Why I Use an Instant Pot (and think you should too!)
At first I was intimidated by the Instant Pot, but once I got the hang of it, I wondered how I ever lived without it! I’m no Instant Pot professional- let’s be very clear about that right off the bat- I literally only use the “pressure cook” setting but I have found that to be all I need! In the kitchen, I like to keep it REAL simple. You will never find fancy, whipped up recipes here on this blog. My life just doesn’t lend itself to hours in the kitchen. There are other priorities that preside over cooking for me, but I am dedicated to making healthy and yummy food and the more simple the recipe, the better!
I do most of my meat shopping at Costco because I think they have a consistent and impressive selection of organic meats. On a regular basis, I only buy organic ground turkey meat and chicken breasts. Occasionally, I will buy filet and pork tenderloin. Usually I buy and then freeze the meat right away, unless I know I will use the meat within a day or two. This is where the Instant Pot comes in particularly handy since it can cook fully frozen meats within about an hour. Absolute game-changer for me.
I found that most slow cooker recipes called for prep time and then a cook time of an average of 6-8 hours and this just never worked for me and my schedule. Of course, right now with this quarantine, I am home WAY more than usual, but I still find myself using the Instant Pot as my go-to.
If you have put off buying one because you are intimidated, or you have one and it’s still in the box in your garage because you are intimidated- I got you! Like I said before, I literally only use the pressure cook setting! All you have to do is put the food in, lock the lid, and press a button. It could NOT be easier!
If you are a first-timer, rather than me trying to walk you through the process of how to set up your Instant Pot, here is a short YouTube video that will be much more efficient: https://youtu.be/01JjQVGR24o
Now that you are one step closer to using your Instant Pot, let’s talk recipes! Here are a few of my fav EASY PEEZY recipes that are consistently in my weekly rotation.
Chicken Salsa:
Ingredients-
2 chicken breasts (frozen)
2 jars favorite salsa
Packet of clean taco seasoning (I prefer Siete)
2-3 tbs of peach preserves (optional)
I take two frozen chicken breasts (yes, it is like a big block of frozen meat and seems weird but trust me, it works!) and place them in the Instant Pot. Pour two jars of your favorite salsa on top and add a packet of taco seasoning. * Optional- add 2-3 tbs of peach preserves to give it a tint of sweetness! You don’t even have to stir the ingredients, just put the lid on, lock into place, and set to pressure cook for 45 minutes! I usually let the pressure slow release and the Instant Pot will automatically go into a “keep warm” mode. When we are ready to eat, just take two forks and shred the chicken and you will have tender meat in a yummy sauce!
Thai Curry Chicken:
Ingredients-
2 chicken breasts (frozen)
2 jars of Yao’s Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
Same as above, just place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot along with the jars of Thai sauce, put the lid on and set to pressure cook for 45 minutes!
Buffalo Chicken:
Ingredients-
2 chicken breasts (frozen)
1/4 cup Ghee
1 bottle The New Primal (Medium) Buffalo sauce
* I top this with the famous Whole30 approved "dump ranch"! Here’s the recipe: https://www.whole-sisters.com/dump-ranch/
Same as above, just place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot along with the 1/4 cup of ghee and bottle of buffalo sauce, put the lid on and set to pressure cook for 45 minutes!
I’M TELLING YOU, IT’S THAT EASY PEOPLE! No joke- the “hardest" part is shredding the chicken with a fork!
* I will mention though that the first time I used the Instant Pot, I thought there would be more “instant gratification.” I didn’t realize that it takes some time for it to come to pressure, then cook, then release pressure. The entire cook time ends up being around 1.5 hours just FYI.
Chicken is clearly one of my favorite proteins to use when cooking, but if you’d rather switch it up, these recipes would be delicious with beef, lamb, pork, or just veggies, too!
Other than being crazy easy, one of my favorite things about these Instant Pot recipes is how versatile they are - I love pairing each one with a different side to keep them new and exciting each week! Sometimes I serve these over a bed of greens, inside a grain free tortilla or taco shell, or over roasted broccoli, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, a baked potato, or riced cauliflower. If you eat grains, quinoa, or brown rice would be great options too.
These recipes are seriously simple, and SO delicious. Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Amazon Links:
Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/2zUnBOh
Clean Taco Seasoning (I like Siete): https://amzn.to/3c0fWLT
Peach Preserves (this brand has NO added sugars): https://amzn.to/2LNHtFk
Yai’s Thai Coconut Curry Sauce: https://amzn.to/2yp4N9B
Organic Grass-fed Ghee: https://amzn.to/2WQG1bC The New Primal (medium) Buffalo Sauce: https://amzn.to/2TsS9h3
