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!
Thank you for such a wonderful guide. I have been learning by trial and error how to use my Instant Pot. I never use the special buttons except for "Yogurt" and I have have had my share of successes and disasters.
Maybe because I live at 1700 feet above sea level, most things I use require a minute or two more but EGGS are my quandary.
Usually the Net suggests 5-5-5. at High pressure. That overcooks my eggs to a point of chalkiness with a green ring around the yolks. And, some of them explode. So I thought this might help some others. 3 minutes on Low pressure gives me properly cooked eggs but some of them still explode no matter what I do. After much head scratching, I decided that the reason was that because I have chickens and use their eggs that all eggs are not created equal as in commercial eggs. Some of mine have really hard shells, others are paper thin depending on the breed of the chicken. We have 3 breeds and one of them lay a smaller, more delicate egg. It is usually those that explode. They don't EXPLODE! but crack and sometimes bulge out. They are still edible if you are making egg salad or eat them as soon as they are cool.
Since backyard chickens are becoming more common, especially here in California, I thought this might be helpful for others. Not all eggs are created equal if they don't come from a store. Cook all the same size and breed source together. Experiment until you find the right combination of pressure and time. Oh, and this goes for beans, too. Mine are always overcooked at the recommended times. I lowered it by a minute and they came out perfect. That could be my machine, though. It seems to run a bit hotter than the one I had before this.
Thank you for sharing your experience Anita!
I just got an instant pot and have been searching for steps on how to convert my family's favorite slow cooker recipes to a faster pressure cooker version. Thank you so much!!
Good luck in your conversions 🙂
Are there recipes for cooking for two available for the instant pot?
Hi Linda! Most recipes can be adapted for only 2 servings. Do you have a mini or 6 quart instant pot? I have tried a few recipes from this Pressure Cooker Cookbook for 2 on amazon: https://amzn.to/2RCNqKO with success too.
This is very organized and extremely helpful for this instant pot newbie! Thanks!!
I am SO glad to hear that Sherry! My aim is to make this EASY!
Excellent article for this newbee...conversation chart outstanding...THANK YOU.
You are welcome. So glad you found this helpful as Instant Pots can be overwhelming.
Wonderful information, especially for an IP newbie like me! Thank you!
Hi Connie! You are SO welcome! I am glad you found this helpful! Subscribe to my newsletter to get new IP recipes and tips if you are interested 🙂 https://amindfullmom.com/how-to-master-your-instant-pot/
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This is invaluable information. It's tricky enough to convert a regular recipe to the instant pot, but I had no idea where to start with a crock pot recipe. I have been itching to try some of my slow cooker soups in the instant pot and now I know how thanks to all your time researching and figuring this out.
YAY!!! I wanted this to help people, so nothing makes me happier! Let me know how your recipe testing goes 🙂
Your conversion times are right on! I tried one of our favorite soups and it tasted like it had slow cooked all day at a fraction of the time. The pulled pork was even juicier and more tender than when I make it in the slow cooker. Thanks again!!
Oh thank you so much for sharing! I am SO grateful you are able to use this information to help feed your families easier!