7 Pantry Instant Pot Recipes - 365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking (2024)

Stock your freezer, spice cupboard and pantry with a few items and you can make these 7 different pantry Instant Pot recipes.

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Pantry Instant Pot Recipes

I grew up with 6 siblings, all sisters. During a number of years when we were younger my mom would plan a monthly grocery shopping trip. She would only hit the grocery store once a month! She would plan all her meals and use the items that go bad quickly first and then the foods that lasted longer would be used later in the month. She was very resourceful and we did grow up on quite a few canned goods and powdered milk (which my kids probably wouldn’t touch!).

Until recently I have gone to the grocery store 2 times a week (sometimes more!). Now that we are hunkering down and trying to visit the grocery store as little as possible it’s good to plan meals out a bit more and think about what foods will last longer.

I’ve made a list of items that I always try to keep in my pantry, freezer and spice cupboard. When I have these items I can make so many different recipes! What items do you have in your pantry that are must haves?

Pantry Staples:

• Tomato sauce, diced and crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Beef broth and chicken broth or Better Than Bouillon Beef and Chicken Base
• Pasta
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Dried beans and canned beans
• Lentils
• Barley
• Salsa or picante sauce
• Worcestershire
• Soy Sauce
• Oils (olive, canola, sesame)
• Vinegar (white, apple cider, red wine, rice, balsamic)
• Salad dressings
• Green chilies
• Bread crumbs
• Sugar (white and brown)
• Honey and molasses
• Flour and cornstarch
• BBQ sauce

Spice Cupboard:

• Taco seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Pepper
• Salt/Kosher salt
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Basil
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Bay leaf
• Italian seasoning
• Smoked paprika
• Thyme
• Ranch dressing mix

Freezer Staples:

• Corn
• Vegetables
• Meats: chicken, ground beef or turkey, sausage (ground and smoked rope sausage)
• Fresh ginger (I buy a root and then wrap it up in plastic and freeze it. Each time a recipe calls for ginger I grate some off)
• Lime juice and lemon juice (I buy a big bag of limes and squeeze out all the juice. Then I freeze in ice cube trays or my egg bites mold. Whenever a recipe calls for fresh lime juice I have it on hand)
• Grated cheddar (I buy the huge 5 pound cheese block from Costco and then grate it all up and freeze it in Ziploc bags)
• Grated parmesan (I buy a big bag of grated parmesan at Costco and throw it in the freezer)
• Butter

Once your pantry, freezer and spice cupboard are stocked you can make these tasty Instant Pot dinners!

1. Instant Pot Cheesy Beef Burrito Bowls

All the cheesy, delicious innards of a beef burrito made in one pot, your Instant Pot.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
• Taco seasoning
• Beef broth (or chicken broth)
• Rice
• Rotel (or use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chilies)
• Can black beans
• Frozen corn or canned corn
• Grated cheese of your choice

2. Instant Pot 2-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken

With literally only 2 ingredients and the fact that it’s made in the Instant Pot, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make. This balsamic chicken tastes great on salads, over rice or with a baked potato.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts or bone-in chicken
• Balsamic salad dressing (or any other thin salad dressing that is thin and not cream based)

3. Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

A fast and easy meatless meal or an amazing side dish.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Quinoa
• Can of black beans
• Salsa or picante sauce
• Bay leaf
• Cumin
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Lime juice (optional)

Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

Uncooked rice is mixed with ground beef to make a meatball that looks like it has porcupine quills.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Crushed tomatoes
• Butter
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Lean ground beef
• Egg
• Long grain white rice
• Worcestershire sauce
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Bread crumbs

Instant Pot Mom’s Goulash

Not an authentic version of “goulash” but what my mom would call goulash when I was growing up! Whatever you call it, it tastes amazing.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Lean ground beef or ground turkey
• Onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Oregano
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic
• Worcestershire sauce
• Beef broth or better than bouillon
• Bay leaf
• Pasta
• Tomato sauce
• Diced tomatoes
• Grated cheese

Instant Pot Lo Mein

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Chicken broth
• Spaghetti
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Brown sugar
• Chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• Ginger
• Sesame oil
• Bag of frozen stir fry vegetables

Instant Pot Honey Lime Salsa Verde Chicken

Green salsa, honey, lime, and plenty of seasonings will have you licking your plate! This chicken is perfect with rice, on tortillas, wrapped up in lettuce or plain.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Chicken breasts
• Olive oil
• Chili powder
• Kosher salt
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Cumin
• Pepper
• Salsa verde
• Honey
• Lime juice

More pantry/freezer/spice cupboard friendly recipes…

Instant Pot Pork and Beans

Instant Pot Pioneer Pasta

Instant Pot Ranch Chicken Taco Rice

Instant Pot Sausage Lentil Rice Soup

Instant Pot Tuna Casserole

Instant Pot Rigatoni and Sausage

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Want more tried and true Instant Pot recipes?

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.