Instant Pot Freezer Meals with step by step instructions for prepping 7 amazing healthy dinners in just a couple of hours will make your stocking your freezer so easy! Full grocery list and free printables included! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
Confession #130 – I’ve wanted to do a post like this for a long time, but I have to be honest…the idea of prepping a million meals and then trying to write a post explaining how to do it was just a bit too daunting for a momma with little kids at home who interrupt my every thought.
But I’m so glad I finally dove in!
No, I am not going to have you prep a month’s worth freezer meals in a day or anything crazy like that. Instead, I have seven freezer meals here…6 for the Instant Pot and 1 that you will partially prep in the IP and bake in the oven. I feel like 7 is a good place to start…it will take you a couple of hours, but it’s totally doable for a weekend or an evening, even if your kids don’t leave you alone like mine :).
And, dare I say it? You may even have some fun! Throw on some music, pour a glass of wine, and invite your hubby or your BFF to join you. Date night meal prep is totally a thing, right?
Let’s get started!
The yummy list of meals for this Healthy Instant Pot Freezer Prep:
First you will need to make sure you have these supplies:
⇒CLICK HERE FOR A PRINT FRIENDLY SUPPLY LIST
- an Instant Pot – I have this one
and couldn’t love it more than I do!
- box of gallon-sized freezer bags
- small Ziplock bags
- small foil freezer pan with lid
- a sharpie
- parchment paper
- 2 baking sheets
- large glass bowls
for cooling/mixing
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- spoons/whisks for mixing
- Optional, but recommended – these awesome Baggie Holders
and couldn’t love it more than I do!
for cooling/mixing
Then you need to go shopping! I’ve made it super easy for you with my printable grocery list.
⇒CLICK HERE FOR A PRINT FRIENDLY GROCERY LIST
GROCERY ITEMS FOR PREP DAY:
MEAT
- 4 lb chicken breast
- 3-4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1.5 lbs lean ground chicken (or sub turkey)
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
VEGETABLES
- 1 bag of carrots
- 1 bag of celery
- 3 white onions
- 1 red onion
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh string beans
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 lb red potatoes (you want 2 cups chopped)
- 1 jalapeno
SPICES/HERBS
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Basil
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Cumin
CANNED
- 3 (32 oz) of organic, low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 (28 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 (10)oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 14.5 oz no salt added diced tomatoes
- 2 cans of tomato paste
- 1 can of no salt added black beans
FROZEN
- 1 bag of frozen corn
DAIRY
- butter or ghee (I use dairy-free)
PANTRY STAPLES
- Himalayan or sea salt
- pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
- coconut aminos
- maple syrup/honey (can use interchangeably)
- apple cider vinegar
- thickener of your choice (arrowroot, tapioca, corn starch, rice flour, etc)
- hot sauce/Tabasco
- balsamic vinegar
- coconut oil
- brown rice
GROCERY ITEMS FOR DAY YOU EAT (optional, but recommended):
Chicken Tortilla Soup:
(toppings)
- shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- corn tortillas
Chicken and Veggie Soup:
- baby spinach
- parmesan cheese
Buffalo Chicken Chili:
- plain Greek yogurt (small container)
- blue cheese crumbles
- chives
Maple BBQ Chicken:
- veggie side (we love a slaw)
Asian Chicken:
- veggie side (we love green beans or broccoli)
Balsamic Chicken:
- parmesan cheese
- zucchini for zoodles
And now you are all set to start prepping!
⇒CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE STEP BY STEP PREP LIST
COOKING STEPS FOR INSTANT POT FREEZER PREP
STEP 1: RICE
- Make brown rice:
Add 3 cups of rice to your Instant Pot with 3 cups of water. Set for 22 minutes on manual/high pressure. After the cook time is up, do a ten minute natural releases (aka, don’t touch it for ten minutes)
STEP 2: VEGGIES/PANTRY
- Chop:
- 3 cups of carrots
- 3 cups of celery
- 3 yellow onions
- 1 red onion
- 2 cups of cauliflower
- 2 cups of red potatoes
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 1/2 cups of string beans (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1 zucchini (cut in half moons)
- 8 cloves of garlic (mince and divide into 4 piles)
- Open cans and gather spices, oils, and salt
- Remove rice from the Instant Pot and cool on baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Prepare your ziplock bags with the following information:
-
-
- Buffalo Chicken Chili/ today’s date
- Cooktime: 20 minutes, quick release
- Top with blue cheese crumbles mixed with Greek yogurt and chives
-
-
- Coat your Instant Pot with cooking spray. Set to Saute and brown ground chicken until cooked through. Add in ¼ cup of onions and cook for a few minutes to release flavors. Add in 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of celery, 2 cloves of chopped (about 2 T or ¼ of what you chopped) garlic and stir. Set to keep warm.
- Pour 1 (28 oz) can of tomatoes in a blender and pulse a few times so the texture is more like a chunky tomato juice. Add 2-4 cups of the tomato (less leads to a thicker chili…I used all 4 cups and loved it) to the Instant Pot, along with chili powder and hot sauce. Stir together, then remove from heat and let cool. Wash pot.
-
- When chili is cooled, add to prepared ziplocks
Step 4: EASY CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SOUP
- Prepare TWO ziplock bags with the following information:
- Easy Chicken and Veggie Soup/ today’s date
- Cooktime: 20 minutes, quick release
- After cook time, add in 1 ½ cups of spinach to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan cheese.
- Assemble Easy Chicken and Veggie Soup by dividing the following the TWO gallon sized freezer bags (doesn’t have to be perfectly exact):
- 1 cup of diced carrots
- 1 cup of chopped celery
- 1/2 diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, cut in half moons
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh string beans, cut into bite size pieces
- 32 oz of organic chicken stock
- 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- Prepare TWO ziplock bags with the following information:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup / today’s date
- Cooktime: 15 minutes, quick release
- Top with avocado, cheese, lime, Greek yogurt, cilantro, homemade tortilla strips
(Note for later: To make homemade tortilla strips: Preheat your oven to 350 and cut the corn tortillas into strips. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with Himalayan salt. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.)
- Assemble Chicken Tortilla Soup by dividing the following into the TWO gallon sized freezer bags (doesn’t have to be perfectly exact):
- 1 1/4 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4 Breasts)
- 10 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (no salt added)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup black beans (no salt added), drained & rinsed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups of organic, low sodium chicken broth or stock
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- Prepare ONE gallon sized ziplock bag with the following information:
- Maple BBQ Chicken Thighs / today’s date
- Cooktime ten minutes, quick release, remove chicken
- To thicken sauce, set IP to saute, stir in thickener, one tsp at a time until desired thickness.
- Serve with rice (prepped) and a veggie
- Assemble Maple BBQ Sauce by mixing the following:
-
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 3 T pure maple syrup
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Sprinkle of salt
- For Maple BBQ Chicken, place BBQ sauce and 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs in the ONE prepared gallon freezer bag
- Prepare ONE gallon sized ziplock bag with the following information:
- Asian Chicken Thighs /today’s date
- Cooktime 15 minutes, quick release, remove chicken
- To thicken sauce, set IP to saute, stir in thickener, one tsp at a time until desired thickness.
- Serve with rice (prepped) and a veggie
- Assemble Asian Chicken by mixing the following:
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1/3 cup of coconut aminos
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- a dash of crushed red pepper
- Add all of the above and 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs to the ONE prepared gallon freezer bag.
STEP 8: HEALTHY SHEPHERD’S PIE (Part ONE)
- Put 2 cups of cauliflower florets and 2 cups of diced potatoes in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of broth. Sprinkle with salt. Set to manual for 5 minutes. When cook time finishes, do a quick release.
While this is cooking, start working on the Balsamic Chicken
- Prepare ONE gallon sized Ziplock bag with the following information:
- Balsamic Chicken /today’s date
- Cooktime 10 minutes, quick release, remove chicken
-
- Serve with zoodles
- Spray a non stick pan with olive oil cooking spray and saute ½ red onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic together over medium low heat. until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and let cool. Reserve pan for Shepherd’s Pie,
- Assemble Balsamic Chicken by adding the following to the ONE prepared gallon bag:
-
- 1-2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 28oz can of diced
- Sauteed onions and garlic
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp each of basil, oregano, and garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
STEP 10: HEALTHY SHEPHERD’S PIE (Part 2)
- Remove potatoes and cauliflower from Instant Pot when cook time is finished and drain them well, then place in a food processor or mixer. Add in 1/2 tsp of salt and 2 T of olive oil, ghee or vegan butter and mix. If necessary, add in a tablespoon or two of chicken broth. Let potato mixture cool.
- Add inner pot back to Instant Pot and brown 1 pound of ground turkey using saute function. Add in 1 cup of diced carrots, 1 cup of diced celery, ½ onion, ⅓ cup of chicken broth, 2 T of water, 3 T of tomato paste and ½ tsp of salt. Stir and place lid on IP. Set for manual, 5 minutes.
- Prepare a foil tin or other freezer and oven safe casserole pan with olive oil spray When cooktime is through for turkey and veggies, do a quick release and remove from Instant Pot. If mixture has a lot of excess liquid, cook on saute to thicken or carefully drain.
- Add turkey mixture to prepared foil pan and top with potato/cauliflower mixture.
- Label with the following information:
- Healthy Shepherd’s Pie and date
- Thaw in refrigerator, then cook on 350 for 30 minutes.
STEP 11: RICE, cont…
- Prepare TWO gallon freezer bags with the following information
- Brown Rice and date
- Remove from bag and heat in microwave with 2 T of water for 2-3 minutes or until hot.
- Divide rice into two bags and lay flat to freeze. You don’t want the rice to clump together.
You are done!! Pour yourself a glass of wine get someone else to clean up – you’ve done enough work for today!
As for future cooking, I always recommend thawing your food first, but all of these meals should cook well from frozen with the same cooktimes…that is the magic of the Instant Pot for ya!
If you liked this 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Plan, let me know! I’ll start working on another one! (I just might need someone to babysit, lol)
Easy Freezer Meals Printables
21 Day Fix Instant Pot Freezer Meal Prep – Supplies
21 Day Fix Instant Pot Freezer Meal Prep – Grocery List Printable
21 Day Fix Instant Pot Freezer Meal Prep – Step-by-Step Prep Instructions
Debbie B says
Awesome!!!! YES, keep doing these. It is an excellent teaching tool–gets me started without feeling overwhelmed, then I can branch out slowly on my own!!
Nancylynn says
Exactly!! I am so happy to help!!
Jane says
You are awesome!!!!! Love you and this and thank you! God bless
Nancylynn says
You are SO welcome, Jane!!! <3 <3
Meghan Murman says
I just finished this meal prep and it took me exactly 3 hours from beginning to end, including cleaning my kitchen! The recipes smell delicious and are going to make the next week (at least) a breeze at dinner time! Thank you for making this post!
Nancylynn says
Ahhh! Yes – you are SO awesome, Meghan!! Great job!!
Stephanie says
just printed everything !!!! Can’t wait to have these to just grab and make for a quick meal! Thanks for doing ALL
this to help make something I’m not a huge fan of so much easier with the bonus of it being healthy!!!!
Ri says
Thank you so much for posting this!!! Truly appreciate the time and effort you put into this for all of us working our hardest to healthier lifestyle! Love your recipes and your story!
Nancylynn says
You are so welcome…I am right there with you all. xo
DeAnna Miller says
This is amazing! Thank you!
Nancylynn says
You are so welcome!!
Jennie says
Thank you so much for this! We recently got the 8qt IP, and have already tried several of your recipes and loved them! This may be a silly question, but when it is time to cook/eat these freezer meals, do we cook them from frozen, or do they need to thaw first?
Nancylynn says
The cook times are for thawed food, but you can simply add 3-5 minutes to each recipe if you have frozen food! 🙂
Mel says
This is AMAZING!! Thank you So much!!
Nancylynn says
I hope you love it!
Shelley L says
Fantastic! Thanks.
Nancylynn says
You are SO welcome!
JoannJ says
I am a little confused. When you split the ingredients into two bags, is that 1 dinner? you cook both bags?
where are the counts for red, green, etc etc.? sorry to be so dumb
Nancylynn says
Yes – it is still one dinner, but I think splitting it is best because frozen food expands…does that make sense?
JoannJ says
yes, thank you!
What about the container counts? meaning 1 red, 1 purple, etc.. I see them on some of your other recipes
Nancylynn says
Yes! You can find them on all the recipe links!
Debora Libby says
Thank you for the recipes. I am also new to this! Is this food meant to feed a family dinners for the week?
Nancylynn says
All the meals serve four or more, and you can freeze them to use whenever you would like!
Michele Astone says
oh ok. so these are not 1 serving with the container counts? each recipe is 4 servings? I assume we can then split each recipe in to 4 servings to be able to grab one serving?
Nancylynn says
Yes! Exactly!
Erin says
If you don’t have an instant pot can the meals be done with a regular crock pot?
Nancylynn says
Yes! I have a crock pot freezer plan, too! https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/2017/11/21-day-fix-crock-pot-freezer-prep/
Sara says
Can I double these recipes to feed s family of 6 and use the same cooking times?
Nancylynn says
Yes!!!
Stephanie Ahmed says
I want to make the shepherds pie with my instant pot. Would I still need to bake it in the end and if so, how long?
Nancylynn says
Hi! You can put it under the broiler if you want at the end, but you don’t have to! It just browns the potatoes a little 🙂
Natalie Lindquist says
Did the meal prep last night. If all the recipes are as good as the Chicken Tortilla Soup, this plan will become a staple in our house. It will be so nice to incorporate a few nights where we really don’t need to prep anything.
Nancylynn says
That’s awesome, Natalie! Please let me know what you guys think of the rest of the meals! <3
Nicole says
Oh my gosh. I made these back in December and am just now finishing up eating them all (no family, so just feeding one makes these last a while).
All the recipes are AMAZING! I will definitely be making them again. And so convenient to grab and go. I’m a music teacher, so winter (aka concert season) is crazy busy and I loved not having to worry about my meal prep. Thank you so much!!!
Nancylynn says
That’s SO great, Nicole!! Good for you – teachers are awesome and I am happy the meals helped make your nights a little easier! <3 <3
Carrie Kraft says
This will be my first attempt at meal planning. I got my IP for Christmas and have been playing around with it. For the Chili recipe- how many ziplocks do you need? There’s no count listed as with the other recipes.
Nancylynn says
Just one! Let me know how it goes!
Irene says
Thank you for these! Assembled everything tonight but have a question and a typo. The first recipe says prepare your bags, this means 2? the other recipes specify how many bags.
Step 9 the balsamic recipe is missing the word tomatoes.
Nancylynn says
Thank you so much! You should only need one bag for the chili 🙂
Michele Astone says
When you say “1 diced yellow onion”.. what does that equate to in terms of the already chopped onion done during the chopping phase? thank you! And this is awesome! thank you thank you thank you !
Natalie Lindquist says
The meals were a hit. I’m actually getting ready to do a second round with this plan. Last time we ate most of the meals in a single week and it was a lot of chicken. This time around I think the plan is that these will be used a couple of times a week when days are a little crazier and just dumping something in the Instant Pot is just what we need.
Nancylynn says
Perfect!! I hope to make another plan soon!! <3
LeeAnn says
Are these supposed to make 21 meals? Ours only made 9 bags…11 with the rice.
Nancylynn says
It’s 7 meals.
Mel says
We did all the prep 2 days ago, today we cooked the balsamic chicken. It turned out like a soup, disappointing. :o(
Nancylynn says
Was it frozen? How did you cook it?
Mel says
The chicken was not frozen when we did the meal prep but then we froze everything in the ziplock bag for 2 days. Then Yes, we then cooked it while everything was frozen and followed the instructions (10mins in manual etc). Were we supposed to defrost the bag first? I assumed the purpose of this was to throw everything frozen in the pot. Should I adjust the time you listed when frozen then? Thanks! We also ate the Sheppard’s pie. It was good!
Nancylynn says
I am just trying to troubleshoot why it came out like soup…I haven’t heard that before! Did you add additional liquid to the pan?
IRENE D GARVIN says
Mine came out like soup too. I used 2lbs of chicken and I know from salsa chicken, the breasts released enough of their own liquid. Probably should have trained the tomato
Natasha Youngson says
I’d like to substitute chicken Breast in the chicken thigh recipes…. do I dice them and put them in the bags raw? Thanks
Nancylynn says
You do! Yes!
Angela says
Thank you! Your hard work is appreciated.
Nancylynn says
You are SO welcome! <3
april harper says
So you happen to have a freezer meal plan from raw ingredients, put together, then instant pot from frozen to done??
Nancylynn says
I’m not sure I totally understand your question, but yes – you are prepping these so you can easily grab one and cook in your IP!
Carol Esteves says
I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and want to be sure about some things. When I put chicken in ziplock is it raw in all recipes except the chili? Also, when I put the sauces do I have to pack separate inside the galĺon ziplock or do I just dump everything like a marinade? Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Exactly! And you can add the raw chicken right into the sauces!
Jennifer says
This is wonderful, thank you so much for all the hard work you put into preparing this. I have an ancient (early ’90s) Chicken cooking day set of recipes, etc to prepare a month of dinners. That took me 8 hours from starting prep to clean up! I loved not having to cook everyday, but hubby got tired of chicken. We had microwaves, but everything (except the sides) was pre-cooked then defrosted from zip lock bags and heated in the microwave. They were good meals, but yours are healthier and MUCH easier. I live alone now, so this would be at least a month of meals for me! I prefer freshly cooked from my Instant Pot. I have to get my freezer emptied before I can do this. And of course I will need more Quart Freezer bags. WILL I HAVE TO CHANGE THE COOKING TIME FOR MUCH SMALLER AMOUNTS?
Thanks again, can hardly wait to try this!
Nancylynn says
Hi! I am SO glad to hear it! And, no – you should be just fine for using the same cook times! YAY for a month of meals! <3
Amber says
Is there a way to find out the Calorie Count for these meals? My husband and I don’t do the 21Day Fix, but I love the recipes! Seems as though they would be pretty balanced, but it would help to know the counts. Thanks!
Nancylynn says
Hi! Try using my fitness pal! It’s super easy and will give you all the calorie counts!
Anna Weinberg says
Hi, Thank you for this awesome post! I am wondering how long you recommend keeping these meals in the freezer. I am trying to plan ahead for having a baby at the end of September. Is it too early to make freezer meals to store for October/November, or 3-5 months ahead of time?
Nancylynn says
I usually use them within a 3 month period, but I believe they will last up to 5 months for you! And congratulations!
Nancylynn says
Here’s some more info! https://onceamonthmeals.com/blog/series/get-started/how-long-do-freezer-meals-last/
Jean Hikida says
Hi! I’m excited to try this since I’m a busy mom of 4 and a teacher. I just bought a 6QT IP and was wondering if I double the recipes, will two ziploc bags of prepared food fit in my 6QT IP or will I just cook one ziploc bag at a time in the IP?
Nancylynn says
Hi! For the soup recipes, you won’t be able to fit double…but the rest should be ok!
Jamie Wangler says
Hi! I want to do these, but have the smallest IP – so its 3qt. Can I just half all the recipes and prep them the same?
Thanks!
-Jamie
Nancylynn says
YES! Or prep them, but divide (halve) into multiple bags!
Briana says
Yes!!! Please keep doing these!!
Nancylynn says
I am working on another one this month!!!!
Briana Hill says
In the maple bbq chicken it says stir in thickener. What is the thickener. I haven’t even got my IP yet but it’ll be here tomorrow and I’m trying to be ready!
Nancylynn says
Hi! You can use a thickener of your choice – arrowroot, tapioca, cornstarch, etc!
Cori says
I cannot thank you enough for publishing this and making it so easy! My husband and I are about to start the 21 Day Fix and it is a little overwhelming, but you have simplified it for me quite a bit. No excuses now! Thank you so much!!!
Nancylynn says
That’s so awesome to hear, Cori!!! Yes – you totally can do this!!
Robin says
I’m just finishing up making all of these, which is no small task when living in an RV! We are having the Shepherds Pie tonight because I’ve run out of freezer space.
Nancylynn says
Look at you! No excuses! Very, very proud!
Natalie says
When I make the soup recipes am I cooking the chicken in there whole and then shredding it? Or do I chop it up before cooking?
Nancylynn says
You cook it whole!
Angelique says
Do you have more of these freezer meal plans? I need this in my life with all sorts of new recipes.!
Elaine says
LOVE this freezer meal plan! Do you have any more of these mapped out? Thank you!
Nancylynn says
We are working on more!!!
Kara says
Yea!!! I have made these before and am making these to start the school year off! Thanks and looking forwRd to new ones