What are the best cheap and healthy instant pot recipes?
There is nothing better than having a delicious, quick, and inexpensive meal that is guilt-free. The instant pot can whip up some cheap and healthy meals when you don’t have time to cook all evening. The only thing you have to do is follow the easy recipes and you will have an awesome dinner that will not break your bank—or your waistband!
Below, we’ve gathered 5 delicious meals your entire family can enjoy without busting your wallet.
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Who doesn’t love a good taco Tuesday? These healthy chicken tacos are perfect for your taco night. The recipe is simple, and the instant pot makes it simpler. Plus, ingredients are cheap, and you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg for it. This awesome recipe comes from Eating On A Dime.
You’ll need these ingredients to make the filling:
- 3 Boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup salsa of your choice
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning of your choice
- 1 cup water or chicken stock (chicken stock adds much more flavor, so we strongly recommend it)
For this recipe, place at least 3 chicken breasts, 1 cup of salsa, 1 cup of water or chicken stock, and 1 tablespoon if taco seasoning into the cooking pot. It is crucial that you add at least 1 cup or water or chicken stock so that your ingredients will not burn.
To make this delicious chicken taco filling:
- Place 3 chicken breasts into your Instant Pot
- Drop 1 cup of salsa on top
- Mix 1 tbsp of taco seasoning with 1 cup water or chicken stock
- Add the mixture on top of the chicken and salsa
Then just set the timer for 15 minutes (20 if you use more than 3 breasts) and walk away! When you come back, you’ll have some zesty, flavorful chicken ready for tacos.
After that, shred your chicken, pick your favorite taco shell and toppings, and enjoy taco night with your family!
Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
There’s no more classic dinner than a lovely roasted chicken with veggies on the side. Completely versatile and packed with veggies for everyone to love, this meal is a crowd pleaser and time saver. We found the recipe at You Brew My Tea.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Half of a whole chicken, or 2 bone-in breasts
- 2 cups of carrots, either baby or sliced adult
- 8 medium potatoes
- 1 Onion, chopped, or 1 cup pearl onions
- ½ Cup chicken broth
- 1 spring rosemary
- 1 spring thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Thanks to the Instant Pot, you don’t have to spend hours slaving in the kitchen over your chicken. There is no basting and no checking the internal temperature—just set and forget.
Here’s how to prep it:
- First, coat the bottom of the Instant Pot with olive oil
- Gently pour the chicken broth on top
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then place in the center of pot
- Place thyme, rosemary, garlic, and chopped onion directly on top of the chicken
- Wash and clean carrots and potatoes
- Season carrots and potatoes with salt, pepper, and anything else you want. (Onion salt is a good add!)
- Toss the veggies in along the sides of the chicken.
Then, just set the timer for 20 minutes (25-30 if you are using a particularly large chunk of chicken), and walk away! Once it’s complete, you can sit the chicken under the broiler on low in your oven for 5 minutes if you want crispy skin, otherwise, you can tuck in immediately.
There you have it, an easy-peasy healthy roast chicken dinner in 30 minutes or less!
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Creamy tomato basil soup: one of the all-time best comfort foods on a cold, rainy day. This delicious soup is certain to warm you up and keep the whole family satisfied. Be sure to prep some grilled cheese to go with it, as your family will certainly crave that. This recipe comes from Food Love.
Here’s what you’re going to need:
- 2- 14.5 ounces Canned, diced tomatoes
- 2 Cups Chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ Cup Heavy cream or whipping cream
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons Dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 large Carrots Celery stalks (diced)
- 1 Onion (diced)
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
For this recipe, you will need to sauté the diced celery, carrot, and onion in olive using the sauté setting on your instant pot. After letting those cook for a few minutes, you can add your dry seasonings and cook for a couple minutes more.
Here’s how to make this creamy soup”
- Start by washing your produce
- Dice the onion, celery, and carrots
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add a spoonful of olive oil
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened and the onion looks a bit translucent
- Turn the Instant Pot off—this is important!
- Drop in your two cans of tomatoes, the broth, and two bay leaves for flavor
Simply seal it off and press the soup button on the front. When it’s done, let it sit for 10 minutes releasing pressure, then finish it with an immersion blender to make it nice and smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully add it to a regular blender and puree it that way.
For an extra touch of decadence, toss in a tablespoon or so of heavy cream!
Stuffed Bell Peppers
This meal is colorful and full of flavor. It is exactly the type of recipe that you may call “an oldy, but a goody.” Fortunately, with the instant pot, you will save tons of time making this classic dish. It only requires a few ingredients and very little elbow grease. This recipe is from Happy Foods Tube.
You will need these ingredients::
- Half a pound of Ground Beef
- 4 Sweet Bell Peppers
- 1 Onion
- 2 cups of cooked rice
- 1 ½ tablespoon of Marjoram or Oregano
- 1 Can of tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons of Breadcrumbs
- 2 Garlic cloves
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ Cup of Water
Start, as always, by washing and prep your produce as needed. Remove the tops from the bell peppers to prepare them for stuffing, then:
- Mix everything else up in a big bowl
- Stuff your peppers with it!
- Add any remaining tomatoes along with the water to the pot
Now, place the steam rack into the pot and place your peppers onto the steam rack. After putting the lid on the pot, set the timer for 8 minutes. Wait four minutes after the timer ends, pop the lid carefully, and serve hot!
Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Are you looking for a way to mix up your meal plan without spending too much extra money? This honey teriyaki chicken from Fabulessly Frugal is just the way to do that, and you can even cut the cooking time in half with the instant pot.
Here is what you will need:
- 2.5 pounds boneless chicken breast
- ½ low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Since you will be using honey for this recipe, which will caramelize and make things a little sticky, the first thing you need to do is spray your cooking pot with non-stick spray. Then, you can place your chicken into the pot.
- Next, mix the garlic, pepper, rice vinegar, ginger, onion, honey, and soy sauce to make your own delicious teriyaki sauce without any added sugar like the store versions
- Then, just cover the chicken with your sauce and set the timer for 20 minutes
After the pressure is released, take the chicken out and shred it. Then, add the water and cornstarch to any sauce remaining in the pot. Heat this up on the sauté setting and stir constantly until it thickens.
It is now time to turn off the pot, add your chicken and mix the sauce and chicken together very well. This is the perfect chicken to eat by itself, or lay it over some fluffy rice for a more filling treat.
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