Instant Pot Holiday Recipes :: Prep, Apps, Mains, Sides, & Desserts!

Use your Instant Pot for prepping ingredients, making appetizers, cooking the main dish and sides, AND making amazing desserts this holiday season! Find new favorite Instant Pot holiday recipes here!

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I have been working up to this post of Instant Pot holiday recipes all week long, eating sweet barbecue meatballs and too much cheesecake, making videos to show you how to make one of my favorite holiday appetizers, and drooling over the weeks of holiday feasts and parties coming up!

I am just so excited to share this list of ideas and recipes to put your Instant Pot to work all season long. Hint: it’s not just for making mashed potatoes!

Check out the list below and start pinning and planning for your next holiday meal. There are so many great recipes to choose from–and many of them are make-ahead so you can get a LOT of use out of your Instant Pot and make all your friends and family wish they had one too. Just kidding. Kind of.

Before I jump into the recipes, here are five recommendations to make time in the kitchen easier this year:

Pressure cookers! (of course!). I have the Instant Pot 6qt Ultra, the 6qt MAX, and the 8qt DUO PLUS. I also have a Mealthy MultiPot which I love as well! (While I don’t necessarily think everyone needs so many pressure cookers, having more than one comes in handy very often!)
Victorinox chef knife. A good knife is one of the BEST things you can have in your kitchen. This one is highly recommended by America’s Test Kitchen (and me). Don’t forget to keep it sharp!
Extra Instant Pot stainless insert and sealing rings. Both are certain to come in handy with all the cooking and “baking” you’ll be doing.
Springform pan. If you haven’t made a cheesecake in your Instant Pot yet, now is the time to jump right in!
Mini spatulas. Okay, this one may seem silly, but next to my knife, mini spatulas are one of my favorite kitchen tools and I’m asked about them all the time! I love having several on hand when I’m cooking.

You can shop more of my favorite recommendations for the kitchen, home, & family in my Amazon shop, or shop my favorite Instant Pot accessories.

Instant Pot Holiday Recipes

I sincerely hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday season, full of great food and better company!!! Remember, it’s not about having the perfect home or the perfect menu– it’s about connecting with those we love and sharing with those in need! (More about practicing low-stress hospitality).

After you check out the list of Instant Pot holiday recipes below, you can find more great recipes in the recipe archives. I’d also love for you to join me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or YouTube!

Getting Ready — Using the Instant Pot to Prep Food

Make chicken broth.
Cook sweet potatoes for casserole. (Peel and cube sweet potatoes, then cook on steamer basket for 5 minutes).
Proof bread for dinner. (One-Hour Focaccia, Whole Wheat Everything Rolls, Whole wheat no-knead bread, Instant Pot Yogurt Whey Dutch Oven Crusty Bread)
Make pumpkin puree.
Make hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs. (how-to video)
Make dulce de leche for pies and treats. (with just milk and sugar, with canned sweetened condensed milk, or dairy free) (how-to video— start @ 15:00)
Make iced tea.

Before the Feast — Appetizers & Snacks

‘Lil Smokies in Homemade Sweet Barbecue Sauce:: This Pilgrim Life
Everything Dinner Rolls :: This Pilgrim Life
Spinach & artichoke dip :: This Pilgrim Life
Chicken wings :: Sweet & Savory Meals
Butternut squash and apple soup :: This Pilgrim Life
Deviled Eggs :: Skinny Taste
Sweet barbecue meatballs :: This Pilgrim Life
Spiced Cider :: This Pilgrim Life

During the Feast — Main Dishes

Turkey (Using turkey quarters, or cooking a turkey breast)
Bone-in ham with maple-honey glaze :: Simple Awesome Cooking
Ham with Honey Mustard Glaze :: This Pilgrim Life
Chicken Cacciatore :: This Pilgrim Life (this is not a traditional main, but it IS deliciously tender and flavor chicken thighs with a tasty gravy– perfect for a smaller scale celebration)