Life

Grilled Barbecued Pork Baby Back Ribs, close up
Shutterstock
When It's Too Hot To Cook, These 15 Instant Pot Recipes For Summer Will Save You

by Kristina Johnson

The last thing you usually feel like doing on a hot summer day is cooking. Turning on the oven only makes your house hotter, and sometimes even mustering up the energy to fire up the barbecue is just too much. On the laziest of summer days, pulling out your Instant Pot can be an absolute lifesaver. There are plenty of fun summer recipes for the Instant Pot that can get dinner on the table quick, and you won't have to break a sweat.

Summertime is a great time to cook at home, despite the heat making it an unappealing idea at times. So many different types of fruits and vegetables are in season, which means you can often find them on sale at the grocery store or at farmer's markets. This a great time of year to get everything from corn to peppers to strawberries, according to PBS, and you'll find recipes that include each of those things on this list.

The Instant Pot isn't just for entrees, either. You can make some incredible sides dishes, delicious desserts (my personal favorite), and even drinks. Is there nothing it can't do?

Any one of these 15 yummy recipes will help you whip up something delicious without melting into a puddle this summer.

1

Summer Italian Chicken

The flavors of summer come together in this Italian chicken dish from Nom Nom Paleo. Seasonal produce like cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs give it tons of flavor. You'll need to do about five minutes of prep work to put this together, and it can be ready to eat in about 30.

2

Fajitas

Bell peppers are at peak season in the summer, making it a perfect time to whip up these Instant Pot fajitas from The Typical Mom. For maximum flavor, you'll want to marinade your meat overnight.

3

Corn On The Cob

Fresh, sweet, crunchy corn is one of my absolute favorite things to eat in the summer. This post from Recipe Teacher shows you how to cook up corn on the cob quickly in a Instant Pot. It's a handy trick for when you're hosting a barbecue and you simply run out of space on the grill.

4

Loaded Potato Salad

Potato salad is another perfect summer side. This recipe from No 2. Pencil uses bacon to add some extra flavor, and you can fry it up right in your Instant Pot as well using the sauté function.

5

Cuban Sandwiches

Sandwiches are a go to meal in the summertime for me, because they're so easy to throw together when you don't have much energy for cooking. These Cuban sandwiches from Mel's Kitchen Cafe take about an hour to cook, but you'll get six to eight sandwiches out of one batch.

6

Pineapple Chicken Tacos

Pineapple on tacos is so underrated, and I highly suggest trying it out if you haven't already. Half Baked Harvest pairs the fruit with spicy chicken for a delicious combo.

7

Refried Beans

Whether you're making tacos, burritos, or rice, refried beans are yummy way to add even more flavor to your meal. This refried beans recipe from Five Heart Home might make you wonder why you ever bought the canned kind. Best of all, you don't have to worry about pre-soaking your beans.

8

Barbecue Chicken

You don't have to light up your grill to get great barbecue flavor. This recipe for Instant Pot barbecue chicken sandwiches from Family Fresh Meals comes together in just five minutes. It might truly be the easiest recipe of all time.

9

Baked Beans

These baked beans from A Spicy Perspective have tons of flavor, thanks to ingredients like bacon, brown sugar, and liquid smoke. They make a great side dish to anything barbecue (whether you actually use your grill or fake it in your Instant Pot).

10

Baked Potato

Tossing your baked potatoes in the Instant Pot can drastically cut down their cooking time. This recipe from Damn Delicious shows you how to get crispy on the outside, tender on the inside baked potatoes in 15 minutes.

11

Baby Back Ribs

After about 20 minutes in the Instant Pot, these baby back ribs from Plain Chicken should be falling off the bone tender. For maximum deliciousness, you can then broil them for a couple of minutes in the oven so the barbecue sauce caramelizes.

12

Mac And Cheese

If you've got little kids, chances are mac and cheese is a year round staple in your house. This recipe from That's What Che Said gets an extra pop of flavor from using chicken broth to boil the macaroni.

13

Berry Bread Pudding

Don't forget that your Instant Pot can whip up desserts, too. If you've got lots of fresh berries on hand thanks to summer sales, you can use them for this amazing Instant Pot berry bread pudding from Ministry of Curry.

14

Frozen Hot Chocolate Bars

Ice pops are probably the last thing you'd think to make in your Instant Pot, but This Old Gal makes it work. The recipe walks you through getting the flavor and texture just right so you wind up with delicious frozen hot chocolate bars.

15

Iced Tea

You can get a refreshing summer drink from your Instant Pot, too. This recipe from Two Sleevers shows you how to brew up a pot of iced tea that should be stronger and more flavorful than using the stove top.