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Instant Pot mac and cheese is cozy, cheesy perfection in minutes! Perfectly cooked macaroni in a comforting cheese sauce is the family dinner everyone will agree on every time!
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The best mac n cheese Instant Pot recipe
This Instant Pot macaroni and cheese recipe delivers deliciously satisfying comfort food with minimal effort. It's a dream for home cooks and a hit for the whole family.
- cooking level - Minimal skills required for this easy Instant Pot recipe.
- time saver - Ready in minutes and perfect for busy schedules.
- comforting - This cheesy dish satisfies comfort food cravings.
- cleanup - Easy, one-pot cooking means less dishes.
- crowd-pleaser - Everyone loves mac and cheese, even finicky eaters.
- customizable - Add mix-ins to build flavor and volume.
- versatile - Instant Pot mac and cheese goes with everything!
- budget-friendly - Affordable ingredients are always a dinner win!
- versatile - Instant Pot mac and cheese goes with everything! Serve it with Greek chicken thighs, Turkey Sloppy Joes, air fryer sausage, savory New York strip steak, juicy Instant Pot corned beef, or garlic butter grilled salmon.
Ingredient notes
- elbow macaroni - Feel free to use any pasta shape for pressure cooker mac and cheese (see recipe footnotes for cooking time variation)
- pasta cooking liquid - Use water or broth when cooking pasta for added flavor.
- butter - Enhances the richness and flavor of the dish. Use oil as a substitute, if preferred.
- salt and pepper - Customize the seasoning according to your preference.
- milk - Helps distribute the cheese into the sauce and adds creamy texture.
- shredded cheese - I'm using shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack for this recipe.
How to make Instant Pot mac and cheese
This Instant Pot macaroni and cheese recipe couldn't be easier! Enjoy these step-by-step photo instructions or skip down to the printable recipe below.
Add macaroni, broth, butter, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Close and lock the lid, set pressure valve to "Sealing" position, and set cooker on HIGH for 2 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Carefully turn the pressure valve to "Venting" position release any remaining steam.
Open the lid, give macaroni a stir and do not drain the residual starchy liquid. Add milk and stir to combine.
Stir in the cheese. Add a splash of milk to adjust the consistency, if needed.
Serve and devour!
Recipe tips
- shredding cheese - I highly recommend grating block cheese for this recipe because it melts more smoothly than packaged shredded cheese. It's also more cost-effective.
- broth or water? - Your choice. I usually prefer to use plain water, but the bolder flavor of chicken broth has its place with this recipe.
- pressure cooking - To ensure properly cooked pasta, please follow the pressure cooker timing as it is written.
- pressure release - Do not shorten the 10-minute natural release cycle because the pasta is still cooking. This also prevents the starchy water from spraying out.
- reheat - To reheat, add a splash of milk as needed to revive the moisture and heat over medium heat using preferred method.
Recipe variations
- When substituting elbow macaroni with thicker pasta varieties, such as penne, rotini, bowtie, etc., the cook time stays the same. Thinner pasta, such as medium shells, require only 1 minute of pressure cook time with 10-minute natural release.
- Swap in other cheese varieties such as Gruyère, fontina, or blue cheese for a unique flavor profile.
- mix-ins - Stir in cooked ham, fried bacon, Instant Pot pork butt, sautéed veggies, or slices of garlic butter baked chicken breast for enhanced flavor and texture.
- For a crispy top, transfer Instant Pot mac and cheese to a baking dish, top with oil-coated bread crumbs, and broil until golden brown.
More Instant Pot recipes
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Uncooked Elbow Macaroni, (about 4 cups) *see footnote for substitution
- 4 cups Water, or broth
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ cup Milk, or more as needed
- 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- Sea Salt, as needed to adjust flavor
- (optional) Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Place MACARONI, BUTTER, WATER OR BROTH, SALT, and PEPPER to the Instant Pot. Give a stir to submerge pasta.
- Secure lid and turn pressure valve to "Sealing". Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" on HIGH for 2 minutes. (Yes, you read that right – only 2 minutes).
- When cook cycle completes, allow cooker to sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Do not cut this time short because the pasta is still cooking.
- Safely turn pressure valve to the "Venting" position and release any remaining steam.
- Open the lid and DO NOT EMPTY the small amount of starchy liquid. Instead, stir it into the pasta.
- Add MILK to the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
- Add CHEDDAR and JACK CHEESE in divided amounts, stirring to incorporate into a creamy sauce. Add splashes of milk to adjust the consistency as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with optional PARSLEY. Adjust the flavor by adding a little SEA SALT, to taste.
- Allow leftovers to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or other size
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Ashley says
I love this recipe! Can it be cut in half? It’s just my husband and I and the one time I made it I had to throw a lot of it away.
Traci says
Yes you can easily cut it in half and it will yield 4 cups mac and cheese instead of 8 cups. Let me know if you have other questions and I hope you enjoy. Cheers!
Crystal says
Made this the other night using velveeta, and cheddar cheese. Came out so creamy, and delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
Nice! Glad to hear you took advantage of how customizable this one is. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Helen C says
I have made this several times now and will be making it again tomorrow. Simple and cheesy, next time I'll add extra sharp cheddar & some shaved parm to ramp up the flavor. I read here someone added mustard, I'll try adding some Dijon as well. Love the versatility in this and a great one to tame a craving!!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Nice, Helen! I'm so glad you're enjoying this recipe 🙂 Yes, by all means, add yummy things. I kept it super basic for that very reason. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. Cheers!
Charlotte BG says
Great recipe! No more box pasta with powder cheese for this gal. Especially appreciate the extra notes with cook times for different types of pasta. I add veg and protein like frozen veggies and can tuna. So good!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I feel the exact same way. There's no need to use the box stuff when you always have pasta and cheese laying around 🙂 Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed. Cheers!
Amy says
Best I think I’ve ever made. Used a little heavy cream, some cream cheese (about 1/4 package) and American (6 slices in plastic) with the cheddar (8 oz good sharp cheddar) , cuz that’s what I had. Pasta was perfect with the 2 minutes cook plus 10 minute NPR. Added a tablespoon of yellow mustard and some fresh ground pepper. Also used half chicken bouillon and half water, again cuz that’s what I had. So very good.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I'm so glad you made it work with what you had on hand 🙂 I love the other customizations too. This recipe lends itself to that and sounds like you nailed it. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment 🙂 Cheers!
Charlotte BG says
Thanks for the tip! I didn't have milk so added extra water and cream cheese for the creaminess since the cheddar wasn't enough. Great food hack!
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad you enjoyed 🙂 You can never go wrong with adding cream cheese. Thanks for the feedback. Cheers!
N says
How about Gluten Free pasta?
Same amount of cooking time?
The Kitchen Girl says
I have not done it, but plenty of people have reported great success with same cook time using chickpea pasta. It's always an experiment though because brands vary. Let me know how it goes. Thanks and enjoy!
Jodie says
I made this Mac and cheese for dinner tonight. I added a little smoked Gouda. So good!!! Everyone commented on the creaminess. I liked the easiness. Thank you 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it 🙂 Your cheese choice sounds amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Kim says
Can this be frozen after it had been prepared?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Kim, I haven't tried it. Since it's not made with a traditional bechamel cheese sauce base, I'm keeping my expectations low on the texture/creaminess after freezing. It might just need to be hydrated during reheat, but I really need to test it before giving thumbs up. Please let me know if you beat me to it 🙂
Vickie says
What cooking time would you suggest for gluten free noodles? I enjoy your website so much!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya! I would use the same 1 minute pressure cook time for gf pasta and, instead of the 10 min natural release, I'd do 5 minutes to prevent overcooking. Countless people have reported great results using gf pasta. Let me know how yours goes. Enjoy!
Jessica says
Has anyone tried to triple this recipe before? Do I need to increase the cooking time?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Jessica, you'll likely need at least an 8 quart pot to 3x this recipe to prevent it going over the 'max fill' line. I would not change the time. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!!
Jua says
I’ve tried quite a few instant pot Mac and cheese recipes but I think by far this is the best daily recipe to go with. Easy, quick and my kids like it. I don’t have time to put bread crumbs and make it fancy. This recipe works for me. Yes yes yes.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! That's exactly what I was going for with this recipe ... simple, no frills, and lovable 🙂 Thanks SO much for the feedback! I love knowing you and your family enjoyed it.
Chaz says
Made this yesterday with my Grandsons, although I tweaked it a bit... After it was done, first I tasted it, because I wanted to taste the base recipe, and it was awesome! Then I took it a bit further and tweaked it a bit, just because I like to experiment...
I dumped it into an aluminum pan, crumbled three strips of cooked bacon over it, and shredded about a cup of pepper jack and sprinkled it over the top. Then poured about a half cup more heavy cream over it, and took it out to my smoker and smoked it over cherry and mesquite for a half hour at 225. Your recipe and my experiment = Best Mac & Cheese I've ever had!
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol well I must say my mac and cheese gets the job done ... but your experiment ... straight fire! That sounds ah-mazing! Thanks for sharing ... and for the review 🙂
Ashley says
Any idea how this would work with gluten free pasta?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Ashley, I've had a few people say to use 0 minutes of pressure cook time, but I haven't tested that myself. I do know it's very easy to overcook Instant Pot mac and cheese with GF pasta. I think you have to experiment and find your fav brand 🙂 Hope that helps!
Emily says
I'm new to the Instant Pot world and was a little skeptical anything could beat the mac & cheese I grew up with (which involves things like making a white sauce, boiling pasta, washing a substantial pile of dishes afterwards etc).
This is stupidly easy and incredibly fast and the most complicated part of cleanup is disassembling the IP lid.
I'm hooked.
P.S. you left out the last step, which is "stand over the IP after putting away the leftovers and scrape out the last of the cheese sauce with a spoon" 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol what a great review, Emily! You're too kind ... and hilarious I'm so glad you enjoy this mac and cheese as much as I do 🙂 Thanks again for the kind words. Cheers!
Jeffrey says
This mac and cheese in Instant Pot is my new favorite IP recipe. One pot, all-in, no draining, stir in milk and cheese, basically hands free. Oh, and perfect every time! I love love this with your pulled pork. Heaven in a bowl.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad to hear it and I'm with you! Pulled pork and mac and cheese are definitely a bowl of sheer comfort.
Jamie says
I love how this can be made in the instant pot! I'm always looking for hearty meals that can be made for dinner and this is it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Jamie! Yep, quick and easy ... our favorite 😉
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This is the ultimate comfort food and looks so fulfilling and delicious! I can't wait to give this a try.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Bintu! Glad you can enjoy mac and cheese in the Instant Pot 🙂
Jersey Girl Cooks says
This is a quick way to make creamy mac and cheese for my family!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! You got that right! Mac and cheese is suuuper family friendly 🙂
Marie says
I love mac and cheese - cannot wait to try the Instant Pot Version! Sounds super easy and it looks soooo cheesy
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks! Yes, this mac and cheese is definitely cheesy ... so irresistible 🙂
Noelle says
This was so easy to make, my whole family loved it! Perfect dinner idea
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Noelle! So glad to hear it's family-approved in your house 🙂 Thanks!
Soniya says
Oh my goodness this looks and sounds incredible .... Can't wait to make this for dinner tonight.. I have all the ingredients!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Soniya! Hope you love it like we do. Our leftovers last about a day with this mac and cheese recipe
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Perfect comfort food and this version is so easy to make too.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Amanda! Glad you think so 🙂
Patricia says
The IP is such a magical appliance, right?! This looks so good - so creamy!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Patricia! It is so so creamy ... everyone's fav! 🙂
Amanda says
I love that this cooks in the Instant Pot! It made it so convenient. We really loved the sauce as well.
The Kitchen Girl says
Glad to hear it, Amanda! Mac and cheese in Instant Pot really is convenient. Thanks!
whitney says
I love making mac & cheese in the instant pot! It tastes so much better homemade. I'll have to try some of those add-ins you listed!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Whitney! Glad you can enjoy this mac and cheese...thanks!