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Ditch the box and make Instant Pot Hamburger Helper! Made with simple ingredients, this quick and easy recipe leaves the mystery ingredients on the shelf and delivers the classic flavors you know and love in in under 30 minutes!
Made with ground meat, tender elbow noodles, and a perfectly spiced tomato sauce, this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a delicious, economical meal, that the entire family will devour! And just like my stove-top version of hamburger helper, this recipe ditches the box (and added preservatives), yet still comes together with minimal effort.
A Few Helpful Tips Before You Get Started
- Options for Meat. Swap out the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey. Use what you like or have on hand.
- Use Exact Timing. Pressure cook the 3 minutes, allow pressure to release for exactly 5 minutes, then do a quick release of remaining pressure. This is key to perfectly cooked elbow noodles.
- Keep it Simple. I keep this recipe both kid friendly and economical by using dried spices rather than adding a fresh onion or fresh garlic.
- Don't Skip the Worcestershire Sauce. It will help to enhance the flavors in this otherwise simple dish.
How To Make Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sauté Meat. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté function, add in a bit of oil, and let heat. Add in the ground beef (or turkey or chicken) and sauté until fully browned and cooked through, breaking it up in smaller pieces as it cooks.
- Deglaze the Inner Pot. Add ½ cup of the broth into the inner pot after sautéing the beef and then use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, removing any browned bits. This will prevent a burn notice from occurring.
- Layer Ingredients. Stir in the remaining broth, seasonings, submerge the noodles in the liquid, and then top with the tomato sauce. Do not stir the tomato sauce into the other ingredients, as this is another cause for a burn notice.
- Pressure Cook. Cook for 3 minutes on high pressure with exactly 5 minutes natural pressure release to ensure perfectly cooked noodles.
- Fluff and Serve. Use a spoon to gently stir everything together and dish up dinner! And while Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is hearty enough to stand alone as a meal, I love serving with a side of green beans almondine, carrot raisin salad, broccoli salad, and/or fruit salad to round out dinner.
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper Video
Learn better through video? Follow along with me making Instant Pot Hamburger Helper in my kitchen below.
Recipe Modifications
- Instant Pot Cheeseburger Helper: Make it cheesy by stirring in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese AFTER pressure cooking. Place the lid back on the inner pot and let it sit for a minute or two to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
- Add an Onion: Feel free to add a small minced yellow onion to the beef while it is browning.
- Gluten-Free: I have had success making this recipe using Barilla brand of 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.
- Lower the Sodium. Use low-sodium beef broth, salt-free canned tomato sauce, and half the amount of added salt.
- Doubling the Recipe: Instant Pot Hamburger Helper can be doubled if using an 8-quart or larger Instant Pot. Simply double the ingredients and leave the cooking time the same.
- Cutting the Recipe in Half: Simply cut the ingredients in half and leave the cooking time the same.
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 All-In-One Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
Looking for more easy all-in-one Instant Pot recipes--aren't we all?! They are the best dinners on busy weeknights! Add the following to your must-make list and keep dinner simple!
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a simple, economical, family-favorite recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes featuring tender noodles, ground beef, and a deliciously seasoned sauce.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or chicken/turkey
- 4 cups low-sodium beef stock/broth
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 16 ounces elbow noodles
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil to the inner pot, and let heat briefly ~60 seconds. Once the oil has heated, add 1 pound lean ground beef to the inner pot and brown it fully, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the meat is cooked, turn off the pressure cooker. If needed, remove the inner pot, drain off any fat from meat, and return the inner pot to the Instant Pot.
- Pour a bit of the 4 cups low-sodium beef stock/broth to the inner pot and use a spatula or spoon to scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Add the remaining broth. *Adding a small amount makes it so you don't splash yourself when deglazing the inner pot.
- Season with 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce to the inner pot and stir well to combine. Add 16 ounces elbow noodles and gently push them down into the sauce. You want the noodles just submerged in the liquid. Pour 8 ounces tomato sauce over the noodles, but do not stir!
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker, ensuring the venting knob is sealed/locked. Set to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes by hitting the manual or pressure cook button and adjusting the time by using the +/- buttons until the timer reads 3.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for exactly 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of any remaining pressure, being sure to stand away from the vent knob when releasing pressure.
- Remove the lid and fluff the noodles with a fork to incorporate everything. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed, and serve.
Notes
Ground Meat: This recipe works using ground turkey, beef, or chicken.
Noodles: Use whole wheat and regular elbow noodles. I don't recommend another pasta shape for the timing to work.
Gluten-Free Modification: Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and Barilla brand of gluten-free noodles. I have not had success with other brands of gluten-free noodles.
Make Instant Pot Cheeseburger Helper: Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese AFTER pressure cooking. The residual heat should be enough to melt the cheese.
Change Quantity: To double this recipe, you must use an 8-quart or larger Instant Pot. Then simply double the ingredients. The cooking time will remain the same, it will just take a bit longer to come to pressure. Alternatively, you can cut the recipe in half using a 3, 6, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Keep the cooking time the same.
Storage Instructions: Store leftover in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, you may want to add in a splash of beef stock or water, as the noodles tend to absorb the sauce as they sit.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 27gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 719mgPotassium: 785mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 340IUVitamin C: 3.1mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 3.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
This post was originally published in 2018 but was updated in 2024.
I made this recipe tonight using Barilla gluten free Rotini pasta. I wasn't able to press all the pasta down. So I added 1/3 cup of water prior to tomato sauce. My wife and I enjoyed the recipe. I'll be making this recipe again, but maybe adding more tomato sauce.
Hi Patrick! I love that the barilla GF pasta worked for you. In the future, I doubt you will need more water--the tomato sauce should help keep the pasta moist and without the added water you will have a more pronounced tomato flavor. And thanks for sharing 🙂
This was another big hit! I used ground turkey, added onion while browning and finished with grated cheddar cheese. So easy and absolutely delicious. I've never had the box version but I'm sure this is a thousand times better.
Thanks for sharing, AnnMarie! Thrilled you enjoyed 🙂
I forgot to say, I used ground turkey and chicken stock. 🙂
I made this today and we loved it. I thought the spices were a little overwhelming, until I read the recipe again and saw that I used only 8 oz of elbow noodles instead of 16 oz. !!
I guess my eyes went to the next ingredient, the 8 oz. Tomato sauce.
So next time it will be even better! I might cook some more noodles to add to the leftovers for tomorrow to stretch it a little.
Thank you for a great and healthier recipe that I know from long ago, but from the unhealthy box version.
Hi Ingrid! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the hamburger helper--even fewer noodles.
First time I tried this. My husband and I both thought it was just delicious!! I definitely will make it again.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your review.
Making this again, my son loves it! He says, “it’s a keeper”.
Thanks, for taking the scary out of Instant Pot cooking.
You are so very welcome, Martha. I love hearing you son loves this Hamburger Helper so much.