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!
Very helpful! I was trying to figure out why my Instant Pot Slow Cook Low setting was not cooking. (Making chili.) Ended up setting it on high to get the slow, low level barely bubbling that I was used to seeing in my old Crockpot on low. So, I think the IP is fine for slow cooking as long as you assume it will always have to be set on medium or high and for longer (low cook) times. No more 3-hour high-setting cooks. OK with me as I can pressure cook if in a hurry. (BTW, the chili was great!)
I am so glad your chili turned out and this post was helpful.
If you use the slow cook method for beef stew and it's not tender...cant you just pressure cook for 15 min or so and correct the time difference?
Hi Michelle! That would be a great time to use your pressure cooker. Just be sure to let pressure release naturally after the cook time elapses. And if your meat is still NOT tender, it is more than likely the cut of meat, NOT your cooking method 🙂
Kristen, do you know which cuts of meat are best choices for slow-cooking, as well as those that are best for pressure cooking? If not, can you direct me to a trusted source?
It's too bad the IP's slow cooker disappoints - I've heard there are digestion issues that resolve with low&slow cooking and do not resolve with pressure cooking!
Thanks for your dedication!
Hi Ayanna! In my personal opinion, any meat that is suitable for braising is good for slow cooking or pressure cooking. This would be roasts that are less expensive and have a good amount of marbling. Lean cuts of meat can be tricky when it comes to pressure cooking. My favorite cuts are chuck roast, pork butt, pork shoulder, and stew meat. I hope that helps!
Hi I’m new to this insta pot and to be honest it scares me! Lol I’m making chili right now put it on slow cooker and just threw everything in like I normally do. It’s on high and says 8:00. Is that 8 hrs? Or done at 8:00 lol I’m sorry I feel so dumb. I’d love to really understand how this thing works. Really like to understand the pressure cooking part and rice, please help. Thank you Kristy
Hi Kristy! I understand the pressure cooker is intimidating until you really understand it. I have this post on Instant Pot 101 to help OR I have a course with videos explaining everything--sometimes it helps to watch the video.
As for your chili recipe--once you place all your ingredients into the Instant Pot, you hit slow cooker, then adjust the timer with +/- buttons to set time you want. So right now it is set for 8 hours. You can stop it before, but 8 hours on the Instant Pot under slow cooker function would be about the equivalent to 6 hours in a traditional slow cooker.
You may also want to use my recipe for IP Chili that is much quicker.
Please reach out any time with questions.
Wow! I’m really glad I came across this post. Trying a new crock pot soup recipe that requires sautéing so I thought I’d give my IP a try and use one less bowl/keep all those delicious bits together. I had originally set it at less thinking it was equivalent to low. We have company coming and that would’ve been a disaster! Soup is cooking away now. Fingers crossed.
Yay!!! So glad this post helped you out. Enjoy that soup.
I tried cooking a pot roast the other night. I used the normal setting for 12 hours and vegetables were hard and the roast was not cooked through. I set on high until the vegetables were cooked but I found later that the roast was still pink. I had to finish cooking the roast in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes and I sliced up the roast. I have not attempted slow cooking again yet. It seems that maybe the only setting that would work is the more (high) setting.
Hi Cindy! Isn't frustrating that the slow cooker function is not easy and straightforward as you would think? I wish you would have found this BEFORE you made your roast. In the future, here is my Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe you may want to try. https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-pot-roast/
I have search forever for how to cook my pre cooked ham in my instant pot. I'm actually fixing 2 hams. One in reg crock and one for IP. Do you suggest setting it on medium for 4 hours? Also should my ham take a cup of liquid? What liquid do you suggest? Fixing early am for 12 lunch.
Hi Shelly! I am so glad you reached out about your ham--here is my brand new recipe for Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham. It takes 2 minutes on high pressure per pound and I wrap in foil on the trivet over 1 cup water. However, you can cook in 1 cup pineapple juice directly in the inner pot. Here is my recipe and all the tips: https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-honey-baked-ham/
When using the slow cooker do you Vent or Seal?
Either is fine, but with slow cooker function, the instant pot will not reach a high enough pressure on slow cook function to seal.
This was SO helpful - thank you so very much! I was wondering why my favorite slow cooker short ribs recipe didn't cook all the way after 9 hours on the low setting with the Instant Pot - now I know! I have a beef barley soup in there on Normal and I am much more confident about it now.
Yay. I am so glad those tips helped you. It really is not as straightforward as you would think. And enjoy the soup