Pot in pot Instant Pot cooking method is a pressure cooking technique that allows you to pressure cook cheesecake, lasagna, and other foods that don’t contain liquid. Pot in Pot cooking is useful for making smaller quantities of food. The PIP method also allows you to pressure cook recipes that tend to scorch and to cook multiple dishes at the same time using Instant Pot stackable containers.
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Table of Contents
If you’re familiar with the Instant Pot, maybe you’ve heard the term Pot in Pot and wondered what it is. Pot in Pot cooking (also referred to as PIP) is a really useful stovetop pressure cooker technique that can be used with the Instant Pot pressure cooker.
I’ll give you a summary of why you’d want to use this technique and walk you through the steps to combine two recipes that you can cook together. By the way, if you’ve made my Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits recipe, then you’ve already used the Pot in Pot technique!
Get Started with the Instant Pot with these guides:
– Instant Pot Duo Quick Start Guide
– Instant Pot Ultra Quick Start Guide
– Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Beginners Manual
What is Pot in Pot Pressure Cooking?
The Instant Pot pot in pot method of cooking allows food to cook in a separate smaller pot that’s placed on a steam rack in the Instant Pot. Steam generated from liquid below the steam rack is used to build pressure and cook the food.
Pot in Pot has many uses and I’ll outline them in the sections below, but in its simplest form, here’s how you can cook something using the Pot in Pot cooking technique. If you’ve ever wondered how to use the Instant Pot steam rack or trivet, this is how:
- Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot’s inner pot.
- Place a metal trivet or steam rack in the bottom of the pot.
- Put food in an oven-safe container. This container does not require liquid.
- Place the container on the steam rack and close the Instant Pot lid.
- Pressure cook the food and do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) or Quick Release (QR). (You might need to add some additional time to the regular Instant Pot cooking time)
Note: The quantity of food you can cook in a ‘Pot in Pot’ container will be less than what you can cook directly in the Instant Pot liner (inner pot). You might need to adjust recipe quantities.
[Read all about the Instant Pot trivet types and how to use them.]
What Accessories are Used for Pot in Pot Cooking?
1. Essential Instant Pot Accessories
- Raised steam rack that is placed in the Instant Pot inner pot. The Instant Pot is shipped with a steam rack, and that works perfectly well. There are many types of racks – as you can see from my collection! Note: the container being used for PIP cooking must be placed on a rack, and not directly in the inner pot.
- Oven-safe dish made of stainless steel, oven-safe glass, silicone, or ceramic/porcelain. The container shouldn’t touch the walls of the inner pot and should allow the Instant Pot lid to be closed easily.
- A springform cake pan or push pan works great for pot in pot cooking.
- Pro Tip: the inner pot of the 3 quart Instant Pot fits the 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots. It’s a very handy container to have for pot in pot cooking.
Important Note
I have used Pyrex oven-safe glass dishes in my multiple Instant Pots with no problems. However, I suggest you read the manufacturer’s directions for the Instant Pot and the glassware and decide for yourself whether to use a glass dish in the Instant Pot.
2. Optional Instant Pot Accessories
- Multi-tiered stackable containers used to cook different foods in separate containers.
- Flat wire rack so you can have separate layers of food by stacking multiple containers if not using the stackable inserts described in the PIP Accessories section above.
- Silicone gloves to handle the hot dishes
- If you don’t have a steam rack with handles to lift the container out, you can make an aluminum foil sling to remove your container from the Instant Pot. Some models of Instant Pot are shipped with the rack that has handles.
- Aluminum foil to cover the container and prevent condensation from dripping in.
What are the different uses of PIP Cooking?
1. Recipes that don’t require liquid
The Instant Pot requires a cup of liquid or more to build pressure. Casseroles and desserts don’t have that minimum quantity of liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure. But the Pot in Pot technique is a great choice for these recipes that would normally be baked in the oven.
A springform pan works great for this use. Here are some examples of Pot in Pot recipes from different blogs:
2. Prevent scorching from heavy and dense sauces
I’ve used the Pot in Pot method to salvage a meal when I get the dreaded burn error and food is scorched on the bottom of the Instant Pot. I empty out the contents of the Instant Pot, clean out the inner pot, and use the Pot in Pot technique to finish up the cooking.
If you’re using canned tomato sauces or purchased sauces with ingredients like corn starch or tapioca starch, you can have problems with scorching. And scorching prevents the Instant Pot from reaching pressure. This is when you see the burn notice.
Or you may have a recipe with a thick gravy. Pot in Pot cooking is a great way to cook these types of foods without having to thin the sauce with water or broth.
Another example is oatmeal. Oatmeal cooked directly in the inner pot can be difficult to cook properly and it can also be pretty messy. Pot in Pot works really well for oatmeal.
3. Recipes that require a bain marie
A bain-marie (pronounced ‘bahn ma-ree’) is a water-bath cooking technique used for delicate desserts that are baked in the oven and serves to slow down cooking by using steam to evenly cook the dish. These recipes are perfect for the Instant Pot!
4. Reheat foods without using the microwave or stovetop
Do you heat up leftovers in the microwave? At our house, by the time five people heat up their food, the first person’s food is already cold!
A great solution is to reheat food in the Instant Pot, using the Pot in Pot method. Just store the leftovers in the fridge in oven-safe bowl, and reheat in the Instant Pot using the Pot in Pot technique. Note: Going directly from the freezer to the pressure cooker can cause a glass bowl to crack.
You can stack multiple containers separated by a wire rack, or use the stackable inserts, described in the Pot in Pot Accessories section, that work great in the Instant Pot. Then just use the ‘Steam’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ function for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the type and density of your food.
5. Steam vegetables, seafood, and other delicate foods
I like to pressure cook delicate vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, peas, etc) or seafood on low pressure. However, your Instant Pot model may not have the low-pressure option, or you may be using a recipe that calls for high pressure.
Cooking these delicate foods directly in the inner pot, even in a steamer basket, can cause them to overcook.
Cooking them in a separate container using PIP helps to slow down the cooking process. Add a few cups of water to the inner pot and place the food in a container on the rack.
I’ve found that covering the container with a double layer of foil or a lid, also slows down cooking.
6. Quick cleanup, easy storage for smaller quantities of food
I love the fact that the Instant Pot makes cleanup really easy – only one pot to clean!
If you have a smaller quantity of food to cook, you can make cleanup even easier. Use the Pot in Pot method to cook your food, and serve and store it in the same container.
I do this all the time with Instant Pot Rice. I use a Pyrex dish to pressure cook the rice using the PIP method, and I don’t need to clean out the inner pot. Plus I can store leftovers in the same dish – very convenient!
7. Cook multiple dishes together
For me, cooking a complete meal altogether is the most exciting use of Pot in Pot. This method of cooking is very common in Indian kitchens and it’s something I’ve grown up with.
As mentioned in the Instant Pot Accessories section above, you can either use metal stackable containers or put the food in individual bowls separated by flat wire racks.
Another option is to cook the main dish (as long as it has enough liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure) directly in the inner pot, and place the second item or side dish such as rice in a separate container on a steam rack.
Here are some important factors when cooking two different recipes together. Both recipes should have the same:
- Approximate cooking time.
- Pressure level (i.e. low or high pressure).
- Pressure release method i.e. quick release (QR) or natural pressure release (NPR).
You can use the Pot in Pot cooking method to combine many different types of recipes. The Instant Pot recipe book that came with your Instant Pot has cooking times for different foods. I use the timings as a general guideline for which foods I can pressure cook together, using Pot in Pot. You might need to add some extra time for some recipes.
Possible combinations for Pot in Pot Cooking
- Quinoa and rice
- Chicken thighs and collard greens
- Chicken breasts and white rice
- Fish fillet and green beans
- Kidney beans (soaked) and brown rice
- Ground beef and basmati rice
- Basmati rice and dal (Indian lentil curry)
- Thai Green Curry and Jasmine Rice
- Chili and Cornbread
What do you do when the pressure cooking times for the two Pot in Pot recipes are different?
As I mentioned above, the recipes you cook together using Pot in Pot should have similar cooking times. So how can you solve the problem of different cooking times?
- Partly cook the longer-cooking item, do a quick release of pressure, add in the second item and continue cooking both items. e.g. if the amount of time to cook item A is 15 minutes and item B has a cook time of 10 minutes, you’ll pressure cook item A for 5 minutes, quick release (QR), open the lid, and add in the container for item B (on a rack or stacked), close the lid and pressure cook both for 10 minutes.
- Tightly cover the container of the faster-cooking item with a double layer of aluminum foil. The foil slows down the cooking of the contents.
- Cut the slower-cooking item (e.g. meat) into smaller pieces so that it takes less time to cook.
- Cook the faster-cooking item in a glass, ceramic or silicone container versus a stainless steel pot because that will slow down the cooking time a little bit.
Example: How to Use Pot in Pot to Cook Two Recipes Together
Let’s walk through the process of figuring out how to cook two different recipes at the same time. First, take a look at the two individual recipes I’m going to show you how to combine and cook together:
If you were cooking both dishes separately, you’d cook the Thai red curry, empty out the contents into a serving dish, clean the inner pot, and then cook the rice.
I’m going to show you how you can save time and cleanup by using the Pot in Pot method of cooking multiple items together. The chicken curry cooks in the main pot and the rice cooks in a smaller pot, on a trivet.
The recipe states that you need to cook Jasmine rice for 4 minutes. That’s perfect because that’s how long the chicken in the Thai red curry needs to cook for.
But there’s a problem. Remember how I mentioned that they both need to have the same method of pressure release? You’ll notice is that the Instant Pot Thai chicken curry recipe calls for quick release of pressure (QR), while the rice calls for 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR).
If you cook the two dishes together and do a quick release, the rice won’t be cooked properly. So the only other choice is to do a natural release. Chicken thighs do just fine with natural release, so problem solved!
Pot in Pot Recipes For you to Try!
If you found this article to be helpful, please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
Sally
Thanks for this post. I found it really helpful in figuring out the pot in pot method. I’ve used this method when cooking a small amount. I set a pyrex (waiting on stainless insert pots I ordered) on a trivet, add appropriate water to the food, and two cups to the inner pot. It seems to work fine for a white rice like basmati or jasmine but not so great for lentils or a brown basmati or buckwheat. The lentils definitely are way undercooked. I’d like to be able to use this method to cook for one and when that is the case I can’t cook the lentils right in the inner pot because I wouldn’t be adding enough water to bring the cooker to pressure. Have you experienced this? Any thoughts or suggestions?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sally, I am usually able to do PIP brown rice without any adjustment of time. Brown lentils do require an extra 2 minutes with PIP (rather than the usual 6 minutes for well done). I would try and find a formula for PIP, by experimenting. Just cook a very small quantity to test out. In my case, I add about 30 to 35% more cooking time for some harder-to-cook foods. It might be different for you because Instant Pots can vary (for whatever reason).
Dawn
Just wanted to thank you for the article. I am still learning to use my instant pot and this information really helped me. I saved it to pinterest too. Thanks again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re very welcome. I’m happy to help.
MICHAEL MITCHELL
Using the pot in pot method how do I cook the blue box kraft mac and cheese?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Michael, I’ve never cooked the boxed mac and cheese using the pot-in-pot method, so I’m just taking an educated guess on this! In the Instant Pot inner pot cook time is about 5 minutes, but for PIP you might need to add a couple of minutes. Add 1.25 cups water to 8 oz. of pasta.
Kaye M.
I am new to your blog;however, I’ve had my Mini for about a year and a half. During this time I have done some research on using glass in the IP. I am concerned that you are endorsing the use of glass. The Pyrex company themselves do not approve of the use of their products in the IP, especially their modern products made from a formula the could cause them to break under the pressure. These are identified by the name being printed in all lowercase letters…pyrex. The old glass formula is a little more flexible but still not recommend. The old glass is identified by the name in all capital letters…PYREX. Please consider this information when recommending the use of glass in your recipes. You are welcome to contact Pyrex for verification of what I have found out. There are some glass containers that will work in the IP, such as canning jars, which are made to be used in canning pressure cookers which have higher pressure than the IP. Thank you for “listening”. I don’t expect you to post this but would appreciate receiving your thoughts on this via my email address. Sincerely, Kaye M.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Kaye, I have a note in the post saying this is just my experience and you need to read the manufacturer directions to decide for yourself. Thanks for taking the time to share your concerns.
Sondra
I am having trouble figuring out when to cover the PIP pan method or not cover it. Help
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sondra, you can cover when you want to prevent drips or to slow down cooking or when you need to stack pans.
Joanne P Yargeau
I would like to make porkcupine meatballs and white rice in the stackable pot in pot method. Put the meatballs and sauce in the first pot and the rice in the top pot with a 1 1/2 cup of water in inner pot. Is this possible and what cooking times. Please and thank you.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Joanne, I usually cook long-grain white rice for about 6 minutes, but meatballs might need an extra minute or two. So I would try it with 7 or 8 minutes. I have not made these together, so that’s my best estimate. Don’t use Jasmine rice because it cooks for a shorter period of time. Good luck.
Sue Jackson
Can you make mac n cheese in pot in pot?
Genevieve
Can you tell me with pot in pot do we have to change the cooking time compare to directly in the bottom the ip? Do we have to increase it? And for what proportion if we have to? For all food?
Thanks 🙏 😊
Paint the Kitchen Red
Genevieve, in general, I use the same cook time. If the inner pot lid is closed, then you might need to add some more time. What I do is try it at the same time and then if I need to, I’ll cook for another minute or two.
Meredith
Very helpful post – pictures and instructions were informative. I found you after a PIP frittata failure last night.
Attempted to make the Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper + Greens frittata from Coco Morante’s The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook. We used a 6-qt Instant Pot with a 7-cup round Pyrex glass proof container + the OXO brand long handle silicone steam rack. Following the recipe exactly as stated using 2-cups of water in the Instant Pot, placed the bowl covered in foil in the steamer basket, selected Pressure Cook for 25 minutes at high pressure with the release set to sealing. We attempted to cook this 2x before giving up and finishing it in the oven. Both times, it took 25-minutes (instead of the suggested 15) for the pot to come to pressure, then as soon as it did hit pressure, we got a burn notification. Once the IP was cool enough to open, we discovered both times there was no more water left in the IP and the eggs in the glass bowl still had a lot of cooking left to do.
Can you offer help or suggestions as to where we went wrong? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Meredith, thanks for your question. I’m a bit perplexed by it because you should not be getting a burn message with the PIP method. To me, it sounds like the water evaporated due to some sort of leak in the lid. Have you tried to do a water test? Please try to bring your Instant Pot to pressure by adding 2 cups of water and pressure cook on HIGH for 2 minutes. It should seal within about 15 minutes. Check this post about sealing issues to make sure you’re not making any of the mistakes and after that, I would contact the Instant Pot customer support.
Marie Z
I’m still trying to figure out the use of the steamer lid (with holes). I assume veggies go in that pot with NO WATER. It would be set on top of the longer cooking food on the bottom of the PIP accessory (and on top of a trivet). Has anyone figured this out? I have cooked a cake in the larger of the 2 pots, and used the solid lid to funnel off condensation. Thanks. I have googled my question about the use of the steamer lid to death, and have yet to find instruction or video of it. Tx, all.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Marie, yes I use the lid with holes to steam vegetables, or fish and the solid lid for baking, reheating, etc. And you are right that the slower-cooking food goes on the bottom and that you don’t put water in any of the pots unless it’s rice, etc. In other words, you got it figured out 🙂
Rohana
Wow, so glad I found YOUR website! You have a gift for clear communication, lucky for us!!! The pip set i got from amazon has two stackable pots and rack…it has no steam holes at all. I have successfully warmed chicken breast and veggie dinner in one of the pots, but if I want to make rice or ??? does the lack of holes limit what I can do? Thank you for your help and support!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Rohana, you should be fine even if the lid has no holes. Alternately, you could put the rice in the top tier and leave the cover off.
Erin
Hi! I have searched high and low for the answer to this question, so I hope this isn’t a repeat —
I have a 6qt Instant Pot and intend to use a Pyrex 6 cup glass bowl for PIP method (yellow curry here we come!!).
I wanted to clarify about trivet height: is the 2.7″ too tall with the Pyrex in the 6qt? (recommended trivet and pyrex you had linked)
Your shrimp and grits recipe says only the 2″ trivet works with the Pyrex, but above it seems indicated otherwise?
Thank you so much!!
Erin
sorry, correction! the 7 cup pyrex
Paint the Kitchen Red
Erin, If you use the 2.7 inch trivet, it JUST barely fits. It’s right at the level of the lip, but you are able to close the lid. I generally use the 2 inch because most of my liquids fit below that, but I also have successfully used the 2.7 inch one too. So you should be good….
Judy
Thank you so much for all your information. I am new to Instant pot and did a really dumb thing. I poured water in the instant and not in the inner pot. Have I ruined it?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Judy – you should be fine (and you’re not the first or last person to do this :)) Read #16 in this post: https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/17-common-instant-pot-problems-and-how-to-solve-them/ and I hope you are successful.
Sarah Prox
I have the stackable pans from Amazon but I’ve found that using them I have to go like 3 times as long as normal. Eg. I made a meatloaf that should have been done in 25 mins and took 1.5 HOURS to get done! I checked it at 25 mins + 5 mins NR and it was still raw. Tonight I cooked a spinach stuffed chicken breast and normal IP I would put breast in for 15 minutes and they are done. Tonight I did them for 15 mins and were still half raw! I ended up cooking them for 35 mins + 10 mn NR and they were done but not tender. The first time I tried rice and chicken thighs it took an hour! Is that normal?? Maybe it’s just my pan? There’s 1.5 ish cups water in the bottom and its sealed. It’s just frustrating bc it takes SO long!
Pete
I have the same experience.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m not sure why some people are having trouble with stackable pans. Make sure the longer cooking food is on the lower stack. Also, this method works great for rice and gravies. If you’re cooking denser foods, it might take longer for the heat to reach the food.
It could also be the pans themselves or the Instant Pot model. I would try adding more water to the inner pot to build up more steam. Maybe that will help.
Peter Franks
if I want to cook 2 things together and each calls for liquid to be added– eg a curry (calls for x cups) and rice (calls for y cups)—- do the liquid quantities need to be adjusted when cooking together
Paint the Kitchen Red
Peter, no – you would use the same amount of liquid as in the recipe. Good luck and let me know if you have further questions.
LInda B.
In my 3 qt IP, the PIPs I accidentally stacked them improperly. The pot with the rim was on the bottom instead of the top. The bottom one formed a suction that I cannot break loose. Should I just throw them away or is there a way to break that seal?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Linda, what happened when it cooled down? Try adding some oil around the rim where they’re stuck and see if you can jiggle it loose, maybe?
Vivian Matheson
I love this article! Will share. Thank you so much. What a huge help to this “intermediate beginner.” Can’t wait to try it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for sharing, Vivian – that would be great!
Cheryl
Thank you for great information and your responses to questions are very helpful
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Cheryl – it’s my pleasure!