Welcome to your ultimate guide for **December Instant Pot recipes**! This month, transform your kitchen into a hub of warmth and delicious aromas with minimal effort. Whether you’re planning a grand **Christmas dinner**, a festive **holiday brunch**, or simply need comforting **weeknight meals** to combat the winter chill, your pressure cooker is the secret weapon you need. We’ve compiled an extensive list of easy-to-follow recipes that cover everything from show-stopping main courses and flavorful side dishes to satisfying soups and even delectable desserts.
As the holiday season unfolds, the Instant Pot truly shines, offering unparalleled speed and convenience without sacrificing flavor. Forget spending hours slaving over a hot stove; with a pressure cooker, you can achieve tender meats, perfectly cooked vegetables, and rich, aromatic stews in a fraction of the traditional time. This means more precious moments spent with loved ones and less time in the kitchen.
We understand the importance of **meal planning**, especially during busy months like December. That’s why we’ve curated this comprehensive selection of **easy Instant Pot recipes**, designed to simplify your cooking process. These recipes are versatile and can be used in any brand of high-pressure cooker, including your Instant Pot, Crockpot Express, or Ninja Foodi. The high-pressure function is a game-changer, enabling you to prepare a succulent ham for your main course, a variety of delectable side dishes, and even a moist cake for dessert. We’ll guide you through each step to ensure your holiday cooking is stress-free and spectacular.
What are we craving most as the temperatures drop? Without a doubt, it’s hearty comfort food and an abundance of soul-warming soups. Beyond the pot itself, you’ll find that most of these recipes require minimal specialized Instant Pot accessories, making them accessible to every home cook.
Getting Started with Your Pressure Cooker
If you’re new to the world of pressure cooking, don’t worry! We have plenty of simple one-pot meal recipes and essential tips to help you get started. Mastering your pressure cooker will open up a new realm of culinary possibilities, making complex dishes achievable on any given weeknight.
- Make sure to Bookmark our Instant Pot recipes page. We consistently add new and exciting recipes each week, ensuring you always have fresh ideas for your meal plan.
- For quick reference, be sure to print this invaluable Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet. It provides precise timings for various ingredients like meats, vegetables, and beans, taking the guesswork out of pressure cooking.
- We highly recommend investing in a non-stick inner pot. This upgrade significantly enhances your cooking experience, making cleanup easier and reducing the chances of food sticking.
- Even with a non-stick pot, it’s good practice to understand how to deglaze your pressure cooker after sautéing. This simple technique prevents burnt food particles from forming at the bottom, which can trigger the “Burn” error and ensures a smooth cooking process.
For your reference, the model we consistently use for all our recipe creations is a versatile 6-quart Instant Pot, perfect for most family-sized meals.
Spectacular December & Christmas Dinner Recipes
December is synonymous with feasting, and your Instant Pot is ready to deliver. If you enjoyed our incredibly popular Instant Pot butter chicken, you’ll be thrilled with the comforting and flavorful dishes we have in store this month. Our butter chicken, a warm bowl of creamy deliciousness, pairs perfectly with fluffy pressure cooker rice and golden air fryer naan.
This month’s roundup features a plethora of easy Instant Pot recipes, carefully selected to make your holiday cooking a breeze. If you have a personal favorite that we might have overlooked, please don’t hesitate to share it with us!
Let’s kick things off with a new sensation we crafted just this month: Instant Pot Butter Beef! This dish is a flavor powerhouse, using any cut of **beef** or steak you prefer. Just remember to slice it thinly to allow all those rich, savory flavors to permeate every piece. You can easily customize it to your taste, making it mild or adding a kick with some Sriracha or chili powder.
Instant Pot Glazed Ham Recipe
Equipment
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1 pressure cooker
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1 trivet
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Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 quartered ham, sliced is best, fits inside your pot
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pineapple, tidbits
- 1.5 cup water
Instructions
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Place the trivet and water into your Instant Pot. If your ham isn’t already sliced, slice it and place it into 1-2 large pieces of aluminum foil, ensuring the foil is large enough to wrap completely around the ham. You might need a smaller piece for the very top. Fold the foil up, leaving only the top slightly open.
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Evenly sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the ham and into the slices. Pour pineapple juice over the ham, then sprinkle with cloves or push whole cloves into the ham. Scatter pineapple tidbits on top. Drizzle with honey. If needed, place a small piece of foil over the very top to fully enclose the ham.
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Carefully lower the ham, still in its foil package, onto the trivet inside the pressure cooker. If your trivet doesn’t have handles, consider making a foil sling beforehand to easily lift the ham out later. Close the lid and ensure the steam valve is sealed. Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 12 minutes. Note: Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size of your ham piece; this timing is for a quarter ham that has been sliced.
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Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow for a natural pressure release. After the natural release, manually release any remaining pressure. Carefully lift the ham out of the foil and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before serving.
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Remove the trivet and drain the water from the inner pot. Place the inner pot back into your Instant Pot. Pour the flavorful juices that collected in the foil into the bottom of the pot. If you desire a thicker glaze, set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” on low.
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Add an additional 3 oz. of pineapple juice and 3 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. In a small separate bowl, whisk together about 2 oz. of pineapple juice with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until smooth. Gradually add this cornstarch slurry to the simmering glaze in the Instant Pot, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until your desired consistency is achieved. Serve the ham with this delicious homemade glaze.
Nutrition
Approximate nutritional values per serving:
- Serving: 2oz
- Calories: 56kcal
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Fat: 0.05g
- Saturated Fat: 0.01g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g
- Cholesterol: 0.1mg
- Sodium: 9mg
- Potassium: 37mg
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Sugar: 14g
- Vitamin A: 4IU
- Vitamin C: 4mg
- Calcium: 14mg
- Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation. It may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Additional Info
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For those seeking healthy pressure cooker recipes, our Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan is an excellent choice. By using chicken breasts without breading, you can savor all the classic flavors you adore with significantly fewer calories – perfect for a balanced holiday meal.
Speaking of chicken, did you know you can cook a whole frozen Instant Pot chicken to tender perfection in record time? Yes, a solid-frozen bird can transform into a juicy, fall-off-the-bone meal almost instantly! Explore an array of other delicious and easy Instant Pot chicken recipes here. And of course, no holiday season recipe collection would be complete without a magnificent pressure cooker turkey.
If you have a smaller household or prefer a more manageable portion, an Instant Pot turkey breast is a fantastic alternative, offering all the festive flavor without the fuss of a whole bird.
Essential Instant Pot Side Dishes for Christmas and Holidays
Round out your holiday spread with these incredible Instant Pot side dishes, perfect for your Christmas brunch or dinner. These recipes are designed to save you oven space and minimize your cooking time, making holiday meal prep a joyous occasion.
Our Instant Pot corn casserole is an absolute family favorite, a sweet and savory addition to any holiday table. And of course, a festive meal isn’t truly complete without the classic Instant Pot green bean casserole, now easier than ever to prepare. This year, delight your guests with a creamy and comforting Instant Pot sweet potato casserole.
You simply must try our homemade, incredibly quick 1-minute Instant Pot cranberry sauce – it’s a game-changer! And for a perfectly fluffy accompaniment, Instant Pot stuffing is definitely possible and utterly delicious.
All of these family-friendly recipes are not only quick and easy to assemble but also allow you more time to relax and enjoy the holidays. There’s no fun in spending the entire celebration tethered to the kitchen!
While slow cookers are great, if you forget to prep in the morning, your dinner plans might be in jeopardy. The Instant Pot offers that crucial flexibility for last-minute meal preparation, making it an indispensable tool during the bustling holiday season.
Quick & Hearty Meals: Beyond the Holidays
Beyond the big holiday meals, the Instant Pot is fantastic for everyday quick lunches and dinners. Need a speedy lunch solution? Make a batch of Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs. Once cooled, they’re perfect for preparing a large batch of egg salad sandwiches for everyone.
Ready for some satisfying Instant Pot steak recipes? A hearty steak meal this time of year always brings smiles to the table. A crucial point to remember: all pressure cooker recipes, including these, are interchangeable and can be made in any model, be it an Instant Pot or a Ninja Foodi!
You might wonder, “Why cook steak in an Instant Pot?” The answer is ingenious efficiency! With these directions, you can perfectly sear the outsides of your steak to your liking, then pressure cook it alongside potatoes, all in a single pot. It takes only 5 minutes of pressure cooking time to achieve a perfectly tender steak! For more delicious main course ideas, try our Instant Pot Salisbury steak or the crowd-pleasing Instant Pot Hawaiian pulled pork.
(Video placeholder: Imagine a video showcasing various Instant Pot recipes for December, offering visual step-by-step guides for delicious holiday meals.)
Warm & Wholesome Instant Pot Soups for Winter
While I still cherish my slow cooker recipes for certain dishes, especially during the colder months, my multi-cooker is my go-to when time is of the essence. As mentioned, Instant Pot soups are a true delight this time of year. Just throw all the ingredients together, add a side of warm, pull-apart bread, and dinner is ready!
Here are a few of our absolute favorite Instant Pot soup recipes for December:
- Our Instant Pot clam chowder is a creamy, comforting replica of the famous Boudin soup from San Francisco, easily made with canned clams if fresh aren’t available.
- Enjoy a homemade, hearty 17-minute Instant Pot split pea soup, packed with flavor and incredibly satisfying.
- For a fun and cheesy option, our Instant Pot nacho soup is a guaranteed hit with the whole family.
- Our Instant Pot minestrone soup is both healthy and hearty, brimming with carrots, celery, and all your favorite vegetables.
- Another wholesome and delicious option is our Instant Pot barley soup, perfect for a nutritious meal.
- And for a classic French comfort, our Instant Pot French onion soup, served with a generous layer of melted cheese, is simply irresistible.
We’re dedicated to sharing new and exciting **Instant Pot recipes** every single month. If you’ve missed any of our previous monthly roundups, you can easily find them by searching for the specific month. Here are a few to get you started and bookmark right away:
- Our collection of October Instant Pot recipes
- The highly popular November Instant Pot recipes, perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers
- And don’t forget to explore our vibrant August Instant Pot recipes for summer flavors
Embrace the joy of effortless cooking this December with your Instant Pot. From festive holiday feasts to quick and cozy weeknight dinners, these recipes are designed to bring delicious meals to your table with minimum fuss, allowing you more time to cherish the magic of the season.