When cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot, there’s no need to worry about thawing it first for recipes.
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We are all aware that the Instant Pot is known for its speedy cooking from frozen foods. It is amazing and oh-so-convenient. I have entire freezer meal plans that you can simply plop a frozen block of food into, or better yet, place in, set the cook time, and walk away from. Like I said, convenient.
On a daily basis, however, it’s when I completely forget to remove a package of ground beef from the freezer and it’s time to make dinner that I most appreciate the Instant Pot’s ability to cook from frozen.
Instead of thawing as quickly as chicken breasts do, a block of ground beef can take up to an hour. Now, instead of altering my dinner plans, I simply add some water and frozen ground beef to the Instant Pot, then walk away while the meat cooks and defrosts, preparing it for use in our pasta sauce, tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, nachos, and other dishes.
Frozen Ground Beef InstaPot
Due to my propensity for forgetfulness, we frequently cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot. Nothing is worse than having nothing thawed when everyone gets home around dinnertime. You all need to eat, but you’re not ready to go out. What should you do? We can help you tonight with your pressure cooker.
You can use that pot in place of others if you need simple Ninja Foodi recipes. You only need the high pressure function, which they all have, so either Crockpot Express or Mealthy will work just fine.
FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Now let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!.
- After that, PRINT this —-> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet to learn how long meat, vegetables, and beans need to cook in your pressure cooker. This is a fantastic InstaPot cookbook, and wooden utensils are also a great buy. I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot. Even though you should still deglaze your pressure cooker after sautéing, it will function more reliably with this improved liner.
For reference, I create all of my recipes in this pressure cooker (6 quart).
My pressure cooker is my favorite method for defrosting frozen ground beef because it preserves the meat’s juiciness and removes all the fat. It’s one of the best ways to cook frozen ground beef, and since I am forgetful, I no longer have to worry if I forgot to take it out of the freezer the day before.
Ninja Foodi frozen ground beef
- Yes, forgetfulness happens often. In this pressure cooker frozen whole chicken post, I began by outlining how to prepare frozen meat in an Instant Pot.
- This is all for “those days,” when you seem to forget everything. There are no longer any concerns because you can quickly transform a frozen block of meat from a hard block into a juicy dinner.
I make and develop new recipes using ground beef at least twice a week in the Instant Pot.
Regardless of whether I combine it with other ingredients to create Instant Pot turkey meatloaf or meatballs to serve with spaghetti, I can always find a use for a pound of ground beef.
Frozen Ground Beef Instant Pot Without Trivet
We made the big move from California to Idaho this year, and here many families purchase fresh meat from nearby farms, as did we. The garage now houses a sizable freezer that is stocked with enough meat to last us all winter.
I started cooking with beef even more recently after we bought a quarter of a cow, so I needed to figure out how to quickly cook frozen ground beef. This works for frozen ground turkey too of course.
We regularly update a list of Instant Pot beef recipes. I’ll include them and post them on my website as I try pressure-cooking other types of frozen beef.
- Frozen meatballs prepared in a pressure cooker can be simply thrown in with some sauce and they will turn out fine.
Though you should thaw out a larger piece of ground beef first before continuing to cook it on saute as you would with a pound of fresh ground beef.
How to thaw Instant Pot frozen ground beef
An Instant Pot will change your life if you are COMPLETELY new to the pressure cooking world. It took me a little while to become familiar with all the buttons, but now I use this device frequently, if not daily.
You simply use a trivet, I prefer the ones with handles because it’s a little bit simpler to lift it out once it’s finished. If you don’t already have one of these, I strongly advise doing so because it can be used for a variety of purposes. BUT I have a substitute if you don’t have one yet.
You could ball up 4 pcs. using a small plate on top and a piece of foil on the bottom, you can use that. However, it will still function, even though the fat won’t drain away like it would with a trivet. Use a pot holder to lift the plate out of the oven because it will be extremely hot. Make sure the plate is oven-safe.
Cooking frozen ground beef in a pressure cooker
With this technique, almost ALL of the grease and fat from the meat is removed. It eventually sinks to the pot’s bottom (as seen below). SO you get leaner ground beef to cook. Instant Pot frozen ground turkey works the same way.
- If you forget to thaw it out the night before, this is a great tip to have.
- As opposed to overnight, it takes only about 20 minutes to thaw ground beef.
I honestly have been doing this for quite some time. However, because it’s so simple, I disregarded the fact that I hadn’t created a post about it. Now I’m sharing this tip with all of you.
In addition to saving me a ton of time, I believe it also helps me on days when I forget things. Dinner is saved!.
Frozen Ground Turkey in Pressure Cooker
Normally, I purchase 80/20 ground beef, though turkey or chicken would also be suitable But I had no idea what those were when we bought a cow earlier this year. For the most part they are rather lean.
- However, I’ve always struggled to properly drain the fat, and in the past.
- The cooked ground beef has been poured into a strainer, and I have started the hot water to rinse it.
Now it’s done for me!!
Using this Instant Pot frozen ground beef technique, look at how the fat drains from the meat.
Now you just dump it before turning it to saute after combining it with the water you add to the bottom. Fat is gone!.
Frozen Ground Beef Instant Pot Time
Here are some quick instructions, but I also have a printable recipe card for you at the bottom.
Time needed: 15 minutes.
Frozen ground beef in Instant Pot
- Water Pour 1 c. water into your pressure cooker. In the bottom, set a trivet high enough so that the meat won’t touch the liquid.
- Add meat Put your pound (or up to 2 lbs. really) on your trivet.
- Defrost Close your lid and steam valve. Set to high pressure for 5 minutes. For a total of about 20 minutes, perform a 10-minute natural pressure release. Lift out trivet with meat on it. Drain pot.
Compared to Crockpot ground beef, it takes much less time to defrost and then cook.
Instant Pot frozen hamburger
Remove any accumulated liquid and fat in your Instant Pot.
- Re-add the thawed ground beef to the pot; there will be a thin layer of cooked, raw, and thawed meat inside.
- As you would if it were fresh ground beef, prepare the meal.
To make an Instant Pot casserole or any other type of beef dinner recipe, add taco seasoning and anything else.
Now you can quickly make our Instant Pot taco meat using a single pound of frozen, rock-hard beef by following these instructions for air-frying ground beef (thawed) and adding a seasoning packet at the end.
- Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni is amazing
- Since only five ingredients are required, our Instant Pot chili is probably the most popular.
Choose your favorite dish using this type of protein, as I’m sure you have a few favorites.
Here are a few of our favorite ground beef recipes for the Instant Pot to try after this is finished!
- Amazing and a kid favorite, this flavorful Instant Pot taco casserole is delicious.
- Try this Instant Pot hamburger potato casserole
Make our stroganoff casserole in a pressure cooker tonight using your meat!
How to cook frozen meat in Instant Pot
Now that your meat has been thawed, you don’t necessarily need to prepare a pressure cooker recipe. There are countless things you can cook, like our crockpot lasagna casserole!
- I can teach you how to prepare frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.
- To help you understand how long each item takes to cook, here are some free printable Instant Pot cooking times sheets.
- This is how to prepare frozen shrimp in an Instant Pot as well. We love seafood so that has been helpful.
I’m working on demonstrating how to defrost meat in a slow cooker as well, and once I have it down pat, I’ll post a link.
Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!
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Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef
- 1 lb ground beef up to 2 lbs.
- 1 c water
- Pour 1 c. water into your Instant Pot and lower a trivet down.
- Place 1-2 lbs frozen ground beef on your trivet.
- Set your steam valve, lid, and steam pressure to high for 5 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 10 minutes. Lift out ground beef and drain liquid in your pot.
- Cook your thawed ground beef as you wish. To complete your recipe, cook the inside until it is thawed and raw (the outside layer will be lightly cooked).
VideoNutrition FactsInstant Pot Frozen Ground BeefAmount Per Serving (3 oz)
How to thaw frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot
FAQ
Can you thaw meat in an Instant Pot?
Place the frozen beef on the trivet and cover it to cook it. For one pound of beef, cook at HIGH pressure for about 20 minutes; for two pounds, cook at HIGH pressure for 23 minutes. After that, followed by 5 minutes natural pressure release. Next, do a quick pressure release for the remaining pressure.
How long does frozen ground beef take in the Instant Pot?
Don’t worry, your go-to method for hands-free, simple to prepare dinners will still allow you to have fresh meat, poultry, or seafood from the freezer. We’re talking about the Instant Pot, of course. It can do everything, including thoroughly cooking frozen meats so they are delectable and safe to consume.
Can I put frozen beef in Instant Pot?
You can quickly defrost ground beef in the microwave on days when planning your dinner is the last thing on your mind. Remove all packaging, then place the meat on a plate and microwave it at 50% power for 2 to 3 minutes, rotating and flipping the beef every 45 seconds, until it is fully thawed