Discover the ultimate comfort in a bowl with our collection of Southern Instant Pot recipes. From savory stews to soul-warming classics, enjoy the taste of the South with ease!
What Is Southern Food?
Southern cuisine refers to the distinctive culinary traditions and styles of cooking that are characteristic of the Southern United States. It is known for its hearty and flavorful dishes, often featuring a blend of African, European, Native American, and Caribbean influences. Southern cuisine is renowned for its comfort food, bold flavors, and use of locally available ingredients.
Here are some examples of Southern dishes you might be familiar with:
- Fried chicken, catfish, and hushpuppies are iconic Southern dishes.
- Biscuits and creamy gravies are staples of Southern breakfasts. Biscuits are soft and fluffy, often served with sausage gravy or sawmill gravy.
- Grits, made from ground corn, are a beloved Southern side dish. They can be served as a creamy base for shrimp and grits, or simply with butter and cheese.
- Southern barbecue is famous for its regional variations. Styles of barbecue range from pulled pork in North Carolina to beef brisket in Texas. The slow smoking of meat and flavorful barbecue sauces are common features.
- Leafy greens like collards and turnip greens are often simmered with bacon or ham hocks to create a savory and slightly bitter side dish.
- Jambalaya and gumbo are classic dishes of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine, featuring a mix of rice, meats (such as sausage and seafood), and a flavorful broth or sauce.
- Cornbread is a staple side dish in Southern cuisine, typically served in slices or squares. It can vary in sweetness and texture.
- Southern desserts include classics like pecan pie, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler, showcasing the region's love for sweet and indulgent treats.
Best Southern Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot BBQ Brisket
This brisket recipe is super easy. Rubbed in delicious spices and smothered in barbecue sauce, the beef brisket is pressure cooked in tasty broth until juicy and tender. You can serve it sliced in a brisket sandwich, tacos, or with mashed potatoes.
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Instant Pot Ham And Beans
Ham and beans is an old-fashioned Southern comfort food made with white beans cooked in a tasty, savory broth flavored with ham and a few basic ingredients like onions, garlic, carrots and bay leaf.
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Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy (+Video)
Cubed steak is an inexpensive cut of meat that has been run through a meat tenderizer to help break down the tendons in the meat which is what makes meat tough.This Instant recipe from The Country Cook comes out so tender. We love that it makes it's on gravy from the drippings.
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Instant Pot Meatloaf Recipe
Cook up the most delicious and juicy meatloaf in less time using your Instant Pot. Made from scratch and glazed with a seasoned ketchup from The Cookie Rookie. We love eating the leftovers between two slices of bread for lunch the next day.
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Instant Pot Mississippi Roast
Instant Pot Mississippi Roast is hands down the most delicious, awesome-tasting roast ever. Pepperoncini peppers and juice, plus a packet of Ranch seasoning and Au Jus gives this roast so much flavor from Spicy Southern Kitchen. We love topping it over a bed of mashed potatoes.
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Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits
Enjoy a taste of the South with a batch of this cheesy Shrimp and Grits, an easy brunch recipe completely prepared in your Instant Pot in about 30 minutes from The Crumby Kitchen. We love the salty bacon added to spicy sauteed tomatoes, crispy fried eggs, juicy shrimp and creamy grits in this comforting dish.
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Instant Pot Crawfish Boil Recipe
This is a quick, easy and delicious recipe for an authentic Low Country Cajun Crawfish Boil from Father and Us. We love eating these traditional style on butcher’s paper in the middle of the table, and dump all the treasures on there.
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Instant Pot Dirty Rice
A popular Creole dish in America’s south and more specifically in the regions of Louisiana, in which rice is cooked together with ground beef, pork or chicken, often some liver, as well as bell peppers, celery, onions, and spices. These additions change rice’s color from white to grey or brownish, hence the name ‘dirty rice’.
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Easy Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy macaroni and cheese is a dish that everyone should master. Who doesn’t love a good, creamy, cheese pasta? Right? Well, with this step-by-step recipe, you will learn just how quick and easy it is to make in the Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops
These Instant Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops turn out so tender and are ready in a flash from Savory Nothings. We love the sauce and you will too!
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Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
This Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is an easy one-pot comfort food meal from Flavor Mosaic. A chicken broth-based soup with chicken, vegetables, cream, and biscuits as the dumplings. We just love a hearty rich soup for fall.
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Instant Pot Collard Greens With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Swap bacon for sun-dried tomatoes in this vegan-friendly Instant Pot collard greens. This delicious side dish is also gluten-free, Whole30 and paleo.
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Instant Pot Cowboy Beans Recipe
Instant Pot cowboy beans (also known as chuckwagon beans or calico beans) are loaded with ground beef and bacon in a sweet and tangy sauce.
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Easy Instant Pot Gumbo
Gumbo is so easy to make in the Instant Pot! Loaded with sausage, chicken and shrimp, this gumbo is BURSTING with Creole flavors, we love this recipe from Favorite Family Recipes.
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Instant Pot Creamed Corn Recipe
Making homemade creamed corn in Instant Pot is quick and easy in the Instant Pot. You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels and this recipe features milk, cream cheese and butter, all of which give this dish the most luxurious, rich flavor and silky finish.
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Instant Pot Beefaroni Recipe
You might be familiar with the canned version of beefaroni, an old-school classic. Forget overcooked soft noodles and preserved meat sauce with questionable quality of beef and too much salt and sugar. Make your own – it’s super easy, quite affordable and family-friendly!
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Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya
Easy to make Incredibly flavorful Jambalaya with chicken and sausage with this recipe from Pressure Cooker Recipes. Its a deliciously comforting, family-friendly one-pot meal.
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Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
Make this delicious side dish from scratch with whole ingredients. It tastes so much better and is super easy. You can make your own crispy fried onions with gluten-free flour and the whole dish came together in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
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Instant Pot Biscuits and Gravy
Save time and create this classic homemade Southern Style Instant Pot Biscuits and Gravy. We appreciate that Life Family Fun blog included the baking recipe for biscuits with this Instant Pot gravy.
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Instant Pot Cornbread
This recipe for Instant Cornbread will deliver the most moist cornbread you’ve ever had. We love the added twist of roasted red peppers from Blue Jean Chef.
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Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts (Spicy or Plain)
The quickest and easiest way to make this tasty southern snack is in the Instant Pot. Whether you like them spicy cajun, just plain salty or in between this is the recipe for you from Soulfully Made. We love that you can leave them on warm in the pressure cooker and serve them right out of the pot and they stay warm.
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Instant Pot Apple Butter
Sweet, versatile and easy to whip up using pressure cooking. Say goodbye to store-bought versions laden with preservatives. This homemade butter is not only healthier but also showcases the rich flavors of apples, warm spices, and a hint of vanilla.
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Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples with a Thick Brown Sugar Glaze
Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples are a warm and gooey brown sugar and cinnamon treat from Flour On My Face. We love using it as pie filling, but a traditional southerner has it with breakfast.
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Instant Pot Banana Pudding
Layers of Nilla wafers, bananas and homemade vanilla pudding with a generous amount of whipped cream on top. We love that this is from-scratch and made with no stirring in your Instant Pot from 365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking.
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Instant Pot Bread Pudding with Pecan Caramel Glaze
This Instant Pot Bread Pudding with Pecan Caramel Glaze is perfect to make in your Instant Pot. The bread pudding stays moist and delicious and is topped with a sweet and nutty pecan caramel glaze. We love how the glaze is drizzled all over this indulgence from My Forking Life.
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Catt
My Dad was born in Jacksonville Beach, in the Ponte Verde area. He l9ved Apple Butter, boiled peanuts & Banana Puddin. These recipies made me tear up, in a good way. Darn, I miss him
Ann Fabrizio
Awww thank you for sharing your story Catt. Food has a wonderful way of bring back beautiful memories of our loved ones.