Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

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Part of what makes the Instant Pot so easy to rely on in the kitchen is meal prep! Whether you prep just breakfast, snacks, or all of your meals for the week, these healthy Instant Pot recipes are delicious, hearty (the can easily last 5-7 days in the fridge), and can be frozen easily.

Whether you are trying Instant Pot meal prep for weight loss goals, to save money, or to save time–these recipes can help.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (1)

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    -Click “Shopping List” and then Generate Shopping List.Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (3)

Let’s get prepping!

1. Choose a few of these easy sides to prep for the week

  • Instant Pot Brown Rice
  • Instant Pot White Rice
  • Instant Pot Quinoa
  • Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
  • Brown Rice and Quinoa

Additional Easy Recipes & Tips for prep day:

  • Chicken Stock and Turkey Stock
  • How long to cook vegetables in the Instant Pot
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (but with cauliflower)
  • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

2. Breakfasts – Choose one or two to prep for the entire week

If I choose two of these recipes, I always freeze some of it because two full recipes for breakfast is a bit much if I’m the only person eating it.

Bonus: These are all healthy breakfasts that include serving sizes and counts for both the 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (4)
  • Chorizo and Eggs made with ground turkey
  • Starbucks Egg White Bites
  • Mini Frittatas
  • Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
  • Amish Baked Oatmeal
  • Blueberry Lemon Zest Steel Cut Oats

Grocery List for these breakfast recipes:

Non-Instant Pot recipes to prep while your pot is in use:

Unless you have multiple pots, you’re going to have some down time while your recipes are cooking. I recommend using this time to cut veggies for snacking and make some non-Instant Pot recipes.

These recipes can be made in about 30 minutes and are perfect for snacking or as part of your lunch.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (5)
  • Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls
  • Just Crack an Egg Copycat Recipe
  • No Bake Coconut Bars
  • Healthy Buckeye Recipe
  • Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grocery list for these snack recipes:

If I step out of the kitchen while I’m prepping, even if I’m waiting for something to cook, I find that I lose my motivation to prep. The name of the game for me is “don’t leave the kitchen” ;)

3. Meal Prep Instant Pot Lunches and Dinners:

Most of these recipes can be made in the slow cooker as well! It’s a great way to get more done on your prep day.

There are a couple of ways you can plan these.

  1. Choose one recipe to eat all week for lunches, and choose three to make and freeze for busy weeknight dinners (I do leftovers for two days).
  2. Choose multiple recipes and plan on eating a recipe for dinner, then lunch the next day. This is an easy way to have meal prep lunches for the week without a ton of prep.

Instant Pot Lunch Recipes:

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  • Rotisserie Chicken You can use this set of recipes to cook your chicken with any of these delicious flavors: Lemon & Parsley, Rosemary & Garlic, Mexican Citrus, Lemon Garlic, and hearty vegetable.
  • Healthy Hamburger Helper
  • Minestrone Soup
  • Instant Pot Meatballs This is a super versatile recipe that is great for heating up during the week.
  • Teriyaki Meatballs
  • Instant Pot Healthy Crack Chicken(dairy free version here) Eat this as a dip, lunch, used to stuff your veggies–there are so many things you can do with this delicious and versatile recipe!
  • Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
  • Instant Pot Buffalo Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese I don’t need to say more about this one. Buffalo chicken wins my heart every. time.

Grocery List for these recipes:

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes:

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (7)
  • Instant Pot Risotto Add mushrooms, asparagus, or your other favorite vegetables!
  • Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo
  • Tuscan Chicken Pasta This is one of the most popular recipes on My Crazy Good Life–creamy and hearty but still healthy, and if you don’t have sun dried tomatoes you can use cherry tomatoes!
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Crack Chicken and Rice Casserole Another variation of Crack Chicken, this is so delish! The frozen chicken and dry rice are perfect together in the Instant Pot.
  • Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
  • Instant Pot Beef Pho Not a simple or quick recipe–I’ll admit that right away. But it’s delicious and satisfying to make.
  • Orange Chicken
  • Instant Pot Spaghetti
  • Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl with frozen chicken, dry brown rice, and dry black beans
  • Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Grocery List for these recipes:

Looking for more awesome Instant Pot Recipes? I’ve got 100 healthy Instant Pot recipes here, and a ton of healthy Pressure Cooker Recipes here.

Recipe Tips:

  • You can easily use chicken breasts or chicken thighs in these recipes, they’re easy to swap and require no changes to the pressure cook time.
  • Use raw veggies for a last minute side dish
  • Most of these recipes are gluten free as is, but you can definitely swap regular pasta for gluten free!
  • These recipes use whole grain pasta, which requires different cooking times than regular white pasta. They can’t be swapped out in a recipe.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (8)

Becca Ludlum

Healthy recipe creator, self-confessed food snob, and certified Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. I create healthy recipes with minimally processed ingredients, but have never turned down a homemade brownie. ;)

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Are instant pots good for meal prep? ›

I love the Instant Pot for its ability to quickly cook weeknight dinners and because it's great for batch cooking. This Power Hour takes advantage of both by using the Instant Pot to prep breakfast and lunch options while you prep dinners that will be cooked in the Instant Pot later in the week.

What does an Instant Pot do? ›

The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker but also a slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, big sauté pot, steamer, and more. We have the 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo which is what we use for all our Instant Pot recipes.

Why do I need an Instant Pot? ›

But the Instant Pot is more than a slow cooker, it's a multi-cooker. It replaces up to seven common kitchen appliances, like a pressure cooker, rice cooker and yogurt maker, and speeds the cooking process so you can simmer, braise, slow cook, steam, and warm faster. And according to some, you can make wine in it too.

What can you cook in an instapot? ›

I can cook 3–5 pound of potatoes in less than 20 minutes, which is great for a crowd. I can cook ribs in about 37 minutes, where it used to take around three hours and lots of gas (from the oven). Soups, chili, rice, one pot dishes - all easy, easy, easy and turn out perfectly every time and it saves a ton of energy.

What is the best long lasting meal prep? ›

Soups, stews, and chili are the ideal meal prep because they last a little longer than most meals (up to five or six days) AND they're extremely freezer-friendly. If you're new to meal prep and are nervous about how foods taste after a few days, I recommend starting with a soup, stew, or chili.

What foods can you meal prep for a week? ›

24 Meal-Prep Recipes You Can Make On Sunday For The Whole Week
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki. ...
  • Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls. ...
  • Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. ...
  • Honey Garlic Salmon Lo Mein. ...
  • Korean Steak Bowls. ...
  • Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad. ...
  • Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice. ...
  • Honey Baked BBQ Salmon Bowls.
Oct 25, 2020

Why did Instapot go out of business? ›

“In particular, tightening of credit terms and higher interest rates impacted our liquidity levels and made our capital structure unsustainable,” Mr. Gadbois said. Instant Brands said in a statement on Wednesday that the new financing would allow the company to continue paying workers, vendors and suppliers.

Are Instant Pots healthier? ›

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.

Are Instant Pots really worth it? ›

You may not want to toss away your old slow-cooker, but if you're in the market for a new one or a pressure cooker, the Instant Pot does both well (even if you don't find yourself using the bevy of alternate options that often). We wouldn't reach for it to replace our sauté pans, though.

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 meat in an Instapot? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.

Can you cook meat in a Instapot? ›

You can sear, braise, stew, roast or heat your favorite beef cuts in a much shorter amount of time than would be possible on the stove or in the oven. Any cuts good for braising, stewing or sautéing are ideal for the Instant Pot. Think pot roasts, stew meat, or even slices typically used in one-pot meals.

Are Instant Pots safe to eat from? ›

Are electric pressure cookers safe? Yes, electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot are generally safe and easy to use. The Instant Pot has so many safety mechanisms (PDF) built in that it's hard to make a catastrophic mistake. In general, if you follow the safety instructions, you should be good.

How long do Instant Pots usually last? ›

The average lifespan of an Instant Pot ranges from 2-5 years, but it can last longer depending on how often it's used and how well-maintained it is. So it's safe to say Instant Pots aren't commonly being replaced, and may even be a one-time purchase.

Can you use instant rice for meal prep? ›

Now you've tried these ideas, try mixing and matching your own favorite ingredients with Minute® Rice Cups and invent your own recipes. Note: If you like to meal prep, batch cook enough servings of our Instant Rice and use it to make quick meals throughout the week.

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