Stop wasting your time stirring that polenta and use this Easy Instant Pot Polenta recipe. Try this one-step pressure cooker polenta for a creamy, delicious side dish!
Instant Pot Polenta
What is Polenta?
If you’re not familiar with polenta, it’s a dish made from boiling cornmeal. It’s a simple, savory dish that makes a great side dish or snack. It has a texture and consistency that is similar to grits, but it is a little chewier.
Traditional Polenta requires some serious stirring which I am a) too lazy to do and b) I often can’t do when I’m flared with my Rheumatoid Arthritis. Enter the Instant Pot, which enables babysitting-free cooking for many things. My first attempt didn’t have enough water in it, and burned badly. Thank goodness for stainless steel inserts that you can scrub, although I would have loved a ceramic insert for this recipe. The second time around, I increased the amount of water, and it worked well.
Looking for other great side dish recipes? Check out my Keto Creamed Spinach! It’s probably my favorite way to eat spinach and it might become yours too!
Another fantastic side dish is my Keto Cauliflower and Cheese. It’s creamy, delicious and easy to make in your instant pot!
So whether you’re looking for an easy, no fuss polenta recipe or you’re trying polenta for the first time, you’re sure to love this recipe. It’s a simple, straight forward recipe with only a few ingredients and it takes very little effort on your part thanks to your instant pot or pressure cooker. So whether you’re looking for a side dish, snack or maybe even a full on entree, give this polenta recipe a try!
The steps for this recipe are:
- Put in polenta, water, and salt into Instant Pot
- As soon as it starts to boil, shut the lid and cook it at HP for 8 mins, with natural pressure release
- Whisk in butter, cheese, and half and half
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta rough-ground cornmeal/
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- Salt
- 3-4 teaspoons Butter
- 1/2 cup Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
- 1/4 cup half and half
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on sauté and add the chicken broth and polenta and whisk together
- As soon as it starts to boil, place and seal the lid, and set your Instant Pot on high pressure for 7 minutes and allow it to release pressure naturally when done.
- When you open the lid there will be some excess water in it. Using your whisk, blend in the butter, cheese, and half and half. The polenta will thicken as you whisk it all together. Allow it to rest for a little longer.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to check out my Instant Pot Fast & Easy Cookbook!
This book is full of all kinds of boldly flavored and internationally-themed recipes—Mexican, Thai, Moroccan, and more—with Instant Pot Fast & Easy, fully authorized by Instant Pot. Just like you have come to expect, my recipes will work perfectly every time, and of course taste great too. And because these are Instant Pot recipes, dishes like Japanese Chicken Curry, Chinese Steamed Ribs, and Mexican Pulled Pork are ready in a fraction of the time they would take using traditional cooking methods. As with all of my recipes, the focus is on whole foods instead of artificial convenience ingredients, so the recipes are delicious, easy, and healthful too.
I too got the burn message. My IP is 8-qt, purchased December 2018. However I solved the problem by cooking in a 7″x3″ (approx) round cake pan on a trivet with 1.5″ water in the bottom. Just went straight to pressure, no saute and worked beautifully!
Thanks for the tip
I followed your PIP technique and it was excellent- thanks!
This is the first time Ive had polenta before. Tastes like southern grits but better. This is also the first time Ive gotten the burn message on my instant pot. But I just let it continue cooking. The bottom of the pan was scorched, but I was able to scoop out the polenta after putting on the butter and cheese etc no problem. This really nice. No burn taste in the polenta or anything either. I’d give it a 4 or 5 star, but it burned at the bottom which seems to be a problem for many people. Though it didnt bother me personally since it still came out good. Thanks for the recipe!
The lightbulb in my head went on this morning when I thought “can you cook polenta in the instant pot?” I made some the other day the traditional way and my arm almost gave out. So here I am and I’m going to try this. My question is, will it firm up the same way to fry up when cool?
Yes it will
This was the easiest and cleanest polenta recipe I have ever tried. It was great! I appreciate the recipe very much. Added roasted red peppers to it and it was like my grammie’s used to be. Thank you. This is a keeper.
I’m bummed. Each time I try to make polenta in my instant it burns. I have a 3 qt. Lux mini. could this be the problem?
No I doubt that is the problem. Are you following this recipe or a different one
Following the recipe exactly. Have tried several times and I get the burn code each time. The polenta doesn’t fully burn but leaves a thick layer on the bottom and the IP doesn’t continue to cook them once they start to stick to the bottom.
We JUST made it two days ago to take new photos and it didn’t burn. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with yours. Is your pot overheating in general with other recipes?
I use the “pot within a pot” method from Vickie Smith’s Miss Vickie’s Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes. I have used a tiffin with lid, a ceramic soufle dish with foil over top and a nice little camp pot with wire bail and D-ring on the lid (no plastic parts) at various times. Set whatever vessel you choose to contain the ingredients on the trivet with 1 to 2 cups water in botton of instant pot vessel and follow recipes. Miss Vickie also describes how to make a little lifter with folded foil strips to go under the pot
I made it 2nite in my 3qt. duo mini…no issues…maybe your saute temp is too high?
Having the same issue. Follow recipe exactly. Burn code comes on every time. What gives?
Do you have a new Instant pot? Bought in November or December? Many of those seem to be running hotter than the old ones
My husband doesn’t like cheese (don’t ask!). How should I adjust the ingredients if I omit the cheese?
PS. I bought your Indian cookbook and love it. Ate the coconut-tomato soup for lunch today.
I’m not really sure. I’ve never made it without cheese 🙁
Another winner! I cut the ingredients in half and it was perfect for 2. We yummied up the entire thing in one sitting!
Yay! So glad that worked. ????
Great recipe. I am doing a pressure cooker class and making ratatouille with polenta, and would love to try your recipe. Would it be okay if I printed and distributed a copy of the recipe for each participant and instructor (21 total)? I would include your name and website on the recipe. Thanks.
Not only would I be flattered if you did that, I think it’s wonderful that you asked. Most people would just do it without asking 🙂 Do feel free to post pics of your class in my FB group if you’d like to especially all the dishes they make. People love seeing those.
Oooo, may have to try this tonight! Cook up some garlic butter shrimpies to go with it!
Ooh like a shrimp and grits thing! Love it.