Skip to main content

The best Instant Pot cookbooks

Love your Instant Pot but need new recipes? Feast on these cookbooks

If you’ve shopped for kitchen counter appliances recently, it would be easy to believe there are only two types of home cooks today: Raving fans of the Instant Pot multicooker, and people who haven’t tried it yet.

The recent proliferation of Facebook groups dedicated to the time-saving, space-saving, programmable cooking appliance underscores the rising popularity of the electric multicooker. There are 1.5 million members of the Instant Pot Community Facebook group, more than 503,000 in the Instant Pot Recipes Only closed group, and more than 216,000 in the Instant Pot 101 For Beginners group. Each of these groups is currently adding 10,000-plus members each month. You’ll find Instant Pot Facebook groups dedicated to nearly every type of cuisine, diet, nutritional philosophy, and level of expertise.

Depending on the specific model (and there are many) the Instant Pot has six to 10 functions, from pressure cooking to baking cakes. When you’re empowered by a kitchen machine that cooks everything from fish to lasagna to yogurt, you can never have too many recipes.

You can find loads of luscious recipes in the Facebook groups and other online sources. When you need to know how to cook something in an Instant Pot right now, or if you are looking for quick inspiration, online recipes are often expedient and intriguing one-off solutions.

‘The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Start with this one. Far and away the best-selling official cookbook, with more than 500,000 sold, The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook is a can’t-lose first choice. “There’s nothing the Instant Pot can’t do — and with the right cookbook in hand, there’s nothing you can’t cook.” From breakfasts to desserts, including basics such as Classic Chicken Wings, many of the recipes have options for vegetarian, gluten-free, and Paleo-friendly diets.

‘Instant Pot Obsession’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Janet Zimmerman’s Instant Pot Obsession is for cooks who have mastered the Instant Pot basics and are ready for the next step. Select from more than 120 recipes such as Italian Chickpeas with Pesto that add more creativity and variations than you’ll find in books for beginners.

‘Dinner in an Instant’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The recipes in Dinner in an Instant employ the Instant Pot’s many functions to create author Melissa Clark’s flavorful, inventive recipes. Korean Chile-Braised Brisket with Kimchi Coleslaw and Moroccan Chickpeas with Kale are just two examples from the book.

‘The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Did someone say “Comfort food?” Coco Morante’s The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook features “the ultimate collection of delicious weekday meals.” If Spicy Beef and Bean Chili and New York Cheesecake are among your go-to favorite things to serve and eat, it sounds like this cookbook will get a workout.

‘Indian Instant Pot Cookbook’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Urvashi Pitre’s Indian Instant Pot Cookbook was the first authorized book for creating traditional Indian dishes with the electric multicooker. If you’re a Butter Chicken fan or crave homemade Creamy Cardamom Yogurt, here’s the book that shows you have to make those dishes and many more.

‘Paleo Cooking With Your Instant Pot’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Paleo chef Jennifer Robins’ Paleo Cooking With Your Instant Pot shows you how to use the electric cooker’s many functions to save time creating gluten- and grain-free recipes. Get your friends to line up for Decked-Out Omelets and Savory Lamb Goulash, two of many recipes in this book.

‘The Keto Instant Pot Cookbook’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Urvashi Pitre, the author of Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, also wrote The Keto Instant Pot Cookbook. The book includes a guide to the ketogenic diet along with fast and easy keto recipes. From Cauliflower Mac and Cheese to Smoky Ribs and Spicy Basil-Beef Bowls, the low-carb recipes sound delicious.

‘Instant Pot Ultimate Cooking Time Guide’

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Instant Pot Ultimate Cooking Time Guide by Chris Stevens isn’t a recipe cookbook per se; rather, it’s a guide for people who want to create their own Instant Pot recipes. This book includes cooking methods and timing guidelines for more than 300 foods to help aspiring chefs get the most from the Instant Pot while they create their new favorite dish.

‘Martha Stewart’s Pressure Cooker’

The most recently published cookbook on our list is Martha Stewart’s Pressure Cooker: 100+ Fabulous New Recipes for the Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot. The book begins with a section for pressure cooking novices with information on beans, stocks, grains, and vegetables. Stewart’s tome continues with recipes for main courses cooked entirely in a pressure cooker followed by a section devoted to desserts.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…