How to Use Your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker
Updated Jun 18, 2024
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It is not as straightforward as you would think to use your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker. However, with these tips, you CAN use your Instant Pot for slow cooking.
Many people purchased an Instant Pot to make their lives easier and to cut down on appliances. While the Instant Pot does a wonderful job making Instant Pot Rice, replacing the need for a rice cooker, and is superb at making yogurt, replacing the need for a yogurt incubator, an Instant Pot DOES NOT make a great replacement for a Crockpot.
While the slow cook function on a pressure cooker is not a useless Instant Pot Setting, like Porridge or Beans, it requires modifications.
Important to Remember When Using an Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker
- You must still have thin liquid in the inner pot. For the Instant Pot to reach and maintain a consistent temperature, it is crucial to have at least 1 cup of thin liquid in the inner pot. The slow cooker function will not work without the addition of thin liquid (water, broth, juice, etc).
- Layer correctly. Just like pressure cooking, be sure the thin liquid is on the bottom of the inner pot. If you have a thick sauce, such as BBQ sauce or tomato sauce, your pressure cooker will struggle to reach and maintain temperature.
- You have to modify the setting and time. The heat settings of low, normal, and high do not equally equate to the keep warm, low, and high settings on a slow cooker. Use my guide for converting recipes below.
- It shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes to heat up. If after 20 minutes your Instant Pot is still heating, rather than counting down the cooking time, it is likely struggling to reach temperature. To override this, you can take the lid off your pressure cooker, press saute, and saute for 2-4 minutes. Hit cancel, and then reset the cooking time using the slow cook function.
- No pressure will be reached. When using the slow cook function on your pressure cooker, pressure will not be reached. Therefore, you don't need to worry about locking your lid or vent knob into place and you can remove the lid to check on your dish as desired. If you would like, you can use a glass lid, which will allow some of the liquid to evaporate, as a traditional slow cooker lid does.
Instant Pot Slow Cook Temperatures Explained
The Slow Cook Function on the Instant Pot can be adjusted to Low, Normal, or High Temperature.
- Low on the Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function is like the keep warm on a traditional slow cooker. The low setting reaches about 170 degrees F.
- Normal on the Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function is equivalent to low heat on a traditional slow cooker. Normal reaches 200 degrees F.
- High on the Instant Pot Function does not get as high as high heat on a slow cooker, but by adding 15 minutes per hour of slow cooking, you can experience similar results. High reaches about 210 degrees F, which is 10-20 degrees less than a slow cooker on high.
How to Use the Slow Cook Setting on the Instant Pot
Below this explanation, you will find a printable chart you can keep on hand to help you quickly remember how to slow cook your favorite slow cooker recipes using the Instant Pot.
- To turn on the slow cook function, hit the slow cook button on your pressure cooker.
- Hit adjust/pressure or toggle your knob to select between low, normal and high temperature.
- Use the knob or +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time, which should be able to be set in 30 minute increments. Remember to add 15 minutes of cooking time per hour if cooking on High.
- Once the cooking time is set, the Instant Pot will heat and once fully heated, the cooking time will begin.
- After the cooking time elapses, most models will default to keep warm (be sure it is selected by hitting the keep warm button if not lit up.)
Click on Picture to access the DOWNLOAD and print.
Should I Get Rid of My Slow Cooker?
NO! If you have space for both a traditional slow cooker and an Instant Pot, I would highly recommend keeping both, as both serve their purpose. A slow cooker will produce more consistent results for crockpot recipes and you don't need to worry about adding thin liquid.
However, if you only have space for one appliance, I would still recommend purchasing the Instant Pot and with this guide, you CAN slow cook using your Instant Pot.
Slow Cooker Recipes to Instant Pot Recipes
While this post was designed to teach you how to use your pressure cooker as a slow cooker, the whole purpose of the Instant Pot is to SPEED up cooking.
Here are some of my favorite Slow Cooker Recipes that I have used as inspiration to create Instant Pot versions.
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas to Instant Pot Pork Tacos
- Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas to Instant Pot Steak Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Baked Ziti to Instant Pot Creamy Pasta
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork to Instant Pot Pulled Pork
If you still have questions, please leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer!
My instant pot duo does not have an adjust button. How do I change the cooking temperature?
Hi Pat, instead of adjust, hit "pressure level" button. That will change temperature 🙂
I have the Instapot 6 quart duo, I hit the slow cook button twice to raise the temperature to high. Pressing the pressure setting did not do anything. Thanks for your post, it helped in learning how to use the slow cooker function on the instant pot
Hi. Trying to use the IP as a slow cooker. I have the IP Nova Plus. The temp setting, you’re mentioning...am a little confused. By pressing my “slow cook” button on the display, I see that temps may be changing to low, normal, or “more”. I hope that means low, medium, and high. If you can, please, let me know. Thanks.
Hi Deb. Yes, that would be correct 🙂
I made a pork loin in my crockpot for 6.5 hrs and it is not tender yet so can I transfer it to the instant pot duo? I do not know for how long to set it to get done in 1 or 2 hours. Thank you.
Also, if this happens with other meats is there directions how to finish cooking meats or other recipes? I searched online but did not find a site.
Hi Cindy! It will vary based on what cut of meat you are cooking, but if your meat is not tender at end of time in crock pot, you can place in Instant Pot with at least 1 cup of liquid and cook for 15-20 minutes on high pressure to finish cooking a roast. For pork loin, it can be tough to get tender at times. I would personally cut into 3-4 inch chunks and then add to pressure cooker, cover with liquid and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure to help tenderize the meat. Hope that helps a bit.
oopsy? - are you really sure that High takes an extra 15 minutes per hour over Normal/Slow where time stays the same?
Hi Alan, while it may not make sense, that is correct. The normal slow cooker function on an Instant Pot is like the low setting. The high slow cooker function on the instant pot needs the cooking time adjusted.
If that is the case, a higher temp should have LESS time, not more. Not willing to take your advice on anything if something that simple is wrong here...
Shan,
You misunderstood. HIGH Slow cooker setting on the Instant Pot is actually lower than the high setting on a traditional slow cooker, hence the longer time.
Shan, Geez take it easy. Read what she says, read the temps. She is correct.
psst, shan....most decent people would apologize at this point...
What if you want to stir a stew that’s on Slow Cook? What is the process to take off the lid and continue cooking?
Because the lid does not seal while slow cooking, you can remove the lid at any time to stir the contents. A lot of people even purchase clear glass lids for the pressure cooker to use when slow cooking.
So glad to have found this post! I am following the directions now, just in time, as I almost used a standard slow cooker recipe. Whew!
YAY! I am so happy this helps!
Do you keep the pressure closed for soups?
Hi Susie, yes you definitely want to keep the pressure closed for soups. Really the only time to leave it open is for keep warm or yogurt function.
I used your instructions tonight to make pot roast. It came out perfectly - thank you!
Oh I am so glad Nicole!! I hope this saves you so much time in the future.
I have made beef stew in my Instant Pot using a recipe designed for the Instant Pot. But I wanted to try a classic crock pot recipe that won't work in the Instant Pot so I decided to try the slow cooker setting.
The recipe:
Stew meat
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)
Can of Tomato Soup (Condensed)
Put everything in a crockpot with some salt and pepper and 2-3 bay leaves and slow cook on low for 10-12 hours (High 5-6)
So I put the meat in the Instant Pot an d browned it. Deglazed with a little wine. Added the other ingredients, mixed it and cooked it for 5.5 hours on high. The result was it wasn't even remotely cooked. So back in on medium for another 6-7 hours. The carrots were cooked but barely and the potatoes were not cooked enough. So now I've put it back on at high for another 6 or so hours.
So based on your article I probably need to cook on high for at least 7.5-8 hours, perhaps add some water or bouillon (maybe a cup? Maybe more?) and perhaps cut the potatoes in half (They were small but I put them in whole.)
Hi William! I am glad you found these instructions, because using your IP like a slow cooker, is more complicated then you would think.
I would cook for 8 hours, add in 1 cup stock of your choice and cut the potatoes in half.
That should work MUCH better.
Enjoy!