For some people, the July 4th celebration is the official start of summer. We're all in the swing of things at this point, and it's the first real seasonal excuse to throw a party and gather around those we love. Of course, no party is complete without food. Independence Day is a great time to fire up the grill and bust out the Instant Pot, of course. Here are some of the best Instant Pot recipes you can make for 4th of July weekend!
The Instant Pot makes it easier to beat the heat in the kitchen - one of our favorite reasons to use it during the summer months - and cook for a crowd without dirtying a load of dishes or having to wait super long for things to finally be done. From the main dish to dessert inspiration, and especially tasty sides, we've got your Instant Pot 4th of July party and picnic recipe needs covered.
4th Of July Mains
Juicy barbecue slathered ribs and drumsticks, buns stacked with pulled meats, burgers, and dogs... summer BBQ fare is simple and delicious. Here are some explosive, flavourful Instant Pot favorites to get your celebration kicked off on the right foot!
Instant Pot Italian Meatball Caprese Sandwiches
Juicy, tomato meatballs, squishy mozzarella, fresh tomato and aromatic basil are sandwiched together for a perfect bite in this Instant Pot recipe. These Caprese meatball sandwiches are great for a party or picnic. Get The Recipe Here.
BBQ Jelly Chicken Drumsticks
Who would have thought barbecue sauce and jelly would go well together? Turns out, they make an exceptional sauce for these sticky-sweet, tangy, fall-off-the-bone drumsticks. You can get them nice and tender in the IP and give them a quick brown on some open fire. These will go fast, so make about double as many as you think you'll need. Recipe from The Kitchen Whisperer.Or try our Instant Pot chicken wings from frozen with buffalo sauce.
Easy Instant Pot BBQ Babyback Ribs
Four ingredients are all you need to make an impressive rack of ribs. Heat up the grill to give them a nice broil at the end, bringing home that barbecue sauce flavor. Otherwise, you can shave nearly three hours off cooking time just by pressure cooking first. Recipe from Eat Live Run.
Firecracker Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is fantastic for loading on to buns or having with a side of coleslaw. This firecracker Instant Pot pulled pork is cooked perfectly until meltingly tender and finished with a sweet, smoky sauce, with a gentle chili kick. Serve in warm wraps, tacos, slider, or on baked potatoes or rice. Get The Recipe Here.
Sausage & Peppers
Hot dogs and hamburgers are standard party fare on the Fourth of July, but sausage and peppers take things up a notch. This is yet another budget-friendly option to serve and you can cook them in the Instant Pot. You can easily serve them in the Instant Pot so they stay warm, too. Just grab some buns and perhaps some cheese slices from the store, and watch these disappear with minimal effort on your part. Recipe from Pressure Cooking Today.
Instant Pot Beef Brisket
Brisket can be a great BBQ main dish. You could sweeten things up with this maple glaze and wow everyone's taste buds, or swap it out for a favorite barbecue sauce to keep it classic. Either way, you can't go wrong with a gorgeous cut of brisket from the butcher. This is our top choice for beef, whether it's your first choice or you'd like a variety of main protein dishes. Recipe from Bare Root Girl.
Versatile Instant Pot Taco Meat
This affordable, freezer-friendly, and super versatile taco meat recipe is great for feeding a crowd. You can make it ahead of time too, saving the prep time for all those delicious fixings. Enjoy in tacos, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, pasta, and rice dishes. Get The Recipe Here.
Black Beans With Spiced Onions
It's always a good idea to have a protein-rich main that is meat-free and these spiced onions black beans are great for that. They are delicious and easy to make. Recipe on our blog here.
4th Of July Sides
The side is the most important part. You want dishes that people want to nosh on and come back for seconds (and thirds) for. You also want dishes that you'd like to keep in the fridge and have for lunch the following week, on the off chance that there even are any leftovers. The Instant Pot can do the legwork for you with these festive favorites.
Instant Pot Potato Salad With Eggs
Potato salad screams summertime for some reason. It's the best side to see next to a burger or a dog, and it's super satisfying in all of its starchy goodness. Whether you keep it light or you go heavy on the extras, you can really harness in on your creative cook when you make it. Get The Recipe Here.
Check out more spectacularly scrumptious spud salads here.
Instant Pot Chicken Salad
This is hands-down one of our favorite ways to use leftover shredded chicken from the Instant Pot. We have plenty of variations of chicken salad. Add a little something crunchy to the mix, something sweet, and something creamy. It's a blank canvas for magic, and it's slightly addictive. You can serve it as an appetizer with crackers and veggies, or serve it with buns for sandwiches. Or try our creamy curry chicken salad pictured above.
Salt Potatoes With Herbed Butter
Learn how to make Instant Pot salt potatoes for a perfect summer dish you can bring to a barbecue, picnic or family lunch. You can serve them hot or cold and we opted for a delicious herb butter that you can smother and melt into the potatoes. Get The Recipe Here.
Bacon & Ranch Pasta Salad
We all have our preferred mayo-based salad, and yours may very well be the pasta salad. This one features shells instead of macaroni - although you could likely use whichever you have on hand - plus a creamy blend of ranch seasoning, mayo, bacon, and some veggies from frozen. It's humble, and people are going to devour it. C'mon... bacon AND ranch? Yes, please. Recipe from Adventures of a Nurse.
Corn On The Cob With Cajun Butter
There's no outdoor celebration without summery, in-season, sweet corn slathered in some butter. The Instant Pot makes it easy to cook it up. You can toss it on the grill if you want to get fancy and lock in some of that gorgeous flavor, caramelizing flavors on the outside and of course, marking it with those pretty-to-look-at grill lines. Get The Recipe Here.
Instant Pot Baked Beans
The pressure cooker makes cooking beans easy breezy. You don't have to soak 'em, stir 'em, or wait very long for 'em. Baked beans are smoky, sweet, and very economical to make in big batches. When you think of grilling brats or dogs for The Fourth, you might also think of a heaping side of hot baked beans. This is the only recipe you need, infused with bacon, molasses, BBQ sauce, dijon, and all those other "secret" ingredients that make beans taste amazing. Recipe from Run Wiki.
Red, White & Blue Cheesecake
A red, white, and blue dessert is a necessity at your Fourth of July gathering. This patriotic sweet is made easy with summer berries - you just have to find your white canvas to decorate. Cheesecake is the answer - and when isn't it? - for a delicious way to cool down and satiate the sweet tooth. First, you can pressure cook the berry compote. Then, you'll bake the cake in the IP too. Recipe from Pressure Cooking Today.
Low-Carb Lemon Cheesecake
For something a little less sugary, try out lemony low-carb cheesecake which you can decorate with white whipped cream, blueberries, and strawberries for those festive 4th of July colors. Get The Recipe Here.
Enjoy your Fourth of July! Eat well, drink well, be merry, and be safe. We hope you found some recipe inspiration here and your friends and family enjoy the bounty.
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