11 slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners worth making instead of Friday night takeout

Diced chicken breast cooks low in soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, then cooked rice, frozen peas and carrots, and scrambled eggs get folded in right in the slow cooker. Day-old rice holds its shape best. Ham, bacon, pineapple, or a squirt of sriracha are easy add-ins. Leftovers reheat in a skillet or microwave with a splash of broth.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Fried Rice

Thin slices of flank steak are tossed in cornstarch before they go into the slow cooker with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. The coating helps thicken the sauce as the beef cooks. Searing the strips first adds caramelized edges if there is time. Spoon it over steamed rice or noodles and finish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Panda Express fans will recognize the sweet and spicy flavor of this slow cooker copycat. Pieces of chicken breast are dredged in egg and cornstarch and pan-fried until lightly golden, then cooked with red bell pepper, onion, pineapple chunks, and sweet chili sauce. The chicken can be fried in the morning so dinner only needs a quick finish. Serve it over white rice with green onions and sesame seeds.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Panda Express SweetFire Chicken

Seared chicken breasts cook with pineapple chunks, red bell pepper, sweet chili sauce, and soy sauce for a sweet and slightly spicy dinner. Drain the pineapple well before it goes in. Rice is the usual base, though mashed potatoes work too. Red pepper flakes or sriracha add more heat, and broccoli or snap peas add color.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Pineapple Chicken

Six to eight garlic cloves, honey, hoisin, and reduced-sodium soy sauce make a sticky sauce for 2 pounds of chicken breast. The chicken shreds easily at the end, and a hand mixer speeds that up. It works over rice or noodles, tucked into wraps, or packed into meal prep containers with broccoli or green beans.

Get the recipe: Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Bite-size pieces of sirloin are seared, then slow cooked in teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, and garlic. Cornstarch thickens the sauce so it clings to the beef. Serve the steak bites over rice with sliced scallions. Chicken thighs or chuck can replace the sirloin, and fresh pineapple works in place of canned.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Steak Bites

Honey, tamari, sesame oil, dried minced garlic, and a pinch of crushed red pepper coat chicken breast pieces that pressure cook for just 4 minutes. A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce after a quick release. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving. Jasmine or basmati rice, rice noodles, or roasted broccoli all make good partners.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

Chicken thighs or breasts cook in a tomato sauce built with garam masala, cumin, turmeric, ginger, garlic, serrano, and a cinnamon stick. After 6 minutes at high pressure, butter or ghee and heavy cream make the sauce rich and silky. The whole dish is ready in under 30 minutes. Serve it over rice with cilantro and warm naan.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Fresh orange juice, soy sauce or tamari, garlic, ginger, and a little sugar make the sauce for this orange chicken, with no deep frying. Bite-size chicken breast pieces sauté briefly, pressure cook for 5 minutes, and then thicken in a cornstarch slurry. Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice. A little sriracha adds heat for anyone who likes it spicier.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Boneless chicken thighs brown on the sauté setting, then pressure cook in a homemade sauce of tamari, sesame oil, brown sugar or honey, and garlic. A quick cornstarch slurry turns the liquid into a glossy glaze. Broccoli steams separately in the microwave while the chicken cooks. Rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa all work underneath.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Diced chicken breast pressure cooks quickly, then a 16 ounce bag of frozen stir fry vegetables warms through on the sauté setting. The sauce mixes tamari, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha, and cornstarch. Using frozen vegetables means almost no chopping. Serve it over brown or white rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa with sesame seeds or green onions.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry