The Ultimate Guide for Making Any Crockpot Recipe in an Instant Pot
Did you know you can convert slow cooker meals to Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Save time and have dinner perfectly cooked – every time! Here is the ultimate guide for making any Crockpot recipe in an Instant Pot.
With so many family favorite meals already perfected in the slow cooker, we wanted to figure out the best ways translate them for pressure cooking. We’ve found that most recipes translate just as well – if not better! No need to totally re-invent your recipe collection when you can follow these guidelines to convert.
Here are our tips, conversions, and cautions for making any Crockpot recipe Instant Pot friendly
Basics for converting a crockpot recipe into instant pot
Here are some basic rules to help you know what (if anything) should be changed for your recipe to work as a pressure cooker recipe. Plus some tips to help you make the most of your Instant Pot!
One-cup liquid rule
When to use the drop-in steam rack
Take advantage of the saute function
Use the bowl-in-bowl method:
How long to pressure cook a slow cooker recipe
For many recipes, you actually do not need to change anything but figure out pressure cook time! This is the case for many soups, meat-only recipes such as roasts or chicken. In the beginning it takes some experimenting and practice because no two meals are exactly alike. Here are some basic guidelines that will get you going in the right direction!
If a Crockpot recipe calls for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high), it will probably be done perfectly in about 25 minutes in the Instant Pot. If it isn’t done, just cook it for another 5 minutes on manual (unless it still looks reaaaally raw – then add maybe 8-10, but that is highly unlikely). And don’t worry, the Instant Pot will come up to pressure much faster the second time because everything inside is still so hot.
The thicker the piece of meat, the longer it will need. Volume does not matter, but density does. So if you have a large, thick piece of meat it will need more time than the same amount of meat cut into smaller portions.
If you throw your meat in frozen, just add 5-10 minutes to the total pressure cooker time. If it’s a really huge block of lots of ground meat or something, maybe 10.
Use the natural pressure release method when cooking meat to make it extra tender. It’s also important to allow for natural pressure release when cooking beans, rice, oatmeal, or other grains that foam so that it doesn’t sputter and clog the vent.
Use a manual or quick pressure release when you cook more vegetables or fruit. This helps keep fruit and veggies from getting too mushy. A manual pressure release is simply opening the vent once pressure cooking has finished – just keep your hands clear! Manual pressure release is also good if you’re not sure if you gave enough cooking time – so you waste less time before checking.
Liquid conversions for cooking beans and grains
When grains and legumes are pressure cooked, they require less water. For most grains, rice, legumes, and beans you will need less water than other forms of cooking.
Most slow cooker recipes do not call for rice and grains that cook quickly since they typically turn to mush. But if a Crockpot recipe calls for brown rice or barley, look at the Instant Pot chart for more information on minimum cook time and liquid amounts. Know that the “Rice” button is programmed for white rice only.
Beans and legumes will double in size when cooked, so never fill the Instant Pot more than halfway with them. If cooking beans alone, simply cover the beans completely in liquid.
To find out cook times, visit the Instant Pot website. Remember, cook times listed are typically minimum – beans and legumes are difficult to overcook but are gross if under-cooked. I always err on the side of cooking a little longer. The “Bean/Chili” button is set to cook beans, but if you are using beans that require more time you can either push “adjust” to “more” or use “manual” mode.
Soaking beans and legumes overnight is typically the best way to decrease cook time and have the best results (for your tummy). But you can definitely cook beans without soaking them in the Instant Pot, which is pretty great when you need to cook them last minute.
Cautions when converting slow cooked meals into Instant Pot
Here’s a basic list of things to be careful of when using your Instant Pot, especially when converting recipes:
- Do not use milk in pressure cooking. Milk can scald, which would ruin flavor and consistency in cooking. Instead, add milk products after cooking or find non-dairy substitutes or broths to use during pressure cooking.
- Do not pass the “Max Fill” line. Not only could overfilling possibly clog your Instant Pot, but it might leave you waiting for a long time and not actually ever reach pressure.
- For beans and grains, only fill halfway. Anything that expands will, well, get bigger – so leave plenty of room! Cooking beans and grains also often causes foaming, so you need the extra room to keep the foam from clogging the vent.
- Add thickeners after the pot finishes cooking. To add corn starch or flour, for instance, use a small bowl to make a slurry: add the thickener to a small amount of cold liquid and whisk well. Then pour into the cooked goods after the cooking is finished and whisk.
OUR BEST INSTANT POT RECIPES:
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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wow really very good post..
I am new to the instant pot- but have used a pressure cooker since I was a young bride many years ago. We will be using this at home and in our camper. THANK YOU for a great primer on this new appliance. I can’t wait to try some of your recipes!
Very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for this post! I converted a chicken and barley soup from 5-6 hours in the crockpot to 25 minutes in the IP. It was perfect!
My programmable pressure cooker is not an Instant Pot but looks just like one and works the same way. My Mftg instructions for cooking beans do not include information about cooking beans with bacon or ham. When should I add those thins and would it affect the cooking time?
You are possibly my new favourite person. This was exactly what I needed. I have so many great slow cooker meals in my back pocket but needed a definitive guide on how to cook them in the IP. My slow cooker runs hotter than many, it seems, so I’ll keep that in mind too, but this is a perfect starting point. Thank you so much!
Thank you this is exactly the information I needed!
Can you tell me how long to boil potatoes and how much water I need in it I want to make home made mashed potatoes
Hi Harry, are you hoping to cook potatoes in your Instant Pot? If so, just add a cup of water to the bottom of your instant pot and place the steamer rack above it. Place your potatoes on the rack and let them cook under pressure for 15 minutes, or longer for very large potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally and then your potatoes should be cooked. I hope this answers your question!
Thank you for this post.. how much water should I put in a soup recipe that has beans on and it is calling for 6 cups of water
Thank you
Hi Moni, for beans in the Instant Pot, I like to use 8 cups of water to a pound of beans. That does leave me some leftover liquid that I’ll drain afterwards. If you don’t plan on draining, the 6-cup amount is probably adequate.