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!
Cheryl F.
Do you have a conversion hint for boxed flavored rice? Stove top directions say simmer 25-30 minutes. What would that time be in a IP?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cheryl! It sounds like the package is for white long grain rice. I would use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water and cook for 3 minutes on high pressure with a full natural pressure release 🙂
Mike
Trying to figure out how long to cook 7 lbs of corned beef also how much liquid to add.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mike! I have a recipe for Instant Pot Corned Beef, I think you would enjoy. If you want to use the slow cooker function, I would cook on normal for 12-16 hours with enough broth to cover.
Jewel
Do you mean to put tomato sauce in after chili has finished cooking and pressure released ?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jewel! Sorry for any confusion, I would place the tomato sauce on top of the other ingredients, then pressure cook. You never want to place tomato sauce on the bottom of the inner pot, as it can cause a burn notice.
Jewel
That's a Wendy's copycat chili recipe that I was talking about in post earlier. Sorry.
Jewel
I have a Wendy's copycat recipe that has 29 oz. can of tomato sauce and 2 cups water . I always cook it on stove top but want to fix it for lunch tomorrow after church. How much water do i need to use if I cook in instant pot ? I figured I could pit it in pot before church and then it go to keep warm setting until I gt home from church.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jewel! I would put in a 1 1/2 cups of water, your meat, beans, etc, and then the tomato sauce. Cook for 25-30 minutes on high pressure. Enjoy!
Kim
Hi Kristen. I'm trying to convert a pasta fagioli recipe where I cook the kidney beans , garlic and some carrots and celery for 1.5 hours. It says to use 2 qts. Water. Should I reduce that in half and then cook for 30 minutes under high pressure? I add the pasta later. After the beans and veggies are cooked. Also requires some white wine. Can you put that in a pressure cooker?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kim! I assume this is for dried kidney beans? If so, I would use 8 cups of water and cook for 35 minutes on high pressure, 25 minutes if beans are soaked. Let the pressure release naturally and then proceed with the recipe, keeping in mind you may need to drain off some of liquid for soup as needed. And yes, you can add in wine.
Kim Nalen
Thank you! I'll let you know how it works.
Vicki Hall
I have never seen things explained this clearly about an instant pot before, thank you!!
My question is, if I have a flavored pork roast how much water should I add? I love how it comes out in the slow cooker without water and don't want it to be watery if I put it in the instant pot. (For specifics. it is the pork carnitas from Aldi, if you have an Aldi by you.)
Thank you so much!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Vicki! First of all, thank you for your kind words. I am so glad you found my tips helpful. I would suggest using chicken broth to keep the carnitas from being watery or orange juice for a bit of flavor.
Kat
Hello! Could you use evaporated milk in the instant pot instead of milk? I have a pork chop casserole recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup and milk.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kat! Evaporated milk can curdle under pressure, I would recommend using chicken stock or not convert this recipe.
Alisha
I've used these conversions and they are great but if I want to change a stove recipes that is low heat how do I do it for low not high.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Alisha! I am so happy to hear you found these conversions helpful in the past. As for converting recipes that are cooked on low heat on the stove, you would still use high pressure. For example, most soups are brought to a boil and then reduced to low heat to simmer. The Instant Pot speeds that up. If you tell me a specific recipe, I may be able to help you better as well 🙂
Christy
I have a Mexican Chicken Soup recipe that takes over two hours on the stovetop. I start by browning minced garlic, making a roux by adding flour to the browned garlic, cooking the roux a bit, adding chicken broth slowly, then adding spices including cocoa powder, followed by onions, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. This simmers for an hour and half and then the chicken is added for a final twenty minute cook. I would love not to babysit it and not have natural gas by-products filling our house for hours. Any thoughts? I know you said not to use thickeners so I'm wondering whether this one is even possible. I haven't been able to find something comparable on-line. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christy! As you suspected, making a soup with a roux is not a good idea using the Instant Pot. To make the soup without the roux would be an option, but would DRASTICALLY change the outcome.
Kellise Fitzpatrick
For my chili recipes I mix a bit of broth with flour or cornstarch and add it in after it's done cooking and let it simmer to thicken it. Do you could try cooking the soup in the instant pot and then switch it to saute setting to thicken it.
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely! This is how I thicken my soups and stews after pressure cooking. Just be sure to use a full cup of thin liquid in the actual chili.