Instant Pot Cooking Times (with Free Download & Recipes!)
Once you have the basics of the Instant Pot figured out, it’s so quick and easy to start cooking! But since the Instant Pot manual didn’t produce the results we were hoping for, we decided to create our own “manual” (this free downloadable PDF) with Instant Pot cooking times and ratios.
Instant Pot vs. Stovetop
The beauty of the Instant Pot is that it makes perfectly cooked grains and beans in a fraction of the time that it would take on the stovetop, no soaking required (with the exception of a few beans).
But unlike the stovetop where you can easily modify the cooking time, it’s not as easy with the Instant Pot (once you open the lid, it de-pressurizes and you have to start over). So getting the times right is important!
Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide
We’ve made a handy, printable guide (download here) so that you can make perfectly cooked beans, grains, and more every time!
For the beans and grains in this guide, we share how much liquid to add per 1 cup of grain/bean (and include metric measurements as well). For the liquid, you can use water or add more flavor by using vegetable broth in savory dishes (such as quinoa or pinto beans) or dairy-free milk in sweet dishes (such as steel cut oats).
Most beans can be cooked in the Instant Pot without soaking, but there were a couple that we found didn’t quite cook fully. So for those (garbanzo beans and lima beans), the cooking times are for after the beans have been soaked for at least 6-8 hours and then drained.
For more guidance, find the detailed recipes below.
Instant Pot Mung Beans (Tender, Fast, No Soaking!)
A quick & simple method for making PERFECT mung beans in the Instant Pot every time, no soaking required! Just 1 ingredient and less than 25 minutes required!
Instant Pot Red Lentils (Tender, Fast, No Soaking!)
A quick & simple method for making red lentils in the Instant Pot! Perfect for dal and adding to healthier desserts. Just 1 ingredient and less than 30 minutes required!
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes (Fast, Tender, Perfect!)
A quick & easy way to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot! Tender potatoes in less than 45 minutes start to finish. Just 1 ingredient and 1 pot required!
We hope you found this resource helpful! If you try any of these recipes, let us know! Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Thanks for sharing this! I have just one recommendation for everyone. For your health, I highly recommend soaking your beans before you cook them. They’ll be ready in a fraction of the time, they’ll be much easier to digest, and the soaking will break down all the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can **wreak havoc on your gut, locking away the nutrients.**
Hi MB,
Do you have a similar guide for proteins – chicken, fish, lean game meats in particular? I find the poultry setting is too broad.
If you can soft boil eggs, I’m thinking something delicate like fish might work?
I can eat canned fish but get an upset gut when I eat fresh fish, so would like to try pressure cooking to see if this has the same effect as canning, making it OK for my gut.
Thanks, Hil.
My oatmeal always burns on the bottom I have enough liquid I don’t have a long cooking time and I used the oatmeal setting I did it once on high pressure and the oatmeal did on low
What am I doing wrong
I really appreciate this chart! I always soak my beans so would you recommend just starting by cutting the time in half of what you list for unsoaked? Or where would you start?
This is great, thank you Dana, just what I need.
Will you be doing any combined meals times, e.g. beans and grains, for a one-pot meal, at all, (pretty) please?
Claire, Surrey, England.
This is so, so helpful! After considering for quite some time whether to purchase a 6 quart or 8, I ended up buying an 8 quart (because it was cheaper!) Do these times/water quantities also apply for 8 quart models or should they be altered slightly? Thank you so much for providing such a helpful resource and INSPIRATION to get an Instant Pot!
Hi Michael! We don’t have a recipe for buckwheat in the instant pot, but a quick google should tell you the correct timing to use. We don’t have an adzuki beans recipe either, but you could use our Instant Pot Red Beans as a reference. Hope this helps!
Hi Dana,
I never really leave comments on recipe blogs (though enjoy reading them :) ), but this time I do feel compelled to let you know how incredibly grateful I am for your Instant Pot guide! I bought one a couple of years ago here in the UK (similar to Instant Pot, but different make), and I totally dispaired over the useless manual that came with it. The various function buttons looks great, but when I contacted the manufacturers, they couldn’t help either. Whoever put this appliance together??
Your guide is just great, especially as it covers all the beans and grains we eat all the time. No more wondering about those gimicky function buttons, hooray!
Thank you for delving into the beans- and grains pressure cooker world for us, I have no doubt you have helped many many readers!
Thank you so much for ALL this information on using the Instant Pot for healthy cooking! I am very impressed! You must have spent months on this project. I appreciate all your hard work.
Wow, thank you! I love my Instant Pot, but the cooking tips they enclosed with the pot didn’t include some of the foods that I most often eat (various beans and grains, especially).
This is so helpful! :)
Thanks a million for the “Instant Pot 101…Guide/Minimalist Baker Recipe”.
Can you please send a Hard Copy of the Guide and the Recipes as an attachment to an e-mail?.
Thanks for having me on your mailing list.
Thank you so much for doing this! I, too, was not satisfied with the results of the Instant Pot manual and have been experimenting with team for each kind of bean. Only things I don’t like is releasing any steam after the “natural release” time as a lot of bean residue comes through. I have been turning off the power once the cooking time is completed and waiting for it to release naturally. Keeps the lid cleaner. However, I am open to your suggestions!!
Renni Anderson (Ashley Yoder’s aunt – who introduced me to your website and great recipes & gifted me with one of your cookbooks!)
Hi Renni! So nice to hear from you! I think your method sounds good. We haven’t had any issues with bean residue or dirty lids if allowing the natural release while the machine is on!
thank you sooo much… i had some charts but have no clue where they are and i luv all that u do and how caring and helpful u are to all of us…. this will be such a big help for me… thank you and do have a blessed holiday…..
Helena says
Thanks for sharing this! I have just one recommendation for everyone. For your health, I highly recommend soaking your beans before you cook them. They’ll be ready in a fraction of the time, they’ll be much easier to digest, and the soaking will break down all the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can **wreak havoc on your gut, locking away the nutrients.**
Katherine Villegas says
What would be the cooking time for Navy Beans? Bith soaked and uncooked? Thank you in advance and thank you for the guide!
Katherine
Hi Katherine, we don’t have the cooking time for navy beans, unfortunately!
April says
Do I need to adjust the time if I make multiple cups of rolled oats–as opposed to just one cup?
Hi April, nope! The time will be the same.
Hilary Zeller says
Hi MB,
Do you have a similar guide for proteins – chicken, fish, lean game meats in particular? I find the poultry setting is too broad.
If you can soft boil eggs, I’m thinking something delicate like fish might work?
I can eat canned fish but get an upset gut when I eat fresh fish, so would like to try pressure cooking to see if this has the same effect as canning, making it OK for my gut.
Thanks, Hil.
Hi Hil, we don’t, unfortunately! We mostly use it for grains & beans.
Jm says
My oatmeal always burns on the bottom I have enough liquid I don’t have a long cooking time and I used the oatmeal setting I did it once on high pressure and the oatmeal did on low
What am I doing wrong
Hi, is it possible you’re using a thick milk? We’ve found using at least half water is helpful.
JJ Ohio says
I really appreciate this chart! I always soak my beans so would you recommend just starting by cutting the time in half of what you list for unsoaked? Or where would you start?
We’re so glad it’s helpful! Hmm, we’d say 1/3 to 1/2 the time.
Claire says
This is great, thank you Dana, just what I need.
Will you be doing any combined meals times, e.g. beans and grains, for a one-pot meal, at all, (pretty) please?
Claire, Surrey, England.
Hi Claire! So glad you found the post helpful. We’ll add that to our ideas list!
Alexandra says
This is so, so helpful! After considering for quite some time whether to purchase a 6 quart or 8, I ended up buying an 8 quart (because it was cheaper!) Do these times/water quantities also apply for 8 quart models or should they be altered slightly? Thank you so much for providing such a helpful resource and INSPIRATION to get an Instant Pot!
Aw, we’re so glad to hear it’s helpful, Alexandra! You don’t need to adjust the times or the amount of water.
Michael says
Can you cook buckwheat groats and adzuki beans in the instant pot?
If yes, what are the recipes?
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Michael! We don’t have a recipe for buckwheat in the instant pot, but a quick google should tell you the correct timing to use. We don’t have an adzuki beans recipe either, but you could use our Instant Pot Red Beans as a reference. Hope this helps!
Ann K says
Thank you. I just received a 6 qt and 3 qt from my family for my 80th birthday and I love all of your information. Still learning. Aunt Parsnips
Lovely! Hope you enjoy it and happy birthday!
JoAnn M Lakes says
Thank you for this wonderful reference with cooking times and methods!
Ashleigh says
Thank you so much for this!!! So helpful.
We’re so glad you think so! Thanks for sharing, Ashleigh!
Annelies says
Hi Dana,
I never really leave comments on recipe blogs (though enjoy reading them :) ), but this time I do feel compelled to let you know how incredibly grateful I am for your Instant Pot guide! I bought one a couple of years ago here in the UK (similar to Instant Pot, but different make), and I totally dispaired over the useless manual that came with it. The various function buttons looks great, but when I contacted the manufacturers, they couldn’t help either. Whoever put this appliance together??
Your guide is just great, especially as it covers all the beans and grains we eat all the time. No more wondering about those gimicky function buttons, hooray!
Thank you for delving into the beans- and grains pressure cooker world for us, I have no doubt you have helped many many readers!
Of course! Thanks so much for the kind words, Annelies. Hopefully you find this helpful!
Martha says
Thank you so much for ALL this information on using the Instant Pot for healthy cooking! I am very impressed! You must have spent months on this project. I appreciate all your hard work.
Oh yes, and plenty of hours of combined work!
Nat says
Amazing! Love these tips and love your website. 🙏 Thank you.
xoxo!
Jane says
Wow, thank you! I love my Instant Pot, but the cooking tips they enclosed with the pot didn’t include some of the foods that I most often eat (various beans and grains, especially).
This is so helpful! :)
Of course! Hope it’s helpful!
Chinmoy Sarkar says
Thanks a million for the “Instant Pot 101…Guide/Minimalist Baker Recipe”.
Can you please send a Hard Copy of the Guide and the Recipes as an attachment to an e-mail?.
Thanks for having me on your mailing list.
It’s available as a download so you can print it off or keep it on your mobile device!
Renni Anderson says
Thank you so much for doing this! I, too, was not satisfied with the results of the Instant Pot manual and have been experimenting with team for each kind of bean. Only things I don’t like is releasing any steam after the “natural release” time as a lot of bean residue comes through. I have been turning off the power once the cooking time is completed and waiting for it to release naturally. Keeps the lid cleaner. However, I am open to your suggestions!!
Renni Anderson (Ashley Yoder’s aunt – who introduced me to your website and great recipes & gifted me with one of your cookbooks!)
Hi Renni! So nice to hear from you! I think your method sounds good. We haven’t had any issues with bean residue or dirty lids if allowing the natural release while the machine is on!
Cindi says
thank you sooo much… i had some charts but have no clue where they are and i luv all that u do and how caring and helpful u are to all of us…. this will be such a big help for me… thank you and do have a blessed holiday…..
xoxo!