10 Instant Pot Passover Recipes (2024)

This year, Passover will probably look a little different. We’ll likely be cooking only for the people in our homes and holding our seders with friends and family over FaceTime. But in this uncertain time, it’s more important than ever to find comfort in our traditions—even if they don’t look like they have in years past.

With this in mind, go easy on yourself. If you’re not used to hosting and suddenly find yourself in the position of cooking most of the meal, or if you always host but need to simplify things, the Instant Pot is a great tool.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely familiar with the Instant Pot’s popularity. It promises to make it easier to cook great food. When you have all day and want a hands-off technique, you can use its slow-cook function. And when time is of the essence, you can switch it to pressure cook. Recipes like brisket, which are notorious for taking all day and often need to be cooked ahead of time, are perfect for the Instant Pot. Another perk: It will free up your oven to cook side dishes or other main dishes.

This collection of recipes includes plenty of brisket options, in addition to chicken main dishes and classic sides. Some recipes call for a pressure cooker but not specifically an Instant Pot; those can also be prepared in an Instant Pot by using its pressure-cooker setting.

Pressure Cooker Jewish-Style Braised Brisket With Onions and Carrots from Serious Eats

This recipe includes instructions for a stovetop pressure cooker and an Instant Pot, and it calls for the point cut of the brisket, which is fattier than the flat and less prone to drying out. This cut is harder to find in traditional grocery stores, but a butcher or kosher supermarket might have it available.

Instant Pot Brisket from The Kitchn

This recipe’s ingredient list is pretty traditional but instead of tomato paste, it specifies ketchup for its sweetness and concentrated tomato flavor. There are also a few helpful recipe notes, including one about keeping the recipe kosher, one about producing a smoother sauce for those who prefer that, and also clear make-ahead and storage instructions.

Instant Pot Brisket with Pomegranate Molasses from OMG Yummy

This brisket gets some tartness from pomegranate molasses, a punchy syrup with roots in the Middle East. You can find bottles of it in most grocery stores, or you can make your own with a bottle of pomegranate juice. And if you buy or make more than you need, use some to make muhamarra.

Instant Pot Brisket from The Spruce Eats

This straightforward recipe takes about 90 minutes. It calls for two pounds of meat but can be doubled to serve a crowd.

Red Wine Braised Instant Pot Brisket from Girl and the Kitchen

Mila from Girl and the Kitchen re-eingineered her popular low-and-slow brisket recipe for the Instant Pot so it would have the same meltingly tender texture but cook in a fraction of the time—about two hours instead of the usual five or six.

Classic Matzo Ball Soup by Melissa Clark

Part of the appeal of cooking something in a pressure cooker is that it simplifies the process. This recipe is an example of this, calling for cooking the matzo balls right in the broth as opposed to separately. (Though if you prefer a crystal-clear broth, Clark includes instructions for that, too.)

Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken by Damn Delicious

If cooked well, a roasted whole chicken makes a great centerpiece in a special-occasion meal. So, if you have a whole chicken in your freezer and don’t want to leave to go to the grocery store, this recipe is a good option. Other than the chicken, you likely have all the other ingredients in your spice cabinet.

Instant Pot Georgian Pomegranate Chicken by The Jewish Week Food & Wine

In this recipe, chicken pieces are braised in a rich, pomegranate and tamarind-based sauce until the meat is falling off the bone. Some fresh herbs and a scattering of pomegranate seeds make for an eye-catching final plating.

Fudgy, Flourless Instant Pot Chocolate Cake from Food52

Your Instant Pot can make it all—including desserts! If your oven is being used to make other Passover dishes, turn to your pressure cooker to make this fudgy, rich cake.

Crock Pot Tzimmes from What Jew Wanna Eat

This tzimmes recipe includes carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and dates, flavored by brown sugar and honey. It’s a good complement to a rich, meaty main dish.