How to Cook Ground Beef from Frozen in the Instant Pot
No need to worry about thawing your ground beef for recipes when it’s so easy to cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot!
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We all know that the Instant Pot has a reputation of being able to cook quickly from frozen. It is amazing and oh-so-convenient. I have entire freezer meal plans where you can just dump in, or better said, place in a frozen block of food, set the cook time and walk away. Like I said, convenient.
But on a day-to-day basis, the times I most relish the Instant Pot’s ability to cook from frozen are when I have completely forgotten to take out a package of ground beef from the freezer and it’s time to make dinner.
Unlike chicken breasts, which thaw rather quickly, a block of ground beef can take an hour or more to thaw. Now, instead of changing dinner plans I just put the frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot, add a little water, and walk away as the Instant Pot not only thaws the meat, but also cooks it so it will be ready to use in our pasta sauce, tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, nachos, whatever.
How to Cook Ground Beef from Frozen in the Instant Pot
How to Cook Ground Beef from Frozen in the Instant Pot
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 lbs cooked ground beef
Description
No need to worry about thawing your ground beef for recipes when it’s so easy to cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs* ground beef
- water
Instructions
- Pour a cup of water into the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Place in the trivet, then set the frozen ground beef on the trivet. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing.
- Set the cook time for 15 minutes on high pressure. When the cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release.
- Carefully take the lid off the Instant Pot and set to the side. Lift the ground beef (still in a block on the trivet) out of the pot and set on a plate. Discard the cooking liquid and grease in the bottom of the pot.
- Return the cooked ground beef to the Instant Pot and turn the Instant Pot on to Saute. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat in the bottom of the pot.
- Add whatever seasoning or sauce you want, or transfer the ground beef to another dish to use in your recipe.
Notes
*If you are cooking more than a pound or two of frozen ground beef, increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes and expect it to take longer to come to pressure.
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I found this post very helpful! A simple and effective method of using the Instant Pot to cook frozen ground beef is detailed in how to cook frozen ground beef quickly and safely matters like timing and proper temperature. In particular, the method is an excellent solution for quick meal preparation in a busy life. Thanks for the clear instructions and helpful tips for the post!
Thank you for the time and effort you have saved us.!
Directions were easy to follow..
This method is a life saver! I love how easy it is to defrost ground beef for a last minute meal!
I don’t have a trivet with my instant pot…what can I use instead? If OK to do this without trivet., would i need to adjust amount of liquid or time?
You can do it without the trivet, but after it finishes cooking, you’ll need to drain the water and grease from the bottom of the pot before breaking up the meat. The time and liquid would not need to be altered.
I use this technique all the time! Thanks for sharing.
Worked great for me. Thank you!
How long does your natural release take? Mine seems to take FOREVER….
I would end up just cooking the frozen ground beef on the stovetop in a frying pan because it would be faster.
Maybe I’m doing something wrong.
I would like to cook my entire family pack of fresh ground beef…would you just decrease the cook time? Would you still use a trivet?
How many pounds would you be cooking? I would increase it by a half if it is a significantly larger piece of meat.
Have you done ground turkey this way?
Does this work if your ground beef is not in a block? But is tube shaped?
Yes!
This is genius