Top Tips For Successful Paleo Meal Prep With An Instant Pot
With the right tools and tactics and the right frame of mind meal-prepping for the paleo diet is easy-breezy. Here are our top five tops for paleo meal prep success.
1. Buy yourself portion-sized meal prep containers you love.
This might sound silly, but it works! Its the same reason that buying a reusable water bottle you love can encourage you to drink more water. If youre in this paleo thing for the long-haul, you may as well eat out of containers you adore.
2. Also buy freezer-sized containers.
Youll need these for batch cooking more on that later.
3. Start small.
Instead of trying to advance-prepare a paleo breakfast, lunch, and dinner , start with the meal you tend to have the most trouble with. For instance, if you tend to order takeout for dinner because youre just so dang tired after work, prioritize meal prep for your dinners. This way youll have a hearty supper waiting for you when you get home from work. You can add breakfast and lunch to your meal prep routine later, once you get the hang of things and find your groove.
4. Batch cook.
If you prepare a dinner you love and know youll eat often, make more than a weeks worth. Make two or three weeks worth and put the extras in your freezer for a week when you dont have time to prep.
5. Dont overcomplicate things.
What Is The Best Instant Pot
Here is a link to the instant pot I have! Ive had it for almost a years and it has been great. It definitely is a big piece of kitchen gear, so if youre short on storage or want something smaller, this mini instant pot might be for you. We make most of these Healthy Dinner Recipes in our instant pot.
Pressure Cooker Lamb Shanks
Ingredients: lamb shanks, salt, black pepper, ghee, carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, garlic, tomatoes, bone broth, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, Italian parsley.
Slow cooking lamb shanks breaks down the tough muscle fiber and connective tissue to give the meat an incredibly tender texture. Pressure-cooking achieves this in an amazingly short time making this a simple and delicious recipe.
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Instant Pot Or Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chowder
This delicious Buffalo chicken chowder delivers a serious kick of flavor in such a short amount of cooking time. Your prep time for this soup should clock in at 5 minutes and you can be ladling it into bowls in about 30 minutes.
Its the perfect addition to a healthy Super Bowl meal or among a tailgate spread. This Whole30, paleo, and dairy-free chowder recipe also includes an alternative method for the crockpot. Recipe from wholesomelicious.com
What Is The Paleo Diet
Basically the Paleo and Whole 30 diets both emphasize unprocessed foods, and Im pretty sure a lot of people see the value in that. These diets also dont permit most sweeteners, grains, beans, legumes, or dairy products, but there are plenty of delicious whole-food ingredients that are allowed. Since Paleo doesnt permit wheat, all these recipes are also gluten-free, and many are also low-carb enjoy!
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Pressure Cooker Grass Fed Beef Back Ribs
Nom Nom Paleo
Ingredients: grass fed beef back ribs, dry rub of choice, salt, unsweetened applesauce, coconut aminos, fish sauce.
This is an age-old BBQ classic bought to life in your own kitchen. Pressure-cooking lets you pack in the same level of flavor into the ribs in 20 minutes that takes a traditional smoker would take 12 hours to do. Enjoy with a zingy Paleo-friendly slaw for the perfect meal.
Paleo Meal Prep With Instant Pot
Meal prepping is the key to success with the paleo diet. As mentioned above, the biggest downfall for most people is that they find themselves battling hunger pangs in a place where there are no paleo-friendly meals or snacks to be found. Thus, theres a lapse in the diet.
Thats okay if it only happens every so often, but if it occurs too often, well, you arent really following a paleo diet anymore. Luckily, meal prep is an easy answer and a practice that continually gets easier the more you do it.
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Easy Balsamic Pot Roast From I Breathe Im Hungry
Pot roast is amongst the quintessential paleo and low carb pressure cooker recipes. Add some balsamic to the mix and a few other basic ingredients and youve got a seriously delicious and rich meat dish to serve atop mashed cauliflower or potatoes you choose.
This is the perfect meal for batch cooking or packing up to take to the office for lunch.
Paleo Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Paleo Instant Pot Butter Chicken with gluten-free dairy-free coconut milk cream. This Keto and Whole30 Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe is easy and takes 10 minutes cook time. Use chicken thighs or breasts for the most easy flavorful Paleo Whole30 Instant Pot recipe plus tips on what to make with extra butter chicken sauce !
Im so in love with my instant pot lately. I purchased mine more than a year ago but only until now I realize I havent fully used it to its potential. Not only because my readers are asking for more Paleo and Whole30 Instant Pot recipes, I found myself really enjoying this all-in-one pressure cooker thats perfect for busy weeknight and when times you just want to set it and forget it type of meal.
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My Three Favorite Time
Many of my readers have asked that I write an Instant Pot FAQ, but why re-invent the wheel? If you have questions about cooking times, turn to these charts by Hip Pressure Cooking. Got more questions about the Instant Pot? This helpful post on Dad Cooks Dinner should answer all of em. I also love these fun videos at Pressure Luck!
Instant Pot Pina Colada Chicken Recipe
Paleo Cajun Lady
Ingredients: chicken thighs, pineapple chunks, full fat coconut cream, cinnamon, salt, coconut aminos, and green onion.
You do not need to like Pina Coladas or get caught in the rain to enjoy this tropical recipe. This sweet and sour flavor bomb of a dish is best served with a medley of chargrilled veg.
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Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce From Instant Pot Eats
Bolognese is super tasty, and it freezes fabulously. This is a staple in any real food home to serve over gluten-free spaghetti or zoodles. It also goes well with a simple base of steamed veggies or spaghetti squash .
Its all about getting the perfect flavor and heartiness. Get the recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
Seafood Paleo Instant Pot Recipes
Image via Recipes Simple
No need to over-complicate your main dishes. This paleo Instant Pot recipe gently pressure cooks crab legs in water with nothing else for perfectly tender and flavorful meat. Always choose wild-caught seafood to stay more Bulletproof.
More Recipes From Bulletproof
Image via Savory Tooth
Quick-cooking salmon comes together under just 5 minutes of pressure in this Instant Pot recipe. Add fish to a steam rack and cook before drizzling with a sweet and spicy chili lime sauce. To stay more Bulletproof, use wild-caught fish and fresh spices, get raw honey, avoid eating garlic too often, and skip the peppers if you have a nightshade sensitivity.
Image via Wholesomelicious
If you dont care for shrimp, the sauce in this paleo Instant Pot recipe also pairs well with pastured chicken! For this dish, marinade your shrimp in spices, cook your sauce in the pot with coconut milk and red curry paste, then add shellfish in the final steps to quickly cook. Stay more Bulletproof with wild shrimp and good-quality spices, plus avoid eating garlic and onion too often. Avoid this recipe if you have a nightshade sensitivity.
Image via The Natural Nurturer
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Pineapple Chicken From Grazed & Enthused
This is the perfect way to switch things up if youre used to batch cooking plain chicken. While a simple whole roasted chicken is packed with flavour and super versatile, sometimes we need a little variety.
Consider this the spice of life. This tropical recipe is the perfect combo of salty, sweet, and smoky, plus it will yield the most delicious leftovers for paleo burrito bowls or piling atop steamed greens.
Instant Pot Carne Guisada
Ingredients: avocado oil, beef stew meat, onion, garlic, Serrano peppers, bay leaf, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, oregano, beef broth or chicken stock, tomato sauce, and potato starch or thickener of choice.
Fantastically easy to prepare and a sublime treat for the taste buds, this recipe will serve as a perfect topping for all your Mexican food needs.
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Desserts And Sweet Treats
Who doesnt love a bit of sweetness? There are many Paleo dessert recipes, including ones that can be made in the Instant Pot. If nothing else, the recipes are great fun to experiment with.
Instant Pot Blissful Brownies
Image from Predominantly Paleo
Making brownies this way might seem odd, but once you try these Instant Pot Blissful Brownies, youll be convinced. As Jennifer points out, the biggest advantage is the flexibility. Sure, you can make brownies in the oven and there are many great recipes out there. But, there are some cases where oven cooking just isnt the right choice. These brownies mean that its easier to have a sweet treat, regardless of your kitchen setup.
Cherry Compote
Image from Kitchen Stewardship
This Cherry Compote is also AIP-friendly, making it even more versatile. However, the real power is simply how easy the dessert is to create. The ingredients list is short and the entire recipe takes less than 10 minutes to complete . I can think of so many different uses for the compote. Perhaps you eat it as is or maybe you pair it with something creamy to make a well-rounded dessert.
Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Image from Recipes to Nourish
This Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread has so much going for it. I love the way that it is high in protein, which makes it much more satisfying, especially as part of breakfast. Plus, the combination of chocolate and banana is always wonderful. It’s also a very easy dish to prepare. That’s always a bonus.
Purchasing An Instant Pot
If you need some help choosing which Instant Pot is right for you, let me help! Read more about the differences between each model below. The major difference with the Instant Pot is in its powder versus the slow cooker which you might be used to.
The Instant Pot actually has a slow cooking function, so you can ditch your old Crock Pot altogether. The pressure cooker uses pressure which is why most of the recipes youll make take less than 30 minutes to make! It breaks down the food much quicker which is its major advantage.
BUYING ON A BUDGET: Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3
If youre buying on a budget, you cant go wrong with this model. It runs at just $79 USD and it actually cooks for the longest amount of time at 240 minutes compared to 120 minutes on the other versions!
Its slightly smaller than the 7-in-1 although it still has 6 QT capacity. It also has buttons for cake and eggs the important things.
BASIC INSTANT POT NEEDS: The Instant Pot 7-in-1 6QT/1000W
This is basically all you need! The 7-in-1 differs from the others because it has the coveted yoghurt button which makes homemade yoghurt dairy or non-dairy a breeze. Its pretty affordable, too, coming in at $99 USD. P.S. it occasionally goes on sale on Amazon, so it doesnt hurt to keep an eye out!
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What is your favourite dish to make in the Instant Pot? Share your best pressure cooking recipes with us below.
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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Predominantly Paleo
Ingredients: chicken breasts or thighs, sea salt, onion, avocado oil, lard, or ghee, garlic, chicken broth, dried parsley, paprika, white cooking wine, lemon juice, and arrowroot flour.
The fresh, clean, and citrusy flavors of this recipe add another dimension to the chickens texture. The instant pot infuses the meat with this burst of flavor and moisture that cannot be achieved with conventional cooking in the same time frame. Serve with roasted parsnips or a sweet potato/yam mash.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
Mashed butternut squash is pure comfort food and this method of cooking makes it quick enough for weeknights. And since the pressure cooker does all the work, you don’t have to struggle with to peeling or cutting up the hard squash.
After it cooks, it’s easy to remove the skin and seeds. Then just mash it with your favorite add-ins for a delicious side dish. Or use it in another recipe like butternut squash soup. Recipe from Cook Eat Well.
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Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Using the Instant Pot is the easiest way to make hard-boiled eggs perfectly every time. The secret is the pressure cooker actually steams the eggs rather than boiling them, making them easy to peel.
You can meal prep and keep hard-cooked eggs in the fridge for an easy Whole30 snack, or to make deviled eggs. Recipe from Cook Eat Well.
Spiralizer Cucumber Noodles & Paleo Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
This is a super-easy pre-dinner appetizer to make to go along with your meat-based entree. You simply need one fresh English cucumber and a Spiral Slicer. English cucumbers are some of the most well known of the seedless varieties. They are long and the seeds are underdeveloped. You will usually find
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The Easiest Instant Pot Pulled Pork
This ridiculously simple pulled pork recipe is quick to pull together and the variety of ways you can serve it are practically endless. Its freezer friendly and a real crowd pleaser.
With only 5 minutes of hands-on prep time, this pulled pork is a great recipe for weeknight meals or even game days! Recipe from Cook Eat Well.
Pressure Steamed Artichokes From Flavour Rd
The Instant Pot isnt only good for making meat fall-off-the-bone tender its great for quick veggie sides. Artichokes are an often overlooked side dish, but the pressure cooker makes preparing them simple and effortlessly delicious.
Dip in some warmed ghee for an awesome treat. This dish comes out of the pot dressed to impress.
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Maple Smoked Instant Pot Brisket
You get a touch of sweetness in this brisket from the maple, and then you balance it out with a dose of smoke all without having to use the smoker which takes up both time and space! The Instant Pot does it well and yields a seriously tender and divine brisket, in the end, to serve over your favorite veggie mash. Recipe from Bare Root Girl.
Cauliflower Faux Potatoes From Paleo Pot
If youre skipping out on potatoes, you need something to pile up your pot roast pressure cooker creations on! This cauliflower mash is so simple to make in the Instant Pot it literally takes a minute to steam it!
All you have to do is blend it and top it off with a generous pat of butter and youre totally good to go. This is great for those of you who need some low carb pressure cooker recipes or a simple side to add to the rotation.
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How To Cook Whole30 Recipes In Your Instant Pot
If you havent already purchased an Instant Pot for your kitchen, I would suggest taking a look at my make and model recommendations for the best Instant Pots available on the market.
One of my other top tips for new Instant Pot owners is purchasing multiple silicone sealing rings. These rings are some of the Instant Pot accessories I keep on hand and make it a little easier to create flavorful meals. I have one for savory dishes and another for sweet dishes.
The Instant Pot is one of my favorite kitchen appliances for Whole30 meal prep recipes like simple hard boiled eggs for breakfasts on the go. Or quick spaghetti squash or butternut squash for side dishes or to serve as a base for any of the meats and sauces below.
A quick search for Whole30 Instant Pot meals will yield so many different real food recipes. No matter whether you love chicken, beef, pork, or prefer vegetarian dishes, theres a recipe for every taste and healthy lifestyle.
Best of all, cooking meals with your Instant Pot allows you to pull together hearty recipes that typically take a full day to cook, such as stews, chili, and pulled pork, in a fraction of the time. This makes Instant Pot cooking the perfect option for healthy yet satisfying versions of your favorite comfort food recipes!
All thats left to figure out is which of these easy Whole30 pressure cooker recipes youll try first!
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