How To Cook Ground Beef In Instant Pot

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I Cannot Tell You How Many Times I Have Gone To Cook Dinner And Realized I Forgot To Set Out My Meat It Is The Worst Feeling In The World Weve All Done It Once Or Twiceor If You Are Like Me I Am Probably Past The Triple Digits By Now You Are Not Alone In The Frozen Meat Struggle We Are All Right There With You

How to Cook Ground Beef in the Instant Pot – Perfect for Beginners!

When I first got my Instant Pot, I was reading about all the things that it could do and it was amazed that it can thaw meat. Its so simple too. All you need to do is get the meat out and put it in the Instant Pot. How easy is that? After that, there are so many different recipes you could make with the ground beef.

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So stinking easy and budget-friendly! The perfect ONE POT meal with a hearty meat sauce. Only 5 min in the Instant Pot!

Guys. This is a hearty, beefy pasta.

Like super beefy. Because I cant stand it when some recipes call for 3/4 lb of ground beef. That last 1/4 lb always goes in the trash!

So I used the entire pound here, and I loved it.

Its beefy! Whats not to love?

And we doctor up some store-bought marinara sauce for the best meat sauce ever.

Not to mention, the easiest meat sauce.

Because guess what?

The pasta cooks right in the Instant Pot with the rest of your ingredients, soaking up all that meaty-goodness.

Then you stir in some fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan and it is just perfect.

Serve with crusty bread.

And some of the leftover red wine.

Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef Or Turkey

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Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef or Turkey thawed in your electric pressure cooker in minutes. Then use in any recipes calling for ground beef or ground turkey. No more forgot to thaw meat at 4 PM!

I cant tell you how many times Instant Pot frozen ground beef or turkey has saved the dinner! I dont have enough fingers to tell you how many times at 4PM my brilliant healthy dinner idea was ruined by , forgot to thaw the meat.

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Pressure Cooker Dirty Rice

You can change it up with the type of meat you use, whether you add bell peppers, and make it as spicy or mild as youd like.

I use what I have on hand at all times. Many times I just have an onion as far as vegetables go so I go with that.

It is on our list of favorite cheap Instant Pot recipes because it comes in at about $10 for the whole pot full!

How To Cook Ground Beef In The Instant Pot

How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot
  • Turn on the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add the ground beef to the Instant Pot.
  • Saute and break apart the ground beef until and wait for it to brown. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  • Add the beef broth once the ground beef has browned and broken apart, turn on the pressure cook for 2 minutes.
  • Once the beef has cooked, transfer it to a plate to serve, plate with a dish of your choice, or freeze the meat to meal prep it.
  • Read Also: What Does It Mean When The Instant Pot Says Burn

    Faqs On Instant Pot Ground Meat

    Can you cook other types of ground meat in the Instant Pot using this method?

    YES! This would work perfectly for any ground meat like pork, chicken, or turkey and the cooking times would remain the same.

    What about the texture of meat being steamed over browned in Instant Pot?

    HA! I wondered that too. And I was hesitant to try out my test for a while due to the fear I would be WASTING ground beef. But let me assure you, the texture is amazing on ground beef cooked this way. It is soft but still firm–it is not mealy, mushy, or watery at all. There are no crispy brown bits in the meat, instead, everything is cooked perfectly.

    What about the taste of the meat?

    Tastes delicious, no difference in taste.

    Do you have to add water to bottom of Instant Pot?

    Yes, that moisture allows the pressure to build up in your instant pot.

    Do you have to use your trivet?

    YES!! The trivet does 3 things: prevents the meat from getting watery, prevents the meat from scorching, and allows the fat to drain off the meat as it cooks.

    Can you add seasonings to the meat?

    Absolutely! However, I find it is best to season the ground beef after it has been pressure cooked and broken up for even flavoring.

    Can I Cook Frozen Ground Meat In The Instant Pot

    Absolutely! It is a time saver and so easy to make, you only need two ingredients: water and beef. While I would highly recommend staying away from cooking frozen meat in the microwave or boiling it on the stovetop or cooking it in the slow cooker.

    Because the cooking time takes too long. Also, the beef becomes over-cooked on the outside and under-cooked in the center, and the texture just isnt the same. The pressure cooking method, however, is the one that I found the most success with. It only takes minutes to cook frozen ground beef in the instant pot, so make sure to save the recipe for emergency dinners!

    Also Check: Instant Pot Recipes Frozen Chicken Thighs

    Instant Pot Frozen Roast

    This recipe may have originated out of necessity when I forgot to thaw my roast in advance, but its quickly become our chosen way of making roast! The results are so tender, that I dont see the need to thaw the meat in advance anymore.

    If youre looking for pull-apart tender pot roast with minimal effort and time, this is definitely the recipe for you!

    From Frozen To Cooked

    How to Cook Ground Beef in the Instant Pot (Even if it’s Frozen)

    If you go to make dinner and realize you have forgotten to thaw out your ground beef–YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I have done this more times than I care to admit.

    As you most likely know, it is NOT safe to thaw meat out at room temperature, but what about safely cooking ground beef from frozen in an instant pot?

    It works like MAGIC!

    Just like the Instant Pot can cook frozen chicken breast, and frozen pot roast, The Instant Pot can be used to cook frozen ground meat effortlessly.

    Read Also: Burn Food On Instant Pot

    What To Serve With Chili

    I usually always serve this chili with baked potatoes or with Homemade Cornbread. Then of course plenty of cheese and sour cream.

    Grilled corn or just boiled corn with butter and salt makes another great, easy side dish. Avocados are always nice too.

    Or just skip it all and dive in with saltine crackers or tortilla chips!

    Can You Cook Frozen Ground Beef In The Instant Pot

    You can cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot, which is fantastic since it doesnt thaw very evenly in the microwave, and who actually remembers to take meat out the day before to thaw?

    Not me, thats for sure.

    Cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot takes about 20 minutes. If your blocks of ground beef are really thick it will likely take a bit longer than that.

    I freeze my ground beef in flat, 1-1.5 inch thick blocks and it takes 20 minutes to cook almost all the way through in the Instant Pot.

    You can add a few more minutes to get it completely cooked through, but I find its easier to crumble and break up if its still a bit pink in the middle.

    It only takes a couple minutes with the saute function to break it up and finish cooking it after the pressure cooking cycle is complete.

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    Tips For Cooking Ground Beef In The Instant Pot

    • If using frozen ground beef, make sure that it is frozen into a 1 pound flat. A larger piece of frozen meat will take longer to cook.
    • Be sure to remove all packaging from the ground beef before pressure cooking. You can put a package of frozen ground beef in cool water for a few minutes to help loosen the packaging from vacuum-sealed meat.
    • The ground beef will not be fully cooked after pressure cooking. This is what we want, so that we can crumble and brown the beef using the sauté function. Pressure cooking starts the cooking process, and thaws your meat if it is frozen.
    • If you have a handled trivet, the handles make it easy to lift the meat out of the pot and onto a plate after pressure cooking.

    Instant Pot Taco Meat From Frozen Or Fresh

    How to cook Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot. Fast ...

    See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

    This Instant Pot Taco Meat is an easy way to make tacos for dinner. How to cook fresh or frozen ground beef in your Instant Pot with taco seasonings for a quick meal.

    My family loves tacos for dinner. Sometimes I forget to thaw the ground beef in time for taco night, and thats when this Instant Pot taco meat recipe comes in really handy!

    When you cook ground beef in your Instant Pot, you can cook the meat from frozen. Its quick, its easy, and with this recipe, youll have delicious seasoned taco meat, perfect for crunchy or soft tacos.

    If youre making tacos and your ground beef isnt frozen, you can still use this Instant Pot taco recipe. However, I recommend that you try my stove top taco recipe instead because it is faster to make if you have fresh ground beef.

    Cooking meat from frozen is one of the best benefits to using an Instant Pot. You might also enjoy my Instant Pot frozen chicken, Instant Pot chicken tacos and Instant Pot pot roast recipes. All can be cooked from frozen into a delicious meal for your family.

    This Instant Pot tacos recipe is so simple, youll want to keep it on hand for busy days! Its a perfect recipe for beginners to pressure cooking. My Instant Pot instructions for beginners can help you to get started making easy Instant Pot Recipes.

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    How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In The Pressure Cooker

    Step 1 Place your trivet in the bottom of your pressure cooker. Your instant pot should have came with a trivet but if not or you need a new one, I suggest this trivet with silicone handles. You can also use a steam basket here as well.

    Step 2 Place your water in the bottom of the instant pot.

    Step 3 Close the lid and set the release to SEALING. Press the pressure cook button and set it for 22 minutes for 1 pound of frozen ground beef. If you are cooking 2 pounds, set it for 27 minutes.

    Step 4 Once the pressure cooker is done cooking, allow it to come to natural pressure. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and make sure the internal temperature of the meat has reached 160 degrees.

    Step 5 Remove the trivet and use a spatula to crumble the ground beef. You can add your spices at this point and continue cooking your meal!

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    How To Make Beef Chili In The Instant Pot

    Its so easy to make this chili! Heres how:

  • Heat Instant Pot on saute mode. Add ground beef, breaking up and browning.
  • Add onions, celery and green pepper, sauteeing until softened.
  • Turn off saute mode, then add in remaining ingredients .
  • Place lid on Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
  • Serve chili in deep bowls
  • Add toppings of choice. Enjoy!
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    Option : Steam The Meat

    How to cook ground beef using the Instant Pot
    • 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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    How To Make No Bean Chili

    This low carb chili recipe is a cinch to make! Here are the basic steps to making a no-bean chili in the Instant Pot:

  • Turn the Instant Pot on and press the sauté button. Lightly spray the bottom of the pan and brown the meat over medium heat. When cooked through, drain off any grease.
  • Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, tomato paste and spices. Stir well.
  • Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the steam valve. Press the Pressure Cooker function and set the time to 15 minutes.
  • When cooking cycle is over place a towel over the steam valve and manually release the pressure.
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    Can You Overcook Meat In Instant Pot

    Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, theres no going back. You ll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Well, that doesnt just apply to potatoes, it applies to meat, too.

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    Quick Beef And Kidney Bean Chili

    Great chili doesnt have to take all day. With this Quick Beef and Kidney Bean Chili, youll get rib-sticking delicious chili in just 45 minutes!

    While easy, this chili doesnt skimp on the flavor, with notes from poblano pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. A melange of kidney beans, tomatoes, and, of course, ground beef, add heft.

    This recipe is simple to start with frozen ground beef. Cook your frozen ground beef on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Next, sauté your veggies in a Dutch oven. Add the ground beef, all the flavorings and accoutrements, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

    What To Do With Leftover Chili

    How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot

    If you dont feel like freezing chili, you can use leftovers in a few other recipes.

    Try topping off nachos with some chili. For simple nachos, melt cheese over tortilla chips and then spoon some chili over the top. Add some fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and green onion on top.

    Chili cheese fries is always a crowd pleaser. Bake or fry some French Fries until crispy and then gather it in an oven-safe bowl. Melt some cheese over the top and then top cheesy fries with some chili.

    Mix chili with some queso dip to make a delicious chili cheese dip.

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    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.

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