How to Make Hamburger Helper in an Instant Pot
Learn how to make boxed Hamburger Helper even easier by cooking it up in your Instant Pot! It’s a classic quick and budget-friendly weeknight meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This mostly hands-off cooking method makes it even easier to get an inexpensive meal on your table.
Hamburger Helper is a go-to convenience meal for a lot of families, simply because it’s so easy. Just brown the meat, then add the ingredients, and cook.
Since it’s back-to-college season, we wanted to convert the traditional, back-of-the-box recipe to an Instant Pot recipe.
After some testing, we’ve found a cooking method and ratio of liquids that works for most flavors of beef Hamburger Helper.
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Cosori, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
The Instant Pot is a great tool for beginning cooks because there is a lot you can do with a single appliance. It’s great for college students, busy families, and anyone looking for an easy way to cook.
If you are new to pressure cooking, be sure to check out our getting started guide.
Why make Hamburger Helper in an Instant Pot?
Using an Instant Pot to cook Hamburger Helper is even easier than making it on the stovetop! Just use the saute setting to brown the ground beef, then add the ingredients, set the pressure cook time, and walk away.
After cooking, stir in the seasoning blend and serve! (We like to serve it with a quick side-salad or steamed frozen veggies.)
I love that I didn’t have to keep an eye on the stove to make sure it didn’t boil over or scorch.
Will this recipe work with my box of Hamburger Helper?
We tested this recipe with the Beef Stroganoff (6.4 oz) and Beef Pasta (5.9 oz) flavors, and both versions turned out really well.
This Instant Pot method should work with flavors of beef Hamburger Helper that the box calls for 1 pound of ground beef and around 3 cups total liquid.
(Each box has a slightly different ratio of water to milk; the Beef Pasta flavor we tested called for 3 1/4 cups total liquid while the Beef Stroganoff called for 2 11/12 cups total liquid.)
We do not recommend using this method with rice or potato Hamburger Helper flavors—those will need a different liquid ratio than the pasta versions need.
We also have not tested this recipe with the Deluxe or Value-Sized versions of Hamburger Helper. The Deluxe version calls for less liquid than the regular version of the same flavor, and the Value-Sized versions would need more liquid than the regular size.
How long to cook Hamburger Helper in an Instant Pot
In our testing, we learned that Hamburger Helper follows our Instant Pot Pasta Formula.
If the Simmer time listed on the box is 6 minutes, use a 2 minute cook time.
If the Simmer time listed is 7 minutes, then use a 3 minute cook time.
Hamburger Helper Recipe Variations
If you’re making the Beef Stroganoff Hamburger helper, after the seasoning blend has been stirred in, add 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 small (4 oz) can of mushrooms. (Drain the mushrooms before adding.) Top with additional sour cream and
If you’re making the Beef Pasta Hamburger helper, drain 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes into a measuring cup and use that liquid plus enough water to equal 1 cup. Reserve the tomatoes for after cooking. If you like a little heat, add a dash or dried red pepper flakes. After the seasoning blend has been stirred in, add the tomatoes and a generous amount of fresh spinach.
If you’re making Cheeseburger Helper, chop 1 or 2 tablespoons cream cheese into small cubes. Add to the pot when you add the seasoning blend and stir gently until the cream cheese has melted and incorporated. If desired, top with finely diced pickles, some grated cheddar cheese, and yellow mustard, to taste.
Adding steamed frozen veggies to any of these methods is an easy way to expand the meal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Hamburger Helper in an Instant Pot
You can make up to two boxes of Hamburger Helper in your Instant Pot.
Note: A double batch may be more likely to foam, so you will want to keep an eye when you release the pressure. If it starts to spray, simply close the valve for about 30 seconds and then open the valve again. You can repeat as many times as needed.
Immediately after releasing the pressure, the Hamburger Helper will be a bit watery because the seasoning packet has the thickeners in it. The pasta will also continue absorbing liquids as it cools.
If your Hamburger Helper is still more liquid than you like after you’ve stirred in the seasoning packet and allowed the food to cool for a few minutes, you can select Saute and continue stirring gently until just before it reaches your desired consistency. (Remember, it will continue to thicken as it cools, so if you cook it until it’s just right, it’ll likely be too thick once it has cooled for a minute or two.)
Place your leftover Hamburger Helper in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
This is one where the pasta absorbs a *lot* of water as the meal cools. You’ll need to add some liquid before you reheat it.
Want more in-depth information about making this recipe? You can now find it below the recipe card.
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Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ to 1 pound lean ground beef (we prefer 1/2 pound, but 1 pound is in the original recipe)
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 box 5.9–6.4 oz Hamburger Helper (we tested this with Beef Stroganoff and Beef Pasta flavors)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Select Sauté and preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and the ground beef. Cook, using a metal spoon or meat chopper to break the beef into small pieces. Stir occasionally until the meat is crumbled and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
- If desired, drain the grease from the cooking pot.
- Add the beef broth (or water). Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the Hamburger Helper pasta to the cooking pot. (DO NOT add the seasoning packet yet.)
- Add the milk and use a spoon to ensure the pasta is in an even layer and covered by the liquid.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 2-3 minutes* cook time. When the cook time ends, use an intermittent pressure release. (Slide the valve to the release position. If any foam starts to come out of the valve, return it to the sealed position and wait several seconds, then vent the pressure again. Repeat this process until all the pressure is released and the lid unlocks.)
- When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Use a wooden spoon to push the pasta off to one side of the pot. Add the Hamburger Helper seasoning blend and the dried parsley to the cooking pot. Stir the seasoning into the liquid until smooth, then gently stir the pasta until the cooking liquid is incorporated and smooth.
- If desired, let the pasta sit for a few minutes because it will thicken as it cools. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Hamburger Helper with an Instant Pot
First, you’ll need to brown your ground beef in the pressure cooking pot. Drain the grease if desired.
Next is where we deviate from the boxed instructions. If you were to add the flavoring packet before cooking, the thickeners in the packet are often responsible for causing the burn notice.
To avoid this, simply stir in the seasoning packet after the pressure cooking is complete.
Another way the Instant Pot method differs from the back of the box directions is that your Hamburger Helper needs less liquid when you pressure cook it. You can use all water, but you cannot use all milk—pressure cookers require thin liquids when you pressure cook them.
Before you pressure cook your pasta, use a spoon to make sure everything is in an even layer and all the pasta is covered by the liquid.
Use the right cook time for your box, as discussed earlier in the post. After pressure cooking, be on the lookout for foaming. If foam starts coming out of your pasta, immediately seal your pressure cooker, wait a few seconds, then vent again. Repeat until all the pressure is released.
When you remove the lid, there will still be liquid remaining in the pot. Push the pasta to the side to make it easier to combine the contents of the flavoring packet and the parsley with the liquid still in the pot.
Gently stir until everything is mixed together. Let the Hamburger Helper sit for a few minutes to thicken, then serve immediately.
MORE Quick Meals Recipes
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Made the beef stroganoff. Was a little thick and way over seasoned. I live at 6750 ft. Should I add more liquid? I also have a home at -40 ft so assume recipe will be ok?
Thank you for this recipe, sometimes you just want something easy and quick. What about boxed scalloped potatoes ? Love all your recipes
It’s so awesome to hear you love all our recipes and that you tried this one. We’ll have to give boxed scalloped potatoes a try. Thanks!
Oh, that’s a great idea! We’ll add it to our recipe testing schedule and if it goes well we’ll get it out in the next month or two! Thanks for reading and for letting us know what you’d like! ❤️