We’ve collected the ultimate Thanksgiving Instant Pot recipes for pressure cooking omnivores. Our list includes savoury main dishes, sides, and desserts. We have a whole turkey, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie on the Thanksgiving dinner menu, to mention just a few!
It’s the time of year when you can eat whatever you want with a fabulous great excuse – Thanksgiving! But, if you’ve ever cooked a full Thanksgiving menu or you’ve simply committed to bringing a few dishes, it can require a lot of preparation and planning. Instant Pot can give you many shortcuts to make Thanksgiving dinner planning a lot easier (and faster too!).
There are so many great Thanksgiving recipes you can make in the Instant pot from cozy soups, hearty appetizers, delicious turkey and meat mains, fabulous sides and desserts. It’s one of those kitchen gadgets that can really shine at this time of the year.
- Why use the Instant Pot For Thanksgiving
- Instant Pot Thanksgiving Main Dishes
- Instant Pot Thanksgiving Sides
- Instant Pot Thanksgiving Appetizers
- Instant Pot Thanksgiving Soups
- Instant Pot Thanksgiving Desserts & Drinks
Looking for something more plant-based and dairy-free? We have put together the best vegan Thanksgiving Instant Pot recipes here and even more vegan festive sides here.
WHY USE THE INSTANT POT FOR THANKSGIVING
- Cut down kitchen time! If you have an Instant Pot, Thanksgiving is just about the best time to put it to us. It will make your prep day more efficient, whether you’re making sides ahead of time or an Instant Pot dessert. This will give YOU more time to hang out with the family.
- Save on stove or oven space. Quite a lot of Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts are cooked in the oven but what if it’s occupied by a juicy turkey or whole chicken? Well, that’s when you can make a delicious Instant pot side dish or a cake at the same time without needing that oven space.
- Make-ahead magic! We love using the Instant Pot for batch cooking and making food ahead of time. You can prepare mashed potatoes, pre-cook vegetables, make a delicious starter soup or appetizer dip all before the big feast day. The same goes for desserts as you can usually pressure cook them the day before.
Let’s make this year’s Thanksgiving dinner easy, fast and stress-free with these comforting and delicious Instant Pot recipes that the whole family will love.
INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING MAINS
Cooking A Whole Turkey IN INSTANT POT
Let’s start with the star of the meal. Most people make a big turkey for Thanksgiving. If you’ve used your pressure cooker for long enough, you know it’s fantastic for cutting back time to cook large chunks of meat, including but not limited to entire birds. Yes, it’s possible! You can cook a whole turkey in the Instant Pot. Using an 8qt model of the Instant Pot, it can handle an 8-9lb turkey on a trivet. Recipe from Bacon Is Magic
Check out Instant Pot Turkey & Gravy from The Novice Chef Blog
Check out Instant Pot Sausage Stuffing from Sweet and Savory By Shinee
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
Sometimes you just don’t want to fix a whole turkey. So why follow a tradition just for a picturesque table? The turkey breast comes out juicy and flavorful with pan drippings that are perfect for gravy. If you want crispy skin then just place the turkey breast under the broiler for a few minutes. Recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Check out What to do with Leftover Turkey.
Instant Pot GLAZED Ham
Maybe your family does a ham instead of turkey on Thanksgiving. The same rule still applies here: you can use your Instant Pot for that. Case in point? This beautiful Instant Pot ham is juicy, flavorful and so easy to make in the pressure cooker in under 30 minutes. It’s made with a delicious low-carb, Keto, Paleo glaze. Recipe from Life Made Sweeter
Whole Blackened Chicken
When you aren’t a fan of turkey but still want to have a bird on the table, try a whole chicken instead. Serve with green beans, lemon garlic asparagus or baby potatoes for a complete meal. Check out more tasty, juicy Instant Pot whole chicken recipes here.
You might also like our Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie (Two Ways)
Instant Pot Bacon Barbecue Meatloaf
Here is something completely different from tradition but will definitely be a celebration with each bite. Bacon always takes food to the next level. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats
Easy Instant Pot Pork Shoulder & GRAVY
With our step-by-step pictures and instructions, you will be able to master this pressure cooker classic for making succulent, juicy and delicious pork meat. The gravy is made with the cooking broth incorporating all those wonderful flavors of the meat, onions, garlic and seasoning. A great alternative to turkey or chicken! Recipe from here.
WATCH OUR TOP 10 VIDEO RECIPES
INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING SIDES
CREAM CHEESE INSTANT POT MASHED POTATOES
Fluffy and flavorful, this cream cheese mashed potatoes with fresh dill is the perfect side dish that will please the whole family. The secret to a good mash is all the other things you add to make it rich, lush, and creamy such as butter, milk or sour cream, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic or mustard, chives or dill, and plenty of salt. It’s quick and easy to prepare and is gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
Check out Regular Mashed Potatoes Recipe from The Salty Marshmallow
Check out Perfect Pressure Cooker Cauliflower Rice from Low Carb Delish
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These mashed sweet potatoes are just heaven! Pure buttery, garlicky heaven that you can eat every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This dish has a permanent spot on any Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Recipe from Yellow Thyme.
Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole
A simple, paleo-friendly side dish made entirely in the pressure cooker, saving you valuable oven space. No pre-boiling of the potatoes is required! Recipe from Life Made Sweeter
Pressure Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes
Do you take your candied sweet potatoes with or without marshmallows? Either way, this pressure cooker recipe only took 4 minutes to cook! Recipe from Make It Love It.
Tomato & Onion Braised Green Beans
If you feel like making something a little different (and healthier) to the cream-loaded green bean casserole, we can’t recommend these braised green beans enough! This Turkish-inspired recipe will delight your dinner guests and become a crowd-favorite. Recipe from here.
Instant Pot Green Beans & Potatoes
It all starts by sauteing the bacon to take this southern Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes side dish to the next level. Recipe from Oh Sweet Basil
Check out Instant Pot Orange Ginger Carrots from Meatloaf and Melodrama
5-Minute Pressure Cooker Cranberry Sauce
This sauce is too good to only be with turkey. Think pancakes, sandwiches, cream cheese with crackers, buttermilk biscuits, swirled into oatmeal, over vanilla ice cream. Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
MAC & CHEESE WITH CORN
A great twist on a traditional cheesy macaroni dish using up the best of summer produce. Frozen or canned corn can also be used to make this mac and cheese dish. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
Macaroni & Cheese WITH CRISPY BACON
Comfort food must-have for any table with kids. Now just sprinkle some bacon on top for the adults at the table. Recipe from Deliciously Sprinkled
Check out Instant Pot Spicy Creamed Corn from Went There 8 This
Instant Pot Green Beans With Butter & Pepper
Try these simple Instant Pot green beans with melted butter, sea salt and cracked pepper for a perfect hit of nutrients and fiber. The key to using the pressure cooker for lightly cooked, steamed-like veggies is to use LOW pressure and this is where the adjustability of the Instant Pot is so useful. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats
Check out Instant Pot Cornbread With REal Crispy Crust from Imagelicious
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
When you don’t have room in the oven, but don’t have time for the slow cooker, the Instant Pot is an excellent solution. You can use cheddar cheese, or a combination of cheddar and mozzarella or even Monterey Jack or Colby cheese, basically cheese is good no matter what.
Check out Instant Pot Polenta from Feasting At Home
Instant Pot Creamed Beets
These Instant Pot creamed beets make a perfect side dish (especially for Thanksgiving or Christmas) and can also be served as a vegetarian main dish. Similarly to creamed spinach, this recipe features cooked diced beets (we used the Instant Pot for that), softened onions, garlic, and heavy cream and it’s all topped off with a little sharp feta and chives.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CRISPY BACON & GARLIC
With only a handful of ingredients, this recipe for Instant Pot Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon and garlic is a must-have not just for Christmas or Thanksgiving, but for any day of the week. These mini cabbages have a nutty, sweet flavor and make for a great side dish to any mains.
Smoky Instant Pot Pecan Brussels Sprouts
Smoky Pecan Brussels Sprouts: a little bit sweet, a little bit smoky, with a nutty crunch. Only four ingredients and only take about 15 minutes to make! Recipe from Glue & Glitter.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH CRANBERRIES & PECANS
Add a festive touch to your butternut squash risotto with some tangy dried cranberries and earthy pecans, as well as lovely warm spices. Made in the Instant Pot, this butternut squash risotto can be cooked with any type of sweet winter squash or pumpkin and it’s perfect as a side dish on a Thanksgiving table. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING APPETIZERS
Deviled Eggs With Bacon, Cheddar & Chives
A fun and festive twist on the classic party appetizer. They are perfect for the 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, and anyone following a Keto or low carb plan. This deviled egg mixture has bacon, cheese, mayo, greek yoghurt, salt, and a tiny bit of mustard. Then topped again with extra bacon, chives, and cheddar because why not. Recipe from Confessions Of A Fit Foodie
Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip
This Instant Pot spinach and artichoke dip is a copycat Applebees recipe and is so addictive. It is the perfect flavor combination that will compliment any Thanksgiving table. The garlic, spinach, and artichokes are a classic trio of flavors, and then you add in the different cheeses, and it makes this a dynamite starter dish. Recipe from Adventures of A Nurse.
For more dip recipes you can make in the Instant Pot, check out this collection.
Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs
Delicious homemade meatballs cooked in a rich sticky sauce are juicy and flavorful in just 30 minutes. Great for holiday finger food! Recipe from Appetizer Addiction.
INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING SOUPS
Creamy Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup
Loaded with vegetables and thickened with a little cream and Parmesan cheese, this beginner-friendly wild rice and mushroom soup is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Creamy broccoli cheese soup in the Instant Pot is perfect for Thanksgiving and can be made ahead of time. It’s a classic recipe that everyone will love. Recipe from here.
SPICY Instant pot Carrot Soup
This carrot soup is as bomb diggity and is made with only 5-ingredients! It’s also vegan, supes clean, cozy, and easily freezable and share-able, all of which makes it an awesome recipe for all occasions. Recipe from Pinch Of Yum.
CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP
This creamy zucchini soup is velvety smooth and creamy yet it’s still quite light so it won’t fill up your dinner guests too much. It’s super easy to make in the Instant Pot too. Recipe from here.
INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING DESSERTS
PUMPKIN & PECAN INSTANT POT CHEESECAKE
When it comes to seasonal fall and winter recipes, you can’t go past a good pumpkin or pecan dessert, and with this Instant Pot pumpkin cheesecake with pecan crust and topping, we’re combining both! With creamy, decadent pumpkin filling with caramelised butter pecan topping, this cheesecake is absolutely to die for and would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
CLASSIC Pumpkin Pie
Some traditions are simply delicious and pumpkin season doesn’t seem to last long enough. So take advantage while it’s in the stores. Recipe from Pressure Cooking Today
Checkout Grain-Free Instant Pot Pumpkin Pie from Instant Loss
INSTANT POT STEWED APPLES IN MULLED WINE
Instant Pot stewed apples in mulled wine. It’s exactly as it sounds – apples stewed with brown sugar in red wine and spices – resulting in soft, sweet, spiced, and slightly boozy-flavored fruit (but not alcoholic!). You can serve these pressure cooked apples as a dessert with delicious vanilla ice cream. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
Chocolate Cake With Salted Caramel & Pretzels
Incredible Instant Pot chocolate cake with salted caramel and pretzels sounds more indulgent than pie, right? An absolute crowd-pleaser. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats
Instant Pot Apple, Pear & Fennel Crisp
Some people like pumpkin, but others like an apple. This rustic crisp is the perfect way to end the evening with a fun addition of fennel to really embrace that seasonal produce. Your foodie friends and family will adore this dish, and you can feel good about serving it because it’s free of grains and refined sugar. Nobody will know, and you’ll be doing everyone a favor serving up a little something healthy after that huge meal! Recipe from Recipes to Nourish.
EGGNOG CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST
For a dessert with the holiday spirit, make this fabulous Instant Pot eggnog cheesecake with gingersnap crust and caramel drizzle. Spiked with a little rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg, this pressure-cooked cheesecake is creamy and decadent, perfect with a little whipped cream or ice cream. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
SAVE THESE THANKSGIVING IDEAS TO PINTEREST
Just wanted to say hi and tell you I’m a big fan of your blog – it’s so well assembled and you have great taste in recipes! Love following your social accounts too. You’ll definitely have me giving my Pot a workout on Thanskgiving day ;D