Instant Pot Hamburgers are juicy and delicious. You can get juicy, tasty hamburgers with a pressure cooker. Instant Pot Burgers are very easy to make.
Originally published 4/18/2018
Instant Pot Hamburgers
So, what in the world made me think to steam a hamburger in my Instant Pot? I was craving my husband’s famous potato packets (recipe coming soon), and I was sad because it’s still too cold to break out the grill. Then I thought hey, I can make those in my Instant Pot!
If you are from Connecticut, this may not seem the least bit strange. But to many people, a steamed burger sounds just plain weird.
In some parts of the country, anywhere with a “White Castle” restaurant, steaming is just another way to make a juicy hamburger or cheeseburger.
We usually have the potatoes with burgers. Hmmm, I wonder what burgers made in packets like the potatoes would taste like?
I could fry up a burger in my cast iron pan, and I do sometimes, but I needed to try this idea. I’m into trying new things. So, that’s what I did!
It took a few tests as my first burgers were not as juicy as I wanted. You have to use a higher fat content to get that really juicy Instant Pot Hamburger (or any burger).
Instant Pot Hamburgers are pretty simple to make. Once you make your meat mixture, make the patties, wrap them up, and steam them in the pressure cooker.
When making Instant Pot Hamburgers, you can add any spices and flavorings you like, including onion, garlic, Worcestershire, etc. Just make them your own!
Some Tips for making hamburgers in the Instant Pot
- When making the burger patties, the thicker the patty, the longer the cook time. So if you like a very round patty, it will need to cook a couple minutes longer than a thinner patty.
Likewise, if you like a very thin patty, you may need to reduce the cook time a little. - Making a thumb sized indent in the center of one side of the burger patty helps reduce puffing up as well as shrinkage.
- You can make a “Juice Lucy” style of patty by making the patty into 2 thin patties and placing a thick slice of cheese in between them. Yum!
I like to make up a big batch of Instant Pot hamburger patties when the kids come to visit. I love how easy it is, and since the recipe can be doubled or tripled, I can feed the whole gang!
Stay tuned for Paul’s famous potato packets, they are simple, and so tasty!
Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Instant Pot Barbecue Beef
Instant Pot Lasagna
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Instant Pot Hamburgers are so easy to make, and reminiscent of those famous burger chains that make steamed burger patties. These pressure cooker burger patties are simple and fast to make, and you can make a big batch at one time.
- 1 lb Ground Beef (I use 80% - 85% lean)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ cup Onion, finely chopped or grated (or 1 Tbsp dehydrated onion or 1/2 tsp onion Powder)
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika (optional)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 lb Ground Beef (I use 80% - 85% lean)
- 1 1 oz Packet of Onion Soup Mix (mix with the meat)
- 4 Hamburger Buns
- Cheese Slices
- Tomato Slices
- Lettuce
- Mayo
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- 4 pieces Aluminum Foil or Parchment Squares
- 6 qt or 8 qt Pressure Cooker
- Trivet (metal rack for bottom of pot)
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Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the inner stainless liner of the 6 qt pressure cooker (Use 2 1/2 cups for the 8 qt).
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Place the trivet in the pot also.
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Mix all of the hamburger meat mixture ingredients together in a bowl with the meat.
If making Version #2, mix the soup packet with the ground meat.
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Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal (4 oz) patties, 3 (5 oz) patties, or 2 (8 oz patties). press your thumb into the center of each patty to make an indentation.
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Wrap patties in foil or parchment. The wrapping and cooking under pressure is what steams them.
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Stack the wrapped patties on the trivet in a staggered pattern. Then place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button, or dial and then the +/- button or dial to select:
12 minutes for 4 oz patties (7 minutes for a touch rare*)
14 minutes for 5 oz patties (9 minutes for a touch rare*)
16 minutes for 8 oz patties (11 minutes for a touch rare*)
Cook times may vary based on the thickness of the patties and how many are cooked at one time.
High pressure.
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When the cook cycle is finished, do a Quick Release of the pressure/steam (that means turn the steam release knob to the Venting position right after cooking is finished).
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Carefully remove the patties from the pot using tongs. Then let them rest for 5 minutes. Then unwrap them on a plate to catch the drippings, and make up your hamburger with all of your favorite fixin's!
*It is safest to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked, so a meat thermometer is a good tool to use. (I can't recommend eating ground beef rare, but some people do like it that way, which is why I give suggested times. See FDA guidelines on consuming ground beef.).
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
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Jay
Hi Sandy!!
I just wanted to let you know that I have made everyone of these recipes, except this one, only because I wanted to say, how WONDERFUL all of these recipes are!! I was brought up with my aunt cooking in an old fashioned pressure cooker, and was always afraid of it exploding…the stories you would hear!!!
I finally got one of the new instant pots, and have loved all the convenience and flavors!! Your recipes are delicious and so easy to follow!! Thank You so much for doing this!!!
Now I cannot wait to try these hamburgers!! I will let you know how it turns out!! Again… Thank You!!
Jay B.
Donna DeCapite
These came out awesome. I made pre-formed 6 oz. patties from Walmart. Made a spice rub (dried onion, parsley, celery seed, paprika), patted on patty and topped off with three squirts of Worcestershire sauce. Cooked on HP for 12 minutes followed by 12 minutes NR. I wrapped in foil and cooked 6 burgers. Really really good!
Elizabeth H
What modifications do you think I’d need to make to use the Beyond Meat patties?
Sandy
I would keep the cook time the same. For seasoning, add some onion to the packet to add some more flavor.
Amal Al Dhaheri
If I need to make 8 Pattie’s can I stack them on top of each other after wrapping individually? Or will this affect them from cooking properly?
Sandy
Yes you can.
Denise C
I did the recipe and it turned out some of the best burgers I’ve ever done. I feel like I should always prepare them like this now. Thanks for the recipe.
SandraM
Oh my goodness!! I never would have thought burgers in the IP could possibly be anywhere near this good!! So juicy and tender. We may never go back to bbq’ing burgers again!
So glad I tried this!
Kurt
My wife made these a few weeks ago and wow. I was so impressed on how juicy the patties came out. I’m trying it myself while shes at work. Thank you for the recipe!
Leslie
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I was wondering if you had ever tried putting sliced onions in the packets to steam them with the burgers, or just making a separate packet for sliced onions. Of course, I can always saute the onions in the IP. And in the same line of thinking, wondering about mushrooms? I bet sauteing them would be better than steaming them. What do you think? Thanks for posting this. I am going to try several other recipes on your site, too.
Sandy
Hi Leslie, yes, putting onion in the packets is delicious!