Chris' Instant Pot Leg of Lamb

"FastHealthy" Meets Comfort Food!

With just 30 minutes of prep, the Instant Pot does the work while you go back to your desk, your family, or outside to play. Perfect for Easter Sunday or any day you want a deeply nourishing, hands-off meal that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.

PRO TIP: To optimize recipe deliciousness, your health, and feeling your best, ALWAYS use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Organic whenever possible.

Ingredients.

• Boneless leg of lamb (3–4 lbs) — can also use shoulder

• Yellow onion, rough chop

• Petite yellow potatoes, ~1½ lbs (or colorful fingerlings!)

• Green beans, trimmed and cut to even size, ~12 oz

• Water, ~2 cups (divided — reserve last ½ cup to rinse spice bowl)

• Olive oil, touch

• Ghee, touch

• Good pink salt, ~2 tsp

• Black pepper, ~½ tsp

• Onion granules, ~1–1½ tsp

• Garlic granules, ~½ tsp

• Herbes de Provence, ~¾–1 tsp

• Chinese Five Spice, ~⅛ tsp or less — the magic ingredient!

Steps.

1. Prep everything first. Wash and prep potatoes (leave small ones whole, halve larger ones). Trim green beans and cut to even size. Rough chop the onion — it will melt into the dish beautifully, so no need to be precise. Measure all spices into a small bowl together so they're ready to add all at once.

2. Brown the lamb. Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add a touch of olive oil and ghee. Pat lamb dry and brown on each side — doesn't have to be perfect, just a nice sear for depth of flavor. This is where your kitchen starts smelling incredible.

3. Remove and rest. Turn off the Instant Pot. Remove the lamb to a plate that will catch any juices — every drop goes back in.

4. Layer everything in. Add 1½ cups water to the pot first. Return the lamb and any resting juices. Add the spice bowl mixture, onion, potatoes, and green beans. Pour the remaining ½ cup water into that empty spice bowl, swirl to capture every last bit of seasoning, and pour it in. Nothing wasted!

5. Pressure cook. Secure the Instant Pot lid and set to Pressure Cook for 90 minutes. Note: the pot will take approximately 15–20 minutes to come up to pressure before the cook time begins — factor in about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours total. Set to Keep Warm when done.

6. Depressurize and serve. Allow the pot to depressurize naturally if time allows — or carefully ventilate when the 90 minutes is complete if you're ready to eat. Open that lid and voilà! A beautiful, healthy-meets-comfort-food meal that practically made itself.

Chris' Tips & Swaps.

• Lamb cut — I prefer boneless leg for its tenderness, but boneless shoulder works beautifully too.

• Potatoes — The petite yellow organics are my go-to, but colorful fingerlings make for a gorgeous presentation.

• Green beans — Trim off any bad parts and cut to a consistent size.

• Chinese Five Spice — Don't skip it and don't overdo it. Just ⅛ tsp (or even a little less) is the magical secret that gives this dish its warmth and depth. You likely won't be able to identify it — you'll just know something is wonderfully right.

Why It Earns Its Place.

Lamb is one of the richest sources of bioavailable zinc, iron, and B12 — critical minerals for energy, immunity, and cognitive performance. The potatoes deliver potassium and resistant starch. The green beans add fiber and vitamins C and K. And the olive oil and ghee bring healthy fats that support absorption of the fat-soluble nutrients in this dish. Talk about nourishing, "No Deprivation Zone"™ comfort food that works as hard as you do!