How to cook Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef in 25 minutes or less. Then you have ground beef ready to use in any recipe. No more “forgot to thaw meat” and dinner is saved!.
I can’t tell you how many times frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot has saved the day! It’s so great! No more missing dinner because you forgot to thaw the meat!
It takes 25 minutes or less to cook frozen ground beef in an Instant Pot. This is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes or hacks. Once cooked, use it to make tacos, chilis, quesadillas, or spaghetti.
For other stress free weeknight dinner savers, check out these other tutorials to quickly cook frozen meat.
How Long to Cook Frozen Ground Turkey in an Instant Pot – A Detailed Guide
Cooking frozen ground turkey in an Instant Pot is a game changer for easy weeknight dinners. No more remembering to thaw meat or rushing to defrost it before dinner. With an Instant Pot, you can cook frozen ground turkey from solid frozen to fully cooked in less than 30 minutes with just a few simple steps.
In this detailed guide I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to cook frozen ground turkey in an Instant Pot perfectly every time.
Benefits of Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey in an Instant Pot
Using an Instant Pot to cook frozen ground turkey has many advantages:
- It’s incredibly fast – Cooks frozen turkey in 15-25 minutes depending on amount
- Infuses seasonings into meat for more flavor
- Less mess and cleanup than stovetop
- More convenient than thawing first
- Meat comes out juicy and tender
How It Works
The Instant Pot uses pressure cooking to quickly bring the frozen turkey up to a food-safe 165°F needed to cook ground meat. The sealed environment traps steam to thaw and cook the turkey at the same time.
Cooking frozen meat in the Instant Pot takes advantage of this rapid heating to go from frozen solid to fully cooked in under 30 minutes. The end result is tender, juicy ground turkey ready to use in any recipe.
Amount of Ground Turkey to Cook in Instant Pot
- 1 pound of ground turkey: Cook 15 minutes
- 1.5 – 2 pounds of ground turkey: Cook 20 minutes
- For best results, cook no more than 2 pounds at a time
Any amounts larger may not defrost fully in the center or end up overcooked on the outside. For larger batches, it’s best to cook in multiple rounds.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for perfect Instant Pot frozen ground turkey every time:
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Add 1⁄2 cup cold water to Instant Pot inner pot. This prevents turkey from starting to cook too soon.
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Place frozen ground turkey block in pot.
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Sprinkle desired seasonings over turkey. Ideas: Taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, garlic powder, etc.
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Seal Instant Pot lid and set valve to Sealing position.
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Select High Pressure and set cook time: 15 minutes for 1 lb, 20 minutes for 1.5-2 lbs.
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When timer beeps, wait 5 minutes then turn valve to Venting to quick release pressure.
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Carefully remove lid. Turkey will look cooked but still be partially frozen in center.
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Use a spoon or spatula to break up turkey crumbles, allowing steam to escape.
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Set Instant Pot to Sauté setting. Continue breaking up and stirring turkey until fully browned and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
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Turkey is now ready to use in any recipe!
Tips and Tricks
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For best results, choose 99% fat free ground turkey breast. Higher fat versions may not cook as evenly.
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Add any wet ingredients like salsa, tomato sauce, etc after cooking since liquids can prevent pot from coming up to pressure.
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If turkey seems slightly undercooked after sautéing, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until no pink remains.
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Adding extra seasoning after sautéing gives more flavor since seasonings can dissipate during cooking.
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Let turkey cool slightly before adding to a recipe to prevent overcooking.
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Cooked turkey keeps refrigerated for 3-5 days. Freeze portions up to 3 months.
How to Adapt for Other Meats
While ground turkey is my go-to for fast, healthy meals, you can also use this Instant Pot method to cook other frozen ground meats:
- Ground chicken: Cook frozen 15 minutes
- Ground pork: Cook frozen 15 minutes
- Ground beef: Cook frozen 15 minutes for thawed, 25 minutes for fully cooked
As with turkey, cook meat in 1-2 pound portions and sauté after pressure cooking until completely browned and cooked through.
Simple Frozen Turkey Recipes
Now that you know how easy it is to cook frozen ground turkey in the Instant Pot, here are some delicious recipes to try it in:
- Healthy Turkey Taco Bowl – With lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese
- Turkey Chili – Super hearty and perfect for meal prep
- Turkey Spaghetti Bolognese – A healthier spin on classic
- Turkey Meatballs – Lightened up and perfectly tender
- Turkey Burgers – Juicy and packed with flavor
The possibilities are endless for healthy and delicious meals using pre-cooked Instant Pot frozen ground turkey. It’s my new favorite way to get dinner on the table fast any night of the week!
Can I Brown Frozen Ground Beef?
Unfortunately not. Meat will stay frozen inside and become overcooked outside.
Tips for Cooking Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot
- When you buy fresh ground meat in a tray, it’s usually lined with a plastic or paper pad. To peel off the pad from frozen meat, To take off the plastic pad, run the frozen meat with the pad on it under warm water for a few seconds. The pad should come off easily. I just cook meat on the paper one, and it peels off so easily.
- In any other case, you might end up with boiled meat. Most pressure cookers come with a trivet, which can have handles or not. Or you can buy my favorite trivet on Amazon.
- Season the meat after it’s cooked. If you put seasonings into frozen ground beef in an Instant Pot, they will just get mixed in with the water you throw away.
Store: Let it cool completely, then put it in the fridge in a container that won’t let air in for up to five days. When you’re ready, use it in your favorite ground beef recipes.
Freeze: Since it has already been frozen, thawed and cooked, I do not recommend to freeze it again. Meat sauce made from cooked ground beef, on the other hand, can be frozen for up to 3 months in a container that keeps air out.
You can cook up to 2. 5 lbs at a time. So, 2 packs. Any bigger than 2. 5 pounds single pack will not cook through or defrost.
Meat doesn’t come out dry because steam does not escape the pot. If meat is a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of liquid from the bottom of the pot. You won’t be able to tell the difference between cooking frozen ground meat in the Instant Pot or on the stove once you add it to a recipe.
When you are pressure cooking Instant Pot ground beef, a lot of fat drains into the water. With lean poultry, cooking water stays quite bland because meat is sitting on the trivet. I discard both.
If you are going for thawed meat, this is OK. Take the ground beef out of the Instant Pot and drain off the liquid if you want it fully cooked. To finish cooking the ground meat, put it back in the Instant Pot and use the Saute mode to break it up into crumbly pieces.
BEST HACK EVER: Cooking Frozen Meat in the Instant Pot
FAQ
How long does it take to cook frozen ground turkey?
Can frozen ground beef be cooked in an Instant Pot?