“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”
~ Muhammad Ali
What’s An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is a kitchen appliance that’s many tools in one. Its primary function is a pressure cooker, and that’s the focus of this recipe roundup. But it also serves as a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, food warmer, and it has a sauté function as well (meaning you can brown meat before cooking, and reduce sauces and gravies afterward.) It saves a lot of room in my kitchen by replacing a bunch of appliances at once, and turns many recipes into one-pot wonders.
That said, the pressure cooker function is probably my favorite part. It’s worth it for bone broth alone. (It makes gelatinous broth in just 2-1/2 hours, as opposed to 24.) When you’re on a healing diet, you spend a LOT of time in the kitchen, and pressure cookers save time. I can’t think of a better gift. So, I’ve gathered together this list of Instant Pot pressure cooker recipes that fit the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). Here’s to healthy fast food!
P.S. If you have a stovetop pressure cooker, you can still use these recipes, but you’ll have to adapt them and experiment with timing, as different brands cook at different speeds.
Bone Broth
Bone Broth from Phoenix Helix
Sauces and Dips
Nomato Sauce from Food and Sunshine
Lemon-Garlic Hummus from A Squirrel in the Kitchen
Cinnamon Turmeric Applesauce from Zesty Paleo
Vegetable Recipes
Whole Spaghetti Squash with Duck Fat Apple Juice Glaze from Phoenix Helix
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower from Phoenix Helix
Garlicky Mashed Rutabaga from Phoenix Helix
Cabbage with Bone Broth from Fed, Fit, Happy
Sweet Potatoes from Finished with Salt
Steamed Artichokes from Flavor RD
Quick Onion Soup from Meatified
Chicken Recipes
Shredded Chicken with Tarragon and Kale from Healing Family Eats
Hawaiian Shredded Chicken from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP
Orange Chicken from The Castaway Kitchen
Chicken Vegetable Soup by A Squirrel in the Kitchen
Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Curry from Zesty Paleo
Low-Histamine Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew from Eat Beautiful
Pork Recipes
Chili from Food By Mars
Kalua Pig from Nom Nom Paleo
Pork Carnitas from Fresh Tart
Cuban Lechon Asado from The Curious Coconut
BBQ Ribs from The Honest Spoonful
Pork Cheek Stew from Meatified
Beef Recipes
Swedish Meatballs and Mushroom Gravy from The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook
Smoked Parsley Meatballs from The Castaway Kitchen
Braised Beef Short Ribs from Fresh Tart
Balsamic Roast Beef from The Paleo Mom
Beef Stew from Meatified
Low-FODMAP Beef Stew from Sweet Treats
Lamb Recipes
Lamb Stew from The Paleo Mom
Rosemary “Curried” Lamb Stew from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP
Want More Recipes? Check Out The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook.
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This recipe roundup was first published in 2015 but is updated annually. Last update 1/9/24.
Just took my new 6qt pot out of the box and am trying to decide what to cook first! I’m very used to a crock pot but pressure cooking is a Whole New Adventure. Knew where to come for help and inspiration though!
Welcome to the Instant Pot tribe! Happy cooking!
Is Rice allowed. Some say it is and some say it isnt?
Hi Judy. If you’re talking about The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, the answer is no. All grains are out during the elimination phase. But when you’re ready for reintroductions, you can try white rice and see how your body responds. Here’s an article I wrote on the pros and cons of white rice. And for more details on the AIP, I recommend my book: A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.
I have one and they really save time. one criticisms only one size pot and 4 adults no seconds allowed.
Margaret, did you know they sell a larger 8-quart model now?
My sister came to town this weekend raving about her new Instant Pot. That convinced me, and I’ve got one on order from Amazon! Can’t wait to get started.
Welcome to the Instant Pot Club, Becky. Enjoy!
I really want to purchase your paleo aip instant pot cookbook it’s $17.95
I don’t have PayPal but I have check and credit card. Please help me.
Hi Jill. Paypal is the only payment processor for my ebooks, but you can use a credit card with them.
Hi from over the pond bought your ebook and have been lusting over the IP so I bought myself one as an early Christmas present it arrived yesterday so it begins well it will once I stop being nervous of it I decorated myself and my kitchen with caramel many years ago with an old pressure cooker still traumatised 🙂
Trish, I get it! I think a lot of us approach pressure cookers with a little bit of trepidation. The Instant Pot is much safer than those old models, and if you read the tutorial in the front of The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook, it will put you totally at ease. Enjoy!
I made Osso Bucco in my Instant Pot recently using 100% grass-fed beef shanks and after 40 minutes the meat was tough. I put it back on for another 30 minutes and it was fork-soft but still chewy. I’ve been wondering if grass-fed beef isn’t really suitable for the pressure heating as even steaks are supposed to be cooked low and slow. Do you have any suggestions? I would love to use my pot for these long cooking recipes but I do want the meat to be tender.
Stina, I recommend doing some comparison tests between the slow cooker function and the pressure cooker function for your grass-fed meats, to see which you prefer. I love both features. Pressure cook is faster, but Slow cook is still easy – you just need to plan for it by starting it in the morning instead of right before dinner.
Some recipes in the cookbook that came with the Instant-Pot, often instruct to use the Saute button in order to pre-heat.. other recipes don’t mention that step. Assuming this distinction is on purpose, what is that purpose?
Also, whenever meat is involved, should the meat always be slightly grilled first in order to get the texture down, or will it work just as fine placing it in the instapot raw?
Ben, there is no one way to use the Instant Pot. I’ve never used a preheat feature myself. There’s also never a reason to pre-grill meat ahead of time. The Instant Pot is designed to create 1 pot meals. In fact, the saute function is most commonly used to sear meat before cooking the rest of the recipe, to get the caramelized flavor. I hope that helps. Have fun experimenting with yours!
Thanks!
Maybe a different cookbook might be a better starter, but I tried the red lentil recipe yesterday with mixed results. While tasty, the 10 minutes wasn’t long enough, as the lentils came out a bit too firm. Interestingly, I did the quick pressure-release, rather than the natural auto-slow-release. The recipe says to use either, but I imagine the cooking times should be listed differently depending on the release approach to be used (i.e. cook longer when when you will be manually releasing pressure quickly) Has this been your experience as well?
Any suggestions for a good starter electric pressure cookbook?
Cheers!
I’ve found that it takes some trial and error to perfect recipes for the Instant Pot. I’m paleo, so I don’t eat lentils, but when it comes to cooking roasts and squashes, the size can make a difference. Since lentils come in different types and sizes, that might account for your experience. There’s also different preferences in terms of food having a slight crunch vs. being soft – both are done cooking, just in different ways. Hip Pressure Cooking is a good website to follow as you experiment. I’m hoping an Instant Pot Paleo Cookbook will come out in 2016.
Thank you SO much! That’s is really helpful, thank you! X
I have founf this response to my query regarding the effect of pressure cooking on nutrition
According to Kantha Shelke, Ph.D; a Chicago-based food scientist and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists on Here’s what she told us:
Pressure cooking can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate) and bioactive phytonutrients, such as betacarotene, glucosinolates (helpful compounds found in cruciferous vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids, that are beneficial for human health. But so do other cooking methods—and generally to more or less the same extent.
With vegetables and fruits, the heat-sensitive nutrients (e.g., vitamin C, folate and bioactive phytonutrients) are generally most susceptible to degradation during pressure cooking. Consuming the cooking water can help restore some of these losses.
In the case of grains and legumes, although the vitamins and heat-sensitive vitamins and phytonutrients are vulnerable to deterioration, the net result of pressure-cooking is a positive nutritional gain—from the increased digestibility of the macronutrients (protein, fiber and starch) and the increased bioavailability of the essential minerals.
Pressure-cooked meat-based dishes show a significant reduction in unsaturated fat contents, but it appears that iron is not lost.
In addition to making foods like grains and legumes more digestible, pressure cooking does not create any of the unhealthy chemicals associated with baking and grilling methods.
Hi Jacquie. Thanks for sharing your research!
Love reading other people’s queries too. Was at Medicare office to get a refund for DH podiatry and heard a large lady saying her 4th child had now, also, been declared Autistic. Wrote down the site details and explained about (because I couldnt help overhearing) By the look on her face, it might be in the too hard basket. None of the urinologists (3) I saw – who discovered an angry bladder – had any suggestions – whyever not – the GP was the same, surely this should be a n important reaction on their behalf “Try a dietician straight away” Think how many kids are suffering on meds because of lack of referrals…thank you
Dear Eilleen I love the idea of being able to male my bone broth in just 3 hours but I have been told not to use a pressure cooker as it functions on an extremely high temperature and therefore will denature all the nutrients. I am investigating whether this is true or not. All the best Jacquie
wow…I was just wondering last week if I should buy an instant pot… if they were everything they claim to be ….so apparently, the answer is yes! So thank you for this blog.
also thank you so much for your website I just found out I need to do the AIP protocol and I was so overwhelmed with everything that I have to cut out (since I am already gluten & dairy- free and I said how am I possibly going to do this? and I stumbled onto your website …so I thank you again for all your hard work. Your resource is more appreciated than you could ever imagine!
Christy, thanks so much for writing. That is my goal! To make this healing diet and lifestyle as easy as possible.
I just unearthed my pot ..unlike you, didnt learn to fully utilise its functions…Saute great, didnt figure the slow cook bit well, minimum time was 5 hours on mine and that wasnt on. will try the low function. Now you can tell I am a klutz with machines and this includes laptop. I love the sound of these recipes thank you Eileen, will watch out for salicylate content and go for it…..if I can figure out how to get them into my laptop…..Thank you again for your wonderful website and the people who share on it. Self help and sharing at its best.
“Self help and sharing at its best.” – Yes, that’s what I love about this community.
I can never get enough Instant Pot recipes! Definitely one of my favorite tools for healthy fast food. I’m thrilled to learn about all of these new-to-me bloggers to pull from, thanks!
You’re welcome. Thanks for artichoke recipe!
Perfect timing! We’ve recently purchased an InstantPot, and have been looking for already tested AIP recipes to use with it. (We’ve been experimenting, and it doesn’t always work out!)
It’s so helpful when other people walk the path before you, isn’t it? Some of these bloggers are Instant Pot experts, and use theirs almost every day.
I was hoping the pressure cooker would be as wonderful as you claim however, when I ordered mine, it was defaulty and I cannot even tell you how disappointed I was. When I contacted the Company they took three weeks to respond with first having to prove I purchased their product after which a simply well too bad send it back and we will see what we can do. I am still making bone broth via a slow cooker but so disappointed in the customer support for this product that you rave about.
Robin, I’m sorry you had such a negative experience. Did you buy it through Amazon? If yes, I recommend working with Amazon directly for exchange or refund: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201077740 .
Thank you, Eileen! This is a fantastic resource. We recently bought an instapot for making bone broth and it is totally time to branch out~.
Yes! I think it’s worth it for bone broth alone, but part of compiling this roundup was to help ME branch out, too
Thanks! I may have to get an Instant Pot, now that I know what they are. I am the slow cooker queen, but feel like my entire life is spent in the kitchen. Thanks to all for the great recipes and to Eileen for compiling them for us.
My pleasure, Susan.
Thank you, thank you, and more thanks! I’m trying to get back into AIP but my back and hip problems can make it difficult to cook. I was trying to search for instant pot (I have a different brand but it was a gift so who cares) recipes, and you have found way more than me. I am so excited! Many blessings to you!
Wonderful! Enjoy the recipe experiments.