20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (2024)

From side dishes, to desserts, to drinks.

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (2)

Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed

The Instant Pot is useful year-round — but that's especially true on Thanksgiving. 🥘

It's one of the easiest ways to take a few holiday recipes away from your (overly-crowded!) oven or stove. Below are several Thanksgiving favorites — including mains, sides, desserts, and drinks — where the Instant Pot does all the hard work for you.


(Also: Reminder that since the IP has a slow cooker setting, any Crock Pot recipes will work in it, too!)

crunchycreamysweet.com

Maybe you're hosting a smaller Thanksgiving, or maybe you just don't feel like going the whole turkey route — since it takes forever. Either way, a bone-in breast only takes 35 minutes to cook and still feeds 4 to 6 people.

Recipe: Instant Pot Turkey Breast

2. 1-Minute Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (3)

savorytooth.com

So simple: Just toss in cranberries, water, orange zest, and your sweetener of choice — and pressure cook for 60 seconds.

Recipe: 1-Minute Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

3. Creamiest Instant Pot Mac 'n' Cheese

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (4)

eatinginstantly.com

There is no meal that cannot be improved with a side of mac 'n' cheese. (And that includes Thanksgiving!)

Recipe: Creamiest Instant Pot Mac 'n' Cheese

4. Shortcut Thanksgiving Dinner for Two

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (5)

dinnerthendessert.com

Doing Thanksgiving for two? Make everything super easy with this all-in-one meal. It's all of your favorite flavors — but with way less prep, cleanup, and waste.

Recipe: Shortcut Thanksgiving Dinner for Two

gimmesomeoven.com

If you're making this vegetarian or vegan, double check that your Worcestershire sauce checks out. (If it doesn't, here's an easy homemade version.)

Recipe: Slow Cooker Portobello Pot Roast

7. Instant Pot Cherry Cheesecake

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (6)

crunchycreamysweet.com

By using a 7" or 8" springform pan — which is placed directly in the Instant Pot — you'll get towering, centerpiece-worthy slices.

Recipe: Instant Pot Cherry Cheesecake

jessicagavin.com

Even with just butter, these are delicious (and fast!) to make. To upgrade them even more, toss in a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Buttery Sweet Potatoes

9. Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Ham

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (7)

life-in-the-lofthouse.com

This uses the IP's slow cooker setting — meaning you could also make this in a Crock Pot. Either way, you'll save oven space.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Ham

foodiecrush.com

The shortcut here is starting with frozen dinner rolls that rise overnight. In the morning, you'll coat them in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans — then bake.

Recipe: Instant Pot Monkey Bread

11. Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (8)

deliciouslysprinkled.com

For maximum ease, this recipe starts with baby carrots. (But if you have more time, you could also slice regular carrots — the tri-color ones would be really pretty!)

Recipe: Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

12. Slow Cooker Classic Stuffing

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (9)

dinnerthendessert.com

If you like a more savory-sweet stuffing, add in sliced apples or cranberries.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Classic Stuffing

13. Instant Pot Hot Chocolate

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (10)

spoonfulofflavor.com

Not mandatory but highly encouraged? Adding bourbon or Bailey's.

Recipe: Instant Pot Hot Chocolate

gimmesomeoven.com

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free — and something everyone will love.

Recipe: Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

15. Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (11)

damndelicious.net

Tangy balsamic and salty Parmesan make just about everything better.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Joe Lingeman / Via thekitchn.com

IP mashed potatoes are faster and (arguably tastier) than the stovetop version — and the pressure cooker doubles as a warming station.

Recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

17. Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples

20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (12)

flouronmyface.com

These are perfect spooned over poundcake or ice cream. (Or even just solo!)

Recipe: Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples

spicysouthernkitchen.com

To easily lift the entire pie up and out after cooking, line the slow cooker with parchment paper first.

Recipe: Crock Pot Pecan Pie

chelseasmessyapron.com

Things you can never have too many of at Thanksgiving: Potato-based sides.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Potatoes au Gratin

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    20 Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes If You Just Want To Eat ASAP (2024)

    FAQs

    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.

    Why potatoes should not be cooked in pressure cooker? ›

    Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

    Which is better Instapot or air fryer? ›

    Although both can take the fuss out of cooking some meals, these two appliances have many differences. Air fryers help crisp up food that you may otherwise cook in a deep fryer, while Instant Pots cook meals that need a liquid element like stews, soups and rice.

    Can you overcook in a Instapot? ›

    It is a pressure cooker, so it's going to cook everything WAY faster than you are accustomed to. So know, it is very easy to overcook in the pressure cooker. Be sure to try out lower times than you think you need.

    What is best cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

    They are great with stews, soups, and beans, and if they're good with beans, they should be good with lentils, although lentils and spit peas cook pretty fast on their own. And they are good with rice. Almost anything that can be cooked in a normal pot can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

    Is it unhealthy to cook in Instant Pot? ›

    Even though some studies suggest that pressure cooking isn't the best way to preserve nutrients in food, no research exists to suggest that pressure cookers of any model or brand pose health risks. If you're a fan of your Instant Pot, don't worry: You can continue to safely use your appliance without worry.

    Does Instant Pot destroy nutrients? ›

    No, in fact foods cooked in a pressure cooker retain more of their nutrients. The best way to destroy nutrients is to cook your food in an open pot of boiling water.

    Is Instant Pot Safer Than pressure cooker? ›

    With stovetop cookers there's still a small risk of pushing the pressure too high and blowing the thing up, but the Instant Pot doesn't have that danger. And it also has different pressure modes, so you can set it at low pressure for things like soup and high pressure when you're in a hurry.

    Does Instant Pot cooking destroy nutrients? ›

    Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says. The shorter cooking time may also result in the greater preservation of vitamins and minerals when compared to other longer types of cooking.

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