Instant Pot Polenta

At a glance

What stands out: Instant Pot polenta is beautifully creamy and rich, and so straightforward to mix! This polenta recipe eliminates the need for the near constant stirring that stovetop polenta usually requires. It’s wonderful!

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot
Servings: 4 (one cup each)

Creamy golden polenta is the stuff of dreams. Well, perhaps only food bloggers dream about food but you know what we mean. Polenta is comfort food whether you enjoy it regularly or as a special treat.

We've heard that polenta is the Italian version of mashed potatoes. We're not sure if that’s true or not but we totally get that. Give this straightforward recipe a try and see what you think!

P.S. Be sure to try Instant Pot risotto, another Italian favorite. We also love roasted mushroom risotto which is made on the stovetop.

Creamy From-scratch Polenta

One basic ingredient. Polenta is basically a cereal, just ground up corn. You can store it in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer pretty much indefinitely. It’s economical, filling, and nutritious, and it’s gluten-free, too.

So straightforward to mix. Instant Pot polenta is almost embarrassingly straightforward. Water, cornmeal, butter, and salt is all you need. How do these humble ingredients magically turn into something so creamy and rich? Well, we don’t know. Let’s just consider it one of life’s mysteries. We will say, once you make polenta in your Instant Pot, you’ll never cook it any other way.

Plenty of ways to enjoy it! Creamy polenta is so rich! Enjoy it just plain, or topped with any type of sauce, sautéed vegetable, or meat, or a couple of over-straightforward fried eggs. For a truly special meal, polenta is divine with red wine braised short ribs or lamb shanks. Polenta can be refrigerated until it’s firm, and it can be turned into polenta fries, or simply cut into slices and fried. We often make a double batch so we can enjoy creamy polenta with a meal, and fried polenta the next day.

Charlie M. Said:

“Very straightforward recipe, and produced great results. Will definitely use this for polenta in the future!”

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Polenta vs. Grits

Often these two products are confused. Although both polenta and grits are made from cornmeal, they are quite different.

Grits are common in the southern states of the U.S., and are often served for breakfast. Grits are ground from a type of corn called dent corn. It has a higher starch content, which is why grits have a creamier, stickier texture.

Polenta originates in Italy and is served as an alternative to pasta. It’s usually more golden in color and is ground from flint corn (otto file). It has a coarser texture than grits.

Instant Pot

Is an Instant Pot pressure cooker still on your “maybe someday” list? We find that we use ours often. It’s great for meal prepping (chicken, grains, dried beans, rice, etc.). We also love one pot pasta recipes like mac and cheese.

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What goes in

• Polenta: Polenta is technically a dish made with coarsely ground cornmeal. If you buy cornmeal that’s labeled “polenta,” you can be sure that it’s a standby grind for making polenta. Finely ground cornmeal won’t have a standby texture; your polenta will be too pasty. Don’t buy instant polenta; it won’t work in this recipe.
• Kosher Salt: If you’re using salted broth or including the cheese, you may want to decrease the amount of added salt. In addition, kosher salt has coarse grains which means that not as much fits in a teaspoon. If you choose table salt, you’ll want to decrease the amount.
• Water or Broth: Unsalted chicken broth enhances the flavor of the polenta but classic polenta is made with water.
• Butter: Choose unsalted butter, not butter spreads.
• Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese: Cheese is optional but we think you’ll agree, it makes your polenta tasty.
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Like Straightforward Clean-Up?

Who doesn’t, right? Lightly spray the inside of the Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Grains like polenta, rice, and pasta have a tendency to stick to the hot surface of the inner pot. The nonstick spray helps them release and makes clean-up so much easier.

How it comes together

Add ingredients to Instant Pot. Measure out one cup of polenta in a dry measuring cup. Level off the cup with a straight edge, such as a table knife. Pour it into the pot.

Next, measure out 4 cups of liquid, either water or broth, and add it to the pot. It seems like a lot but don’t worry.

Add salt and stir the three ingredients together. Cover the pressure cooker, locking to seal.

Cook. Set to Pressure Cook, or High Pressure, depending on the model you have. Set the time for 9 minutes. It will take roughly 11 minutes to come to pressure.

When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for ten minutes. That means you don’t do anything other than keep on eye on the time. We usually set a timer because it’s straightforward to forget about it.

Once ten minutes has elapsed, release any remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid.

Stir. Using a sturdy whisk, vigorously stir the polenta until it’s creamy. It will look quite watery at first and you may think this recipe is a flop, but keep stirring and wait for the magic to occur.

After a couple of minutes, the polenta will start to come together. Stir in the butter and whisk until the butter melts. Stir in the cheese, and season with freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve. Serve the polenta immediately, garnished with fresh herbs if desired. Polenta continues to thicken as it cools.

If it gets too thick before you serve it, whisk in a bit of hot broth or water to thin the consistency a bit.

What To Serve With Polenta

Polenta is quite versatile. We love it for breakfast with a soft cooked fried egg and sautéed spinach. Most pasta sauces can be served on polenta but don’t stop there. Here are a few recipes you may enjoy:

• Slow cooker Italian pot roast: You’ll love the flavor of this pot roast and the melt-in-your mouth tender beef. Polenta is a traditional side with Italian pot roast.
• From-scratch spaghetti sauce: The longer this sauce simmers, the better it gets!
• Turkey Bolognese: Made with ground turkey and turkey sausage, this sauce has loads of fresh herbs and just a bit of cream.
• Spicy garlic shrimp: Creamy polenta is a reliable counterpoint to the spicy shrimp.
• Balsamic chicken with blistered tomatoes: The saucy blistered tomatoes and balsamic sauce go so well with creamy polenta.
• Creamy Tuscan mushrooms: Oh our, this is a match made in heaven!
• Sautéed greens such as baby kale, spinach, or beet greens. Saute the greens in a generous amount of olive oil, add garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Air fryer sweet potato hash: The candied bacon in this mix takes it up a notch. Actually, any medley of roasted vegetables are great on polenta. These balsamic roasted vegetables are a great choice, too.
• Instant Pot short ribs or red wine braised short ribs

Ways to change it

• Vegan: Make it vegan by omitting the butter and cheese. If you like, vegan butter and cheese can be substituted. You can add more flavor by using a vegetable broth or adding a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast.
• Make it with milk. Replace a cup of the water with one cup of milk, if desired.
• Use a different kind of cheese. Although Parmesan cheese is traditional, feel free to experiment with the cheese to change the flavor of your polenta. We would suggest Pecorino Romano, sharp provolone, sharp cheddar, Fontina or even gorgonzola.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Cover polenta that’s left over with plastic wrap, or put it into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Polenta will solidify when chilled.

Freeze: Solid polenta can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cut it into portions, rounds, or sticks for polenta fries. You won’t need to thaw it before reheating. We don’t recommend trying to freeze creamy polenta; it tends to separate when thawed.

Reheat: Warm individual portions of polenta in the microwave, with medium power. Stir a couple of times to loosen it up. If it’s too thick, thin it with a bit of water, milk, or broth. Larger portions can be heated in a saucepan or skillet. See the section below for another idea.

Leftover Love

Leftover polenta will become quite solid once it’s chilled. Smooth it into a pan or shape it into a log before refrigerating it. Once it’s completely chilled, polenta can be sliced and fried in a bit of olive oil. Serve the fried slices with a spoonful of warm marinara and a handful of grated cheese. Add a side dish of roasted broccoli for a satisfying meal.

Sliced polenta can be used to make this favorite one pan meal: Sheet pan Italian sausage, polenta, and broccoli.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #4. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

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• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 9 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup polenta or coarse ground cornmeal (not quick cooking)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups water or unsalted chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, optional (if you use grated cheese, you may want to reduce the amount)

Method

1. Lightly spray the inside of your Instant Pot (ours is a 6 quart) with cooking spray to prevent sticking and for easier cleanup. Add polenta, salt, and water (or chicken broth) to Instant Pot. Stir to combine and cover.
2. Set for High pressure or Pressure Cook (depending on your model) for 9 minutes. It will take about 11 minutes to come to pressure.
3. Once time has elapsed, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (don’t do anything). After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.
4. Whisk polenta vigorously until creamy. It will appear thin at first but thickens after whisking. Add butter and stir until melted. Stir in cheese, season with black pepper to taste.
5. Serve immediately. Polenta will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

Buying polenta: Polenta is made with coarse ground cornmeal. If you buy cornmeal that’s labeled “polenta,” you can be sure that it’s a standby grind for making polenta. Finely ground cornmeal like you might use for cornbread won’t have a standby texture; your polenta will be too pasty and you may get a burn notice when you pressure cook it. Instant polenta won’t work in this recipe.

Flavor boosters: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of minced fresh herbs such as chives or parsley for additional flavor. Thyme or sage are also rich but we’d recommend using less, 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Storage: Refrigerate leftover polenta for up to 5 days. When reheating, you may need to stir in additional water, broth, or milk. Polenta can be frozen for a few months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Polenta for frying: If desired, smooth polenta into a loaf pan or shape it into a log. Once it’s chilled and firm, slice it and fry it in a bit of olive oil. It can also be made into polenta fries.

Nutrition note: Nutrition information below is based on a one cup serving, made with water and including Parmesan cheese.