30 Days of Instant Pot Dump Recipes (2024)

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March 11, 2024February 9, 2018 by Corinne Schmitt

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When life gets really busy, getting dinner on the table every night becomes a challenge. That’s why I’ve rounded up an entire month’s worth of tried and true Instant Pot dump recipes.

When you want to get a delicious dinner on the table the entire family will enjoy, your pressure cooker is your best friend. Paired with these tasty recipes that have minimal prep work, you can spend less time cooking and more time doing the other things that matter to you.

Looking for a reason to love your Instant Pot? Whether you hate spending time in the kitchen or you simply lack the time, these Instant Pot dump dinner recipes will provide you with plenty of effortless meals all month long!

What is a Dump and Go Recipe?

A dump and go recipe is one that is super easy and convenient to make. The idea behind a dump and go recipe is that you simply “dump” all of the ingredients into a pot, slow cooker, or baking dish, and then “go” about your day while the recipe cooks itself.

These recipes are typically very simple and require very little prep work, so they’re perfect for busy weeknights when you have to multitask during dinner prep time.

Instant Pot Dump Recipes

You won’t find any recipes in this meal plan that require you to sauté ingredients first. I also omitted any recipes that required a lot of slicing and dicing beforehand.

A couple of the recipes do call for time to marinate before cooking, but the marinade had to be simple (e.g. dumping the necessary ingredients into a Ziploc). And, after marinating, you only have to dump the ingredients into the Instant Pot to cook.

Mississippi Pot Roast: Pepperoncini juice and ranch dressing mix pack tons of flavor into this dish.
Salsa Chicken: Just two ingredients (chicken breasts and salsa — pretty sure you figured this out from the name). Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this.
Ham and 15 Bean Soup: Hearty, delicious, and tastes like you’ve been cooking all day.
Balsamic Ginger Chicken: This chicken thigh recipe has lots of flavor. Make it with basmati rice for a true one pot meal.
Spaghetti and Meatballs: This classic family favorite is a cinch to make in your Instant Pot.
Cheesy Tuna Helper: The great thing about this recipe is that you can keep all of the ingredients on hand in your pantry and freezer for nights when you’ve forgotten to plan ahead.
Garlic Lemon Chicken Legs: You can make this one with frozen chicken so no worries if you forget to defrost!
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole: The cheesy creamy sauce in this dish is amazing!
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops: Just four ingredients. Did someone ask for easy?
Hot & Sour Soup: Packed with yummy Asian flavors like rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and ginger with mushrooms, spinach, and tofu, this soup is not only delicious, but it’s good for you too!
Chicken and Stuffing(or this version with one extra step but added liquid if the lack of liquid in the first version worries you): Tender bites of chicken, combined with stuffing mix and green beans for a quick weeknight meal.
Chicken Taco Bowls: Shredded chicken, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese make this the perfect meal for Taco Tuesday.
Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin: Since you start with a pre-seasoned tenderloin, you can substitute any flavor you want and still get a tender, delicious dinner.
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps: This low carb recipe isn’t short on flavor proving a healthy dinner doesn’t have to be boring.
Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork: Tender, juicy pulled pork in under an hour!
Black Bean Soup: This is one of our favorite meatless meals. It’s loaded with vegetables and the beans add fiber and protein to make this a satisfying dinner.
Honey Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls: The awesome Asian-inspired sauce in this dish makes this as wonderful to eat as it is to look at (thanks to the colorful peppers and snap peas).
Corned Beef: Beef, beer, mustard and fig preserves combine with delightful results in this simple dish.
Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta: Cream cheese is the secret to the creamy sauce. And the peas and carrots add color and nutrients.
Chicken FajitasNo need to stand over the stove. Let your Instant Pot do the work, then spoon into tortillas and top with sour cream for a quick dinner.
Minestrone Soup: So many vegetables, even more flavor! This is an awesome soup recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
Pineapple Ginger FauxtisserieChicken: This freezer friendly dinner is one you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer as an emergency meal for especially busy nights.
Mushroom Pasta: Use your favorite noodles (rotini, bowtie, and penne pasta all work great!) and a few simple ingredients to make this easy one pot dinner.
Chicken Noodles: This classic recipe comes together quickly in your pressure cooker and is ready in just over 30 minutes.
7 Can Chicken Taco Soup: Made with canned goods and seasonings, this is another dinner you can keep ingredients on hand for at all times.
Country Style Ribs: Make with bone-in or bone-out country style ribs — the outcome is always delicious!
Swiss Chicken: This is my family’s favorite chicken recipe. Chicken, swiss cheese, and stuffing — yum!
Cheesy Enchilada Rice: Long grain brown rice, enchilada sauce, black beans, cheddar cheese and seasoning are all you need for this flavorful meal.
Korean Short Ribs: This beef dinner with a sweet and tangy Asian sauce served over a bed of rice makes a satisfying dinner.
Pesto Chicken Pasta: A true dump and go recipe that’s ready in under half an hour — this recipe will be one of your go-to’s when you don’t have time to cook.

I was aiming for family-friendly for my menu. If you have kids who aren’t as picky as mine are, or simply enjoy healthier meals overall, check out this list of 20 Healthy Instant Pot Dump Dinners from The Holy Mess. You’ll find plenty of great options!

Instant Pot Dump Recipes Printable Menu

I’ve created a menu for a full month using only Instant Pot dump recipes. I tried to vary the selection from day to day so you don’t end up eating a noodle dish or chicken dish several days in a row.

I’ve also included some soups and vegetarian options to help keep cost down. Feel free to print off the menu. The recipes included in the menu are all hyperlinked in the menu and in thelist below the menu.

To download/print the menu, click on the image below or

Looking for Instant Pot Freezer Dump Meals?

I know that for many people, “dump meals” translates to meals that you prep in advance and freeze then toss in the Instant Pot to cook. That was NOT my criteria for these recipes.

However, if those are the type of dump recipes you are looking for, I’ve put together a collection of over 20 Instant Pot Freezer Meals just for you. Every recipe on the list is designed to go from freezer directly to your Instant Pot.

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can find the recipes again later!

More EasyDinner Ideas

If you liked this menu of Instant Pot dump recipes, you might like some of these other easy dinner ideas.

Love your Instant Pot? Check out my entire collection of Instant Pot recipes. You’ll also find my favorites from other sites plus lots of helpful information (like which accessories you might want and a glossary of common terms).

If you like having an entire month of recipes already planned, check out my menu for a month of family meals. They aren’t dump recipes, but they are all kid-approved (in my household anyway).

Only cooking for one or two? Check out all of these microwavemugrecipes!

Or perhaps you’d rather come up with your own meal plan. If that’s the case, read this post on Easy Meal Planning for tips and ideas. Plus, snag a free printable meal planner and shopping list!

More Instant Pot Resources

Love your Instant Pot? Find more Instant Pot Recipes here. And check out my favorite Instant Pot Hacks.

30 Days of Instant Pot Dump Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Which is better, a crockpot or Instant Pot? ›

If you are interested primarily in slow cooking, you should buy a dedicated slow cooker. They're more reliable with a range of slow-cooker recipes than an Instant Pot. We found Instant Pot multicookers specifically could not successfully slow-cook dense, high-volume recipes such as beef stew or pot roast.

How long does it take for Instant Pot to count down? ›

Depending upon what and how much is in the pot, it can take up to 10 minutes to see the pot start to count down. If it starts counting down and you are sure that it's not at pressure, watch for a BURN message.

Tell Me More ›

What is the equivalent of 4 hours in the slow cooker in the Instant Pot? ›

Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.

Know More ›

Can you make everything in an Instant Pot? ›

Instant Pots are terrific for some dishes. Others are a big no-no. If you own an Instant Pot, you know how convenient it is when it comes to cutting down the time it takes to cook food, all through the magic of heat and steam. But while your Instant Pot has kitchen prowess, it can't cook everything safely.

Get More Info ›

Is a slow cooker healthier than a pressure cooker? ›

Is cooking in a pressure cooker healthy? Yes, cooking in a pressure cooker is healthy. Unlike a slow cooker, which cooks foods for a long time at a lower temperature, pressure cookers do use high heat when cooking - but not for a long time. This means that most of the nutrients won't be lost.

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Is slow cooking healthier? ›

Because of the lower temperature, the nutrients in the food remain more stable than other methods of cooking.

Read On ›

Is it normal for Instant Pots to hiss while cooking? ›

Hissing, for example, can seem unexpected and even indicative of pressure cooker failure when you first hear it. In reality, your pressure cooker is supposed to hiss. The noise indicates the successful release of steam from the cooking unit either at the end of its cook time or when pressure gets too high.

Can I switch from slow cook to pressure cook? ›

As long as you keep a few basic rules in mind – like how much liquid to use and how to adjust the cooking time – turning your favorite all-day slow cooker recipe into a 30-minute pressure cooker special is straightforward and simple.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the Instant Pots equivalent cooking time? ›

3. Try this Instant Pot cheat sheet.

Stovetop	Pressure Cooker	Slow Cooker (on High Heat)
1 hour or more	30 to 45 minutes	4 to 6 hours
30 to 45 minutes	10 to 15 minutes	2 to 3 hours
20 to 30 minutes	5 to 10 minutes	2 hours
15 minutes or under	0 minutes	NA

Jun 16, 2023

Learn More Now ›

Is 4 hours enough to slow cook? ›

How long should I cook a slow cooker recipe? If a dish usually takes: 15-30 mins, cook it for 1-2 hours on High or 4-6 hours on Low. 30 mins – 1 hour, cook it for 2-3 hours on High or 5-7 hours on Low.

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What is the best meat to cook in a pressure cooker? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

Discover More ›

Why shouldn't dal be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

You heard that right! According to some articles doing the rounds on social media, pressure-cooked dal is linked to joint pain and other health problems. While there are some articles claiming pressure cooking helps keep the nutrients intact.

Keep Reading ›

What is better than a crockpot? ›

Investing in a Dutch Oven is the best way to go, considering how durable and long-lasting they are. With electric cookware such as crock pots, there's a higher risk of them failing. However, with Dutch Ovens, all you need is proper maintenance to make it last decades.