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 ½ 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 ½ cups of water to the inner stainless liner of the 6 qt pressure cooker (Use 2 ½ 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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Meralee
I had frozen baby potatoes and frozen hamburger patties stuffed with cheese and bacon. Thanks to your ideas, I wrapped each party in foil, split the parties in half and put them on top of the burger packets and steamed it all for 15 minutes. The parties could have been a tad more crisp, but it was super delicious! I'm having so much fun exploring my instant pot!
Shelby
Have you ever added shredded cheese to the meat? I am wondering how it would turn out!
Sandy
Not mixed in, but inside I have! I think it would be interesting mixed in.
Sue D Nim
I love this idea, but it's written for four burgers, and you state that it should be made in a 6 or 8 quart pot. I only want to make 1 hamburger at a time; is there a reason it can't be done in a 3 quart?
Sandy
Hi Sue, yes, you can make 1 burger in the 3 quart! You will just adjust the amount of ingredients.
Kaye M.
Can these be made as is in the 3 qt. Mini? Or, should I halve the ingredients and do fewer burgers? Water?
Sandy
Yes! Make the burgers as large as will fit in the pot. If you need to make them smaller, you will need to reduce the cook time by a few minutes.
Luena
Will definitely try as it seems to be healthier than frying. I’m Intermittent Fasting and have altered my eating style quite a bit tho I still do eat what I like but am more aware of what I like.
Can I use a combo of meats such as lean ground with some ground pork or even mixing in a few slices of diced bacon for flavor and juices?
I enjoy your recipes and reading all the comments by others.
Aloha from Hawaii 🌴🌺🏖
Sandy
Yes, you can absolutely use a combo of meats!
Brittney
When I told my husband I was going to make burgers in the insta pot he thought I was crazy. But he absolutely loved these. We will be doing this recipe again. Thank you.
James
Food science question: part of the (personal) joy of making burgers is the marinades that I put in my burgers to add a Korean touch to my otherwise American-style burgers. That sometimes involves either soy sauce, fermented Japanese salt plum (basically a stand in for adding sugar to things, also doubles as a meat tenderizer because acidity), and even fish sauce on occasion. In order for these to work properly, they need to be seared so that glutamization can happen, where the sugars in the sauces caramelize and chemically enhance the flavor of the beef. Does this still work when you're steaming the burgers??
Sandy
Not so much. You will get some from just the heat alone, but probably not enough. What you could do is a "reverse Sear" of the burgers. Pop them on a hot pan after pressure cooking and see it that gives you the desired results.