Intro:

Slow cooker recipes have been a staple for home cooks looking for convenience and comfort food, but the rise in popularity of Instant Pots has everyone wanting to convert their favorite slow cooker recipes. The good news is that it’s easy to do! Follow these simple tips to successfully transform your slow cooker recipes into Instant Pot masterpieces.

1. Adjusting cooking time:

Instant Pot cook times are faster than slow cookers, so adjust accordingly. A good rule of thumb is if the original recipe calls for 8 hours on low, reduce that to 25-30 minutes at high pressure in the Instant Pot. If the slow cooker recipe requires 4 hours on high, aim for 15-20 minutes at high pressure in the Instant Pot.

2. Liquid levels:

Instant Pots require less liquid than slow cookers since there’s less evaporation. But be mindful not to overdo it – you should have around one cup of liquid fr your recipe unless it’s a soup or stew. You can always add a cornstarch slurry at the end if you want to thicken the sauce.

3. Sear before pressure cooking:

If your slow cooker recipe starts with browning or searing meat, you can do this directly in the Instant Pot using the “Sauté” function. This locks in flavor and eliminates the need to use multiple pots or pans.

4. Layering ingredients:

In an Instant Pot, you should prioritize adding ingredients based on their cooking times. Place dense items, like root vegetables and large cuts of meat, at the bottom so they’ll cook faster under pressure; then stack lighter ingredients and those with shorter cooking times near the top.

5. Release method:

The Instant Pot allows manual or natural release methods when finished cooking. If your converted slow cooker recipe contains soft-cooked vegetables or delicate proteins like fish, opt for a natural release to avoid overcooking. Use manual release when you want to stop the cooking process for tough proteins or if you are short on time.

Conclusion:

With these tips, it’s never been easier to transform your tried-and-true slow cooker recipes into Instant Pot favorites. Just remember to adjust cooking times, monitor liquid levels, and layer your ingredients correctly, and soon your cooking repertoire will be full of delicious Instant Pot meals!