How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Your Instant Pot
My method to quickly thaw and cook ground beef is super easy. All you need is water, frozen ground beef and your Instant Pot.
Trust me, you wont find many recipes that simple, right?
As an added bonus no an added necessity the meat cooks up juicy and tender, not tough and dry.
We raise our own beef here on the farm and it is absolutely out of this world. So I have absolutely no interest in ruining perfectly fabulous meat, you know??
And we have a freezer full of frozen meat so it goes without saying I use this cooking method all the time!
Heres how were gonna cook our frozen ground meat.
Troubleshooting And Timing For Instant Pot Ground Beef
- I have tested this recipe out with 1 and 2 pounds of ground beef that was frozen in a ¾ to 1-inch block . If you want to cook meat from a frozen tube, you will need to increase cooking time. I would start with increasing the time to 25 minutes.
- I would not recommend cooking more than 3-4 pounds of frozen meat at a time. Doing so, would overcrowd your Instant Pot and therefore would cause it to take forever to reach pressure. Not only is this time-consuming, it potentially could be dangerous if you have frozen meat hanging out long waiting to cook.
- To cook 3-4 pounds of meat, increase the time by 5 minutes per pound for frozen meat.
- Be sure to completely remove packaging from frozen meat BEFORE cooking–you don’t want any wax, paper, or lining left on the meat before cooking.
- In all my tests, it has never taken longer than 11 minutes to reach pressure for this recipe for frozen ground beef in the instant pot. The average time was 7 minutes.
- Pro-Tip: Freeze your meat in 1 inch thick slabs so that the meat will cook evenly in the instant pot.
Option : Steam The Meat
- Pour cold tap water into the bottom of the inner pot. Use 1 cup for a 3 or 6-quart instant pot and 1.5 cups for an 8-quart model. Then place in a metal trivet or rack inside the inner pot.
- Place 1-2 pounds ground beef on your trivet seal the instant pot closed, with vent closed. Be sure to form your meat into a 1 thick patty/brick so that the meat cooks uniformly. Just the way meat comes in the Styrofoam tray.
- Set to high pressure and cook for 6 minutes.
- Once cook time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release for 5 to 10 minutes, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Check the internal temperature with meat thermometer–it should be at least 160 degrees. If it is not, seal again and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. *See my notes at end of the post to troubleshoot why your meat would need longer to cook.
- Once your meat is cooked, carefully remove it from the instant pot and break it up and use it as you would for any ground beef recipe.
- Discard liquid from your Instant Pot Base.
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Why Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Lean ground turkey is lower in calories than beef mince. It also has less saturated fat. So if you are looking to reduce calorie intake, this taste as good as beef chili but with lesser calories.
- Cooking turkey chili in instant pot saves time as it takes just 15 minutes of pressure cooking and fewminutes natural release making it quicker than stovetop or slow cooker method.
- Its made in one pot and no baby sitting the pot. As soon as all ingredients go in and you turn on the pressure cook button, you can go about doing other things till the pressure cooker beeps to alert you its done.
- This turkey chilli recipe is easy, failproof, delicious and the whole family is bound to like it.
- Pepper can be adjusted to suit spice level preference.
Do You Have To Thaw Meat Before Cooking In Instant Pot
NOTE: it make take a bit more time for the instant pot to come to pressure as frozen meat needs to defrost. Cooking and defrosting meat is probably my favorite of the instant pot basics. Frozen Chicken Breast Add 1 cup of water or broth to instant pot. Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
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Ingredients For Ground Turkey Soup
- Ground Turkey Youll need 1 lb of ground turkey for this recipe. I always love to look for sales and stock up because ground turkey is great for adding to soups and skillet meals.
- Kale Youll need 6 cups of fresh kale ripped into smaller pieces. Learn how to destem your kale below.
- More Veggies Onion and carrots are also used for this recipe.
- Navy Beans One can of navy beans will add extra protein. You can also use cannellini beans, white kidney beans or great northern beans.
- Broth One carton of chicken broth will be the soup base.
- Crushed Tomatoes this is the secret ingredient that takes this recipe to the next level. Its so simple but adds a lot of flavor.
- Seasonings To season this recipe, youll need Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pretty simple!
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Instant Pot Ground Beef
Instant Pot Ground Beef is more than a recipe. It is a kitchen hack that comes in handy on busy days and especially when you forgot to thaw your ground beef one day ahead! So stop wondering whether you can cook frozen ground beef go ahead and cook your hamburger in the Instant Pot for a delish and quick dinner just like our pasta bolognese and black bean pasta. It makes a great meal prep too!
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Why Cook Ground Beef In An Instant Pot
There are several reasons to cook ground beef in a pressure cooker. But my number one reason is that the hamburger becomes so tender and is extra juicy. That flavor is hard to beat and makes all my recipes taste awesome!
Another reason I like to make it in the pressure cooker is that I can make really large batches and freeze them for later use. Then I just grab a bag of frozen ground beef out of the freezer, defrost it a little and toss it in the dish I am making. SO EASY!!!!
When I cook the ground beef from frozen, it is so fast and straightforward to do. Once in a while, I am not great at planning ahead and decide at the last second what to make. This causes problems when the hamburger is frozen solid! Putting it in the fridge takes overnight to defrost it, microwaving the meat sometimes ends up half thawed and half-cooked, and its really not safe to just leave it on the counter.
So, my best bet is to quickly brown it right in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps
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These Instant Pot ground turkey lettuce wraps can be cooked from fresh or frozen, and make a delicious, lower carb meal that the whole family will love!
Like Instant Pot frozen ground beef, this recipe is going to save your butt when you find yourself with nothing thawed for dinner at 5pm. I’ve been there, friend, yes I have.
This Instant Pot ground turkey lettuce wraps recipe is very similar to these Korean Turkey Meal Prep Bowls, but I’ve cooked them in the Instant Pot, added some carrots, and wrapped them up in crunchy romaine lettuce.
There are so many things to love about this recipe, but my favorite is the fact that you can have a frozen block of ground turkey and still get dinner on the table in 25 minutes. Isn’t that amazing?!
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Why Cook A Turkey In The Instant Pot
Not only does using a pressure cooker save you time, but it also keeps the turkey covered in the juices that usually leak out in the oven. This makes for an ultra moist and tender turkey. This is one of those win-win recipes that saves you time and effort, but doesnt sacrifice quality or flavor. It makes cooking a whole turkey so simple, youll want to do it more than once a year!
Instant Pot Turkey Taco Pasta
This dish is an exciting meal that will please the whole family, and it cooks in no time thanks to the Instant Pot. With taco seasoning, fired roasted tomatoes, ground turkey, and pasta, this is a fun combination of a taco night and a hearty pasta meal. A Cedar Spoon shows us how to make this dish thats perfect for kids and teens.
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Can You Cook Frozen Hamburger Patties
When you re short on time and dont have fresh meat on hand, cooking frozen hamburger patties is a good option. As for the best way to prepare frozen hamburger patties it depends on your preference you can cook them in the oven, on a grill or in a frying pan, to easily make a satisfying dinner.
Shopping For The Perfect Ground Beef
When you go to the market, and you see the hamburger section, it can be so overwhelming with all the choices. Its like a field of options and if you dont understand what all of it means you wont know which way is best for you. Here is a breakdown to help guide you through the ground beef buying process:
- Regular Ground Beef It can have up to 30 percent of fat content in it.
- Medium Ground Beef The fat content in medium ground beef is not allowed to have more than 23 perfect fat.
- Lean Ground Beef When making lean ground beef, it cant be more than 17 percent fat content.
- Extra Lean Ground Beef This has the least amount of fat content and isnt more than 10 percent.
The choice of ground beef that you buy will depend on your preference for fat content. Low carb / Ketogenetic lifestyle followers will choose a higher fat content ground beef, whereas those who are following a lower-fat diet will obviously choose something closer to the lean or extra lean category.
A higher fat content usually results in more flavor, as the old adage goes Where theres fat, theres flavor. So most people will use more added seasonings to season up the lower fat ground beef.
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The Gist On Making Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos
Start things off by turning on the Instant Pots sauté function on low or medium. Once the pot is warm, add a drizzle of olive oil and let it warm up for about 30 seconds or so. Then, add the ground turkey, breaking it down into chunks with a spatula. Simmer it for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the meat to be just partially cooked. Once youre at this point, turn off the sauté function. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the ground turkey, and then add the salsa and the green chilies . Stir everything, mixing it well, then lock the lid into place. Position the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. While the turkey cooks, you can prep your toppings. Once the Instant Pot timer goes off, do a quick release. Once all of the steam has escaped, remove the lid from the Instant Pot and give the meat a good stir. Finally, pile the meat filling into tacos, top with your favorite stuff, and enjoy!
Defrosting Ground Turkey In Cold Water
Alternatively, you can defrost the ground turkey in cold water. This method is comparatively quicker than the fridge method. Add the packaged frozen ground turkey to a bowl filled with cold water.
Leave the meat in the water for 3-4 hours and keep changing the water every 30 minutes. Once the meat is defrosted, immediately use it for cooking.
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Tips For Cooking Beef In Instant Pot
Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey: Step By Step Guide
There are several ways to cook ground turkey. It can be cooked using the stovetop method or in the oven, or in the slow cooker. You can also cook ground turkey in an Instant pot!
Direct cooking without thawing is quick and faster than the other methods, but it does not give as good results after cooking as the one that includes thawed ground turkey.
Here are few simple steps to cook the frozen ground turkey.
These steps are best when you want to quickly defrost the frozen ground turkey and cook it right away on the stovetop. There are methods as well that you can try before cooking the frozen ground turkey.
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Can You Cook Frozen Hamburger In An Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is a fast and convenient way to thaw and cook a frozen block of ground beef. Use your pressure cooker to quickly cook frozen hamburger meat and have cooked ground beef ready for your recipe! Place the trivet in the pot and add the water. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
How Long Can You Freeze Ground Turkey
Ground turkey can be frozen for up to a year, but I recommend thawing and eating it within 4 months to maintain the best flavor.
Tips for Freezing Ground Turkey
- Measure out the ground turkey into various sizes depending on what you like to make
- Seal them tightly in a freezer proof bag
- Label each bag with ground turkey along with the date in a permanent marker
Youll never question what to make with ground turkey in the Instant Pot after going through this list!
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Thawing Ground Beef In A Pressure Cooker
This method drains almost ALL of the grease and fat away from the meat. It ends up at the bottom of the pot . SO you get leaner ground beef to cook.
I honestly have been doing this for quite some time. But since its such a simple thing I ignored the fact that I hadnt written a post about it. Now Im sharing this tip with all of you.
I think other than saving me a ton of time it saves those days when Im forgetful. Dinner is saved!
Typically I buy 80/20 ground beef. When we bought a cow earlier this year though I didnt know what those were. For the most part they are rather lean.
- However Ive always had an issue with draining the fat well and in the past.
- Ive poured the cooked ground beef into a strainer, and turned on the hot water to rinse it.
Now its done for me!!
Look! The fat drains away from the meat using this Instant Pot frozen ground beef method.
Combined with the water you add to the bottom, now you just dump it before you turn it to saute. Fat is gone!
What To Serve With Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili
Cornbread is a traditional side dish that just goes perfectly with chili, but it isnt exactly keto-friendly. So, try this low-carb cornbread with coconut flour that tastes amazing with this savory chili.
Or, make some keto cloud bread. It is light and fluffy and melts in your mouth.
This chili is a fantastic source of protein, but it doesnt have many vegetables in it. Thats why I like to serve it with stuffed peppers or southern green beans with bacon.
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