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30 Days of Instant Pot Dump Recipes

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When life gets really busy, getting dinner on the table every night becomes a challenge. That’s why I’ve rounded up an entire month’s worth of tried and true Instant Pot dump recipes.

When you want to get a delicious dinner on the table the entire family will enjoy, your pressure cooker is your best friend. Paired with these tasty recipes that have minimal prep work, you can spend less time cooking and more time doing the other things that matter to you.

a printable calendar with meal ideas with title text reading 30 Days of Instant Pot Dump Meals.

Looking for a reason to love your Instant Pot? Whether you hate spending time in the kitchen or you simply lack the time, these Instant Pot dump dinner recipes will provide you with plenty of effortless meals all month long!

What is a Dump and Go Recipe?

A dump and go recipe is one that is super easy and convenient to make. The idea behind a dump and go recipe is that you simply “dump” all of the ingredients into a pot, slow cooker, or baking dish, and then “go” about your day while the recipe cooks itself.

These recipes are typically very simple and require very little prep work, so they’re perfect for busy weeknights when you have to multitask during dinner prep time.

Instant Pot Dump Recipes

You won’t find any recipes in this meal plan that require you to sauté ingredients first. I also omitted any recipes that required a lot of slicing and dicing beforehand.

A couple of the recipes do call for time to marinate before cooking, but the marinade had to be simple (e.g. dumping the necessary ingredients into a Ziploc). And, after marinating, you only have to dump the ingredients into the Instant Pot to cook.

  1. Mississippi Pot Roast: Pepperoncini juice and ranch dressing mix pack tons of flavor into this dish.
  2. Salsa Chicken: Just two ingredients (chicken breasts and salsa — pretty sure you figured this out from the name). Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this.
  3. Ham and 15 Bean Soup: Hearty, delicious, and tastes like you’ve been cooking all day.
  4. Balsamic Ginger Chicken: This chicken thigh recipe has lots of flavor. Make it with basmati rice for a true one pot meal.
  5. Spaghetti and Meatballs: This classic family favorite is a cinch to make in your Instant Pot.
  6. Cheesy Tuna Helper: The great thing about this recipe is that you can keep all of the ingredients on hand in your pantry and freezer for nights when you’ve forgotten to plan ahead.
  7. Garlic Lemon Chicken Legs: You can make this one with frozen chicken so no worries if you forget to defrost!
  8. Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole: The cheesy creamy sauce in this dish is amazing!
  9. Creamy Ranch Pork Chops: Just four ingredients. Did someone ask for easy?
  10. Hot & Sour Soup: Packed with yummy Asian flavors like rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and ginger with mushrooms, spinach, and tofu, this soup is not only delicious, but it’s good for you too!
  11. Chicken and Stuffing (or this version with one extra step but added liquid if the lack of liquid in the first version worries you): Tender bites of chicken, combined with stuffing mix and green beans for a quick weeknight meal.
  12. Chicken Taco Bowls: Shredded chicken, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese make this the perfect meal for Taco Tuesday.
  13. Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin: Since you start with a pre-seasoned tenderloin, you can substitute any flavor you want and still get a tender, delicious dinner.
  14. Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps: This low carb recipe isn’t short on flavor proving a healthy dinner doesn’t have to be boring.
  15. Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork: Tender, juicy pulled pork in under an hour!
  16. Black Bean Soup: This is one of our favorite meatless meals. It’s loaded with vegetables and the beans add fiber and protein to make this a satisfying dinner.
  17. Honey Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls: The awesome Asian-inspired sauce in this dish makes this as wonderful to eat as it is to look at (thanks to the colorful peppers and snap peas).
  18. Corned Beef: Beef, beer, mustard and fig preserves combine with delightful results in this simple dish.
  19. Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta: Cream cheese is the secret to the creamy sauce. And the peas and carrots add color and nutrients.
  20. Chicken FajitasNo need to stand over the stove. Let your Instant Pot do the work, then spoon into tortillas and top with sour cream for a quick dinner.
  21. Minestrone Soup: So many vegetables, even more flavor! This is an awesome soup recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
  22. Pineapple Ginger Fauxtisserie Chicken: This freezer friendly dinner is one you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer as an emergency meal for especially busy nights.
  23. Mushroom Pasta: Use your favorite noodles (rotini, bowtie, and penne pasta all work great!) and a few simple ingredients to make this easy one pot dinner.
  24. Chicken Noodles: This classic recipe comes together quickly in your pressure cooker and is ready in just over 30 minutes.
  25. 7 Can Chicken Taco Soup: Made with canned goods and seasonings, this is another dinner you can keep ingredients on hand for at all times.
  26. Country Style Ribs: Make with bone-in or bone-out country style ribs — the outcome is always delicious!
  27. Swiss Chicken: This is my family’s favorite chicken recipe. Chicken, swiss cheese, and stuffing — yum!
  28. Cheesy Enchilada Rice: Long grain brown rice, enchilada sauce, black beans, cheddar cheese and seasoning are all you need for this flavorful meal.
  29. Korean Short Ribs: This beef dinner with a sweet and tangy Asian sauce served over a bed of rice makes a satisfying dinner. 
  30. Pesto Chicken Pasta: A true dump and go recipe that’s ready in under half an hour — this recipe will be one of your go-to’s when you don’t have time to cook.

I was aiming for family-friendly for my menu. If you have kids who aren’t as picky as mine are, or simply enjoy healthier meals overall, check out this list of 20 Healthy Instant Pot Dump Dinners from The Holy Mess. You’ll find plenty of great options!

Instant Pot Dump Recipes Printable Menu

I’ve created a menu for a full month using only Instant Pot dump recipes. I tried to vary the selection from day to day so you don’t end up eating a noodle dish or chicken dish several days in a row.

I’ve also included some soups and vegetarian options to help keep cost down. Feel free to print off the menu. The recipes included in the menu are all hyperlinked in the menu and in the list below the menu.

To download/print the menu, click on the image below or

Click this link –>> Instant Pot Dump Recipes Menu

printable meal calendar with title text reading Instant Pot Dump Recipes Menu.

Looking for Instant Pot Freezer Dump Meals?

I know that for many people, “dump meals” translates to meals that you prep in advance and freeze then toss in the Instant Pot to cook. That was NOT my criteria for these recipes.

However, if those are the type of dump recipes you are looking for, I’ve put together a collection of over 20 Instant Pot Freezer Meals just for you. Every recipe on the list is designed to go from freezer directly to your Instant Pot.

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can find the recipes again later!

a collage of two different meals with title text reading 30 days of Instant Pot Dump Recipes.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

If you liked this menu of Instant Pot dump recipes, you might like some of these other easy dinner ideas.

Love your Instant Pot? Check out my entire collection of Instant Pot recipes. You’ll also find my favorites from other sites plus lots of helpful information (like which accessories you might want and a glossary of common terms).

a collage of four different dinners with title text reading 50+ delicious Instant Pot Recipes.

If you like having an entire month of recipes already planned, check out my menu for a month of family meals. They aren’t dump recipes, but they are all kid-approved (in my household anyway).

a collage of twelve different dinners with title text reading Month of Meals from Wondermom Wannabe.

Only cooking for one or two? Check out all of these microwave mug recipes!

two mug cakes in blue and green mugs with blue and green plates and bowls in the background.

Or perhaps you’d rather come up with your own meal plan. If that’s the case, read this post on Easy Meal Planning for tips and ideas. Plus, snag a free printable meal planner and shopping list!

a printable What's for Dinner menu planner and shopping list next to office supplies and a cup of coffee.

More Instant Pot Resources

Love your Instant Pot? Find more Instant Pot Recipes here. And check out my favorite Instant Pot Hacks.

11 thoughts on “30 Days of Instant Pot Dump Recipes”

  1. Are these all 6qt pot meals? I only have a 3qt pot. I haven’t used it yet but seems like everyone says I can take the 6qt recipe and cut it in half. Do you think that would work on these?

    Reply
    • Hi Joan, yes, I believe most of the recipes are for a 6 quart. Usually, the recipe will specify if it’s for the smaller pot. I don’t have the 3 quart so I can’t say for certain, but I do believe most of these can be converted by simply using half the ingredients. The only problem might be if that reduces the total liquid too much so that the pot won’t come to pressure. Just make sure that when you cut the recipes in half, it still leaves whatever the minimum liquid requirement is for the 3 quart.

      Reply
      • I have a 3 qt . If all the ingredients stay within the 2/3 line of the pot liner, you can use the recipe as is without having to make adjustments. Just make sure you do not go above the max line inside the liner.

        Reply
  2. I didn’t see it any where but would you freeze each meal until ready to use? If I were to do all the meal prep ahead of time? Just thaw, dump, cook?

    Reply
    • I do not, but I’m adding that to my to do list right now! I think a lot of readers would find that helpful. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Reply
  3. How can i convert the recipes that are for thighs which i love to chicken breasts (frozen or fresh, boneless and skinless) because now white meat is 0 points for weight watchers 🙂
    thanks

    Reply
    • Typically recipes for chicken thighs have longer cook times since bone-in chicken takes longer to cook. Cooking time for breasts can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the breasts. If you’re using large breasts, only reduce the cook time by 2-3 minutes, if small or tenderloin size, reduce cooking time to 8 minutes total. The chicken breasts will be drier than thighs so only do this in recipes with plenty of liquid and/or a sauce.

      Reply

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