Now that summer is over and fall’s arrival is right around the corner, comfort foods and easy recipes are on the menu during the week. I have gathered some of my favorite simple recipes for healthy, easy Instant Pot Pressure Cooker dump dinners. The best part is that these are all Weight Watchers friendly and using your Instant Pot ensures your meals will be ready in a fraction of the time.
I found that using my Instant Pot is a great way to get healthy meals and quick dinners on the table for the whole family on busy nights. Forget about ordering food in last minute on a busy weeknight, the Instant Pot can make a delicious meal quicker than delivery from your favorite take out spot.
Even better, if you forgot to take out your main course of ground beef, bone in chicken breasts or chicken thighs to defrost, you can still make your easy dump dinner recipes and cook the meat from the frozen state. Did you know if you were using a crock pot for instance, it would not be safe to cook frozen meats without thawing them beforehand because the meats will be spending too much time at a temperature that can cause bacteria to grow in the meat. Also, I think it makes the meat tougher if it isn’t fully defrosted.
If you are on the fence about purchasing yet another kitchen countertop appliance that will take up more space, let me tell you that the Instant Pot is a few kitchen cooking appliances in one. So you can free up some space and get rid of the kitchen gadgets or appliances you don’t use or haven’t used in years.
PIN FOR LATER
THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS WHICH MEANS IF YOU PURCHASE SOMETHING USING THE LINKS BELOW, I WILL RECEIVE A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE FOR RECOMMENDING THE PRODUCT TO YOU. THIS IS ALL AT NO COST TO YOU. THANK YOU IF YOU DO PURCHASE SOMETHING FROM AMAZON THAT WAS USED IN MAKING THESE RECIPES.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker (11 in 1)
Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Honey Substitute
Splenda Brown Sugar Substitute
Hinged Glass Jars for Freezer/Refrigerator
Best Freezable Soup Containers
What’s the main difference between a pressure cooker and an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker?
Here are quite a few differences:
- First thing that comes to mind for me is the Instant Pot is much safer to use. I don’t know about you, but the first time I used a pressure cooker it freaked me out! I was trying to make a big batch of healthy meals for meal prep and with all the hissing the pressure cooking was making – well it sounded like it was going to explode! Using the pressure cooker was going to give me more gray hair than I needed so on the shelf it went never to be used again. I originally bought the pressure canner to preserve foods that could not be preserved by using a water bath canner but was afraid to add in the glass mason jars filled with ingredients to the inevitable explosion!
- The Instant Pot comes with much more safety features than the old pressure cooker. The lid on an Instant Pot locks and it stays locked until all the high pressure is released. The lock feature on the Instant Pot presents an easy way to make cook time less stressful.
- Unlike the pressure cooker, the Instant Pot is an all-in-one kitchen appliance. An Instant Pot takes the place of a rice maker, a slow cooker, a sous vide, a yogurt maker and even more countertop appliances. The newer models have even more cool features.
- Using an Instant Pot can save you money. How? The Instant Pot cooks foods over 50% faster than stove top cooking. And if you have meat eaters or picky eaters, you can buy cuts of meat that are slightly tougher than the more expensive cuts. The Instant Pot will break down the meat’s tough fibers and make a tougher cut of meat, like brisket, super tender. Also, I find that the Instant Pot makes the most tender chicken.
- If you want to make a quick dinner during the week for your entire family the easiest way is to just put the crock pot away and take out your Instant Pot (or magic pot) as I call it and make an easy, healthy meal at dinner time.
What else can I use my Instant Pot for?
Don’t just use your Instant Pot for healthy and Easy Instant Pot Dump Dinner Recipes. You can make healthy easy breakfasts such as Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats using coconut milk instead of whole milk and drizzle with some sugar free maple syrup to keep the SmartPoints low. Or you can stir in some of this fantastic low SmartPoint Instant Pot Pumpkin Butter.
Best Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
LIGHTENED UP BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
If you love Buffalo Wings, this healthy recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip is the perfect substitute for your favorite Buffalo Wings but without all the messiness.
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Lightened Up Buffalo Chicken Dip
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Appetizer
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:10
Ingredients
- 1 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 4 Ounces of Light Cream Cheese (1/3 Less Fat)
- ½ Cup Each of Fat Free Sour Cream + Fat Free fa*ge Plain Greek Yogurt
- ½ Cup of Franks or Texas Pete's Hot Sauce
- ⅔ Cup of Walden Farms Ranch Dressing
- ½ Cup of Reduced Fat Blue Cheese Crumbles
- 1¼ Cup of Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheese
- Snipped Fresh Parsley, Optional
- Vegetable Cooking Spray
Instructions
- To cook the chicken breast for this Weight Watchers friendly Buffalo Chicken Dip, simply place the chicken breast in your Instant Pot Duo 11 in 1 with enough water to cover. Press start and cook on high for 15 minutes. When done, remove chicken and shred. Drain water.
- Switch your Instant Pot to the Slow Cooker Mode and combine remaining ingredients.
- This makes 10 servings at ⅓ Cup per person. Serve with crackers, chips or any 0 SP crudites.
- On the WW Personal Points Program, if you chose Chicken and Fat Free Yogurt as 0 Point Foods, each serving is 2 PP. If you did not choose Chicken or Yogurt as 0 Point Foods, each serving is 4 PP. If you chose Fat Free Yogurt as your 0 Point Food, each serving will be 4 PP.
- If you chose Chicken only as your 0 Point Food, each serving is 2 PP.
- On the WW Blue and Purple Plans, it is 3 SP per person. On the Green Plan it is 4 SP per person.
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
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This Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada recipe needs a spoon instead of a fork.This easy soup recipe has the same cheesy spicy delicious flavor as Baked Chicken Enchiladas, but without all the work, long cooking time and clean up. This is the perfect healthy soup to make a big batch of when you are cooking up some freezer meals.
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Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:6
Ingredients
- Vegetable Cooking Spray
- 2 Teaspoons of Olive Oil
- 2 Red Peppers, Chopped Small
- 1 Onion (Medium), Chopped Small
- 3 Minced Garlic Cloves
- 1 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 32 oz of Fat Free Chicken Broth
- 14.5 Oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
- 10 Oz Can of Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Cups of Frozen Sweet Corn
- 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon of Paprika
- Dried Green Onion, Optional
Instructions
- Spray base of the Instant Pot with cooking spray. Select the saute setting and add oil. Saute red pepper, onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, corn, tomato paste and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Lock lid and close vent. Select manual setting and adjust pressure to high and cook for 20 minutes. When done, allow pressure to release naturally for 8 minutes followed by quick release.
- Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks and then return to Instant Pot.
- This makes 6 servings. Each serving is about 1.5 cups. On Weight Watchers Blue and Purple Plan, each serving is 1 SP.On the Green Plan, it's 4 SP per serving.
- To keep the SmartPoints the same, you can add up to ¼ Cup of Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Shredded Cheese per bowl on the Blue, Green and Purple Plans.On the Blue and Purple Plans, you can also add Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt for 0 SP.Enjoy!
Instant Pot Pomegranate Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breast
This Pomegranate Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breast recipe has such a delicious flavor and I can see why kid’s love it.The chicken breasts are sweet, sticky and just finger licking delicious!So have extra napkins on the table for sure. This sweet tangy chicken breasts is pure perfection in rice bowls or even burrito bowls.
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Instant Pot Pomegranate Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breast
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Dinner
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:4
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (4 Breasts)
- ¼ Cup of Fat Free Chicken Broth
- ¼ Cup of Pomegranate Juice
- ⅓ Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons of Nature's Hollow Sugar Free Honey Substitute
- 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Each of Salt, Pepper, Dried Parsley & Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoons of Arrowroot Powder
- Vegetable Cooking Spray
- Fresh Herbs, Optional
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your Instant Pot with vegetable cooking spray.
- Next, combine broth, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, imitation honey, olive oil and spices into the Instant Pot.Stir well.Add chicken breasts to the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid and seal the vent. Select manual and adjust pressure to high. Time for 12 minutes. When done, use your quick release function.
- Remove chicken and cover to keep warm. If you want to, you can skim any fat using a fat separator from the liquid.
- Remove some of the liquid from the Instant Pot into a bowl and add 2 teaspoons of Arrowroot Powder.Stir to combine well and dump back into the Instant Pot.Select the saute function on the Instant Pot and cook while stirring for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.Serve sauce on the side or drizzled over the chicken breasts. If you are using fresh herbs, top the chicken breasts with your favorite herbs.
- This makes 4 servings.On Weight Watchers Blue and Purple Plans, each serving is 4 SP and on the Green Plan it is 7 SP per serving.Enjoy!
QUICK & HEALTHY INSTANT POT JAMBALAYA
One of my favorite recipes is Jambalaya. I love all the different flavors in one dish. But I always found cooking it to be very laborious. The first recipe I made in my Instant Pot was this Weight Watchers Friendly Jambalaya.
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Instant Pot Jambalaya
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Dinner
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:4
Ingredients
- 1 can of Rotel Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (10 oz)
- 14.5 oz of Fat Free Beef Broth
- 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
- 2 Celery Ribs, Sliced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 Small Onion, Diced Small
- 1.5 Teaspoons of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
- ½ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Each of Dried Thyme and Salt
- Few Shakes of Tabasco Sauce, Optional
- 13 Ounces of Hillshire Farms Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage, Sliced
- 2 lbs of Large Peeled Shrimp
- 3 Bags of Frozen Cauliflower Rice, Cooked
Instructions
- Combine Rotel diced tomatoes, broth and tomato paste into your Instant Pot. Stir and combine the paste well with the diced tomatoes. Next stir in the celery, garlic and onion. Add seasonings and Tabasco, if using. Next add in the sliced chicken smoked sausage. Stir to combine everything together.
- Lock lid and close vent. Choose the manual setting and set pressure to high. Set time for 8 minutes. When 8 minutes is up, quick release pressure according to your Instant Pot instructions.
- Next, choose the saute setting and adjust to high heat. Stir in all the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp are nice and pink.
- Put the cooked cauliflower rice into a large bowl and combine with the cooked Jambalaya mixture. Combine well.
- This makes 4 servings. On Weight Watchers Blue and Purple Plans it's only 5 SP per serving and it's 6 SP per serving. on the Green Plan. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
If you do freezer meal prepping, first on your list should be this all time fan favorite comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. Homemade soups are healthy, freezer friendly and are perfect for lunch or dinner. Oh and did I mention that this only takes 12 minutes in the Instant Pot?
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Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:4
Ingredients
- 1 Large White Onion, Chopped Small
- 2 Celery Stalks, Chopped Small
- 4 Carrots, Peeled and Sliced in Rounds or Diagonally
- Salt & White Pepper to Taste
- 6 Cups of Fat Free Chicken Broth
- 2 Cups of Cooked Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast, Shredded or Diced
- 2 Cups of Cooked Egg Noodles or Whole Wheat Egg Noodles** (Keep separate)
- Butter Flavored Cooking Spray
- Fresh Parsley, Snipped, Optional
Instructions
- Spray the base of the Instant Pot with butter flavored vegetable spray, set on saute mode and turn on to heat. Add in 3 tablespoons of water along with the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Now add in the celery and carrots and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add in the cooked chicken and the broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover the Instant Pot and cook on the the Soup setting for 5 minutes.
- Release pressure, uncover the Instant Pot and stir together well.Add in more salt and/or pepper to taste.
- If serving immediately, put ½ cup of cooked egg noodles into 4 bowls, add soup and enjoy. Top with fresh snipped parsley, if using. If freezing, divide the cooked egg noodles among 4 containers, add soup, cool and freeze.
- This makes 4 servings at 4 SP per serving on the Blue and Purple Plans. On the Green Plan it is 5 SP per serving. **However if you follow the Purple Plan and use whole wheat egg noodles instead of regular cooked egg noodles, this comforting soup recipe is 0 SP per serving.
The Best Instant Pot Recipes for Side Dishes
Healthy & Quick Instant Pot Crispy Red Potatoes with Rosemary
Who doesn’t love potatoes? French fried, smashed, mashed, loaded – whatever way you make them, they’re delicious. But my favorite way to make potatoes now is in an Instant Pot. Below is my recipe for healthy and quick Instant Pot Crispy Red Potatoes with Rosemary. If you follow the new WW Personal Points Program, each serving is 1 PP if you chose Potatoes as a 0 Point Food, if you did not, each serving is 4 PP. This recipe is only 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving on the Blue & Green Plans. On the Purple Plan, a serving is 1 SmartPoint. And they are fantastic!
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Instant Pot Crispy Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Side Dishes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:4
Ingredients
- ½ Cup of Water
- 1 Pound of Red Potatoes, Quartered
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
- 2 Tablespoons of Land O'Lakes Light Whipped Butter
- ½ Teaspoon Each Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder & Onion Powder
- ¼ Cup of Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
Instructions
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot and add the potatoes in the steamer basket. Cover and cook on the steam setting for 6 minutes.
- Release the pressure naturally, uncover the Instant Pot and switch to the Saute mode.
- Spray the potatoes well with the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray. Add in the butter, pepper, salt, garlic and onion powder and chopped rosemary. Stir to coat potatoes and continue to cook for 3 more minutes
- If you follow the WW Personal Points Program and chose potatoes as a 0 Point Food, each serving is 1 PP, if you did not chose Potatoes, each serving is 4 PP.
- This makes 4 servings at 4 SP per serving on the Blue & Green Plans. On the Purple Plan, it's 1 SP per serving. Enjoy!
Ultimate Instant Pot Recipe for Simple Refried Beans
Refried beans are the perfect side dish, dip or filling for a taco, tortilla or burrito. And I love it with eggs too. They are that good and so filling. Not to mention full of protein and healthy for you.
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Instant Pot Recipe for Refried Beans
Author:DeeDeeDoes
Recipe type:Side Dish
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves:4
Ingredients
- 3 Cups of Pinto Beans (Soaked for 4 hours and drained)
- 1 Large White Onion, Peeled and Chopped
- 1 Each Red Bell Pepper + Jalapeno Pepper, Chopped
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 9 Cups of Vegetable Broth
- ½ Teaspoon Each of Chili Powder + Ground Cumin
- Salt/Pepper to Taste
- Cilantro Leaves, Optional
Instructions
- After beans have been soaked for 4 hours and drained, place into the Instant Pot along with all the ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on the Bean/Chili setting for 20 minutes. Release the pressure and strain the beans and vegetables reserving the broth.
- Transfer the cooked beans & vegetables to a blender or food processor. Work in batches while adding as much liquid back into the pureed mixture as needed. Garnish with Cilantro Leaves if using.
- Place into a bowl and serve. This makes 4 servings. Garnish with up to ¼ cup of Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheese per serving will keep this at 1 SP per serving on the Blue and Purple Plans. On the WW Green Plan, it is 14 SP per serving.
These easy Instant Pot recipes for dump meals, delicious soups and fantastic comfort foods are just a few of the delicious meals you can make with your Instant Pot. And the best part, it’s only 1 “pot” to clean. Yay!
Want more Healthy Instant Pot Dump Recipes?
Delicious Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole
Instant Pot Juicy Hoisin Meatballs
Healthy Quick Instant Pot Deviled Eggs
Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Cheesy Broccoli Egg Souffles
