Savory Instant Pot Beef and Potatoes

Instant Pot ground beef and potatoes cooked together in one pot offer a truly heartwarming meal that promises to satisfy any craving. This versatile dish is perfect whether you’re looking for a hearty breakfast, a satisfying lunch, or a comforting dinner. If you’ve previously enjoyed our ground beef casserole with potatoes baked in the oven, you’re sure to fall in love with this even quicker pressure cooker version.

Are you searching for the quintessential meat and potatoes recipe? Look no further! This incredible one-pot wonder delivers ultimate comfort in every spoonful. It’s just one of the many delicious Instant Pot recipes that we adore here on The Typical Mom blog, designed to make your life easier and your meals more flavorful.

Mastering One-Pot Cooking with Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and versatility, making it ideal for both your Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi. Whether you’re a seasoned pressure cooker enthusiast or a beginner, you’ll appreciate how effortlessly these appliances transform simple ingredients into a tender, flavorful meal. The “set it and forget it” nature of pressure cooking ensures that your ground beef and potatoes become perfectly fork-tender without constant supervision, freeing up your time for other activities.

This dish is hearty enough to be enjoyed on its own as a complete meal, but it also pairs wonderfully with a variety of side dishes. Imagine piling a generous scoop into a small bowl, topping it with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese, and perhaps a dollop of sour cream or fresh chives. It’s truly a comfort food that will warm your soul and satisfy your hunger. We’ve even experimented by substituting milk with chicken or beef broth for an extra layer of savory flavor, and the results are consistently delicious and robust.

The best part? This simple Instant Pot ground beef recipe involves just a few easy steps, allowing your pressure cooker to handle the heavy lifting. From browning the meat to tenderizing the potatoes, your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi will do all the work, ensuring a mouth-watering meal with minimal effort. It’s the perfect solution for busy weeknights when you crave a home-cooked meal but are short on time.

Essential Ingredients and Flavorful Variations

Crafting the perfect Instant Pot Ground Beef and Potatoes starts with selecting the right ingredients and understanding how to best utilize them. Here’s a detailed look at the core components and how you can customize them to your liking:

Choosing Your Potatoes

When it comes to potatoes, texture is key. For this recipe, we generally recommend using firmer varieties such as Russet or red potatoes. Their starchy yet firm nature holds up well under pressure cooking, resulting in perfectly tender chunks without turning mushy. While Yukon Gold potatoes are delicious, they tend to be softer and can sometimes fall apart too much in the Instant Pot. If you prefer a slightly sweeter profile, thinly sliced sweet potatoes can also be a delightful alternative, adding a unique flavor dimension. Ensure your potatoes are peeled and diced into roughly 1-inch cubes for even cooking.

The Star: Ground Beef

The ground beef forms the savory base of this dish. You can brown the ground beef directly in the Instant Pot using the sauté function, which is a fantastic feature for developing rich flavors and minimizing cleanup. We recommend using a lean ground beef (80/20 or 90/10) to reduce excess fat. After browning, always drain any accumulated grease from the pot to prevent the final dish from being overly oily. For those looking for a different flavor, ground sausage (mild or spicy), ground turkey, or even ground chicken can be excellent substitutes, each bringing its own unique taste profile to the meal.

Liquid Base: Beyond Milk

While milk (2% or whole) provides a creamy, classic base for the sauce, don’t hesitate to experiment with other liquids. Beef broth, chicken broth, or even vegetable broth are simple yet impactful choices that will infuse the dish with a deeper, more savory flavor. If you opt for broth, you might find the need to adjust the amount of garlic salt or other seasonings slightly. For an even richer, decadent sauce, a splash of heavy cream could also be introduced towards the end of cooking (though it’s usually best added after pressure cooking to prevent curdling).

Aromatic Vegetables: Onions and Bell Peppers

Adding diced onions and bell peppers not only enhances the flavor but also brings vibrant colors and added nutrients to your Instant Pot ground beef and potatoes. We particularly favor sweet onions for their mild flavor that caramelizes beautifully. However, yellow or white onions work just as well, depending on your preference for a sharper taste.

For bell peppers, feel free to get creative with a colorful mix. Using half a cup each of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers will not only add a lovely visual appeal but also introduce varying degrees of sweetness and a satisfying crunch. These vegetables soften perfectly during the cooking process, blending seamlessly with the beef and potatoes. You could also include finely diced carrots or celery with your onions for a classic mirepoix base.

Unlock More Flavor: Delicious Additions and Toppings

The Instant Pot is remarkably forgiving, which makes it an ideal appliance for culinary experimentation. Once you’ve mastered the basic Instant Pot ground beef and potatoes recipe, you’ll discover endless possibilities for customization.

Vegetable Enhancements

• Heartier Vegetables: Firmer vegetables like diced pressure cooker carrots or okra can be added at the same time as the potatoes, as they cook at a similar rate. They will absorb the delicious flavors of the dish and add extra texture.
• Beans for a Mexican Twist: A drained can of black beans (or kidney beans) can introduce a wonderful Mexican-inspired flair. While the entire can might not fit, adding about half a cup provides a delightful texture and earthy flavor.
• Greens: For a nutritional boost, consider stirring in a handful of fresh spinach or kale after the pressure cooking is complete and the pressure has been released. The residual heat will wilt them perfectly.

Spice and Heat Boosters

• Homemade Rotel: To add a bit of heat and a tangy tomato texture, mix in about 1/3 cup of homemade Rotel. This blend of diced tomatoes and green chilies instantly elevates the dish with a vibrant kick.
• Chili Powder or Cumin: For a deeper, smoky flavor, a teaspoon of chili powder or ground cumin can be incorporated with the ground beef during the sautéing stage.
• Red Pepper Flakes: A pinch of red pepper flakes offers a subtle warmth that complements the savory notes of the beef and potatoes.

Irresistible Toppings

Don’t forget to load up on toppings! They provide an extra layer of flavor and texture, turning a great meal into an extraordinary one. Our go-to toppings include:

• Extra Cheese: More shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend for an undeniably cheesy experience.
• Fresh Herbs: Diced fresh cilantro or parsley adds a bright, herbaceous finish.
• Fresh Onions: Finely diced red or green onions offer a crisp, pungent contrast.
• Salsa or Pico de Gallo: A spoon of pico de gallo salsa or your favorite store-bought salsa adds a zesty, fresh burst of flavor.
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: A dollop provides a cool, creamy counterpoint to the rich flavors.
• Crispy Bacon Bits: For an indulgent crunch and extra savory punch.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars from 1 vote

Instant Pot Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe

By
Justine

Instant Pot ground beef and potatoes cooked together is a hearty breakfast or dinner idea everyone will love.

Prep:

15
mins

Cook:

15
mins

Servings:
6

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Equipment

• 1 pressure cooker
• 1 oven safe dish

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, or ground sausage
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cup milk, 2% or whole
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 cup cheese, cheddar, shredded

Instructions

1. Set pot to sauté, add ground beef, onion, bell peppers, and garlic salt. Brown until no longer pink. Turn pot off. Drain grease out of pot. Add potatoes into the beef mixture and toss.
2. On the stovetop in a separate pan (or remove meat, drain, and make roux on sauté in Instant Pot): Melt the butter, add flour and whisk until incorporated. Add milk and stir until it bubbles and thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted.
3. Combine the meat mixture and sauce, tossing together so it is all well incorporated.
4. Empty pressure cooker pot and rinse out. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom with a trivet inside.
5. Spoon the potato ground beef mixture into a ceramic baking dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot.
6. Set the dish on top of the trivet and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release when done.
7. Lift out and serve. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits and cools.

Recipe Video

Watch our step-by-step video for a visual guide on how to make this delicious dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 467kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 758mg, Potassium: 409mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1305IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 383mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course:
Breakfast, Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine:
American

If you’re curious about different cooking methods, why not try an oven-baked version and compare which you love more? We’ve also explored that! When you’re feeding a larger crowd or simply prefer a baked classic, we highly recommend following our cheesy potato casserole recipe. Both this Instant Pot method and the oven casserole can be easily adapted to be vegetarian by substituting ground beef with plant-based alternatives or simply loading up on extra vegetables.