30+ Cook and Freeze Instant Pot Freezer Meals
Everything you need to know about making nutritious and tasty Instant Pot freezer meals, plus the best pressure cooker recipes to cook now and freeze for later!
I love having a supply of Instant Pot freezer meals to heat and serve to my hungry crowd.
There’s something so comforting about knowing your freezer is stocked with ready-to-eat, nutritious, and delicious meals for your family!
Whether you’re wanting to avoid going out right now or once things return to normal and kids’ activities are running late, these meals are perfect when there’s no time to pause to prepare dinner.
With these helpful tips and tricks to storing freezer meals for the Instant Pot, you might just start making double batches of all of your favorite pressure cooker recipes to freeze.
Today we’re answering your most common questions about making and storing Instant Pot freezer meals. Note that these tips and recipes apply to any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
What Portion Size Should I Use to Freeze Instant Pot Meals?
With many of our Instant Pot / pressure cooker recipes, you can either freeze the entire recipe or individual portions.
- To store large family meals of our favorite Instant Pot freezer recipes, we love these freezer-safe containers or large freezer-safe Ziploc bags frozen flat.
- To store individual portions, we often use smaller freezer-safe Ziploc bags frozen flat.
💡 Tip: If I don’t have a specific meal in mind for the leftovers, I’ll freeze everything in smaller portions. They defrost more quickly, and you can choose exactly how much you want to defrost at a time.
We especially like to cut baked goods, like quiche, cheesecake, and breads in individual slices.
Other recipes, such as sauces, jams, and compote, come in small enough portions that they’re easy to freeze as a whole.
How to Reheat Cooked and Frozen Instant Pot Meals
I like to reheat a frozen Instant Pot meal right in your pressure cooker. The steam and heat ensures that items that tend to dry out (like meat and grains) stay moist and fresh tasting.
🌡️ To reheat a frozen meal in a 6-quart pressure cooker: Place a trivet and 1 cup of water in the pressure cooking pot.
🌡️ To reheat a frozen meal in an 8-quart pressure cooker: Because the 8-quart is bigger, I generally recommend using 1 1/2 to 2 cups water in the bottom of the pressure cooking pot—especially if you’re reheating longer cooking items.
Place your food in an ovenproof dish on top of the trivet.
- If I’m reheating a smaller portion, I generally use my 7×3-inch aluminum cake pan.
- If I’m reheating a large portion and I need a deeper dish, I love using the cooking pot from my Instant Pot Mini inside my 6-quart pressure cooker. (You can buy just if you don’t have a Mini.)
Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and an appropriate cook time for the size of your item. I like to start with 5 minutes at High Pressure, but larger meals, like whole cuts of meat, will take longer.
When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release and check the temperature of your dish inside the pressure cooker.
Note: You may need to return the pot to pressure for another few minutes if your dinner isn’t piping hot yet. Or if it’s close, you can always leave the top off and select Sauté to continue warming your food through.
Can I Freeze Recipes Made with Dairy?
The short answer is YES, you certainly can freeze creamy soups and other dishes made with dairy.
However, freezing dairy can sometimes affect the texture of the reheated dish.
If you’re sensitive to texture, you may want to opt for dairy-free versions of your favorite meals, especially soups. Soy milk, coconut, and other nut milks made great swaps for dairy and they freeze well.
How to Freeze Soups
Soup is one of the best cook and freeze Instant Pot freezer meals. If you’re planning to freeze a soup with grains or pasta in it, cook the starch separately from the soup. Freeze them in separate containers too. And finally, defrost and reheat the soup and grains separately.
This helps keep the grains from getting overcooked and from absorbing all of your tasty broth when you reheat.
See our recipe round-up below for our favorite freezable Instant Pot soup recipes.
How to Freeze Cheesecake
If you’re not going to dig into a stunning and creamy cheesecake fresh from your Instant Pot, it’s a perfect dish to store for later.
💡 We love this tip for freezing whole cheesecakes:
Place the cooked and cooled cheesecake on the lid of a round plastic container, then invert the container itself over the cake to seal. Then simply pop the whole thing in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw the cake at room temperature. (from Christine in our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group:
To freeze individual slices of cheesecake (or any baked goods):
After you let the cake cool fully, slice it up. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet, making sure they’re not touching.
Freeze the slices until they’re fully hard. Remove the freezer, then wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Then freeze everything together in one big freezer-safe ziploc bag.
When you’re ready to indulge in your homemade dessert, remove the slices from the freezer and allow them to come up to room temperature. You can start by defrosting them in the fridge overnight and placing them on the counter for a few hours before serving.
Best Instant Pot Freezer Meals
These are the BEST Instant Pot Freezer Meals to cook now and freeze for later! Make a big batch of these family favorites to stock your freezer with ready-to-eat, nutritious, and delicious meals!
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Filling
This is a must-do Instant Pot freezer meal! Made a double batch of chicken taco filling, freeze it in flat ziplock bags, and you’ll have a favorite dinner on hand that reheats in no time.
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Creamy and tangy beef stroganoff is always a comfort food hit. Defrost the dish in your pressure cooker and serve over cooked egg noodles for a classic meal.
Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
Freeze the pot pie filling, then defrost it and reheat in your pressure cooker for a dinner treat in no time. I like to cook the crust separately on a baking sheet, too, for extra crispy crust (and even more time savings)!
Instant Pot Bone-In Beef Short Ribs
Make a double batch of these tender beef short ribs and save extras in the freezer, so you can whip up a fancy meal any night of the week.
Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Carnitas
This pressure cooker recipe for homemade pork carnitas makes plenty of spicy green chile sauce. It’s the perfect zesty topping to freeze and bring out for a festive Mexican meal any time.
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Tender, thin-sliced beef and broccoli in a rich sauce that is salty and sweet, with just a little heat from the red pepper flakes. I like to leave the broccoli separate and freeze just the thin-sliced beef and sauce.
Instant Pot Kalua Pork
This is one of my go-to freezer meals—I like to add extra juices when I freeze it to ensure that it reheats juicy and delicious.
Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
I often use this chicken for both sandwiches and salads, so I love to keep it on-hand in individual portions.
Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
This mash-up of BBQ chicken and Hawaiian chicken teriyaki is a sweet and tangy treat that reheats great in the pressure cooker!
Instant Pot Chinese Lemon Chicken
Freeze in individual portions and have a quick lunch or dinner. You can also cook and freeze the white rice to eat alongside.
Instant Pot Chile Colorado Smothered Burritos
I really love freezing the beef for these and then wrapping and cooking the burritos fresh, but you can also wrap, sprinkle on melted cheese, and freeze, so all you have to do it pop it in the oven until it's heated through.
Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice in the Instant Pot
This is a constant in my freezer—it's the perfect side for tacos and quesadillas, great for Mexican salads, and even awesome with pork tenderloin!
The Best Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
As we noted above, dairy-based soups can be frozen and enjoyed as-is. If you’re sensitive to texture, try making the dairy-free version of this vegetarian soup, detailed in the recipe. It’s just as creamy and satisfying as the cream-based version!
Instant Pot Weight Loss Vegetable Soup
Light and full of vegetables, but surprisingly filling, this healthy vegetarian soup recipe for the Instant Pot freezes and defrosts very well.
Instant Pot Spicy Chicken Soup
This recipe makes about 5 quarts of soup, which means it’s perfect for freezing. I like to freeze individual servings (about 1½ cups) in Ziploc bags. Then simply reheat from frozen in your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
This popular recipe is a great one to double and freeze. Just be sure to cook, freeze and reheat the soup separately from the noodles to avoid soggy pasta!
Instant Pot Chicken Tomatillo Soup
This chicken tomatillo soup is great for freezing and reheating. The spice mellows out when you reheat it, so if you like things spicy you'll want to add a little kick.
Instant Pot Pork and Hominy Stew
This recipe is simple but packed with a surprising amount of flavor! The hominy reheats well.
Instant Pot Quick White Chicken Chili
If you're tired of traditional beef-and-beans chili, you have to give this White Chicken Chili a try. Just dice up fresh avocados and cilantro and you'll have a hearty meal on the table in no time!
Instant Pot Garden Minestrone Soup
When I plan to freeze leftovers of this Italian favorite, I always dish the pasta into individual bowls and spoon the broth and veggies over the top. You can even freeze extra noodles in individual small freezer bags and reheat them together.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats
Your freezer isn’t just for dinner! These creamy pumpkin steel cut oats freeze beautifully and make a filling hot breakfast. Freeze the cooked oats in 1 or 2-cup portions in ziplock bags. To reheat, pop them in the microwave with a little extra milk or water, as they tend to thicken when frozen.
Instant Pot Egg Bites
These egg bites are cute, kid-approved and flavored with bacon, scallion and cheddar. To freeze, wrap each egg bite individually in plastic wrap and place inside a gallon size freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the bites thaw in the fridge or warm back up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Instant Pot Crustless Meat Lovers Quiche
After cooking this protein-packed quiche in your Instant Pot / pressure cooker, freeze individual slices. Then you’ll always have a healthy and filling breakfast on hand for busy mornings.
Instant Pot Berries and Cream Breakfast Cake
This beautiful cake is a sweet breakfast that’s actually healthy. It’s 100% whole wheat and easy to freeze––either whole or in individual slices. You and your family will be glad to have this fruit-packed treat on hand for breakfast.
Instant Pot Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro
I love to keep several individual portions of this farro in the freezer. I can dress it up with whatever frozen berries I have on hand, and it always tastes delicious.
Instant Pot Lemon Blueberry Steel Cut Oats
I love reheating steel cut oats in the pressure cooker! I generally freeze the blueberries separately—you can freeze them together, but your steel cut oats are more likely to reheat purple from the blueberries.
Instant Pot Cinnamon Roll Steel Cut Oats
Enjoy classic cinnamon roll flavor with hearty and filling steel cut oats. I like it best with a fresh batch of of icing after reheating a batch.
Instant Pot Cheesecake Pops
Don't tell my kids, but I like to keep a stash of these chocolate-dipped Instant Pot Cheesecake Bites in the freezer for whenever I'm craving something sweet.
The BEST Instant Pot Rice Pudding
The key to storing this Instant pot Rice Pudding is letting it cool fully before sealing it and freezing. I like to divide it into individual servings and sneak individual portions whenever my sweet tooth hits. You can reheat it or just let it defrost in your fridge and enjoy it cool.
Instant Pot Samoa Cheesecake
While any cheesecake you make in your pressure cooker will freeze well, this is my favorite cheesecake recipe. It’s covered in gooey coconut caramel and chocolate that’s better than the Girl Scout cookie, if you ask me.
(You’ll want to freeze this prior to topping.)
We’ve also compiled a how-to guide to make the best Instant Pot cheesecake every time.
Instant Pot Key Lime Pie
This tart, creamy key lime pie can be frozen for any time you need a taste of the tropics. Freeze the whole pie or individual slices.
Instant Pot Raspberry Curd
This fruity dessert topping is a versatile sweet to swirl into ice cream, use to fill cakes, or spread on toast. Our pressure cooker recipe makes plenty to store for your next occasion.
Instant Pot Blueberry Compote
Whether you spoon this sweet sauce over your breakfast oats or vanilla ice cream for dessert, this blueberry compote is a winner. Not to mention it’s easy to freeze and defrost right on your counter!
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Why is it when I freeze soups with potatoes in it the potatoes thaw out with a gritty texture? How can I avoid that texture because it also affects the taste.
Hi Sara – I have found if you undercook the potatoes and thaw the soup in the fridge so that when you reheat the soup the potatoes don’t get overcooked, it really helps.