Home » Blog » Course » How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In The Instant PotHow To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In The Instant Pot Pin RecipeRate RecipePublished: Jan 1, 2023 by Marlene Wallace · This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Perfectly tender ground beef made in a pressure cooker that can be added to soups, stews, nachos and so much more. Jump to Recipe This quick and easy Instant Pot ground beef provides a convenient way of cooking fresh meat or even frozen beef. Cooked ground beef is super versatile and can be used in a variety of yummy recipes. Using the hands off pressure cooking method, your ground beef is ready in less than 30 minutes. With the sauté method cook time is even less, with only 5 minutes. Cooking a pound of ground beef in the Instant Pot can be a real time saver when dinner time is fast approaching. Table of Contents Why You’ll Love This Ingredients Recommended ToolsPressure Cooking InstructionsSautéing Instructions Pros for Instant Pot Ground Beef Andrea says….What To Serve With Instant Pot Ground BeefMore Instant Pot RecipesHow To StoreHow To ReheatCommon QuestionsInstant Pot Ground Beef Why You’ll Love This Notable: ground beef cooked to perfection in a pressure cooker to use in chilis, soups or nachos Main Ingredients: ground beef, water Cooking Method: Instant Pot Nutrients: rich in high quality protein Cooking Time: Pressure Cooking Method: 30 minutes, Sauté Method: 5 minutes Pairs well with: soups, nachos, tacos, chilis, casseroles, pasta sauces, stir fry Diets: keto friendly, gluten free, dairy free Special Equipment Needed: Instant Pot, metal trivet, potato masher (optional) Ingredients You may have all of these ingredients for this easy Instant Pot ground beef in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this cooked ground beef you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Ingredients 1 – 2 pounds ground meat, frozen or defrosted 1 cup water Variations and Substitutions Ground beef: Cook fresh ground beef or frozen ground beef. You can also substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for the ground beef. Water: Substitute chicken broth for the water. Spices: Add some garlic powder or onion powder to the fresh or frozen meat. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love cooking beef in the Instant Pot, then you’ll love our Instant Pot Beef Tips. It is easy to make, the beef falls apart in your mouth and the rich brown gravy with mushrooms and onions is the perfect pairing. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Instant Pot– This recipe requires an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. This Instant Pot isn’t the fanciest you can buy but we love it and it will work for most people’s needs. If you’re looking for one with all the bells and whistles, this 10-in-1 Instant Pot is amazing. Make sure your sealing ring is in good shape. You can buy replacement silicone sealing rings if you need one. These seal the pot and keep the pressure inside the machine. Pressure Cooking Instructions This section shows how to pressure cook ground beef in the Instant Pot, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. SET MEAT TO PRESSURE COOK: Start by placing the trivet into the electric pressure cooker. Then, add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pot. For 8 qt. pots add 1.5 cups of water. Next, remove all packaging and plastic and place ground beef on top of the trivet. Lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Set the vent to sealing position. NATURAL RELEASE: Set to high pressure for 20 minutes for frozen (1-inch thick) or 25 minutes for 2-inch thick or vacuum sealed frozen beef. Afterwards allow a 10 minute natural release. Then, carefully open the valve to quick release pressure. FINISH: Use an instant read meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached at least 160°F. If it is not fully cooked, add 3-5 minutes of cook time. Finally remove the trivet with beef from the insert. Discard the cooking liquid and beef drippings. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the beef. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love Instant Pot recipes then you’ll love our Instant Pot Carnitas. These tender, juicy and crispy on the outside carnitas melt in your mouth and burst with flavor. Sautéing Instructions This section shows how to sauté ground beef in the Instant Pot pressure cooker, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. COOK MEAT: Firstly, set the Instant Pot to sauté setting. Then place ground beef into the inner pot. In case you are using frozen meat, flip it over every minute, scrape off the cooked beef from the bottom of the Instant Pot and break it up. Repeat until the beef block is soft enough to break up with a spatula. FINISH: Afterwards, keep moving the beef to brown on all sides and prevent burning, until it is fully cooked. Finally, drain excess grease from the pot. Pros for Instant Pot Ground Beef Pros for Sauté Method: Frozen ground beef and fresh ground beef cooks quickest with the sauté method. This method helps beef retain some fat and moisture. Pros for Pressure Cooking Method: Frozen ground beef cooks hands-off in the pressure cooking method. Almost all grease and moisture is cooked out of the beef in this method. This is great if you’re adding it to soups or other dishes with a lot of liquid. Andrea says…. I always use the saute method over the pressure cooking method if I can help it. The pressure cooking method leaves the meat too dry for my preference. What To Serve With Instant Pot Ground Beef We love to use cooked ground beef for various scrumptious meals. Try one of these delicious recipes: Soups and Stews: Add this cooked beef to our Easy Chili, Beef and Vegetable Soup or Instant Pot Tortilla Soup. Mexican Dishes: Pressure cooked meat also works well for Ground Beef Taco Filling and Loaded Beef Nachos. Pasta Dishes: Traditionally, Marinara Sauce is served without meat. However, it would also taste great with brown ground beef. Additionally you can add this yummy beef to Easy Lasagna. The Best Marinara Sauce Ground Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe Ground Beef Taco Filling Easy Chili More Instant Pot Recipes If you are looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes full of flavor, then try our Chicken Thighs with Lemon Butter Sauce or Pork Roast: Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Lemon Butter Sauce Instant Pot Pork Roast How To Store Refrigerate: Let the ground beef cool completely before transfering into an airtight container or ziploc bag. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze: Instant Pot ground beef leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Divide beef into individual servings before freezing, for easy portion control when defrosting. Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight. How To Reheat You can reheat ground beef leftovers in the microwave, air fryer or on the stovetop. Common Questions What are other ways to use Instant Pot Ground Beef? Cooked ground beef is a very versatile ingredient. There are a lot of ways to use this delicious hamburger meat for a scrumptious quick meal. Add some taco seasoning for taco night or use it as a base for sloppy joes or cottage pie. Moreover, you can add it to homemade or store bought tomato sauce for a yummy spaghetti sauce. Can Instant Pot ground beef speed up meal prep? Yes, precooking fresh ground meat can be a great way to safe time when cooking dinner on busy days. Simply cook the meat up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use. You can even freeze cooked ground meat up to 3 months for future use. No ratings yet Instant Pot Ground Beef Author Andrea + Stef Course Main Dish Cuisine American Cook Time 30 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Print Pin Rate 4 servings Perfectly tender ground beef made in a pressure cooker that can be added to soups, stews, nachos and so much more. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark EquipmentInstant Potmetal trivet Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 1 lb ground beef InstructionsPressure Cooking Instructions:Place the trivet in the Instant Pot.Add 1 cup of cold water to the bottom of the pot. For 8 qt. pots add 1.5 cups of water.Remove all packaging and plastic. Place ground beef on the trivet. Lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Set the vent to seal.Set to high pressure for 20 minutes for frozen (1-inch thick) or 25 minutes for 2-inch thick or vacuum sealed frozen beef…Allow a 10 minute natural release.Carefully open valve for a quick pressure release.Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ground beef. It should be at least 160°F. If it is not fully cooked, repeat the sealing process and cook for 3-5 more minutes.Remove the trivet with beef from the insert. Discard the cooking liquid and beef drippings.Break up beef. Sautéing Instructions:Set Instant Pot to sauté setting.Place ground beef (frozen or fresh) into the Instant Pot.If your ground beef is frozen, flip it over every minute and scrape off the cooked beef and break it up. Repeat until the beef block is soft enough to break up with a spatula.Using your spatula, break up the ground beef and stir while cooking to get all sides browned. Keep moving the beef to prevent burning.When all the pink is gone and beef is brown, turn off the Instant Pot.Drain grease from the pot. NotesPros for saute method: Frozen ground beef and fresh ground beef cooks quickest with the saute method. This method helps beef retain some fat and moisture. Pros for pressure cooking method: Frozen ground beef cooks hands-off in the pressure cooking method. Almost all grease and moisture is cooked out of the beef in this method. This is great if you’re adding it to soups or other dishes with a lot of liquid. NutritionCalories: 288kcal | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 306mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet