Instant Pot Hamburgers – Perfectly Cooked Burgers In A Pressure Cooker

I never thought I would do it, but I finally made Hamburgers in my Instant Pot! It has taken me over 6 years to break down and make burgers in a pressure cooker, and I am so disappointed that I didn’t try it before now.

Although everyone raves about how easy it is to make individual hamburgers in a pressure cooker, I never really had a need to make them that way.

You just can’t beat the taste of a homemade hamburger that is cooked outside on the grill. And it is a double bonus if it was cooked over a charcoal grill.

And if for some reason I can’t go outside, like when the temperature dips below freezing, I will resort to making the burgers in my NuWave Air Fryer. It is a really easy and quick way to cook Frozen Hamburgers. See: Air Fryer Frozen Hamburger Recipe

Cooking Burgers In A Pressure Cooker

However, when the craving hit for a homemade burger while I was out of town, the Instant Pot was the answer. I was staying with a family member and it was way too cold to grill outside.

So that is when I asked if they had an air fryer. Unfortunately, their air fryer had recently broke and they were waiting to get a new one.

That is when I spotted a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo on the counter and decided to make the burgers in the pressure cooker. And as they say, the rest is history!

Since that time I have tweaked the seasonings and the cook time so that they turn out moist, juicy and delicious every time! Best of all, with this recipe they have a hint of a smoky taste that reminds me of grilled burgers.

Instant Pot Hamburgers

INGREDIENTS

• Ground beef
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt
• Smoked paprika
• Ground black pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder

More About Some Of The Ingredients

Ground Beef

It is best to use ground beef that has an 80/20 lean to fat ratio for maximum flavor. Although, if you prefer you can use a leaner mixture. However, the fat is what helps give the burger additional flavor.

Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce is used not only to add that classic sweet and tangy flavor of umami. It also helps to darken the color of the meat which prevents that grayish look to ground beef when it is steamed.

Smoked Paprika

As most of you know, I use smoked paprika in a lot of my recipes. And if you are missing the taste that comes with cooking a hamburger on a grill, you are going to definitely want to use smoked paprika!

However, if you only have Hungarian or sweet paprika on hand, you can get that smoky flavor by adding a drop or two of liquid smoke to the beef mixture. Just be sure to mix the ground beef well so that the liquid smoke can evenly be incorporated before forming the hamburgers.

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making hamburgers in the Instant Pot is to make the burgers. Although you could use store-bought patties, I prefer to make homemade burgers.

Start by placing the ground beef in a large bowl. Then add the remaining ingredients to bowl and lightly fold the spices into the meat until evenly combined.

Just like when making Instant Pot Meatloaf, do not over mix the ingredients or squeeze the beef in the palm of your hands. Otherwise the burgers will be thick and dense.

Once the mixture is ready, divide the meat into 4 equal sections. I like to take the entire ball of meat and form it in a long rectangle. Then using the side of my hand, I will score the loaf into 4 equal sections.

Tear off each section and then form each one into a burger shape, approximately 1/2-3/4 inch in thickness. Once the patties are formed be sure to indent the top center of each burger.

The indention will prevent the burger from turning into a dome shape when cooked. Now wrap each burger in aluminum foil or parchment paper, being sure to seal all sides so that the juices don’t escape down inside the pressure cooker.

Although other recipes may have you poke holes in the foil to release the juices as the burgers cook, I have found that I prefer the taste when the packet is completely sealed. When I tried the method of poking holes in the packet the burgers turned out much drier.

Cooking Instructions

Now that the hamburgers are wrapped it is time to get the Instant Pot ready. Start by placing 1-1 1/2 cups of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then place the trivet that came with the pressure cooker down in the water.

Stack the wrapped burgers on top of the the trivet. Be sure to stack the top layer in the opposite direction as the bottom packets. Then place the lid on the pot and set the valve to the Sealing position, if required.

Press Pressure Cook/Manual for 12 minutes on HIGH pressure for burgers to be cooked at medium-well doneness. Decrease the time for more rare burgers or increase time for well-done burgers.

When the cook time is up, slowly move the knob to the venting position to Quick Release the pressure.

After the pin drops, open the lid and carefully remove the packets from the pot using tongs and/or a spatula. Place the sealed packets on a plate and let them rest undisturbed for 5 minutes.

This rest time allows some of the juices to be absorbed back into the burgers. However, don’t leave them rest inside the Instant Pot as the heat from the Keep Warm setting will cause them to over cook.

When the rest time is up, carefully unwrap the top of each packet. Be sure to only unwrap the top so that the juices remain inside the packet.

Remove the burgers and serve warm with your favorite toppings!

What To Serve With Instant Pot Hamburgers

• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Loaded French Fries
• Air Fryer French Fries
• Air Fryer Baked Potato
• Easy Caprese Salad
• Creamy Broccoli Salad
• Instant Pot Baked Beans
• Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad
• Air Fryer Red Potatoes

Enjoy! Mary

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