This is, hands down, my favorite Instant Pot trick so far! I will forevermore cook frozen hamburger meat an Instant Pot as it saves loads of time and I don’t have to thaw, babysit, or stir my meat to get it ready to add to dishes. Wait till you see how easy this is!
How to Cook Frozen Hamburger Meat in an Instant Pot
Step One: Get hamburger meat out of the freezer.
(But whatever you do, don’t plan ahead. No way, no how! Don’t thaw your meat because life is too short to spend time thinking about details like this.)
Step Two: Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot under the trivet. (Very important detail!)
Step Three: Put chunks of frozen meat onto the metal trivet inside the pot. Stand them up like soldiers so they’ll cook more evenly.
Step Four: Put the lid on your Instant Pot. Close the venting valve so it will seal.
Step Five: Set the Instant Pot to 30 minutes on high pressure on Manual Mode.
Step Six: Come back when the machine beeps as if to say, “Your hard work is done. I hope you enjoyed your nap.”
Step Seven: Carefully release the pressure and use a meat thermometer to be sure the internal temp is at least 160 degrees.
Step Eight: Transfer the cooked meat to a big bowl and use a sturdy utensil to break it apart. (I have this “Meat Masher” and love it for this job!)
Now you’ve got five pounds of cooked hamburger to use any way you need! See my big list below of great options!
Note: What to do with the water and grease at the bottom of your Instant Pot?
If I had one complaint about this meat-cooking method, it would be that all the grease drips to the bottom, leaving the meat a bit dry. What can I say? I may be the only one on the planet who wants to keep a little fat in my meat! So I use a ladle to drizzle some of the water/grease back into the meat after I’ve broken it apart.
Now I’ve got some great recipes and ideas to share for using your cooked hamburger meat!
Divide your cooked meat into 1-pound portions in freezer bags, freeze, then pull them out to use as needed for quick and Simple Meals! Or divide your meat into separate bowls and start building some of these great meals to make your meal time ridiculously easy!
- 20-Minute Taco Soup
- Beefy Enchilada Bake
- Calico Beans
- Calzones
- Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
- Cheesy Beef and Rice
- Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
- Chili
- Chili Mac
- Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
- Crustless Pizza
- Hamburger Cream Cheese Dip
- Hamburger Sauerkraut Dip
- Italian Pasta Bake
- Lasagna Casserole
- Meat and Cheese Burritos
- Pizza
- Pizza Boats
- Pizza Casserole
- Pizza Pockets
- Pizza Soup
- Real Food “Velveeta” and Rotel Dip
- Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
- Skillet Taco Pasta
- Sloppy Cornbread Muffins
- Sloppy Joes
- Spanish Rice
- Taco Corn Fritters
- Taco Potatoes
- Taco Quesadillas
- Taco Rice Dinner
- Taco Salad
Have you tried cooking frozen hamburger in an Instant Pot? What are your favorite meals that include hamburger meat?
