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.
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!
marlene Freeman
Fantastic information. Thanks for doing all the hard work for us.
Kristen Chidsey
Happy to help!
Kelly
Thank you SO much for putting all of this info in one place, for your clear explanations, and the handy chart. Incredibly helpful!
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to help Kelly! Reach out with questions at any time!
Ellen Leeds
Good morning and thank you for help. I am making a slow cooker white chicken chili from NYT Cooking cook time stovetop is 4-6 hrs. I am using a pressure cooker (3 cps broth)... how long would p.c. Take and how much liquid would I use. 🙏🏻😊
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ellen! Here is my recipe for White Chicken Chili for the Instant Pot. That should help you adjust cook time and liquid 🙂 You can use their seasonings or mine 🙂 Let me know if you need further help.
Bill G
What about Power Pressure Cooker XL
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Bill. Follow my the instructions but instead of using manual/pressure cook button use the Time Adjust button. Keep in mind that you may find you need to add a few extra minutes of cook time with this model, but that is something you will have to test.
Lea
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I have (as one other commenter said) been cooking with a pressure cooker for nigh on 50 years!! Now I have the IP (3 quart) and love it so far but haven't used it for much more than rice and eggs! I have searched out recipes and a couple that I tried just didn't turn out well! So this is a wonderful post that I can refer to often.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you found this helpful Lea! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any specific questions!
Lea
Any advice to convert recipes on your blog to a 3 quart Lux Mini? I have tried a couple of recipes that I split in half but they didn't work out well.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lea! I have found for a 3 quart, you need at least 3/4 cup thin liquid. Oftentimes, that is more than half the liquid in a recipe. I would be happy to help you convert a specific recipe.
Lea
Don't have any specific recipes in mind at this time but will let you know if I come up with some.
Elaine De Rue
I have used a pressure cooker my whole life. Can I use the same recipes and times that are in the original pressure cooker book like I always have
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Elaine! Unfortunately, it is not exactly the same. It takes about 25% longer in an electric stovetop than a stovetop and you need to be sure enough liquid is added in an electric cooker.
Jessica Catlin
I have an old family recipe for christmas pudding that usually takes 3 hours on the stovetop - not ideal in 40c weather! Going to do a test run in the pressure cooker using these conversions and hopefully will be able to transition the recipe in time for christmas this year
Kristen Chidsey
Let us know how it works out Jessica!
Thomas A.Craven
I'm still new to instant pot cookery. I love this thing. I simply want to say that this how to post is what I have been looking for that helps me make decisions on things I want to cook. I believe I could spend the entire day prepping and cooking foods in the instant pot. Thank you so much for this timely and thorough post. It is obvious that you have spent a great deal of time perfecting your recipes and I for one am grateful. Tom
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome! I am glad you found this helpful. Let me know if I can help answer any specific questions.
Tatum W
Gonna try my skyline chili recipe that usually takes 3 hours stove top
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you enjoy!
Jose
Very helpful, bookmarked.
Thanks!
Karen
Great article!!! Thanks so much!
Cheers, Karen
Kristen Chidsey
Glad this helped Karen!
Karen
Hi Kristen, I’m going to make split pea soup. How long would you pressure cook the ham bone to get all the flavour out of it? Normally I would boil it on the stovetop for about 3 hours.
Thanks 😃
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Karen, I would cook for 45 minutes 🙂
Dee
I have a terrific Hamburg Chowder that I have cooked for years with my old PRESSURE COOKER (the kind that had the little rocking weight on top to release pressure). The Chowder would build pressure and when the rocker started to rock, I had to let it rock for 15 minutes and then let the NPR take over and wait for a button on the lid to go down. MY QUESTION IS: How do I cook this same recipe with my INSTANTPOT? I am afraid to ruin it and waste the entire meal. Do I use HIGH PRESSURE and how long would I cook it? Thanks for any help you can give me to adapt a classic recipe. Dee 😀
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Dee! You would follow the same recipe (as long as there is at least 1 cup of thin liquid and no thickener added to the recipe until after pressure has been released). And then you need to increase cook time by 25%, as stovetop models cook at higher temperatures. So for this recipe, I would set on high pressure for 19 minutes and then let pressure release naturally. Hope that helps!
Dee
Thanks so much Kristen! I am so excited to try it!
Dee
Wendy
Hi Kristen,
I am going to be making a vegan haggis in my IP. On the stove top it says it takes an hour and your conversion says 20 minutes. This is for the pressure cooker setting and I wanted to steam it. Could I still steam it for 20 minutes or do you think I could use the pressure cooker setting to cook it? I am new to the IP and so far I have only used the pressure cooker and saute setting.
Thank you
Wendy
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Wendy! If you could send me the recipe that would really help. Steaming is completely different than pressure cooking--so I would need to see the recipe first 🙂
Wendy
Hi Kristen, Thank you for replying. It is the BBC good food website and the vegan haggis is by Miriam Nice. I hope you can look it up. if not I will have to copy and paste it. Thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Wendy. The steaming function still uses high pressure. So I would just be sure you use 1 cup of water in bottom of inner pot (1.5 cups of water for 8 quart) and a steamer basket. Because the directions are for a very gentle cook, I would try adjusting pressure to low and cooking for 20 minutes--but this is just my best guess. I have never made anything like this recipe before. Good luck.
Wendy Davis
Hi Kristen,
Thank you very for your help. I have also not made one before and I will be attempting to make it in the next few days.
Don
We have a family favorite and wondered about making it in our pressure cooker.
It is Polish Reuben casserole. I followed the recipe exactly except for a couple of things. First it called for a 9 by 13 pan so I halved the recipe. I also have a ceramic casserole dish made for my cooker and did not coat it with cooking spray. I followed your recommendation of cutting the cooking time from one hour to 20 minutes and allowed the natural pressure release method for another 10 minutes. It came out perfect. Thanks for your site.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that these guidelines helped you Don! I love Reuben casseroles and glad to hear it turned out well in your Instant Pot.
Barbara
I am interested in converting some of my conventional oven baking recipes into being Pressured Cooked.
I’ve made a couple of cheese cakes in the PC, and they’ve came out awesome. I think a couple other of my recipes (one a Bundt cake) would benefit from a moist environment.
should I take the 55 mins. (@350*) that it needs for conventional oven and decide it by 3, making the PC time aprox. 18 mins.
Does this method work with all baked goods as well? Do you have any additional suggestions for converting conventional oven baking recipes into PC awesomeness?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Barbara! While I love cheesecake in my instant pot, I am not a huge fan of cakes baked in the instant pot--the texture is very spongy. Bundt cakes may be an exception though. However, because of the smaller pans, the cake would be thicker, so I would cook for more like half the time for bundt cakes. Let us know if you try it out.
Vikki
I really love your help in cooking with instapot mine didnt come with any instructions. I'm trying the whole chicken now!
Kristen Chidsey
I hope my site greatly helps you master your Instant Pot Vikki 🙂 You may want to try my recipe Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken in the future.