Slow cooker → Instant Pot
Slow cooker to Instant Pot conversion
Forgot to start the slow cooker this morning? Enter the recipe's hours and what you're cooking to get minutes at high pressure in an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker, plus the right release.
8 h on Low is about
At high pressure
40 min
usually 35 min – 45 min
Then release
Natural 10–15 minutes
Natural release 10–15 minutes
Heat scale: slow cooker Low is about 200°F, a pressure cooker about 240°F, slow cooker High about 300°F, oven 325°F.
- Come-up time: Add 10–15 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure. That time is not part of the cook time you set.
- Liquid: at least 1 cup (250 ml) of thin liquid, or the pot will not reach pressure. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry on Sauté afterwards.
- Dairy and pasta go in after pressure cooking, never before.
Slow cooker hours to pressure minutes, by food
Minutes at High pressure. Add 10–15 minutes to come to pressure and the release time.
On Low
| On Low | Beef or pork in chunks | Whole roast, brisket or pork shoulder | Chicken thighs, breasts or a whole bird | Dried beans or lentils | Soup, vegetables or grains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 15 min | 5 min |
| 2 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 15 min | 5 min |
| 3 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 15 min | 5 min |
| 4 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 20 min | 10 min |
| 5 h | 25 min | 45 min | 15 min | 25 min | 10 min |
| 6 h | 30 min | 45 min | 15 min | 25 min | 15 min |
| 7 h | 35 min | 50 min | 20 min | 30 min | 15 min |
| 8 h | 40 min | 55 min | 20 min | 35 min | 20 min |
| 9 h | 45 min | 1 h 5 min | 25 min | 40 min | 20 min |
| 10 h | 50 min | 1 h 10 min | 30 min | 45 min | 25 min |
On High
| On High | Beef or pork in chunks | Whole roast, brisket or pork shoulder | Chicken thighs, breasts or a whole bird | Dried beans or lentils | Soup, vegetables or grains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 15 min | 5 min |
| 2 h | 20 min | 45 min | 10 min | 20 min | 10 min |
| 3 h | 30 min | 45 min | 15 min | 25 min | 15 min |
| 4 h | 40 min | 55 min | 20 min | 35 min | 20 min |
| 5 h | 50 min | 1 h 10 min | 30 min | 45 min | 25 min |
| 6 h | 1 h | 1 h 25 min | 35 min | 55 min | 25 min |
Release: beef or pork in chunks, natural release 10–15 minutes; whole roast, brisket or pork shoulder, full natural release (about 20 minutes); chicken thighs, breasts or a whole bird, natural release 5–10 minutes; dried beans or lentils, full natural release; soup, vegetables or grains, quick release. An hour on High equals two on Low here (6 hours on High reads like 12 on Low). Recipes rarely run longer than 6 hours on High; the calculator above takes any time.
Converting the recipe itself
- Use Sauté to brown the meat and soften the aromatics in the pot. Deglaze thoroughly so nothing is stuck to the bottom, or you'll get the burn warning.
- Make sure there is at least 1 cup of thin liquid. Reduce a slow cooker recipe's liquid by about a quarter beyond that; pressure cooking loses almost nothing.
- Layer thick ingredients (tomato paste, canned tomatoes, cream) on top without stirring them in.
- Seal, set High pressure for the converted time, and release as the calculator suggests.
- Thicken on Sauté afterwards with a cornstarch slurry; stir in dairy and fresh herbs last.
Common questions
▸How do I convert slow cooker time to Instant Pot time?
Work out the oven-equivalent first (15 minutes per hour on Low, 30 per hour on High), then divide by three for pressure time at High. 8 hours on Low is about 2 hours in the oven and about 40 minutes at pressure for stew meat. Chicken needs far less (roughly 15 minutes), a whole pork shoulder needs more (60 minutes or so). The calculator applies those food-type adjustments.
▸Does the Instant Pot time include coming to pressure?
No. The number you set is the time at pressure. A 6-quart pot with 1–2 cups of liquid takes 10–15 minutes to reach pressure, longer if the pot is full or the contents are frozen. Add that to your planning, plus the release time.
▸Natural release or quick release?
Natural release (leave it alone until the pin drops, 10–20 minutes) for meat, beans and anything foamy or starchy; it keeps meat tender and stops soup spraying out of the valve. Quick release for vegetables, fish and anything you want to stop cooking immediately.
▸Why won't my converted recipe come to pressure?
Not enough thin liquid, or the sauce is too thick. You need at least 1 cup (250 ml) of water, stock or other thin liquid touching the bottom. Thick sauces, tomato paste and dairy should be stirred in after cooking, or layered on top without stirring.
▸Can I use the Instant Pot's Slow Cook button instead?
You can, but most Instant Pots run cooler than a dedicated slow cooker on their Slow Cook setting. Use 'More' (High) where a Crock-Pot recipe says Low, and use the glass lid, not the pressure lid.