Instantlicious

Instant Pot recipes for delicious life

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
You are here: Home / Side dish / Creamy Instant Pot Polenta

Creamy Instant Pot Polenta

Published: February 3, 2020 | Last updated: February 28, 2020 5 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It’s an easy side for meals with rich or creamy sauces. Great alternative to rice or potatoes.

Bowl of polenta with Instant Pot in the background.

This post contains amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I will receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Polenta sounds fancy but it actually is a very simple side dish (or sometimes main dish) made with cornmeal. It is a staple in many countries such as Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and it is also known under different name, Mamalyga, in Moldova and Ukraine. Grits is a close cousin to Polenta and is common in Southern cuisines.

Polenta can be made thin and creamy so that it is easily spooned or thick and firm so that it is sliced. This particular recipe for Instant Pot Polenta is the creamy kind and it is perfect as a side dish to rich stews or creamy meals.

Polenta is usually made by slowly cooking cornmeal on the stove in liquid while constantly stirring. The grains (yes, corn is considered to be a vegetable, a grain, and a fruit at the same time!) absorb the liquid and thicken during cooking.

Although cooking polenta on the stove is not difficult by any means, it is a process that requires supervision and constant involvement. So, making Instant Pot Polenta is a great way to get a delicious side dish on the table without much effort or hands-on cooking time.

Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It’s a great side for meals with rich or creamy sauces.

All the ingredients to make creamy polenta.

Ingredients to make Creamy Polenta in Instant Pot

  • Cornmeal
  • Butter
  • Seasonings (I use garlic salt, pepper, paprika)
  • Cream
  • Broth (vegetable or chicken)

How to make Instant Pot Polenta

Making Polenta in Instant Pot is super easy, much easier than on the stove.

  1. Add all the ingredients to Instant Pot.
  2. Cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure.
  3. Do a Quick Release.
  4. Mix really well until creamy.

Done! Isn’t it easy?

Polenta in Instant Pot.

Questions and answers about Instant Pot Polenta

Can you cook with cream in Instant Pot?

A lot of recipes and bloggers will say not to cook with dairy under pressure. I have a different opinion about it. I say, there’s absolutely no problems cooking with milk or cream in Instant Pot.

Sometimes milk will separate a little bit into whey and milk solids. Those milk solids is how cheese is made. So, if it separates, all the better – you get cheese. Nothing wrong with that!

Cream doesn’t separate much under pressure, so in this particular recipe I think there’s absolutely no issue using cream during cooking. If you are worried about using cream, feel free to use extra broth instead of cream.

Can you use more liquid?

This particular ratio of 1/2 cup cornmeal to 2 cups liquid makes a creamy, yet thick polenta. It also will keep thickening as it cools.

If you prefer a thinner and a bit runnier polenta, then add more liquid. I would start with extra 1/2 cup broth at first. Then add more the next time to get to your desired consistency of polenta and texture.

Can you make Vegan Polenta?

Sure, you can! Use vegan butter (margarine) instead of regular butter. Also, use vegetable broth in place of cream.

I have not tried cooking with plant-based milk in Instant Pot so I do not know how it would behave. If you try, please let me know and I’ll update the notes here.

Can you flavour polenta?

Yes, you can. Use your favourite spices and herbs. I love polenta studded with rosemary and thyme.

You can add sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, red hot chili flakes, or any other spices, such as cumin, turmeric, caraway seeds, etc.

For even richer and more delicious flavour, add grated parmesan cheese or cheddar.

Remember: on its own, polenta is pretty plain so it needs to be flavoured or served alongside a flavourful meal.

Can you reheat polenta?

Polenta will naturally thicken and firm as it cools and will become mostly solid in the fridge. At this point, you can either slice it up and then pan-fry on high heat in some oil and butter. Or, you can add a bit cream, milk, or broth to a pot and add the thickened polenta to it, then heat up breaking it up with a spoon until it is soft again.

Bowl of creamy polenta.

How to serve Instant Pot Polenta

Polenta is a great side for any dish but especially something that has a lot of sauce. Serve Instant Pot Polenta with:

  • Instant Pot Poached Salmon
  • Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms (mushroom gravy will be especially good over polenta)
  • Cranberry-Braised Beef Short Ribs

DO YOU WANT MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES?

Join my Real Ingredients Instant Pot Recipes Facebook Group!!! It’s a fun and safe place to share your own Instant Pot recipes made with Real Ingredients.

Continue to Content
Yield: 4

Instant Pot Polenta

Instant Pot Polenta

Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It's an easy side for meals with rich or creamy sauces. Great alternative to rice or potatoes.

Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup 10% cream
  • 1.5 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to Instant Pot. Optional step: mix everything.
  2. Close the lid. Turn the valve to sealing.
  3. Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and using the arrow buttons set the cook time to 5 minutes. Use default High Pressure.

    Depending on your Instant Pot model, it'll take around 5-7 minutes to come to pressure.
  4. Once Instant Pot beeps that the 5 minutes of cooking are done, do a Quick Release. It will take approximately 1-2 minutes.
  5. Open the lid and mix everything really well until Polenta is smooth and creamy.
  6. Optionally, add more butter and cream to make it even creamier.

Notes

Feel free to flavour the polenta to your liking. Add more salt and other spices.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base
    Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base
  • Instant Pot 60 DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1
    Instant Pot 60 DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 213Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 408mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by a plugin and should not be considered an official nutritional information or medical advice.

© Julia
Cuisine: American / Category: Side dish
Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It's an easy side for meals with rich or creamy sauces. Great alternative to rice or potatoes | instantlicious.com #instantpot #instantpotrecipe #polenta
Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It's an easy side for meals with rich or creamy sauces. Great alternative to rice or potatoes | instantlicious.com #instantpot #instantpotrecipe #polenta
Instant Pot Polenta is creamy, savoury, and delicious. It's an easy side for meals with rich or creamy sauces. Great alternative to rice or potatoes | instantlicious.com #instantpot #instantpotrecipe #polenta

Filed Under: recipe, Side dish

« Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Instant Pot Almond Cherry Cake (gluten-free) »

Comments

  1. Andrea says

    February 4, 2020 at 7:45 pm

    I am trying to make this recipe tonight and I keep getting a burn error. I’ve tried twice. Is there anything I can do to salvage this??

    Reply
    • Julia says

      February 4, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      I’m sorry you are getting a burn notice. I tried it in two different models of IP including one that usually gives burn notice but it worked without issues. I guess your model is more sensitive. Is it an Ultra? I’m not sure if there’s a way to fix it

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        February 4, 2020 at 7:58 pm

        No, it’s a Plus Mini. I’m trying one last time and then I’m going to have to finish it on the stovetop. I think I should not have stirred it all together. It’s happened once before when I made chili and dried all the ingredients together.

      • Julia says

        February 4, 2020 at 8:00 pm

        Sometimes when I get burn notice, I fully unplug my IP. Do a 1-second release. Basically move the valve for a second and then turn it back to sealing. Then plug IP back and restart the program. It often works

      • Andrea says

        February 4, 2020 at 8:05 pm

        Thank you! I will try that next time!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

About Instantlicious

The person who created Imagelicious

Hi, I’m Julia and I love using my Instant Pot. Here you will find all kinds of tips, tricks, and recipes – all made in my trusty Instant Pot!

All content copyright © 2019-2020 Instantlicious. Privacy Policy.