How to Convert Recipes for an Instant Pot
Dec 29, 2023
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Are you trying to make your favorite recipes in the Instant Pot? This guide will walk you through how you can convert stovetop and slow cooker recipes to make them work using an electric pressure cooker.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is How can I make (fill in the blank) in the Instant Pot? While I have a growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes, you may have a desire to try making your family favorites in the Instant Pot.
And I want to help do just that! My tips AND list of cautions will help you begin to feel confident converting your family recipes to Instant Pot success.
What Recipes Can Be Converted?
Before you try to convert a recipe to an Instant Pot recipe, ask yourself if your recipe can and/or should be made in the Instant Pot.
While many recipes can be adapted to be made in the Instant Pot, there are things you should NEVER cook in your Instant Pot. For example, dishes like fried chicken or a juicy ribeye steak should never be attempted in a pressure cooker, as the results will never be the same.
However, an Instant Pot excels at making inexpensive cuts of meats tender and making complex soups or chili that taste as though they have simmered all day, but are ready in less than an hour.
∗ important to remember when selecting a recipe to convert ∗
How do you know if a recipe will work in the Instant Pot? There are a few things that you want to keep in mind when choosing a recipe to adapt for the Instant Pot.
- Choose recipes that already have thin liquid in them (like stock, water, juice, beer, etc); require a longer cooking time, such as dried beans or pot roast, and/or use moist heat to cook, such as cheesecake.
- In general, avoid recipes that include something breaded, dairy-based, and/or quick-cooking cuts of meat or tender vegetables.
How to Convert Recipes into Instant Pot Recipes
Once you decide if your recipe is suitable for pressure cooking, it is time to convert your recipe.
Use my following tips as a starting point for converting your favorite stovetop or slow cooker recipes to Instant Pot recipes. Please keep in mind that not every recipe will work in an Instant Pot, and sometimes it takes trial and error to perfect the timing. Keep notes on results so you can keep track of what works and what doesn't.
- Oven/Stovetop to Instant Pot Conversion: Divide the cooking time by 3. Cook on high pressure for that time and allow for natural pressure release when cooking soups, chili, or meat. Use a quick pressure release if cooking seafood or delicate vegetables.
- For Recipes Made in Slow Cooker/Crock-Pot: Refer to the amount of time that a recipe needs to cook on high and multiply that by 6. Cook for that many minutes. For example, for a recipe that needs to cook for 4 hours on high, multiply 4 by 6 to get 24. You would cook your recipe for 24 minutes on high pressure.
- Pasta Recipes: Use 2 cups of liquid per cup of dry pasta. Divide the longest cooking time listed on the box of pasta in half and cook for that time on high pressure. Allow for exactly 5 minutes of natural pressure release, then do a quick release of pressure.
- Traditional Pressure Cooker Recipes: Stovetop pressure cookers cook at a higher PSI than electric pressure cookers, which means that it takes longer for an Instant Pot to reach pressure. For that reason, for longer cooking times, I recommend reducing the cooking time by 15%.
Conversion Chart for Converting Recipes
Grab this chart and hang it in an area that will help you convert your favorite recipes into Instant Pot Success!
Click on the graphic or here to print this PDF for Instant Pot Conversions
Important Things to Remember
This conversion chart is a very basic starting point. It is important to keep in mind the following tips whenever you convert recipes for an Instant Pot.
- If you live at a higher elevation refer to Instant Pot Altitude Adjustments and make the necessary additional adjustments.
- Cook on HIGH pressure using the manual or pressure cook button, not by using the various settings on the instant pot. It is best to manually adjust the pressure and cooking time yourself.
- Be sure to add enough liquid. All recipes need at least 1 cup of liquid in a 3 or 6-quart instant pot and 1.5 cups of liquid in an 8-quart instant pot for the right pressure to be achieved.
- Don't use TOO MUCH liquid. If you are converting a stovetop soup, you may want to decrease the liquid by ½ cup, as the liquid will not evaporate from the Instant Pot as they do on the stove.
- Do NOT add cornstarch, flour, or dairy products. These ingredients can cause burn warnings and will not allow your pressure cooker to reach pressure. The exception to this rule is heavy cream.
- Do NOT overfill your pressure cooker. Never fill the inner pot over ⅔rd of the way full with liquid. Never fill the inner pot over ½ way full when cooking rice or beans.
- Want to use your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker? Refer to my guide on how to use your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker.
- What if your recipe is not cooked fully after the cooking time elapses? Don't panic! Place the lid back on your Instant Pot and add additional cook time. It will not take as long to come to pressure the second time.
- Experiment! But at the right time! I would NOT experiment with recipes BEFORE you try out a few recipes that have been tested by others. Once you are familiar with pressure cooking, then you can start to experiment. Be sure to keep notes and document any changes that need to be made so that you have a point of reference for recipes in the Instant Pot.
Still nervous to experiment? Check out my Instant Pot Recipes. The timing has been tried, tested, and true!
i have been read all your instant pot everything you send meand i been wanting to buy one for a well now. so i was wondering which instant pot to start with or does matter
thanks
Hi Duncan! I hope you have found my guides helpful 🙂 As for the type of model, simple is best in my opinion. I have tested a lot of models and find that the Instant Pot 7-in- 1 Duo 6-quart does everything I need and the least finicky model. I hope that helps.
Another thing to note, which was the opposite from what I expected: I cooked the homemade sauce for my spinach lasagna in my instant pot, instead of in a skillet. Your timing of 1/3 was perfect! Thank you. The issue I had was this: I have always had to add a little extra water than the recipe called for, because it got dry. I thought the sauce would not "dry" out as much since it was sealed in the pot with the lid. However, it was even dryer than when I cook it in the skillet, fortunately not burned, but very dry. I had to add about 2 cups of water after I had cooked it, to get it to the right consistency.
I am glad you found the timing perfect, ALEK. As for your lasagna being dry, I am not sure what would cause that without looking at your recipe.
Many thanks for this.
Hello, how would I convert a microwave pressure cooker time to an instapot pressure cooker time? Would it stay the same? 25 mins seems extreme since another recipe I looked up only calls for 4 mins high and 5 mins slow release after the sauté portion. Thank you.
Page #99 Chili Mac
Hi Sheralyn! I am not at all familiar with a microwave pressure cooker, so without experimentation, I can't convert their recipes. I do have a recipe for Instant Pot Hamburger Helper that is close, so I would recommend following that for timing and add your spices, flavors as desired.
I have chef John's recipe for oven red beans & rice. Can you help me convert it to a 3 quart instant pot? Thanx.
Hey there! I would need to see the recipe. Or you could use my recipe for Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice and cut it in half to fit an 3-quart (keep the cooking time the same.)
So it finally clocked with me that 1 minute on HIGH pressure = 10 minutes slow cooker. Good math never fails. Mrs. Hicks my 9th grade Algebra teacher would have been proud.
Look at you go!! And you are correct when cooking on high in the slow cooker.