Printable Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversion Chart

Yes! We have a slow cooker to instant pot conversion chart (or instant pot to slow cooker) for cooking times that you can print below.

Why?

Because all my favorite dinner recipes that were easy to make were slow cooker recipes!  And now I can speed up the cooking time by converting them to Instant Pot recipes!

But what ARE those instant pot cooking times compared to crockpot times?

Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversion Cooking Times

At its basic, the slow cooker is easier to guess because the answer is always…a really long time.  Instant Pot cooking times are super quick…in many cases the instant pot cooking time is so quick that I wouldn’t have guessed it correctly.

For instance, roast beef takes 15 minutes per pound in the Instant Pot and 8-10 hours on low in the slow cooker! That is a big difference in cooking times between instant pot to slow cooker conversion.

Print Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Conversion Cheat Sheet Pdf File:

Download Printable Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversion Chart!

Convert Slow Cooker Cooking Time to Instant Pot Cooking Times

The cooking time difference between crock pots and instant pots is a ton!  As you can see from the conversion chart, while fish cooking time in the slow cooker is pretty quick (for a slow cooker) at 1-2 hours on low, that same fish fillet is only 5 minutes in an instant pot.

White rice is similar with 1 1/2- 2 hours in the slow cooker and only 5 minutes in the instant pot.

1. Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Soup Conversion

If the soup recipe calls for 8 hours in a slow cooker on low, then it should be fully cooked in an instant pot in less than 30 minutes.  This goes for stews as well.  It is a huge time saver!

2. Compare Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Time

The instant pot works well for me because I have a hard time planning ahead!  It enables me to start dinner at 4 pm and still be fine.  The slow cooker can be a problem when you don’t even think about starting it until noon!

I do think the slow cooker does make meat more tender.  So, while I generally will choose speed, when it comes to a roast, I prefer the slow cooker.

3. How to Slow Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot

There really is no way to slow cook chicken in an instant pot.  The slowest time is a whole chicken which translates to 6 minutes per pound.  That same chicken would take 6-8 hours on low in a slow cooker.

4. Adapting Slow Cooker Recipes to Instant Pot

Use the printable slow cooker to instant pot conversion chart to adapt your favorite family meals to a quicker instant pot cooking time.

This will give you the ability to choose the recipe based on what you want to eat…not how early in the day it might be!

5. Use Your Instant Pot Slow Cooker with Slow Setting

Yes! Most likely your instant pot has a slow cooker setting that allows you to use the LOW or SLOW COOKER instant pot setting and save you from having to decide instant pot vs crock pot for kitchen counter space.

How to Use Slow Cooker Setting on Instant Pot

If your instant pot has a slow cooker setting it can be used with the traditional slow cooker cook times. The low setting on an instant pot is usually a slow cooker setting as well. Check your instapot model’s usage guide to double check.

If you are consistently needing a slow cooker, it is probably best to have a slow cooker separate from just always using your instant pot slow cooker setting. I found this really interesting from Sarah DiGregorio:

“The Instant Pot is a multi-cooker…but I don’t think it’s as good at slow cooking as traditional slow cookers are. That’s because the lid seals and locks in place—as it must for pressure cooking—which allows for even less evaporation than traditional slow cookers.”

–CookingLight, Why You Should Not Use Your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker

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Favorite Instant Pots

• Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer – 8 quart stainless steel with black trim
• Instant Pot Ultra 60 Ultra 6 quart 10-in-1 multi use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Saute and more in stainless steel with black trim

Favorite Slow Cookers

• Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker in Stainless Steel
• Crock Pot Slow Cooker 8 quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Countdown Timer in black and stainless steel
• Hamilton Beach 3 quart slow cooker with dishwasher safe crock and lid in matte black

Getting Dinner on the Table

Both the slow cooker and instant pot have helped me get dinner on the table because it makes it much more convenient.  Especially because I am feeding three teenage boys!

A big thanks to 5 Dinners 1 Hour for the Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Cheat Sheet!  If you haven’t seen how 5 Dinners 1 Hour helps busy moms get dinner on the table, you have to experience it!  <–amazing.

Prepping for Dinner Success

The 5 dinners in 1 hour system of meal prep and super customizable meal plans is the perfect solution to the chaos of everyday life. We all want to have a calm dinner with our family!

I know that one of the things I was worried about was planning ahead.  I know that will sound crazy to some of you, but I had fear of meal planning! But the 5 Dinners 1 Hour plan took that fear away within the first day because it made my life so much easier.

You can sign up for 5 Dinners in 1 Hour by clicking HERE.

How do you convert slow cooker time to instant pot time?

Use our handy dandy conversion chart because converting cooking times between a slow cooker and an instant pot can be difficult because these appliances cook food in different ways. Instant pots are much faster than crockpots because they use pressure cooking which drastically shortens cooking times.

How long is 8 hours in a slow cooker to instant pot?

In general, 8 hours in the crockpot will result in approximately 30 minutes in the instant pot, BUT as you can see by the slow cooker to instant pot conversion chart that is highly variable. Instead of guessing, use the chart!

Can you use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker?

You can use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker to speed up cooking times and make a meal in a few minutes that would have taken all day in the crockpot.

Some instant pots also have a slow cooker function allowing you to choose whether you want to use it as a slow cooker or as an instant pot.

Is the instant pot just a craze like the slow cooker?

To say that the slow cooker is a craze, is overlooking the millions and millions of people that use them daily to quickly prepare meals in the morning that can be eaten for dinner. The instant pot goes one step further allowing the person who forgot to set the crockpot in the morning to still have the meal in the evening…even if they forget until 5 pm!

I like the instant pot because some days even planning for a slow cooker meal is just too hard!

More Instant Pot Fun from Kids Activities Blog

• Instant pot meatloaf recipe that makes family dinner a breeze…and yummy!
• Instant pot popcorn – yep, you read that right!  It is so tasty!
• Instant pot Dr Pepper pork recipe – one of our very favorites!
• Instant pot BBQ chicken recipe – all I can say is yum.
• Instant pot meatball recipe – so easy to make spaghetti & meatballs quick!
• Instant pot chicken and rice recipe – quick, easy & delicious.
• Our favorite crockpot soup recipes
• Instant pot meals for kids <–we know this is important to make things your kids will actually eat.

What is your favorite Instant pot recipe?