8 Instant Pot dinners that beat the drive-through home

The Instant Pot earns its counter space on the nights nothing is thawed and everyone is hungry. These 8 dinners cook under pressure, so a dish that usually takes an afternoon lands on the table on a weeknight.

Pressure Cooker Citrus Carnitas

Pork shoulder seasoned with cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and crushed red pepper gets pressure cooked alongside fresh pineapple and navel oranges until it shreds into tender, citrus-scented carnitas. The whole process takes 75 minutes for six servings, with just 10 minutes of prep before the Instant Pot takes over. Pork lard goes in as well, and fresh cilantro and lime finish the bowl.

Get the recipe: Pressure Cooker Citrus Carnitas

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Boneless chicken thighs marinate in Greek yogurt, garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, and lemon juice, then get seared and sauteed in the Instant Pot before pressure cooking in a sauce built from butter, yellow onion, tomatoes, coriander, and chili powder. Both the marinade and the sauce contribute to the layered flavor that makes this recipe work. Six people eat in 75 minutes, and the chicken can marinate overnight to cut down on day-of prep.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Pressure Cooker Italian Beef

A boneless beef roast gets rubbed with garlic-infused olive oil, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, and cracked black pepper, then marinated before going into the pressure cooker with a jar of Mezzetta peperoncini and beef broth. The total time runs about two and a half hours for six servings, with 15 minutes of active prep at the start. The peperoncini and the herb rub come through clearly in the shredded meat once the pressure cooker finishes its work.

Get the recipe: Pressure Cooker Italian Beef

Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Chicken Wings

The barbecue sauce here is built from scratch with tomato paste, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, chipotle chile pepper, cayenne, paprika, and cinnamon, then simmered before the wings pressure cook in it. After the Instant Pot does its job, the wings go under the broiler to pick up color. The whole thing is on the table in 35 minutes for six people, with just 5 minutes of prep.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Chicken Wings

Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Chuck roast gets sauteed in avocado oil with garlic and ginger, then pressure cooked in beef broth seasoned with liquid aminos and monk fruit sweetener before raw broccoli florets go in to finish. Xanthan gum thickens the sauce that coats the tender beef and bright broccoli once everything comes together. Six servings come together in 35 minutes, with 15 spent on prep and just 20 minutes of actual cook time. The Instant Pot handles the heavy work of breaking down the chuck roast in that short window.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Two cheeses, sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, give this soup its richness, backed up by heavy whipping cream and stone mustard. Garlic and broccoli florets are sauteed in butter, then pressure cooked in chicken broth before the cheeses go in. Xanthan gum helps the finished soup hold its body, and paprika adds a layer of warmth to the seasoning. The recipe makes ten servings and takes an hour from start to finish.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Filipino adobo gets its signature tang from coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and dried bay leaves, and the Instant Pot cuts the whole process down to 40 minutes. The chicken is first sauteed in avocado oil with yellow onion, then pressure cooked in the braising liquid until tender. Paprika and coarse black pepper round out the seasoning, and spring onion goes on at the end. The recipe serves four.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Beef stew meat gets browned in butter with garlic, then sauteed with mini portobello mushrooms and raw green beans before everything goes under pressure in beef broth. The braising liquid pulls together pinot noir, canned tomatoes in tomato juice, red wine vinegar, and bay leaves for depth. Thyme, red pepper flakes, and black pepper handle the seasoning. The whole recipe serves eight and takes 55 minutes.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Beef Stew