Instant Pot Christmas Recipes. Introducing you to the best and easiest Christmas recipes for the instant pot to help you plan your instant pot Holiday Menu!
Including our favourite instant pot roasts, sides, snacks, desserts and much more.
Christmas just got a whole lot easier!
Updated for Christmas 2023 with even better delicious holiday recipes.
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Instant Pot Christmas
After special requests from a few of our Instant Pot readers, we have decided to scroll through our instant pot archives and bring you a delicious collection of instant pot Christmas recipes.
If you have not used your instant pot yet as part of your instant pot Christmas menu, then YOU MUST. It is a true life saver.
Think of all those times at Christmas (or at Thanksgiving) when you look down and realise that you have run out of pans, have a LOT of washing up to do and that no matter how hard you try, you never seem to get fully organised for your Christmas dinner.
Well thanks to the Instant Pot you can in fact make an AMAZING Christmas dinner. With less stress, less washing up and more time sat down relaxing.
The first Christmas we had with our Instant Pot, was Christmas 2016. Jorge was about to have his first Christmas; Sofia was about to enjoy her 3rd Christmas and we just felt a lot more organised.
Hard to believe when cooking Christmas dinner on hardly any sleep, while looking after 2 under 3’s but it is TRUE.
Mashed potatoes didn’t take as long, we could make a much quicker dessert and best of all we could make lots of dishes in our Instant Pot with the leftovers.
It was a dream come true.
Plus, as well as our free newsletter, we also have a free instant pot mini course. It is ideal for instant pot beginners or those that want to get more confident with their electric pressure cooker. The free course runs for 5 days with a new lesson delivered each day to your inbox.
#1 Instant Pot Christmas Accessory
There is one thing that I do recommend you buy to speed up your Instant Pot Christmas Dinner and that is an extra inner pot for your Instant Pot. Or more than two if that is your thing?
I have 3 of them that fit in my Instant Pot 6 quart and 1 for my 8 quart too. That way you don’t have to wait on washing up and get your next dish cooking straight away.
Or you might have meal prepped something and can then keep one dish, still in its inner pot in your fridge.
Why Use The Instant Pot For Christmas?
Did you know that when you boil food it loses its nutritional value and becomes tasteless?
If you steam your potatoes in the pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes they taste 10 times better, are healthier and are done in a fraction of the regular stove time.
That is just the mashed potatoes, there is the steamed vegetables, the quick vegetable gratins and the list goes on and on.
Now when we cook Christmas dinner in the Milner house, we use the oven for the turkey and then the air fryer and instant pot does everything else. It is truly magical how these kitchen gadgets make Christmas dinner so easy.
Best Instant Pot Christmas Recipes
There are more than 300+ instant pot recipes on our site (well at the time of writing this) and we have a lot of recipes that are perfect for Christmas.
But we wanted to share with you JUST the best of the best. These truly are the best instant pot Christmas recipes.
Also, we realise there are several instant pot Christmas recipes here to make up your Christmas dinner menu, so we have split them below into categories to make it easier for you.
So that just leaves me to wish you a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Instant Pot Christmas Soup
If you want to start your instant pot Christmas dinner menu with soup, then we have some fantastic instant pot Christmas soup recipes.
For something that will impress your guests how about Instant Pot Bean & Bacon Soup?
Or to give them a health kick and impress your healthy eating visitors, try a bowl of instant pot carrot and ginger soup. It can also help fight off colds and warm your guests up if you are in a colder part of the world.
Or for the lazy instant pot soup why not make instant pot vegetable soup with frozen vegetables.
More Instant Pot Christmas Soup Ideas Include:
- Instant Pot Paella Soup
- Instant Pot Sausage & Kale Soup
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Mushroom Soup
- Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Turkey Neck Soup
Instant Pot Christmas Vegetables
At Christmas I love to have lots of vegetables. For me a Christmas dinner means meat, potato and plenty of vegetables. So, I am disappointed if I don’t have several different vegetables on my dinner plate.
My favourite instant pot vegetable has to go to instant pot baby parsnips. They are super cute, and it will make your dinner table look gourmet.
Or I love to steam some whole pumpkins in the Instant Pot and you can serve them on the dinner table as they are, or make them into cute pumpkin wedges.
Here are some more instant pot Christmas vegetables to cook:
- Instant Pot Broccoli
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Carrots & Potatoes
- Instant Pot Baby Carrots
- Instant Pot Baby Pumpkins
- Instant Pot Rutabaga
- Instant Pot Asparagus
- Instant Pot Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Cabbage
- Instant Pot Turnips
A special mention needs to go to this guide that shows you how to Instant Pot Frozen Vegetables. Perfect for the budgeter at Christmas. Or follow this guide that is specific to Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli.
Plus, don’t forget to save your veggie peelings and make a batch of instant pot veggie stock for the freezer.
Instant Pot Christmas Side Dishes
Firstly, let’s start with my favourite instant pot side dish for Christmas and that is Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts Gratin. Also known as Brussel sprouts in a delicious creamy cheesy sauce.
And YES I am part of those that is addicted to sprouts and just can’t get enough of them. Or if you are dairy free here is our steamed Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts.
Other versions of our popular vegetable gratins include instant pot leeks gratin and instant pot cauliflower gratin.
The lazy side dish would be some instant pot new potatoes. Steamed in the instant pot and served with butter, they are an easy Christmas dinner side dish.
Or for a healthy sauce to pour over your favourite vegetables, or to use in your own vegetarian gratin, try out our instant pot paleo sauce. It is loaded with vegetables and so easy to make.
Here are a few more sides to make this Christmas in the Instant Pot:
- Instant Pot Red Potatoes
- Instant Pot Stuffing In A Box
- Instant Pot Homemade Stuffing
- Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Instant Christmas Mash
Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? My eldest son Kyle is obsessed and will eat bowl after bowl of mash and then when I have not made any for a while he will be asking when we are cooking it next.
He loves our instant pot mashed potatoes the most and its so easy to make. You can mash the potatoes directly in the instant pot inner pot and load the butter and milk or whatever ingredients directly into the pot.
This is also one of the reasons why we have extra inner pots, because the mash can be made in the Instant Pot and then served directly on the dinner table.
As well as making mashed potatoes with white potatoes we also have these other variations:
- Instant Pot Mashed Parsnips
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Mash
- Instant Pot Root Vegetable Mash
- Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Carrot & Swede Mash
Instant Pot Christmas Turkey
Did you know that you can cook a whole turkey breast in the Instant Pot and that it is NOT dry? Perfect for those of you that complain every year that your turkey is dry and that you ruined it again.
In my Instant Pot I cooked the turkey crown (the 2 turkey breasts with the bone in) and it was delicious and now I love to put my crown in the instant pot. Here is our instant pot turkey crown recipe for you to test for yourselves.
Or if you would rather cook it on slow here is our Instant Pot Slow Cooked Turkey Breast recipe instead.
You could also do an instant pot frozen turkey breast and if there is just one of you for Christmas dinner, I recommend our instant pot turkey leg and rice.
Of course, don’t forget about your instant pot turkey stock – its amazing and perfect for freezing for later.
Instant Pot Christmas Meals
Don’t want to eat turkey? Then here are a few instant pot Christmas roast dinner ideas:
- Instant Pot Pork Roast – The original instant pot pork roast. You will see many copycat versions, but this is the original one here at Recipe This. Or try our pork roast and sweet potato version.
- Instant Pot Pineapple Ham – If you like to have an instant pot Christmas ham, then try out this version that is loaded with pineapple. I can’t just stop on one slice though.
- Instant Pot Meatloaf And Mashed Potatoes – Cook mini meatloaves and mashed potatoes at the same time in your Instant Pot. A favourite of ours and perfect for a couple for Christmas dinner.
- Instant Pot Pork Chops + Mushroom Gravy – This is so delicious, so creamy, so flavoursome and so addictive. Perfect for a romantic Christmas dinner for two and perfect for lower budgets as well.
- Instant Pot Beef Roast – Another one of those family dinner classics, it is perfect for a no fuss easy to prepare instant pot Christmas dinner.
- Instant Pot Frozen Roast Beef – You will love how delicious an instant pot frozen roast beef is and of course, it wouldn’t be the same without a few air fryer Yorkshire puddings.
- Instant Pot Frozen Whole Chicken – A fantastic cheap alternative to turkey this Christmas and so easy to prep and cook in the instant pot.
- Instant Pot Cornish Hen – This is fantastic for the smaller appetite or feeding two at Christmas. You can also cook the potatoes at the same time.
- Instant Pot Roast Duck – You can also use similar cook times to a whole chicken or a whole turkey to cook duck in the instant pot. Though its best if you use the air fryer to crisp up the skin.
- Reheat Ham In The Instant Pot – You can also reheat a cooked ham in the instant pot for Christmas or reheat or cook a gammon joint. The choice is yours and its so delicious.
Instant Pot Christmas Dessert Recipes
Let’s conclude with my favourite part and that is instant pot desserts. The instant pot does an amazing job of making the best ever Christmas desserts and they are so easy too.
If you are looking for something traditional this Christmas, then it doesn’t get any better than an Instant Pot Christmas Pudding. They are steamed to perfection in the instant pot and easy to do whilst you are entertaining your guests.
If you are hosting a Christmas party or want a dessert that will wow your family and friends, then it doesn’t get any better than instant pot chocolate cake bites.
Another of my all-time favourites for impressing, is an instant pot strawberry cheesecake, it looks gorgeous and its easy to make using the instant pot.
Here are a few other delicious instant pot Christmas desserts:
- Instant Pot Caramel Rice Pudding
- Instant Pot Banoffee Pie
- Instant Pot Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Instant Pot Treacle Sponge Pudding
- Instant Pot Jam Sponge Pudding
- Instant Pot Box Cake
Can’t read it now? Then pin it for later!
Great list of Christmas recipes, cannot wait to try some of these classic dishes in my Instant Pot.