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Make Easy Instant Pot Hamburgers for a quick dinner in your electric pressure cooker using ground beef and a few other ingredients. This easy recipe is perfect when you can’t grill or fry hamburger patties, and even picky eaters approve!
I’ve seen so many people talking about how to cook burgers in Instant Pot that I just had to try it. If you want hamburgers for dinner, but grilling isn’t an option, making burgers in your electric pressure cooker is the next best thing.
It’s an easy Instant Pot recipe with ground beef that’s perfect for busy days! If you’ve ever had a steamed burger, like White Castle burgers, pressure cooker burgers are basically the same idea.
You guys, all I have to say about cooking burgers in the Instant Pot is don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I know, I know that nothing quite compares to a thick, juicy burger cooked to perfection on the grill, but hear me out on this one — k?
Why Make Steamed Burgers
So, why on earth would anyone want to make hamburger patties in the Instant Pot? Well, maybe you don’t have a grill, or maybe it’s too hot or too cold for grilling. Maybe you don’t even have an air fryer for burgers either. And if you’ve ever fried burgers on the stove, you know the clean-up isn’t fun! Trust me — been there, done that!
If you’ve got a pressure cooker, you can still make juicy, tasty hamburgers or cheeseburgers in just a few minutes. They’re quick, easy and delicious. And the clean-up is easy, too!
How to Make Hamburgers in the Instant Pot
When you cook hamburger patties in the pressure cooker, you’re basically steaming them. It’s like making hobo dinners in foil packs when you go camping.
So, you season your ground meat, and then you form the meat into patties. I usually like to keep the seasonings on burgers pretty simple and let people go crazy on the toppings. I used my basic hamburger recipe here, but you can use your own if you have one you love.
Then, place each hamburger patty on a square piece of aluminum foil, and fold the foil to make an envelope. Add a cup of water to your Instant pot, or more if using an 8 quart, along with a trivet, and stack the packets on top of each other.
If you don’t want to use aluminum foil, you can use parchment paper, instead. I tried it both ways, and the results were the same!
How Long to Pressure Cook Burgers
We like our burgers on the thick side, so I cooked them for 15 minutes and let the pressure release for 5 minutes after that. You could also do 20 minutes with a quick release, or if your burgers are thinner, you could probably do 12 minutes. You might have to experiment to get the perfect cook time, but as long as the burgers are 160 degrees internally, you’re good!
The first time I made Instant Pot hamburgers, we ate them right out of the pot, so to speak. But, the next time, I added a little BBQ sauce on top, broiled them for about 5 minutes, added some cheese slices, and they were even better!
Tips for making the BEST hamburger patties in the Instant Pot
- Keep patties roughly the same size for even cooking
- Use a meat thermometer to check for correct temperature
- Drain liquid from packets before serving
- Broil after pressure cooking for extra flavor and texture
Looking for more Instant Pot ground beef recipes?
- Instant Pot creamy shells and beef
- Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Mom’s Best Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
Instant Pot Hamburgers Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Hamburgers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onions
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup water for pressure cooking
- barbecue sauce optional
- cheese, if desired optional
Instructions
- Add water, sea salt, dried onions and pepper to ground beef, and mix well
- Form into patties, about 1/2 inch thick
- Place hamburger patties separately on squares of aluminum foil, and form into loose foil packs
- Add 1 cup water to Instant Pot, place trivet inside, and pile foil packs on top of trivet
- Turn valve to sealing position, hit PRESSURE COOK for 15 minutes, and do a 5 minute natural release
- Hit cancel, and when pin drops, open cover, and remove foil packs.
- Open foil packs, place hamburger patties on baking sheet, brush each patty with a thin layer of barbecue sauce, and broil in oven for 5 minutes, or until top is brown and slightly crisp
- Turn oven off, add cheese, if desired, and serve on buns with your favorite toppings
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2018 and updated as of July 2020
Why wrap them in foil? That’s not steaming the burger, it’s cooking with the heat in the instant pot. You’re steaming the tin foil. Put the burger in a bowl or on a plate. Place it on trivet in the instant pot and cover with 2 slices of cheese. 5 minutes is all you need for ground beef in the IP.
The meat gets steamed inside the foil — like a foil packet for camping. And if you are cooking several burgers, you need to separate them so they cook evenly.
Love this Idea! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Do you think I could use a frozen BUBBA burger (or similar frozen pre-made burger)?
I’m sure you can, but I’m not sure about the cook time since I’ve never tried this.
It’s been so hot lately, too hot for the grill and oven. IP hamburgers to the rescue! They are just as good as a party fresh off the grill!
I’m glad you liked them, Leslie. Thanks!
Did you also broil after?
This is genius! Love how I don’t have to mess with a grill!
Thanks, Suzy. It’s way too hot here for grilling!
I need to try this ASAP!! Looks and sounds incredibly delicious!!
I LOVE how easy and delicious this is!! YUM!