Instant Pot

38 Frugal Instant Pot Recipes Under $10

I have put together a list of 38 Frugal Instant Pot Recipes Under $10 for you to use when you are trying to make your grocery list for the week.  Try to think of how you can use your leftovers from one Instant Pot meal to create a whole new meal the next night by adding only a few extra items to help you stay under budget!

When we first purchased our Instant Pot Duo it was so that we could eat more meals at home rather than from the drive-thru because we just didn’t have time to cook at home.

Since then we have purchased a second Instant Pot, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp plus Air fryer.  We eat more meals at home now and have found many cheap and quick instant pot recipes that we can use on busy weekdays.

I find that the air fryer option gives us more healthy, cheap instant pot recipes to put in our dinner rotation.  We have converted some of our favorite fried foods into recipes that we can cook using the air fryer lid making them so much healthier and they taste so delicious too!

Instant pot meals that you can make on a budget are a necessity for us.  We also like 3 ingredient instant pot recipes.  I try to use as few ingredients as possible to help us stick to our budget.  The last thing you want to do is run up your grocery bill with a ton of ingredients that you can only use once.  We have our favorite “go-to” seasoning and spices and we rotate those with most of our cheap instant pot dinner recipes to save money.

Images of different Instant Pot meals you can make for under $10.

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 38 Frugal Instant Pot Recipes Under $10

Instructions

  • Below are 38 recipes that you can make for under $10.  Some meals you can use your leftovers to create a whole different meal the following night to help you stretch your budget a little farther.
  • Most of the recipes below only require the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker lid.
  • Some of the recipes below require the Instant Pot air fryer lid in addition to the Instant Pot pressure cooker lid.
  • To view the recipe of any of the meals you need to click on either the title of the recipe or the image of the food.  You will then be brought to the original post where the recipe can simply be printed out.  The printable recipe cards are at the bottom of the original recipe post.

 

 

 

#1.  Instant Pot Duo Crisp Boneless Chicken Bites

This is one of our favorite fast-food meals that we converted to an Instant Pot Recipe and it is now so much healthier for us!  We can make it cheaper at home plus it is delicious.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Boneless Chicken Bites on a black plate with french fries, garlic toast, and white gravy.

#2.  Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe in Instant Pot Duo Crisp

An Instant Pot Whole Chicken is so juicy and tender.  You can pair it with an inexpensive side or veggies to stay under budget!

Instant Pot Whole Chicken and a Instant Pot Duo Crisp on a kitchen counter

#3.  Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breasts

This is another one of our favorite fried meals that we converted to an Instant Pot recipe to make it even healthier.  We love eating a salad topped with a fried chicken breast.  Now we air fry the chicken breast and place it on top of a fresh green salad….and it is so yummy!

A black plate with a fresh green salad and a breaded air fried chicken breast.

 

#4.  Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Another one of our new favorites.  Pressure cooked for juicy tender meat and then air fried for crispness!

A black plate with BBQ chicken Drumsticks, Instant Pot, and Instant Pot air fryer lid all sitting on top of a kitchen counter

 

#5.  Dump and Start Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe

One of the easiest ways to stretch your dollar is to make meals that you can top over rice, potatoes, or noodles to make it go further.  This is one of those meals!

A black plate with garlic bread, black eyed peas, and beef tips with mushroom gravy over rice.

 

#7.  Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein is a delicious substitute from eating out.  Plus, you have plenty of leftover lunch or dinner for the next day.

A black bowl filled with instant pot chicken lo mein.

 

 

 

#8.  Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes can be eaten as a meal all alone or topped with maybe some leftover Instant Pot Chili.  It is also a quick and easy side to go with any of your other leftover Instant Pot creations!

A white square plate with three Instant Pot baked potatoes topped with butter, nature seasoning, shredded cheese, and bacon bits.

#9.  Cajun Instant Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops

You could eat this over rice or potatoes to help you stretch your meals a little bit farther.

Beef broth and worcestershire sauce all mixed together with pork chops, onion, bell pepper, and onions in and Instant Pot

 

 

 

#10.  No Drain Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

I love how easy no drain Instant Pot mashed potatoes are to make!

Fluffy mashed potatoes inside of an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

 

 

 

#11.  Dump and Start Instant Pot 3 Packet Chicken

Dump and start Instant Pot 3 packet chicken is a meal that we can repurpose.  What I mean by this is we eat it with an inexpensive side like Knorr pasta side or canned veggie.  Then the next night we can use up the leftovers as easy chicken fajitas!

A white plate with a cooked 2 packet chicken breast, green beans, and mashed potatoes with gravy sitting on a kitchen counter top.

 

 

 

#12.  Dump and Start Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas and Ham

We make one big pot of this and then freeze individual containers to either heat up and serve over rice as a single meal or use them as a side item to go with one of our other Cheap and easy Instant Pot Meals.

A black bowl filled with a scoop of white rice in the middle surrounded by black eyed peas and ham sitting on a counter top. 

 

 

#13.  Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

This meal freezes well also.  We freeze the leftovers to use as a meal for the next week and sprinkle the freshly shredded mozzarella cheese over it when we reheat it.

A white plate filled with Instant Pot Lasagna bow tie pasta and a garlic bread.

#14.  Dump and Start Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup

This is a cheap and quick instant pot meal.  The name says it all.  You literally just dump everything in the pot and press start.  You can add rice to this or serve it over mashed potatoes too if you need to stretch your meals further.

A white round bowl filled with Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup.

 

 

 

#15.  Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

This is one of our favorites.  It is similar to a hamburger helper but better!

Instant Pot filled with ground beef stroganoff topped with sour cream

 

 

#16.  Instant Pot 3 Packet Pork Roast

Anytime I can use just 3 simple ingredients to have a delicious meal is a win with me.  Then top it over some rice or mashed potatoes for a delicious meal!

A raw pork roast on a black plate. A container of chicken broth, ranch dressing (dry mix), Italian dressing (dry mix), Pork Gravy (dry mix), and an Instant Pot sitting on a counter top.

 

 

 

#17.  Dump and Start Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Never again will you have a dried-out turkey for dinner with this dump and start Instant Pot turkey breast pressure cooker recipe!

Turkey breast after broiling for 5 minutes to get crispy skin. 

 

 

#18.  Easy Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

This is a quick and easy side for any of your Instant Pot meals.

12 uncooked ears of corn in an Instant Pot

 

 

 

#19.  Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and Gravy

This is a very simple recipe that can be served over rice or mashed potatoes.

A white square plate with one cooked chicken breast that is sliced into 1/2" pieces.

 

 

#20.  Dump and Start Instant Pot 3 Packet Roast

We love the dump and start + 3 packet method.  We use it in many of our quick and easy recipes!

The inside of an Instant Pot with raw beef roast topped with 3 packets of powder ranch, italian, and brown gravy.

 

 

 

#21.  Instant Pot Hamburger Helper with Fried Onion Topping

Who didn’t love hamburger helper as a kid?  Plus the fried onion topping on this one is delicious!

A white bowl filled with homeade beef and noodle hamburger helper topped with fried onion pieces.

 

 

 

#22.  Dump and Start Instant Pot Mexican Rice

This simple Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe can be used with so many other meals.  You could even top this with some of your leftover shredded chicken from (#26) Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos for another quick and easy meal.

An Instant Pot filled with cooked mexican \ spanish rice with peas and carrotts.

#23.  Easy Instant Pot Salisbury Steak and Gravy

This is definitely one of my favorites.  You will want to make sure that you use a leaner hamburger patty for this recipe.

A black plate filled with instant Pot salisbury steak and greavy over mashed potatoes with green beans.

 

 

 

#24.  Instant Pot BBQ Pork Steaks

Can’t get outside to cook on the grill?  Why not cook your BBQ Pork Steaks in your Instant Pot?

 

 

 

#25.  Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Pasta Recipe

This was one of our all-time favorite recipes to cook on the stove.  So glad we have adapted it to be an Instant Pot recipe!

A black bowl filled with instant pot broccoli chicken pasta.

 

#26.  Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos (Pressure Cooker)

This is one of our cheap chicken instant pot recipes because the shredded chicken in this recipe can be used for multiple meals.  You cook it the first night for your Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos.  Then you use up your leftover shredded chicken (which is delicious) in other meals or freeze what is left to use a week later or so…

A hard corn tortilla shell and white flour soft shell Shredded Ranch Chicken Tacos. 

 

 

 

#27.  Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese

This makes enough Mac and Cheese to feed a crowd.  You can eat it as a side item one night.  And add some ground meat to it another night or even some steamed broccoli.

A Instant Pot filled with cooked elbow noodles, butter, shredded cheese, and milk not mixed together.

 

 

 

#28.  Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti

We love cooking any pasta dish in our Instant Pot.  The pressure cooking of the noodles just makes them absorb all of that flavor.

A white bowl filled with chicken spaghetti and a corner of an Instant Pot in the background.

 

 

 

#29.  Instant Pot Boneless Pork Chops and Gravy

Instant Pot Boneless Pork Chops and Gravy are so delicious.  And again, serve them over potatoes or rice to stretch your meals out farther.

A black plate with cooked boneless pork chops covered in a brown gravy.

 

 

 

#30.  Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs

These are so easy to make and can be used as a snack or a meal.

A bag of frozen meatballs, Bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, and bottle of Welchs Grape Jelly. Also a picture of the inside of an Instant Pot with cooked bbq meatballs. 

 

 

#31.  Instant Pot Chili

We love making one big pot of chili and then using up the leftovers in creative ways.  Read the original recipe to find out 16 different meals you can make with leftover chili!

A white bowl filled with Instant Pot No Bean chili.

 

 

 

#35.  Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

I honestly did not like chicken noodle soup until we made this recipe in our Instant Pot.  Now I try to make it on a consistent basis and freeze individual containers so I will have it on hand anytime someone gets sick ….or, we are just craving this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

An Instant Pot filled with chicken noodle soup and a large metal spoon.

 

 

 

#36.  Instant Pot Meatball Sub

This one is so simple and easy to feed a crowd!

White plate sprinkled with shredded cheese with a meatball and marinara sub in the middle

 

 

 

#36.  Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

We love being able to use a jar alfredo sauce in this recipe.  It helps us keep our grocery budget low but still able to eat the things we love!

Instant Pot filled with Chicken Alfredo.

 

 

#37.  Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

The way we eat Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings you could categorize this as a cheap instant pot soup recipe.  I love Bisquick dumplings in the soupy gravy!!

A silver Instant Pot filled with Chicken and Dumplings 

 

 

 

#38.  Instant Pot Spaghetti

This was the first meal we cooked in our Instant Pot.  I was surprised how easy it was and it turned out perfectly!  It is a cheap meal to make and also, we love making spaghetti sandwiches with our leftovers!

An Instant Pot filled with cooked Spaghetti.

 

Final Thoughts

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8 images of cheap Instant Pot Meals to make.

 

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