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Chances are, your Instant Pot plays a starring role during meal prep in the colder months, used to make warming stews, perfectly moist chicken, and hearty rice dishes. But don’t stash it away just yet—it’s about to be the MVP of your summer cooking game, too.
“It isn’t just a winter tool, says Laurel Randolph author of The Instant Pot No-Pressure Cookbook. “You can use it to make creative and flavorful recipes all year long.”
Randolph explains that a major benefit to using the Instant Pot during the summer is that it doesn’t make any access heat. Some of her fave recipes to use it for during the warmer months: Vietnamese brisket tacos, braised artichokes with tahini sauce, and even deviled eggs.
And bonus: there’s only one pot to clean when your food is ready.
Keep scrolling for four easy recipes you can make in your Instant Pot that are perfect for summer.
Breakfast deviled eggs
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 cup water6 large eggs2 strips bacon, not thick-cut1/4 cup plain yogurt, Greek or regular1/4 tsp Dijon mustard1/4 to 1/2 tsp smoked paprikaSalt and pepper2 tsp milk (only if you’re using Greek yogurt)1 tsp freshly chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
1. Add the water and a steamer basket or trivet to your Instant Pot. Place the eggs in the steamer basket or on the trivet (not touching the sides). Secure the lid.
2. Cook at low pressure for eight minutes and use a quick release. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain, let cool, and finely chop.
3. Once the pressure has released, place the eggs in an ice water bath. Once cool, tap each egg to gently break the shell and peel. Slice in half from top to bottom and use your hands to gently squeeze out and grab the yolk. Add the yolk to a medium mixing bowl. Repeat with all of the eggs, discarding one of the yolks.
4. Add the yogurt, mustard, and paprika (one-fourth teaspoon for mild deviled eggs, one-half teaspoon for a little kick) and season with salt and pepper. Mash well until very creamy. If using thick Greek yogurt, add one to two teaspoons of milk to thin the texture. The mixture should be creamy without being crumbly or runny. Taste for seasoning.
5. Mix in half of the chopped bacon. Add the mixture to a zip-top bag, squeeze out the excess air, and close the top. Cut a half-inch hole in a bottom corner of the bag.
6. Pip the mixture into each egg white, overfilling slightly. Serve topped with the remaining bacon and chives (if using).
Vietnamese brisket tacos
Serves 4 or 5
Ingredients1 Tbsp sesame oil1 small onion, sliced4 garlic cloves, smashed1 heaping Tbsp minced fresh ginger1 (2- to 2 1⁄2 lb) brisket, at room temperatureSalt and pepper1/2 cup hoisin sauce3 Tbsp fish sauce2 Tbsp sriracha1/4 cup water2 cups rainbow coleslaw mix1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks1 jalapeño, thinly sliced2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro1 Tbsp rice vinegar1/2 lime, juicedTortillas, warmed, for serving
1. Turn on the Sauté function. Add these same oil followed by the onion. Sauté for one minute, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for two more minutes. Turn off the Sauté function.
2. Season the brisket with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the pot. Top with the hoisin sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, and water. Secure the lid.
3. Cook at high pressure for one hour and use a natural release for ten minutes followed by a quick release.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, rice vinegar, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.
5. Once the pressure has released, remove the brisket to a cutting board and let rest. Turn on the Sauté function and boil the sauce for ten minutes to thicken. Turn off the Sauté function. Slice the brisket into thin pieces against the grain, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return to the sauce.
6. Top warmed tortillas with sauce- coated brisket and slaw and serve.
Note: You can double this recipe if you have four to five pounds brisket. Simply cut your brisket in half so that it’ll t in the cooker and increase the cook time to an hour and a half.
Eggplant and goat cheese crostini
Serves 6Ingredients1 Tbsp canola or grapeseed oil1 (1-lb) eggplant, top removed, mostly peeled and cut in half longways4 garlic cloves, smashed1 cup vegetable broth1 baguette, cut into thin slices2 Tbsp olive oil3 ounces soft goat cheese1/2 lemon, zested and juiced1/2 tsp red pepper flakesSalt and pepper2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
1.Turn the Sauté function to high. Once hot, add the canola oil. Add the eggplant cut side down and let cook for about five minutes, or until charred but not burnt. Add the garlic and turn off the Sauté function. Add the broth. Secure the lid.
2. Cook at high pressure for ten minutes and use a quick release. Meanwhile, preheat your broiler. Drizzle the slices of baguette with olive oil on both sides. Toast, turning once, until lightly crispy. Let cool for a few minutes and spread each slice with goat cheese.
3. Drain the eggplant well and return to the pot, discarding the cooking liquid. Add the lemon zest and juice and pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Mix and mash well.
4. To serve, top each slice of baguette with the eggplant mash and garnish with basil.
Braised artichoke with tahini sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium to large globe artichoke1 lemon, cut into quarters2 Tbsp butter1 cup chicken or vegetable broth1⁄3 cup tahini1 garlic clove, evenly gratedSalt and pepper1/4 to 1⁄3 cup water
1. Turn on the Sauté function.
2. Prepare the artichoke: Cut off at least hardest leaves and trim off the nubs they leave behind with a paring knife. Cut the artichoke in half, top to bottom, and rub both sides with one lemon quarter. Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great here) to remove all of the feathery bits in the middle called the choke and the innermost prickly leaves. Rub with lemon and repeat with the other half.
3. Add the butter to the pot and let melt. Add both halves of the artichoke in a single layer, cut side down. Let cook, without moving, for five minutes, or until browned. Turn off the Sauté function. Add the broth and secure the lid.
4. Cook at high pressure for five minutes for a medium artichoke and six minutes for a large artichoke. Use a natural release. Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce: Combine the tahini and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Use the juice from the remaining lemon wedges and mix—the mixture will become stiff. Whisk in one-fourth cup warm water until the mixture is the consistency of yogurt. Use more water if needed.
5. Serve the artichokes with the tahini dipping sauce.
Other quick, easy dinner ideas: the healthy go-to meal Jessica Biel makes when she’s too tired to cook and these 15-minute entrees.
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