I follow an absurd amount of food blogs on Instagram, and Instant Pot and keto recipes are everywhere right now. While I love a good slow-cooker recipe, I must admit I was reluctant to jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon... until recently. Am I late to the party? Yes. Am I now a full-blown convert? Of course. As for the keto craze, I love that it's all about protein, a welcome addition to my usually mac-n-cheese dominated household. If you're ready to try these two foodie trends, here are some awesome Instant Pot keto recipes for you to try. They combine the convenience of the pressure cooker with the health benefits of the keto diet, and the results are completely craveable.
For those not familiar with the ketogenic diet, here's what you need to know. In a nutshell, it's a pro-fat, anti-carb diet that leads to weight loss and improved health, according to Healthline. To eat keto-friendly, you need to restrict your intake of sugar and starchy foods (i.e. grains, potatoes, fruits, beans) and up your intake of protein, healthy fats, green veggies, and nuts and seeds, explained Ruled.Me.
"[Keto] involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain," reported the same Healthline article.
So whether you're ready to give the keto diet a try, or are already full-blown keto-crazy, you won't want to miss these 10 super easy keto instant pot recipes.
1Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
This delectable chicken recipe from Recipes From a Pantry by Bintu shows you how to cook a whole bird to moist perfection in 45 minutes using an Instant Pot.
The best part is that even if you forget to pull the bird from the freezer ahead of time (me every time), you don't have to scrap your meal plan. The instant pot lets you cook a totally frozen chicken, totally safely — you just have to add extra time (in increments of 10 minutes depending on the size of your bird). For more details on how to cook an instant pot whole chicken from frozen, click here and scroll to the bottom.
2Easy Balsamic Beef Pot Roast
When I hear the words 'pot roast', I immediately think of my grandma's version, that no doubt took all day to cook. But this keto-friendly Easy Balsamic Beef Pot Roast recipe from I Breath I'm Hungry ain't your Grandma's pot roast! The balsamic vinegar adds a fresh take on an old classic and only takes 45 minutes in an Instant Pot.
While pot roasts are traditionally served with potatoes, try subbing in a cauliflower puree for a keto-approved alternative.
3Instant Pot Keto Poblano Cheese Frittata
Everybody loves breakfast for dinner and this poblano cheese frittata from Two Sleevers is one you'll want to put into regular rotation. Eggs are an excellent source of protein, and when you're on a keto diet, egg dishes, like quiches or frittatas, can be a nice way to mix it up if you're not in the mood for meat.
4Instant Pot Chicken Chile Verde
I literally could eat Mexican food every single night of my life and I would be happy. So when I saw this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Chile Verde it was love at first sight. Two Peas in Their Pod notes that the shredded chicken will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days and can be frozen for up to one month, so it makes meal-planning for the week easy.
To make this a completely keto-friendly dinner, try making burrito bowls (sans rice). Start with a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle sliced avocado, jalapenos and cheese on top of the chicken chile verde for an oh-so-good Mexican meal.
5Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup
When you're on the keto diet, it can be easy to wonder which vegetables are ok and which ones need to be skipped. This is a helpful guide to steer you in the right direction. Thankfully butternut squash and cauliflower get the green light, and this pressure cooker butternut cauliflower soup from Peas and Crayons is phenomenal. It takes about 20-25 minutes from sauté to pressure release.
6Keto Beef Stew Instant Pot
Even though we're technically supposed to be experiencing spring right about now, the temperatures outside beg to differ. Thankfully this hearty Keto Beef Stew form Root and Revel is the kind of comfort food that can make spring snowstorms a little bit more tolerable.
Note: the potatoes are optional, and if you're keto to the core, you'll want to skip the spuds.
7Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas
This recipe from Gimme Some Oven is for the pork lovers in the house. These keto-friendly Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas are mouth-wateringly good and can be on your table in less than an hour.
This recipe has a pineapple salsa option but if you're in keto-mode, you'll want to skip the fruit in favor of a traditional tomato-based salsa, since tomatoes get the keto green light.
8Instant Pot No Noodle Lasagna
This instant pot No Noodles Lasagna recipe from Low Carb Yum is so good it's hard to believe it's actually good for you. But since it's heavy on the meat and cheese — and even includes an egg for good measure — it's all keto, no carbs.
9Keto Low Carb Chili
When I think of chili, I think of beans, so I was curious to see if there was a chili out there that was truly keto-friendly. While beans are normally a super nutritious food to incorporate into you diet, you want to avoid them if your on the keto diet, since they have a high-carb content, according to Men's Journal.
Fortunately, this Low Carb Chili from Wholesome Yum packs so much flavor you don't miss the beans, and it is perfect for making in bulk and freezing for later.
10Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry
I love a good curry so I was relieved to learn that curry can be keto (ghee and heavy cream are good fats!) This awesome Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry from A Spicy Perspective gives the term 'curry in a hurry' a whole new meaning. The total cook time is 14 minutes, but the depth of flavor is so incredible it tastes like it was simmering on the stove all day long.
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