5 Breakfast Recipes to Make in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is ideal for those who are in a rush, need to make a big batch of something, or just want to be healthy. If you haven’t considered using it for breakfast, it’s time to. From yogurt to eggs and oats to grits, it’ll take care of your needs across the board, if you let it. (For more IP inspiration, check out our book.)

1. Yogurt

Make the lovely parfaits seen above in a snap by simply pushing the button reading “Yogurt” on your gadget. (It’s similar to this recipe here.) For a great step-by-step guide, you can go to this Epicurious article. Just remember to start the night before, because typically your yogurt needs to spend the night in the refrigerator. In the morning, top with your favorite fruits and maple syrup or honey.

2. Soft-Cooked Eggs

Sure, hard-boiled and soft-cooked eggs are easy, but the charms of the pressure cooker lie in how how easily the shell tends to come off at the end of the process. Just don’t use super-fresh eggs, which will be a bear to peel. Follow these steps, but stop the cooking at five or six minutes rather than eight (which will give you firm-cooked eggs). Pop them in an ice bath when you’re done, and get peeling.

3. Shakshuka

Any sauces that you can make on your stovetop or in the oven can almost always (aside from easily broken sauces like béchamel) be made in the Instant Pot. Consider these eggs baked in a tomato-paprika sauce. You can make a tomato sauce right in the pressure cooker, sautéing aromatics like onion and garlic first, then covering and cooking on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then manually release the pressure, crack in eggs, season, and cook on low pressure for another minute. Release the pressure again, and you’ve got shakshuka. Top with parsley or cilantro and hot sauce.

4. Steel-Cut Oats

If you can cook steel-cut oats on the stovetop, you can make them in your pressure cooker. We love a set-and-forget-it approach to breakfast, and this sure does the trick. Important safety tip: Be sure not to fill your IP past the halfway point. This recipe is a great starting point. Just leave time for the pressure to release naturally at the end of the cooking process.

5. Grits or Polenta

Southern cooks are more than familiar with the charms of cheesy grits at breakfast. It can be pulled off in a multi-cooker, too, but we’d almost pick polenta over grits. It’s as simple as whisking everything together, sealing off the pot, and cooking it for nine minutes. Top it with grits, hot sauce, more cheese, or whatever your heart desires.