Last Updated on June 15, 2023
If you’re looking for a new quick and easy cooking method, it’s time to try Instant Pot frozen ground beef. The Instant Pot is a kitchen appliance that has revolutionized the way we cook, making it possible to whip up a delicious meal in minutes. And while the pressure cooking method comes with a little learning curve, once you figure it out, it’s easy to replicate for quick and easy anytime meals.
Many of us have heard of using an Instant Pot to make soups and stews, did you know that you can use it to cook frozen ground beef too? Let’s take a look at how it’s done.
What You Will Need
There are a variety of ground beef recipes that you can adapt for cooking in an instant pot or a crockpot. You can use ANY frozen ground meat, not just beef. But the key here is if you don’t have thawed or fresh ground beef, you can easily use frozen to reach the same end result.
To get started, here are the items you will need:
- An Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
- Frozen ground beef (any type will do)
- A trivet or steamer basket (optional)
- Water or broth (optional)
The Instant Pot is a great cooking tool for any kitchen.
How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot
Now that we have our supplies ready, let’s begin! Read the manufacturer’s instructions for any specific guidelines regarding cooking frozen meat.
Here are the step-by-step cooking instructions for instant pot frozen ground beef:
- Place the frozen block of ground beef into the Instant Pot. If desired, put it on top of a trivet or steamer basket. This will help keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of your pot. Otherwise, spray the bottom of your Instant Pot insert with a nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour one cup of water or broth into the pot if desired. This cooking liquid can help prevent drying out by adding moisture as well as flavor. You can also add spices (for example a taco seasoning or sloppy joe spice blend) now – during the pressure cooking process, the flavor will begin to infuse the meat.
- Close the Instant Pot lid, ensuring it is properly sealed. Set the valve to the “Sealing” position.
- Select the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” setting on the Instant Pot. Adjust the cooking time based on the thickness and weight of the ground beef. As a general guideline, cook 1 pound of frozen ground beef for about 12-15 minutes.
- When finished cooking, allow for a natural release of pressure for about 10-15 minutes. Then, you can perform a quick release by carefully turning the valve to the “Venting” position.
- When the pressure has fully released and the float valve has dropped, it’s safe to open the Instant Pot lid.
- Now, your frozen ground beef is cooked and ready to use in your preferred recipe. It’s important to check the internal temperature of the beef using a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached a safe temperature of 165°F.
- Drain any excess liquid before using a masher or wooden spoon to create crumbled beef.
- Serve immediately or store as desired in an airtight container.
The beauty of cooking with an Instant Pot is that you don’t even have to thaw your ground beef first—it cooks perfectly from frozen in just 10 minutes! Plus, this method makes clean-up easy, since there are fewer pans or pots to scrub after dinner.
Cooked beef for tacos is a staple protein and easy to prepare!
Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Ground Meat
The above cooking instructions can easily be adapted to any ground meat. Using this method, you can make an endless variety of easy meals. Ground chicken, ground sausage, frozen ground turkey, frozen hamburger meat… they all work well as cooked meat in lots of different meal ideas.
We’ve compiled a list of some different dinner-time meals. All of these include proteins that could easily start from frozen meat cooked in the Instant Pot.
This recipe is a great one for leftovers and lunches for all you meal planner folks out there!
If you’re looking for a main dish protein to go with any variety of sides, this is it! Perfectly cooked chuck roast from fresh or frozen.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs Recipe
This is a great recipe to reference for chicken thigh cook times. From there, you can shred the meat or use it in tacos.
Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe
Try this recipe while meal prepping for the week. You can cook the beef and store it separately from the rice. All that’s left to do is assemble your bowls when packing lunches all week long.
Instant Pot Beef and Veggie Soup Recipe
This is another great recipe for cooking frozen beef in your instant pot. You can use any frozen or fresh veggies that you have on hand.
For more recipes like these Instant Pot frozen ground beef ones as well as tips for cooking, check out the JustCook blog.
