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!
Hi! What setting would you recommend for slow cooked chicken and dumplings? I keep coming up empty when it comes to a good slow
Cooked chicken and dumplings meal on the slow cook settings.
Hi Ann. I have a recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings if you are interested in that. If not, I would say I would suggest normal temp which is more like low heat.
just got my Instaantpot today, and I'm already confused. My instructions say Less is the equivalent of Low on the slow cooker. This is different from what you say.
Hi Diana! If you look at the temperature ranges of the slow cooker function on the instant pot and compare them to a slow cooker temperature, there is a difference and that is what I accounted for after tons of research and trials.
You might try pot in pot method using steam and a stainless steel bowl and cover loosley with aluminum foil
I have not tried this myself Joan, but the steam function is actually still using high pressure, so I doubt this would work the way you intend.
Looking for Pork and Sauerkraut recipe in slow cooker or insta pot. Do you have any ideas?
Hi Marge! Happy to help! I have a recipe for Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut and for Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut.
Thank you. I will be trying one of your recipes tomorrow. Well I was always told that Pork and Sauerkraut was a must for New Years Day because it was good luck.
Thanks
I hope you enjoy Marge and happy New Year!
When using the slow cooker function, do you lock the cover in place? Thanks
It is not necessary to lock the lid or close the vent knob.
Hi there, I wondered if I could use the slow cooker function on my instant pot to cook my turkey dressing. I usually cook it in a crock pot, but it’s just the hubster and me and I only have a small amount of dressing. When I cook it in the crock pot, I’m always stirring and adding chicken broth......what are your thoughts?
Carrie
Hi Carrie! If you made this in the Instant Pot, you would need to do the same--stir and add broth. You would also need to plan on more time for it to be done.
I watched your video on how to use the crockpot feature. All seemed good, it started counting down. I left the house and came back 4 hours later expecting my house to smell yummy. The instant pot was cold but still counting down. What did I do wrong????
Hi Brenda. Was your food cold? Or just your Instant Pot? The Instant Pot exterior does not get as hot as a slow cooker.
I don't have an "Adjust" button on my Instant Pot Duo to change the Slow Cooker setting. What do I do to change it?
Hi Bonnie! Hitting "pressure level" should do it for you!
I have an instant pot duo nova. I want
To slow cook . This model does not have hi low med levels for slow cooking. Nor is there an “adjust” button. Plus and minus setting changes the time function, not the temperature. Can you slow cook on “high” in this model?
Hi Judy! I just reviewed the manual for the Nova and here is what you need to do for this model: Press Slow Cook to select the Slow Cook Smart Program. Press Slow Cook again to cycle through the Less, Normal and More temperature options. Use the − / + buttons to adjust the cooking time. Press Keep Warm to toggle the automatic Keep Warm setting off and on. I hope that helps!