50 Best Thanksgiving Instant Pot Recipes

Introduction

Thanksgiving just got easier! With the sheer number of dishes you need to prepare, maximizing both flavor and efficiency is essential. Instant Pot recipes make Thanksgiving meal prep quicker and smoother without sacrificing the traditional tastes everyone loves. Whether you’re hosting a big family feast or need to streamline your holiday side dishes, these 50 Best Thanksgiving Instant Pot Recipes offer everything from juicy turkey and creamy mashed potatoes to rich desserts and soul-warming soups.

The Ultimate Instant Pot Thanksgiving Advantage

Using your Instant Pot this Thanksgiving means less time hovering over the stove and more time connecting with family and friends. Multi-cookers are perfect for freeing up oven space and expediting classic recipes, so every dish is ready just in time for your holiday table. The Instant Pot locks in flavor, keeping meats juicy and vegetables perfectly cooked—a godsend for the busy holiday chef.

Essential Tips for Instant Pot Success on Thanksgiving

A few tips to ensure your Instant Pot Thanksgiving goes off without a hitch:

• Prep ingredients ahead of time and set aside prepped veggies and seasonings for easy assembly.
• Use the ‘Keep Warm’ setting to hold dishes while you finish other recipes.
• Don’t forget about the sauté and pressure cook settings—both are invaluable for creating depth of flavor quickly.

The end result? Sides, mains, and desserts that taste like they were slow-cooked all day.

50 Best Thanksgiving Instant Pot Recipes

Here’s a comprehensive list of crowd-pleasing dishes, all easily adaptable to your meal plan. Pick a few or many to customize your perfect feast!

Main Dishes

1. Instant Pot Whole Turkey Breast
2. Herb Butter Boneless Turkey Roast
3. Turkey Thighs with Garlic Gravy
4. Spiced Honey-Glazed Ham
5. Instant Pot Roast Chicken

Hearty Soups & Starters

6. Butternut Squash Soup
7. Creamy Pumpkin Soup
8. Instant Pot Turkey and Rice Soup
9. Carrot Ginger Soup
10. Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Classic Stuffings & Grains

11. Savory Herb Stuffing
12. Sausage and Apple Stuffing
13. Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
14. Quinoa Cranberry Pilaf
15. Brown Butter Cornbread Stuffing

Vegetable Sides

16. Green Bean Casserole
17. Garlic Butter Brussels Sprouts
18. Honey-Glazed Carrots
19. Autumn Roasted Vegetables
20. Steamed Asparagus with Lemon

Creamy Potatoes & Gravies

21. Classic Mashed Potatoes
22. Cheesy Potato Gratin
23. Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
24. Sweet Potato Mash
25. Rich Turkey Gravy

Cranberry & Chutney Sides

26. Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
27. Apple-Cherry Chutney
28. Spiced Pear Compote
29. Orange-Ginger Cranberry Relish
30. Quick Apricot Jam

Breads and Rolls

31. Fluffy Parker House Rolls
32. Soft Herb Dinner Rolls
33. Brown Butter Corn Muffins
34. Homestyle Biscuits
35. Rosemary Garlic Focaccia

Decadent Thanksgiving Desserts

36. Classic Pumpkin Pie (Instant Pot version)
37. New York Cheesecake
38. Apple Crisp
39. Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
40. Chocolate Lava Cakes

Bonus: Extras & Sauces

41. Turkey Bone Broth
42. Easy Pumpkin Butter
43. Caramelized Onions
44. Mushroom Gravy
45. Cranberry Orange Butter
46. Lemon Blueberry Compote
47. Garlic Herb White Sauce
48. Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes
49. Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms
50. Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save these recipes to instantly create an organized Thanksgiving shopping list, auto-sorted by grocery section. This ensures nothing gets overlooked and saves precious time at the store.

Instructions

Each Instant Pot recipe may require different instructions, but here’s a simple workflow most Thanksgiving recipes will follow:

1. Prep ingredients: Dice, chop, and measure everything before starting.
2. Sauté aromatics: Use the Instant Pot’s sauté function for onions, garlic, and spices to build flavor.
3. Add proteins, veggies, or grains: Load in your main ingredients and add broth, dairy, or seasonings as instructed.
4. Pressure cook: Seal the lid, select manual or specific program, and cook for the recommended time (typically 8–30 minutes).
5. Quick or natural release: Follow recipe guidelines for releasing pressure safely.
6. Finish and serve: For some recipes, use the sauté function after pressure cooking to thicken sauces or finish with fresh herbs and garnishes.

Weekly Meal Planning

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to come with extra stress. Save and schedule your favorite recipes to plan what to cook and when. CookifyAI lets you seamlessly slot your top picks into your weekly (or holiday) meal plan and generates an organized shopping list that aggregates ingredients for every chosen dish.

Why use CookifyAI for Thanksgiving meal planning?

• It calculates total ingredient amounts across every recipe (no more buying twice as much butter by accident).
• Shopping lists are organized by grocery aisle—shop fast, shop smart!
• Prevents forgotten ingredients and duplicate purchases.
• Makes coordinated meal prep easy, even when juggling multiple holiday dishes.

Pro tip: Schedule your Thanksgiving menu in the app, and if you add another weekly meal that overlaps ingredients (like onions or broth), the shopping list automatically sums up your needs, reducing food waste and saving money.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep and cook times will vary by recipe, but most Instant Pot Thanksgiving dishes fall into these ranges:

• Prep Time: 10–25 minutes per dish
• Cook Time: 8–45 minutes per dish
• Total Time: Most recipes are ready in under 1 hour

For a detailed timeline, group together recipes with similar ingredients and pressure cook times to streamline your kitchen workflow.

Recap: Effortless Thanksgiving with Instant Pot

The 50 Best Thanksgiving Instant Pot Recipes collection is your secret to a streamlined, flavor-packed feast. Whether you’re in charge of the whole meal or need a stress-free side or dessert, these recipes let you focus on what matters most: sharing special moments and delicious food with loved ones. Happy cooking, and Happy Thanksgiving!