This Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a classic macaroni recipe that is cooked in a pressure cooker for only 5 minutes. It tastes better and healthier than the boxed Hamburger Helper. This creamy and cheesy ground beef macaroni pasta recipe will be perfect for any weeknight dinner.
Looking for more ground beef recipes? Well, you have to try this easy and quick Instant Pot Hamburger Helper. A mac and cheese dish with ground beef that’s cooked in a creamy cheese sauce. This one-pot pasta dish is so delicious and made with simple pantry ingredients. It’s made without all of those unnecessary ingredients and preservatives you may get from boxed pasta and meal starters.
This Pressure cooker Hamburger Helper reminds me of beef stroganoff. It has some similarities in taste but is much quicker to make and uses fewer ingredients. You can find my Instant Beef Stroganoff recipe here.
Check out more Instant Pot recipes:
- INSTANT POT CARNITAS – MEXICAN PULLED PORK
- INSTANT POT BEEF STROGANOFF
- INSTANT POT PULLED BEEF BRISKET FOR SLIDERS!
- INSTANT POT BONELESS BEEF SHORT RIBS
- INSTANT POT LAMB STEW
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper Ingredients:
- Ground Beef
- Elbow Macaroni Pasta
- Milk
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Smoked Paprika
- Italian Seasoning
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Beef broth
- Sugar
- Ground mustard
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Cheddar Cheese and shred
How to Make Instant Pot Hamburger Helper:
- First, brown the beef in an Instant Pot with one tablespoon of oil. It should take about 3 minutes.
- Second, cook the seasoning ingredients until translucent and fragrant. This step only takes 1 minute.
- Third, put all of the ingredients in the pot, including seasoning, browned beef, pasta, and broth. Then cook for about 5 minutes with immediate release.
- Lastly, make the cheesy and creamy sauce.
How to Make Creamy and Cheesy Sauce for Hamburger Helper:
To make a creamy and cheesy sauce, I add milk, cornstarch, and cheddar cheese to the macaroni dish after pressure cooking.
As an alternative, you may use sour cream or water. Please keep in mind that you might not enjoy the results made with just water because the milk adds creaminess and flavor to the sauce.
TRY THESE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES:
- INSTANT POT GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP
- INSTANT POT GOULASH
- INSTANT POT BARLEY SOUP
- INSTANT POT ITALIAN SAUSAGE KALE SOUP
- INSTANT POT POTATO SOUP WITH BACON
- INSTANT POT ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP
- INSTANT POT PEA SOUP – VEGETARIAN!
- INSTANT POT CAULIFLOWER SOUP (LOW-CARB)
- INSTANT POT SAUSAGE GNOCCHI SOUP (CREAMY ITALIAN GOODNESS)
- INSTANT POT POTATO LEEK SOUP (NO FLOUR ADDED)
- INSTANT POT BACON LENTIL SOUP (SO HEARTY)
- PRESSURE COOKER PUMPKIN SOUP
What Types of Cheeses Best for Hamburger Helper:
For this recipe, I just used fresh cheddar cheese because I still have some leftover from previous recipes. However, you may replace the cheddar cheese with American cheese or processed cheese like Velveeta.
Pre-shredded cheese contain additive that prevent the cheese from clumping or sticking together while in the package. So I recommend using Fresh Cheddar cheese (Block) because it melts smoothly, doesn’t contain added preservatives, chemicals and it will have a fresher, creamier taste than pre-shredded cheese.
Also, remember to put the cooked ground beef macaroni dish in the refrigerator promptly after cooking (within 2 hours; 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F). You can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days, or up to 4 months in the freezer. You can find more info on the USDA website.
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni pasta
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 tbsp garlic minced (around 3 garlic cloves)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning (or use oregano)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp chili powder (use more according to your liking)
- ½ tsp salt (use more according to your liking)
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2-3 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
Brown the Ground Beef:
- Press the “Sauté” function key. Select a temperature with the “Adjust” key for “Normal”. When Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays “Hot” and you can start sautéing.
- Heat one tablespoon oil in a skillet. Cook the ground beef undisturbed for about 1-2 minutes, then turning and keep cooking until brown. Don't forget to keep scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks on it to prevent burning. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Saute the Seasoning Ingredients:
- Add onion into the pot and cook until translucent, stir in garlic, chili powder, ground mustard, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning (or oregano), Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, sugar. Then turn off the "Sauté" by pressing "Keep Warm"
Pressure Cooking:
- Add the browned ground beef and one cup of beef broth, stir until combined.Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks on it to prevent burning.
- Add pasta and the remaining of the broth (2 cups of broth). Make sure that the pasta is cover with the liquid by pressing gently but DO NOT STIR! Place the lid and ensure the valve is in the “Sealing” position.
- Set to "Manual" setting and cook for 5 minutes with quick release. Remove the lid and select "Cancel". Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Note: If you find the pasta is still too tough for your liking, you can close the lid and set the pressure cooker to "Manual", and set timer to "O", then do a quick release after the pressure cooking is done.
Add Milk, Cheese and Corn Starch:
- In a mixing bowl, stir in one tablespoon of corn starch with 2 cups of milk. Add the milk mixture into the pot, add cheese and slowly stir until combined.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
GiGi Eats
Oh man, this BRINGS ME BACK to when I was a kid!! An easy dish that totally pleases!! It looks delicious and now you have me wanting a burger for lunch!
Jeanette
This sounds like it’s 100 times better than hamburger helper at the store. It sounds delicious and I am definitely going to try it.
Janet
Looks so delicious and great for a family. I think it can stretch for dinner and lunch the next day here.
Tasheena
This recipe looks so yummy and super easy to make. I can’t wait to add it to our menu plan.
Amber Myers
This looks so incredible! I will have to make this for dinner one night. It’s been ages since we’ve had hamburger helper, and we love it.
Melissa Chapman
Mac and cheese and some great ground meat never looked so good. Anyone who likes the idea of hamburger helper will love this version.
Terri Steffes
I just sent this recipe to my husband to make for us. He’s been the cook for 12 years now!
Liz Mays
This does look like a delicious family dinner. We haven’t tried using our Instant Pot for Hamburger Helper yet but I’d love to.
Diana
I am pinning this to make this week! My kids love hamburger helper and I love that I can throw this together in just a few minutes – perfect for summer vacation when the whole house is in chaos!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy
I remember having hamburger helper a lot as a kid. This brings me back. I love my instant pot. I use it all the time.
Kimberly Storms
Thank you for sharing this this recipe! I am really trying to work myself up to trusting the instant pot at this point and need the inspiration!
Stacie
This looks delicious. I’m always trying to find new easy recipes to try in my instant pot! this will be a keeper!
Ruth I
If I have an instant pot, I am sure I will be making this every week! This looks so good!
Kathy
I love hamburger helper, and that looks amazing. I’ve always wanted to try making it myself too. I will certainly be saving this so I can try it later.
Theresa
I was just wondering what to make for dinner. I think we have a winner here. This is one my whole family will gobble up!
Heather
This Instant Pot recipe looks so simple and delicious. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Shannon Gurnee
I love our Instant Pot and use it all the time. This looks like a delicious recipe!
Mel
Great I had to cook the pasta a extra 2 min and it’s a little bland but easy and the kids loved it
Rika Livingston
Thanks for sharing your feedback! I am glad to hear that your kids loved the recipe.
Jamie Jackson
Can this be made with frozen ground turkey?
Rika Livingston
Hi Jamie,
1. Absolutely! You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef and adjust seasoning as needed!
2. You need to defrost the ground turkey.
Here’s how to defrost/thaw the ground meat in an Instant Pot:
1. Add about 1 cup of water into the pot.
2. Add a trivet and place the frozen meat directly on the trivet.
3. Cook on manual for “5 minutes” and once finished, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then do a quick release.
4. Carefully dump the liquid from the Instant Pot
5. Next, follow the same cooking steps as mentioned in the recipe card above.
Please let me know if you still have any other questions!
Best,
Rika