Showing you how to cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot is easy peasy!
It’s a simple matter of timing. Knowing how to get your hamburger ready for a recipe in record time takes so much frustration out of preparing dinner when you’re in a hurry.
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Cooking Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot
Knowing how to defrost mince (or ground beef) in the Instant Pot is so simple, that you will see how versatile it is. You are going to want to save these directions to use OVER AND OVER again, I promise! Okay, time to get into the details!
Why Cook Ground Beef In A Pressure Cooker?
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 deciding at the last second what to make. This causes problems when the hamburger is frozen solid!
Placing it in the fridge takes overnight to defrost it, microwaving the meat sometimes ends up half thawed and half-cooked, and it’s really not safe to just leave it on the counter to thaw, so pressure cooking it cuts out all that extra waiting time.
There are other reasons to cook ground beef in a pressure cooker. One of my other favorite reasons besides thawing and cooking quickly is that the hamburger becomes so tender and is extra juicy. That flavor is hard to beat and makes all my recipes taste awesome!
SO EASY!!!!
FYI: If you’re looking for an alternative way to thaw and cook frozen ground beef not using the Instant Pot, this tutorial teaches you how to thaw it using a stovetop method.
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. It’s like a field of options and if you don’t understand what all of it means you won’t 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 can’t be more than 17 percent fat content.
- Extra Lean Ground Beef – This has the least amount of fat content and isn’t 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 there’s fat, there’s flavor”. So most people will use more added seasonings to season up the lower fat ground beef.
Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef
There are a lot of details involved when it comes to understanding the differences between grass-fed and grain-fed cows. The basics are that grass-fed beef is typically more expensive, but it is much healthier to eat. It’s filled with vitamins like B6, vitamin E, and vitamin A. The cows start their lives by drinking milk from their moms and grazing on grass and other edible plants.
Grain-Fed beef is much less expensive but doesn’t have the antioxidants and vitamins that grass-fed does. Grain-fed beef do eat grains and gets growth hormones. It’s basically up to you which one you prefer to eat.
What Can I Make With This Instant Pot Ground Beef?
That’s the beauty of cooking this meat in the Instant Pot this way. After the meat is browned, the world’s your oyster! (haha.. like food pun?)
You can use this beef for anything you need cooked ground beef for! You could make:
- Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
- A quick Beef and Broccoli dish
- Beef and Barley Soup
- Easy Beef Mac n Cheese
If you are looking for more meats you can cook from frozen you should also try this shredded beef from frozen recipe. Not only is it handy, but mouthwatering as well!
Are you new to Instant Pot pressure cooking? Are you a little hesitant about working with it? Check out my Instant Pot for Beginners Guide to help you feel a little more comfortable around the appliance!
Also, are you looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try these scrumptious recipes to add some extra flavor to your life.
- Instant Pot Low Carb Spaghetti
- 20+ Instant Pot Soups
- Crazy Delicious Instant Pot 3 Packet Roast
- Instant Pot Corn On The Cob With Garlic Butter
I hope this answers your question on how to defrost ground beef. I love the Instant Pot for the “fast” factor on getting dinner together lickety-split!
How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot
A super-easy way to have cooked ground beef when you don't have time to let it thaw. Instant Pot cooked ground beef lets you get a jump on dinner when you need to save time!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef *see notes
- 1c water or broth
- as desired, salt (optional)
Instructions
- Place to ground beef into the Instant Pot
- Add the water/broth
- Place the lid on and move the toggle switch to 'sealing'
- Press manual high pressure for 20 minutes
- When cooking time is done, carefully move the switch to "venting" and do a quick release
- Remove the lid and either drain the beef of the pot liquid or press saute to evaporate the pot liquid. (Or keep the pot liquid if it works into the recipe you are making)
- Alternatively, cool the beef and then divide into specific portions to freeze for later use.
Notes
The instructions are the same if you are using 1 pound of ground beef. You will just have a higher pot liquid ratio to ground meat for the end product.
Adding salt is optional and will depend on the recipes you are using the browned beef for.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: ÂĽ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 31g
***PIN THIS INSTANT POT GROUND BEEF FROM FROZEN PIN TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD TO USE LATER***
Ruth says
I’m at a normal altitude and I too had the issue of the middle of my beef being raw, but a few minutes with the sautee function quickly sorted that out. All this to say, ALWAYS use a meat thermometer for food safety! Next time I will try 25 minutes instead of 20 to see if I can skip the sautee step.
Kenny says
This saved dinner tonight! Works just as well on a one-pound chunk of ground bison, too. Thank you!
Joanne says
Kenny, Thank you for commenting! I haven’t had bison in SO long, thanks for the reminder!
Tom says
I love this idea because I have to spend one or more hours to defrost the frozen ground beef. I don’t have enough time to wait for that process. With an instant pot, I can cook the dish with the ground beef as easy as a pie. Thank you so much.
Joanne says
You’re welcome!
Peggy Sue says
Wow! I never thought to put setting on saute to evaporate the liquid 🤔 that is a game changer! Thank u ❤️
Diya says
I like this method and used my food processor for a slightly more uniform texture. Thanks for posting!
Erika says
Made this recipe a week ago and it was a hit with the family. Making it again tonight. Thank you!!!
Joanne says
Yaaaay!!!
ROBYN says
From freezer to table in an hour! Thanks for the versatile recipe.
ROBYN says
I did it, it is not really good looking at first but after 3 or 4 times, so great taste. Thanks for your sharing much, Not too hard to do.
Joanne says
Yes I agree Robyn.. not the prettiest at first for sure!! I’m thrilled that you liked it!!
Madi says
I don’t know if it is because I am at a higher altitude but I did 20 minutes and then let it NR for 5 minutes then quick release, it was still raw in the middle. I just drained everything and put it on sauté and it was just fine. But I think it would be more appropriate to have it pressure cookers for 25 minutes and then NR for 10 min
Chris says
“Remove the lid and either drain the beef of the pot liquid or press saute to evaporate the pot liquid. (Or keep the pot liquid if it works into the recipe you are making)” – I want to keep as much fat with the meat as possible. Should I sautĂ© as you mention above? And if so can you please give me more information, such as the steps to sautĂ© properly? I’m on the carnivore diet and need high fat content. Thanks.
TheSaltyPot says
The Instant Pot has a saute button that you can press that acts just like a frying pan. Press the button and it will evaporate a lot of the pan juices (but not the fat. Fat doesnt evaporate). If you want to keep as much fat and liquids in the beef, simply don’t drain it after pressure cooking, and carry on with your recipe! 🙂 I hope this helps Chris!
Chris says
It did indeed help. Thanks so much!
TheSaltyPot says
Yay!! That’s awesome, I’m so glad it did! 🙂
Ann says
Does this recipe work the same if I have 2 lbs of frozen or fresh ground beef straight from the store?
Also, in a 6qt Instant Pot, is 2lbs the most you can do? We sometimes buy and cook the 5 lb packages to cook and freeze and doing 3 batches seems like a lot of time, although still less work than standing over the stove.
Would it work to put the water in the bottom of the pot and add a safe bowl with small holes to drain some of the fat while cooking? That way you wouldn’t have to drain it before freezing?
Finally, does the meat crumble easily or do you end up with pretty big chucks when it comes out?
Thanks for sharing all of your tips and ideas.
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Ann, thanks for asking your questions!
So, I’m not sure I understand your question about if the recipe works the same if the meat is straight from the store? If your question is if the recipe is the same for fresh vs frozen beef, then yes, it’s the same. The only difference will the amount of time it takes for the pot to come to pressure.
Putting the meat in a safe bowl with holes to drain – I suppose you could do this, but quite honestly, I think you’ll have a better result if you just leave it loose in the pot. The heat will have a better chance to cook evenly and extract more of the fat if that’s what your wishing to happen. Plus, the proteins in the meat will clump together if it’s in a bowl and you’ll have to spend the time breaking it apart to get the ground up consistency that you want in ground beef.
When you leave the beef loose in the pot, after processing, some of it does stick in clumps because of the proteins. However, if you have a good “clump crusher” (I like to call it, lol), it makes short work of the clumps of beef. I have one, and wouldn’t be without it.
This is what it looks like. Mine is from pampered chef and I bought it years ago, but this one looks totally identical and is a lot cheaper.
https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-5211438-Professional-Resistant-Masher-Safe/dp/B07D15V7T3/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_79_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=879BPCGJA0WZWSKS1N6T