Ditch the box and make Instant Pot Hamburger Helper instead. Made with wholesome, simple ingredients, this quick and easy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper recipe comes together in under 30 minutes!!

Instant Pot Hamburger Helper served in white bowl topped with parsley.

If you love Boxed Hamburger Helper or Homemade Hamburger Helper, this recipe for Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is going to quickly become a favorite meal.

Reasons to Love Instant Pot Hamburger Helper

Simple, Affordable Ingredients. Made with ground meat, tender elbow noodles, and a perfectly spiced tomato sauce, this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a delicious, economical meal.
Kid-Friendly Dinner Recipe. The simple ingredients make this a family-favorite 30-minute dinner recipe. No chunks of onions, tomatoes, or veggies in this dish for the picky eaters to complain about.
No-Box Needed. Just like my recipes for Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, and Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole, this recipe ditches the boxed mix that is loaded with preservatives and excess sodium, yet comes together just as quickly.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for hamburger helper labeled on counter.

Ground Meat: Use ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken for this recipe. Keep in mind that the leaner the meat you use, the lower in fat this recipe will be.
Beef Broth: Be sure to use low-sodium beef broth to control the sodium level in the final dish. The broth helps to flavor the noodles as they cook, so don't be tempted to substitute it for water.
Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika are used to add flavor to the Hamburger Helper without the need to saute an onion or garlic with the beef.
Salt: One benefit of making Hamburger Helper from scratch is that you are in charge of the sodium added. Use low-sodium broth, low-sodium Worcestershire sauce, and low-sodium canned tomatoes, and then adjust the added salt as needed or desired.
Noodles: The cooking time for this recipe for Hamburger Helper has been determined using elbow noodles which are the classic choice. You can use whole wheat or regular elbow noodles with equal success.
Worcestershire Sauce: I recommend always having Worcestershire sauce on hand in the refrigerator, as it lasts forever and adds incredible flavor and umami to so many dishes, this recipe for Hamburger Helper is included.
Tomato Sauce: Use canned tomato sauce or puree for this recipe. If needed, use salt-free tomato sauce.

Recipe Modifications

Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper: If you would like a cheesy version of Hamburger Helper, stir in 4 ounces of diced Velveeta Cheese or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese AFTER cooking. Place the lid back on the inner pot after stirring in the cheese and let it sit for a minute or two to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
Add Onion: Feel free to add a small minced yellow onion to the beef while it is browning. I opted to keep this recipe as simple and economical as possible. Not to mention kid-friendly! Some kids will turn their noses up at a dish if they see a speck of minced onion but will be none-the-wiser to onion powder.
Gluten-Free Instant Pot Hamburger Helper: I have had success making this recipe using Barilla Gluten-Free elbow noodles and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. I can not recommend using other brands of gluten-free noodles as they tend to give off too much starch to work in this recipe.
Changing the Quantity: This recipe can be halved and prepared in any size pressure cooker. Or you can double the recipe if you have an 8-quart or larger pressure cooker. Simply double or half the ingredients and leave the cooking time the same.
Lower the Sodium. Use low-sodium beef broth, salt-free canned tomato sauce, and half the amount of added salt.

How To Make Hamburger Helper in Instant Pot

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Saute Meat. If you are using meat that is not lean, such as 80/20 ground beef, you will not need to add any oil to the inner pot before sauteeing the ground meat, as it will render off enough fat as it cooks. That said, if you are using lean ground meat, you will need to add 2 teaspoons of canola oil before proceeding to saute the meat. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the inner pot.

Step Two: Deglaze the Inner Pot. Anytime that you use the saute function on an electric pressure cooker, you must scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the inner pot. If you skip this step, you could very easily end up with a burn notice. For this recipe, add ½ cup of the broth into the inner pot after sauteeing the beef. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, removing any browned bits.

Beef Broth poured into inner pot on top of ground beef.

Step Three: Layer Ingredients. When cooking any type of pasta dish or dish with a tomato-based product, it is crucial to follow the directions in the order in which to layer the ingredients. You want to be sure the tomato product is not touching the bottom of the inner pot which can cause a burn notice and that the noodles are submerged in a liquid of some sort to ensure they fully cook.

Ingredients for Hamburger helper layered inside inner pot of Instant Pot.

Step Four: Pressure Cook. I have perfected the perfect cooking time for elbow noodles using the Instant Pot so that they turn out perfectly cooked. Keep in mind using a different type of noodle will yield a different cooking time.

Hamburger helper cooked inside instant pot.

Serving Suggestions

Pair Instant Pot Hamburger Helper with a side of green beans almondine, carrot raisin salad, broccoli salad, and/or fruit salad for a delicious, balanced family meal.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Store cooled leftover hamburger helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Allow the hamburger helper to cool fully. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Place the leftovers into a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 1-minute intervals until warmed through, adding 1-2 tablespoons broth or water if needed to add moisture to the pasta.

More Instant Pot One-Pot Meals

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If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper, I would love for you to leave a comment below.

This post was originally published in 2018 but was updated in 2022.

Comments

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