 calories

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This flavorful, tender and juicy Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken recipe takes just five minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook! You and your family will love every bite of this healthy play on Chinese takeout! Get the full recipe here.

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6. Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup

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The flavors of this uber-healthy Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup from Diethood is to die for. Chock full of healthy veggies like red onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini and healthy boneless skinless chicken breast — this low calorie soup is a win in our book! Get the recipe here.

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7. 10-Minute Instant Pot Salmon | 530 calories

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We all want to get into the habit of preparing healthy dinners each week. With all the hustle and bustle of life, you sometimes forget to pull out that frozen protein for tonight's dinner... sound familiar? This 10-Minute Instant Pot Salmon recipe allows you to put frozen solid salmon fillets directly into your Instant Pot. The salmon turns out moist, flakey, and flavorful — ready for a pat of butter, a freshly-cut dill, and a squeeze of lemon. Calorie count includes rice and green beans! Get the recipe here.

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8. Instant Pot Beef Drip Sandwiches | 290 calories

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These Instant Pot Beef Drip Sandwiches from Slender Kitchen are packed with flavor and surprisingly low calorie with under 300 calories per sandwich. The pepperoncini beef, made with onions, pepperoncinis, and Italian seasoning, is piled high into a warm bun and topped off with sliced peppers and cheese. Get this recipe that is ready in an hour here.

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9. Instant Pot Skinny Broccoli Cheddar Soup | 198 calories

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You'll love this healthier version of Instant Pot Skinny Broccoli Cheddar Soup! The normal fat-ladden cream base gets a healthy upgrade and is made from pureed yellow potatoes. It is thick, creamy, cheesy and decadent. Get the recipe here.

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10. Instant Pot Turkey-Stuffed Peppers | 399 calories

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What can't you make in an Instant Pot? These Instant Pot Turkey-Stuffed Peppers from healthy cooking maven, Gina hom*olka of Skinnytaste are so easy to make, and very tasty — the perfect comfort food on a cold weeknight! Get the recipe here.

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11. Instant Pot Faux-tisserie Chicken | 91 calories

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Is a rotisserie chicken a staple meal or ingredient at your house? Store-bought rotisserie chicken is definitely a convenience, but the ingredient label can be a little scary! This recipe contains no additives—just chicken, olive oil, onions, garlic, and seasonings. Plus! This recipe is Whole 30 and Paleo friendly! Ditch the grocery chicken and start cooking your own rotisserie chicken at home—get the recipe here.

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12. Paleo Chicken and Broccoli | 540 calories

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Try this Paleo Chicken and Broccoli that looks like it just came out of a takeout box. This delicious recipe can be prepped and cooked in your handy dandy Instant Pot in just 20 minutes! Serve it on a bed of cauliflower rice for a Whole 30 compliant meal, or with brown rice! Get the recipe here.

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13. Butternut Cauliflower Soup | 121 calories

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We're all about using fresh ingredients whenever possible, but we love the refreshing take that Peas and Crayons has on putting this creamy Butternut Cauliflower Soup together. She gives shortcuts like using frozen, pre-cut vegetables to save time, ideas for added protein to "beef" up the recipe as well as a boat-load of tasty toppings to flavor the soup to your individual liking! Try this yummy recipe here.

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14. Chicken and Rice | 298 calories

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Easy. Few ingredients. Delicious. This Chicken and Rice recipe comes together in an hour and a half and is worth every second. And that's it! Just serve the chicken pieces over the rice and add some chopped parsley for garnish, if desired. Get the recipe here.

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15. Easy Pressure Cooker Beef and Broccoli | 345 calories

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Chinese takeout is amazing. What isn't amazing is all of the sodium and fat. Check out I Save A 2 Z's Easy Pressure Cooker Beef and Broccoli that comes in at just 345 calories! The key in this recipe is cutting the beef in thin slices, and against the grain for juicy tender strips of meat that pair well with the crisp, fresh broccoli. Get the recipe here.

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16. Turkey Meatball Stroganoff | 310 calories

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This tasty dish is going to be on the weekly menu at your house! These delicious turkey meatballs are simmered in a sour cream mushroom sauce, and make the most delicious sauce! If you're a "sauce person"—you'll want to double the ingredients for the sauce. Serve this stroganoff over egg noodles, spiralized zucchini, or even rice or quinoa for a great family dinner. Get the recipe here.

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17. Sweet-and-Sticky Short Ribs | 298 calories

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Yes, you can make short ribs in the Instant Pot. Create fall-off-the-bone tender short ribs in just 30 minutes. These succulent ribs are coated in a sweet and spicy Asian-inspired sauce that doesn't disappoint. Get the recipe here.

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18. Five Ingredient Cheesy Egg Bake | 264 calories

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Breakfast for dinner? Yes, please! You'll love how this Cheesy Egg Bake looks like a big deep dish pizza—cut into big pie wedges and let everyone dig in! Use this recipe as a starting point and add your favorites—bell peppers, turkey sausage, hashbrowns, sweet onion,green onion—the options are endless and delicious! Get the recipe here.

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19. Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki with Rice | 609 calories

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Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki with Rice make s a great weeknight meal that cooks up in just 30 minutes, you even make your own Teriyaki sauce! This recipe cooks the rice along with the meal—the rice gets the delicious flavor of the sweet and savory teriyaki sauce and cooks up nice and tender. Get the recipe here.

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20. Low-Carb Corned Beef and Cabbage

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Corned Beef and Cabbage, an obvious St. Patrick's day staple can be enjoyed all year long with this Low-Carb Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe from Sugar-Free Mom. The low carb part? No potatoes, although you won't even miss them with all the flavor this dish brings. Try it here.

Is the slow cooker is more your jam? Check out our best slow cooker recipes.

Related:
Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
10 Healthy and Delicious Slow Cooker Meals
13 Skinny Dinners Under 300 Calories59 Healthy Slow Cooker Dinners Under 400 Calories

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20 Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

FAQs

Does size of instant pot affect cooking time? ›

Also remember with a larger pot it takes longer to reach pressure. This means the food will be cooking for a longer amount of time. Depending on the type of food you may want to subtract time from the cooking time.

Does instant pot reduce cooking time? ›

Most things cook (at least) 60–70% faster in a pressure cooker than when using any other type of cooking. That doesn't count the prep time of course, or any time the oven, pot, or pressure cooker takes to come to temperature for the food to start real “cooking” though, or “resting” time in the pot for some foods.

How much food can you put in an instant pot? ›

Every pressure cooker manual has an “Important Safeguards” section at the beginning that says a pressure cooker should not be filled with food and liquid more than 1/2 full when pressure cooking beans, grains and rice (or “foamy” foods) and no more than 2/3 full for cooking anything else.

Can you make small meals in a large Instant Pot? ›

it's no difference using the 8-quart Instant Pot. It works just as well. The size is just fine, and I've never felt it cooked inefficiently or improperly, even with small amounts of food, whether that's rice, beans, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or anything else.

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

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.

How long to cook 1 lb of meat in an Instant Pot? ›

Cook for 20 minutes (per pound of meat) at high pressure for large chunks and 15 minutes (per pound of meat) for small chunks. Use a quick pressure release method.

Do you leave vent open on Instant Pot when slow cooking? ›

Another tip, taken from an Instant Pot Facebook group, is to open the valve all the way on your Instant Pot lid when slow cooking. This allows some moisture and steam to release and keeps the Instant Pot from overcooking your slow cooker recipes.

How long to cook meat in an Instant Pot? ›

I like to assume 20 minutes for every pound of meat. So, for my 3-pound beef chuck, I will need to cook at high pressure for 1 hour. After the hour, I release the pressure and shred the tender beef. When the beef is done, you can make our optional gravy.

Can I leave Instant Pot on all night? ›

Yes, the Instant Pot was designed to work unattended. In fact, several models have a “delayed start timer” that will let you load up the Instant Pot before work and have it start by itself an hour before you'll get back home, for example.

How full can you fill an Instant Pot with potatoes? ›

In theory, you can fill the pot up with potatoes, as long as they don't touch the lid. Keep in mind that the more full your pot is the longer it will take for the pot to come to pressure. So, the more potatoes you cook, the longer the overall process will take.

How full is too full for Instant Pot? ›

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

What size Instant Pot are most recipes for? ›

Benefits of a 6-quart Instant Pot: The 6-quart (and new 6.5-quart variation) Instant Pot is the most popular size for home cooks, as most recipes are written for that size. Generally, a meal cooked in a 6-quart model feeds three to six people.

Does the size of Instant Pot matter? ›

Deciding on what size pressure cooker to buy depends on what you'll be using it for and how many people you want to feed. If you're having a hard time deciding, you can't go wrong with the 6-quart Instant Pot, which is the most popular size.

Is a bigger Instant Pot better? ›

The 6-quart size is the most popular size and we recommend buying either a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. Either size will accommodate (most) any recipe you want to cook and will easily serve four to six people. If you're a fan of meal prepping, you might find a larger, 8-quart model to be more helpful.

Is a smaller Instant Pot better? ›

Instant Pots come in 3-, 6-, 8-, and 10-quart sizes. 3-quart Instant Pots work best for singles or couples, the 5-quart serves three to five people, and the 8-quart will easily cook for six or more. The 10-quart can take on tasks like batch cooking or even a whole ham, so there's plenty of literal room to experiment.

Is 8 quart Instant Pot too big? ›

The 8 quart will work for you if you have a family of 6 to 8 people. If you like to have lots of leftovers, buy the 8 quart. If you're looking to batch cook and freeze meals, buy the 8 quart. You can always make a smaller quantity in a larger-sized Instant Pot but you can't make more in a smaller size Instant Pot!

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