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!
Abbey C.
I would like to figure out how to bake these in my egg bites molds. It is really as simple as cooking for 4 minutes on high pressure?
https://tasty.co/recipe/baked-churro-bites?epik=dj0yJnU9SkdIZi1hUjVXTUVvbTljbVlUZkNvS2xqc1pfOWFncFUmcD0wJm49Q3AxazVialphUS1oSzFaeFdhQ2ROQSZ0PUFBQUFBR0ZncXpj#4ldradw
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Abbey! As stated per my post, I don't really recommend baked goods, like muffins or cakes, in the Instant Pot as they turn out dense and moist. You can give it a try, and 4 minutes would be about the right timing if you want to try it.
Alisa
Hello!
I have a beef cheek taco recipe that simmers on the stove for 3-4 hours - is there a instant pot slow cooker conversion that I could use so that I don't have to keep the stove on for that long?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Alysa! I would recommend using at least 1.5 cups of thin liquid and cook for 80 minutes. Be sure not to add any cream or flour to the liquid before pressure cooking. Enjoy!
Kerry
I have a bone broth recipe that requires simmering for 12-14 hours. It looks like simmering equals roughly 20 minutes in the Instant Pot per hour on the stove; if so, this would translate to about 240 minutes under pressure -- which seems excessive. What would you recommend? Thank you!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kerry! I have a recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Stock that breaks down what to do for bone broth. I cook for 120 minutes on high pressure when making bone broth.
Kerry
Thank you so much!! I love your blog and turn to it frequently. Keep up the awesome advice & recipes!! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much Kerry! I love hearing that!
Cheryle
This is what I’m confused about and it will show how new I am to instant cooking, I have the instant pot duo approximately how long does it take to come to high pressure if say 1 to 1 1/2 cups are in a recipe? I’m sure it takes longer if more liquid but I just need an idea so I can figure out when to start my dish? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cheryl. It will depend on what else is in your recipe. 1.5 cups of thin liquid alone takes between 5 and 10 minutes. 1.5 cups of liquid plus a roast can take up to 20 minutes. If it is one of my recipes, I include time I takes to come to pressure and for pressure to release for planning purposes. I hope that helps.
Andie
Hi. I have a question if I cook a vegetarian lentil and rice casserole in the oven usually at 300° for 80 minutes...what setting would I use in the Insta pot and how long would I cook it for?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Andie! I would need to see how much liquid is in the recipe and if you are using cooked or raw lentils/rice to give you an estimate.
Andie
Thank you!
It is uncooked:
* 3 cups chicken broth or 3 cups vegetable broth
* 3⁄4 cup lentils
* 1⁄2 cup brown rice
* 3⁄4 cup chopped onion
* 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
* 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder (I use more)
Andie
I thought I replied yesterday but can’t see my reply in the comments so here it is again.
It is uncooked:
* 3 cups chicken broth or 3 cups vegetable broth
* 3⁄4 cup lentils
* 1⁄2 cup brown rice
* 3⁄4 cup chopped onion
* 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
* 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder (I use more
Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
I would mix lentils, rice, onion, and seasoning with 2 cups of stock instead of the 3. Lentils need a 1:2 ratio of liquid and rice is 1:1. Cook for 22 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release. That is my best estimate 🙂
Jan
I just used your recommendation for heating a 3lb fully cooked, frozen beef pot roast (Schwan's). Instructions were for either oven or slow cooker, and I was caught by surprise with the length of time needed. So, after searching and finding your blog, I used your formula with both oven and slow cooker times, and came up with approx. the same time for both in the instant pot (24 - 25 minutes). Worked great! Thank you!
Rhonda
Thanks for the chart! When converting from IP or slow cooker to oven, what temp should the oven be set to?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rhonda! Most instant pot recipes are ones that need to be cooked on the stove, so converting that to baking, would depend upon the recipe.
Syril
Hi - would love to hear yiur conversions for pressure cooker recipes based on “whistle” and how it translates to Instapot?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Syril, the whistle sounds when pressure is reached. For an instant pot, that would be when the cook time begins.
Don
Bolognese sauce typically simmers for around 4-5 hours is 1-1hour 40 minutes on high too long? Would it not burn?
Kristen Chidsey
Here is my recipe for Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce. Feel free to saute meat first and then proceed with the recipe--or use your own recipe, just be sure to include 1.5 cups of stock or water and use the timing as a reference.
Don
Thanks do or the recipe. The bolognese sauce I usually cook is a meat sauce and pretty traditional authentic with carrots, celery, onions, tomato paste, stock, milk, red wine and beef and/or pork. Any further tips?
Kristen Chidsey
I would saute the meat with carrots, celery, and onions. Once browned, deglaze with red wine and add in stock and tomato paste. Pressure cook on high for 15-20 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally. Add milk and saute until thickened (you can't pressure cook milk unless using heavy cream).
Don
Thanks for the tip about the milk. I didn’t know that but it makes sense!
Brenda
I have a instant pot recipe I would like to try. The recipe that calls for 900 grams boneless chicken thighs. I would like to cut it in half and use only 500 grams chicken. Would I need to also cut the cook time and the rest of ingredients in half also? Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Brenda! The cook time will remain the same, just cut the ingredients by half and be sure to use 1 full cup of liquid.