Easy Instant Pot Stuffing Recipe

Making boxed stuffing in the Instant Pot is super simple, and you can dress it up with some delicious add-ins!

Add this Instant Pot stuffing to your holiday dinner menu this year–it’s easy and delicious!

overhead view of an Instant Pot with cooked stuffing in it

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

When it comes to Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners, the meat often takes second stage to the sides, in my opinion.

Sure, I enjoy turkey and ham, but what I really enjoy are the multitude of side dishes to choose from (and the desserts, of course!).

Over the years, I’ve been working on converting many of our traditional holiday favorites into Instant Pot recipes, and that’s how this Instant Pot stuffing was born! It’s now one of my favorite Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes!

More Instant Pot Holiday Recipes:

white bowl filled with pressure cooker stuffing

Using Packaged Stuffing Mix in the Instant Pot

Growing up, my family never made stuffing from scratch. We always used boxes of Stove Top stuffing or sometimes packages of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.

And that’s what I still do, to this day! It’s super easy, and you can “doctor up” a package of stuffing so it feels more homemade, but without all of the work of cubing and drying bread, measuring herbs, etc.

There are some things I think are worth making from scratch for the holidays, but stuffing isn’t one of them.

Making packaged convenience items in the Instant Pot is a great way to save time, which is important around this time of year!

In fact, I make boxed au gratin potatoes in the Instant Pot, Rice-a-Roni in the Instant Pot, and even Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot!

How to Make Instant Pot Stuffing the Easy Way

It’s really easy to make this simple side dish! Feel free to double the recipe if you’re feeding extended family or a larger crowd.

You can also easily tweak this to suit your preferences–leave out the add-ins if you want, and just make the box of stuffing with butter and water.

Using add-ins is a great way to make boxed stuffing taste homemade!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Butter
  • Celery
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Diced Apples
  • Water
  • Stuffing Mix (such as StoveTop stuffing)
cooked boxed stuffing on a white plate with the serving dish in the background

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Melt butter. First, you’ll use the Saute function to melt the butter in the bottom of the insert pot. Add in the diced celery and stir for a couple of minutes, allowing it to soften slightly.

melted butter and celery in the Instant Pot

Add cranberries and apples. Next, you’ll add the cranberries and apples, stirring for just a moment, then add the water.

diced apples and cranberries added to the insert pot, along with water for the stuffing.

Pressure cook. Next, you’ll pressure cook on high pressure for just 1 minute. This allows the flavors to meld, and it softens the cranberries and apples. When the cook time is complete, press Cancel and perform a quick release of pressure.

Add stuffing mix. Last, you’ll add the stuffing mix to the hot liquid. Use a fork to mix it in so no dry spots remain, then close the lid and let set for about 5 minutes, so the stuffing mix can absorb the liquid.

dry stuffing mix being poured into the instant pot

Optional: I like to transfer everything to a pretty dish for serving. If desired, you can also pop this dish into the oven for a few minutes to brown the top a little bit. I personally don’t brown the top, but I know some people prefer it that way.

baking dish of stuffing with apples and cranberries, which was cooked in the Instant Pot pressure cooker

Notes and Adaptations:

  • You can definitely adjust the recipe to suit your preferences. If you don’t want celery, apples and cranberries in your stuffing, leave them out! Some people like to add chestnuts, water chestnuts, or mushrooms.
  • You can also add in Italian sausage or bacon if you’d like (use the Saute function to cook the sausage/bacon first, then use the grease instead of butter).
  • If needed, you can double the recipe for a larger crowd.
Instant Pot stove top stuffing with cranberries, apples, and celery added in and served on a white plate

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Easy Instant Pot Stuffing

overhead view of a baking dish with Instant Pot stuffing in it

This simple Instant Pot stuffing starts with a box and is doctored up into a delicious side dish worthy of your holiday table!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup diced apples
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 6 oz packaged seasoned stuffing mix (such as StoveTop)

Instructions

  1. Using the Saute function of your Instant Pot, melt the butter in the insert pot. Add celery, stirring for a couple of minutes as it begins to soften.
  2. Add cranberries and apples, stirring occasionally for a minute or two.
  3. Add the water. Press Cancel to turn off the Saute function, then select a cook time of 1 minute at high pressure.
  4. When the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. Once the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
  5. Add the stuffing mix to the hot liquid, using a fork to mix it in so no dry spots remain. Close the lid and let set for 5 minutes, allowing the stuffing mix to absorb the liquid.
  6. If desried, transfer to a baking dish for serving. Once in a baking dish, you can also brown in the oven for a few minutes if you'd like.

Notes

  • You can definitely adjust the recipe to suit your preferences. If you don't want celery, apples and cranberries in your stuffing, leave them out! Some people like to add chestnuts, water chestnuts, or mushrooms.
  • You can also add in Italian sausage or bacon if you'd like (use the Saute function to cook the sausage/bacon first, then use the grease instead of butter).
  • If needed, you can double the recipe for a larger crowd.
  • If you are serving this along with several other sides, you can easily get 6 smaller servings out of one batch. However, if you aren't serving many other sides, you can easily get 4 more sizable servings out of the batch.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Want more delicious recipe ideas?

Check out even more mealtime inspiration on my Pinterest boards!

collage image with two photos of Instant Pot stuffing, one close up and one served on a plate

Categories:

, , , ,

Easy family-friendly recipes in your inbox!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You'll Also Love..