With Thanksgiving coming up soon, you’re probably planning your feast already. With so many delicious dishes to choose from, it’s hard to find room in your oven (and your tummy) for all of them.
Luckily, we’ve solved the first problem for you. We’ve found 26 of the BEST Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes to try this year. It’ll free up your oven space for other dishes and help you get dinner on the table for your family quickly and easily. Best of all, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor; the pressure cooker gives that simmered-for-hours or baked-for-hours flavor without being chained to the oven all day. Win-win!
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Instant Pot Thanksgiving Main Dishes
Here are some main dishes you have to have this Thanksgiving, from Ham to Turkey to whole Chicken, these thanksgiving meats can be cooked in your pressure cooker with ease!
Instant Pot Ham from The Instant pot table:
Do you prefer turkey or ham for Thanksgiving? Some like both! If you’re in that camp, you can save oven space for the turkey by making your ham in the Instant Pot. It comes out tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
Instant Pot Whole Turkey from Bacon is Magic:
Think it’s impossible to cook a turkey in the Instant Pot and get crispy skin? Thing again! This recipe shows you how to get that deliciously crispy skin on the outside and tender, juicy meat inside using your pressure cooker. Free up that oven space for lots of yummy pies instead!
Instant Pot Turkey Breast from Easy Budget Recipes:
Make Thanksgiving a little easier by serving just the turkey breast instead of the entire bird. It’s more economical, for one thing. It costs less to buy, and you have less food waste. Plus, you can fit a turkey breast into your Instant Pot! This saves time, too. It comes out tender and delicious, without waiting on the oven.
Instant Pot Turkey Gravy from Easy Budget Recipes:
Okay, so gravy is technically a side dish, but can you really have turkey without gravy? No! We think it’s essential, so it’s up here with the main dishes. Use the drippings in your Instant Pot from the turkey recipe above to make a batch of delicious turkey gravy. If you don’t have any drippings and just want some gravy, you can also use turkey or chicken stock with poultry seasoning. This will leave your burners open for making other side dishes.
Instant Pot Whole Chicken from The Instant pot table
If you’re not a turkey person then why not try cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and finisihing it off in the oven! This is a real winner winner chicken dinner kind of recipe!
Instant Pot Thanksgiving Side Dishes
instant Pot Glazed Carrots from The Instant Pot Table
Carrots are a terrific source of vitamins, and they go great with so many Thanksgiving staples like turkey and mashed potatoes. Our version is glazed with garlic and herb, so they’re savory with a hint of sweetness and are so easy to make.
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce From The Instant Pot Table
This cranberry sauce is so quick, easy, and delicious that you’ll never go back to the canned stuff again. They take only 8 minutes to cook, which is no time at all while you’re preparing all the other dishes for your meal. Made with cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, orange juice, and orange zest, this recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Instant Pot Green Beans from Piping Pot Curry:
Get perfectly steamed green beans with a fresh, crunchy texture right in your Instant Pot. They’re sauteed with butter and garlic and drizzled with lemon juice for incredible flavor. They’re the perfect accompaniment for a holiday meal.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes from The InsTANT POT TABLE:
If you like your mashed potatoes creamy and chunky, you will love this recipe. Although there’s a place for the perfectly smooth variety, we want them the old fashioned way, mashed with just a bit of the potato chunks still visible. It seems to make them heartier!
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes from Boulder Locavore:
Perhaps sweet potatoes are more your style on Thanksgiving. You can make those in the IP, too. But people vary in how sweet they like their sweet potato dishes. This post recommends having some maple syrup on the table for folks to pour over their mashed sweet potatoes. This allows everyone to sweeten them according to their liking. These mashed potatoes are ready for the table in just 30 minutes, so your pressure cooker will be free for another dish in no time!
Instant Pot Cauliflower Mash from Easy Low Carb Life:
If anyone in your family is watching their carbs, this dish will be appreciated. It has all the buttery flavor of mashed potatoes without all the carbs.
Instant Pot Corn on the Cob from The Instant pot table
Corn on the cob is essential at the Thanksgiving table. Cook it perfectly every time in the Instant Pot. It cooks in just six minutes and is ready to be slathered with pats of butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Instant Pot Stuffing from The instant pot table
You can’t have a turkey and all the fixings without stuffing! This stuffing isn’t dry at all. It’s extra moist and comes together in about 30 minutes in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Acorn Squash from The Instant pot table:
Is it a side dish or a dessert? It’s a bit of both, really, but nothing says fall like this acorn squash filled with brown sugar, pecans, and dates, and of course, a bit of butter. When it comes out of the Instant Pot, it’s buttery, sweet, and tender. Yum!
Instant Pot Corn Casserole from The Typical Mom:
This super cheesy creamed corn side dish will be a big hit with the family this year. The can of chiles adds to the flavor without being over-the-top spicy.
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese from The Inspiration Edit:
Mac and cheese is a classic for our Thanksgiving meals. It’s one kid-friendly dish that almost all kids will eat. Our IP recipe is super easy (and super cheesy). Make extra because this stuff will go fast.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese from Recipes from a Pantry:
For a more seasonal mac and cheese recipe, try this pumpkin version that’s full of all the flavors of fall. It’s creamy comfort food packed with pumpkin puree (see our recipe for pumpkin puree below), pumpkin pie spice, cheese, cream, and more yummy ingredients. It’s a lovely change of pace from your typical mac and cheese.
Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts from The INSTANT POT TABLE
Brussel sprouts are packed with fiber, nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, and they’re also perfect for your Thanksgiving meal. It’s great to have something healthy thrown in there, right? Our IP Brussel sprouts are tasty and tender. You can even drizzle them with a little honey if you’d like to sweeten them up.
Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole with Cheese from Monday is Meatloaf:
Green bean casserole is a staple on many Thanksgiving tables, but you may not have thought to make it in your pressure cooker. But you totally can! Once it’s done, you’ll just need to put it in the oven under the broiler for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted, and the fried onions are golden and crispy.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree from The iNSTANT POT TABLE:
Thanksgiving calls for lots of pumpkin puree. You’ll need it for cakes, pies, cookies, chili, and all sorts of pumpkin-flavored goodies. Making puree is easier than ever with the Instant Pot! The pressure cooker does all the hard work for you.
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole from The insTANT POT TABLE:
This sweet and buttery sweet potato casserole is a must for your holiday dinner. It’s your traditional sweet potato casserole conveniently made in your Instant Pot to free up your oven for other things.
Instant Pot Rice from The Inspiration Edit:
Do you serve rice along with your Thanksgiving meal? Perhaps you use it in casseroles or other dishes. Make yours in the Instant Pot for quick, fuss-free preparation. It’s perfectly fluffy every time.
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto from The Inspiration Edit:
Here’s a delicious side dish that could even be a main dish if you have any vegetarian friends or family joining you for your meal. You’ll just need to sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth. To make it vegan, sub the broth as well as the butter and cheeses for vegan options.
Instant Pot Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake from Boulder Locavore:
Just when you thought Thanksgiving couldn’t be any more decadent, this cheesecake tops them all! The creamy pumpkin cheesecake is topped with smooth, salted caramel and candied pecans coated in cinnamon sugar.
Pumpkin Spice Cake from Clean Eating Kitchen:
Did you know that you can make cakes in your Instant Pot? This pumpkin spice cake is the perfect choice for Thanksgiving, too. It’s not as light and fluffy as a traditional cake; it’s more dense and moist. It tastes just like fall.
Pumpkin Cheesecake from Damn Delicious:
If you’re looking for more of a traditional pumpkin cheesecake, you won’t be able to keep your hands off this one made with a delicious gingersnap cookie crust.
Pumpkin Pudding from Clean Eating Kitchen:
Get the flavor of pumpkin pie without the crust in this tasty and simple pudding recipe. The pudding is best served hot or at room temperature, but you can also serve it cold and it will have more of a custard texture. Won’t it be amazing with a big dollop of whipped cream on top?
10 Delicious Summer Instant Pot Drinks That Are Quick and Easy To Make
I hope you enjoyed this list of 10 drool-worthy Instant Pot drinks! These are delicious, refreshing, and surprisingly quick to whip up on a summer afternoon for any occasion. What’s your favorite on so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Not ready to start cooking yet? Save this list of the Best Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes to pinterest so you’ll have all the instructions you need for your holiday meal.
You may also find this post helpful: The Best Instant Pot Christmas Recipes
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!
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