10 Instant Pot recipes for big flavor with less hands-on time

Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post/food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post)

I’ve bought plenty of kitchen gadgets that have gone on to collect dust. My Instant Pot? I use it much more than I anticipated I would when I bought it more than four years ago.

Like many fans, I appreciate the Instant Pot’s set-it-and-forget-it functionality, which lets me focus on things other than minding a pot or pan on the cooktop. With its pressure cook function, flavors meld and ingredients soften in a fraction of the time it would take with other methods.

To help you make the most of your Instant Pot or other multicooker, the countertop appliance with which the Instant Pot is synonymous, here are some of our most recent recipes from our archives.

Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Pictured above. I adapted Marcella Hazan’s recipe for the classic Italian dish for the Instant Pot, ensuring a foolproof dinner with tender meat and a delectable sauce. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo

“Tinted rouge with achiote oil, this arroz con pollo is a gorgeous mess of chicken and rice, flecked with grassy cilantro and briny Manzanilla olives,” Daniela Galarza says. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

While this signature New Orleans dish is often made low and slow, the Instant Pot shaves hours off the process, giving you creamy, spiced, saucy beans much faster. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

Serve this nostalgic, rich, meaty stew with egg noodles, cauliflower rice, grain-free noodles or roasted potatoes. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Grits With Mushrooms and Chickpeas

This smart recipe is a twofer, thanks to the pot-in-pot approach. While wine-enriched chickpeas and mushrooms cook in the bottom of the insert, grits are steamed in a bowl above. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Pork Shoulder With Apple Cider, Rosemary and Sage

The most hands-on part of this comforting recipe is searing the pork shoulder. Then let the Instant Pot do its thing, resulting in fork-tender meat redolent of cider and herbs. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Bo Ssam With Coffee and Bay Leaves

For another large-format cut of meat, try Eric Kim’s riff on the famous Korean pork belly dish. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot Mussels With Leeks and White Wine

Ann Maloney calls these “the best mussels I’ve ever made, and so easy.” They’re ready in a flash, too. As soon as the Instant Pot comes to pressure, you turn it off and do a manual release for a foolproof, quick steam. Get the recipe.

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Instant Pot White Beans With Kale and Shiitakes

Brothy-bean fans, take note! Using less water means you can hold on to all the great flavors captured by the cooking liquid, which is infused with mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Get the recipe.

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Chana Masala

If I only ever cooked beans in my Instant Pot, that would be worth the investment. Specifically, this chana masala would be reason enough. Get the recipe.