This easy Instant Pot hamburger mac and cheese is total comfort food that's ready in only 30 minutes! No draining of the macaroni is needed, and it's all made right in your electric pressure cooker.
This beefy mac and cheese is one of those one pot meals that you'll have on repeat if you like this sorta thing. 😉 This is a slightly more grown-up version of Hamburger Helper, but I can pretty much guarantee that any mac 'n cheese lover out there will want seconds.
This recipe is for the real cheese lovers out there. I used sharp cheddar as the primary cheese in here, and Gouda adds an extra layer of flavor and melty goodness.
My simple spice blend of smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder works in harmony with the Worcestershire sauce to make this dish a little more flavorful than just plain mac and cheese, but it's certainly not overpowering. These additions make the ground beef taste more interesting, and, as a result, your taste buds will be very happy.
How to make Instant Pot macaroni and cheese with ground beef
This beef macaroni and cheese recipe is cooked right in your Instant Pot, no draining required. Sauté the ground beef with the spice blend until browned and the liquid is reduced. Add in the macaroni and water. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grate your cheeses. Once the cooking time is up, do a manual pressure release. Stir in the cheeses and enjoy!
If you don't have an Instant Pot, this can be made on the stove as well. I put a few tips in the recipe card on how to do it.
This cheeseburger macaroni recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, rainy days, winter nights, summer days, or anything in between.
Maybe not when you're trying to fit into a teeny tiny swimsuit, though. 😛
More ground beef recipes you'll love:
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
- Easy Beef Bowls
- Ground Beef Gnocchi
- Instant Pot Taco Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Beef Chili
I hope you'll give this beef 'n mac recipe a try!
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
Instant Pot Hamburger Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound uncooked macaroni elbows
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups grated sharp cheddar
- 2 cups grated Gouda (or Havarti or Provolone or other melty white cheese)
Instructions
- Sauté the beef along with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, ground cumin, salt, and Worcestershire sauce in your Instant Pot for 5-7 minutes. Stir and break the beef up with your spoon as you go along. Most of the liquid should be evaporated before you move onto the next step.
- Add the macaroni and water to the Instant Pot. Give it a good stir. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes (it'll take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure).
- Meanwhile, grate your cheeses.
- Once the countdown has finished, carefully do a manual pressure release.
- Stir in the cheeses (a large wooden spoon works well for this). I like to stir in about a third of the cheese at a time until it's nice and creamy, and then repeat until all the cheese has been used.
- Season with extra salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Stove top cooking tips: You can make this on the stove too. I suggest browning the beef in a large pot and cooking the macaroni as normal. Once the macaroni is cooked, drain it and then add it to the pot with the beef. Stir in the cheeses as directed.
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
Sharleen says
Can this be frozen?
Natasha says
Hi! You could try if you have some leftovers, but typically I don't find creamy/cheesy sauces freeze all that well (texture goes weird/can separate/etc.), so I don't usually do that myself. Also, cooked pasta tends to get puffy when you reheat it (it soaks up any liquid).
Annette says
I didn’t care for it. I added in some milk because it was too sticky, but that didn’t even help. Bland flavor.
Natasha says
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you add the teaspoon of salt?
Natasha in Dallas says
Hi! What greens did you garnish with? Parsley?
Natasha says
Hi! Yes, mostly to make the photos pop a bit. It's definitely not necessary, but I like the freshness it adds to pretty much any dish. 🙂
Natasha in Dallas says
Thanks! Turned out great - no shortage of flavor!
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Jessica says
We found that it was kind of bland for us (we like lots of flavor) I doubled the spices and it was a bit better but not a home run for us
Natasha says
Hmm that's too bad! Sorry to hear that! Not sure if you'll see my response, but I am curious how much salt you added. For something like this it needs quite a bit of salt due to the amount of pasta. I think I will update the recipe to list a salt quantity. I usually don't do that, but I think in this case it may be a good idea.
Maria Promo says
I thought it was delish and so did my family thank you for your recipe!
Natasha says
Great!! Thanks for letting me know, Maria! 🙂
Brent Christopher Pennington says
I just got the 3-quart Instant Pot. Do I need to halve the recipe? I noticed that Rachel doubled hers in the 6-quart and it worked, so I'm thinking the smaller one could handle the recipe.
What do you think?
Natasha says
I think based on that logic it may work. Just don't go over the max fill line or else you may have a big clean-up on your hands. 😛 Let me know how it goes!
me says
My husband and I honestly did not think it had much flavor. It is a great filler meal with vegis on the side. I am going to freeze the remainder and have it another time.
Natasha says
Did you add enough salt? That’s the biggest culprit to lack of flavor. There’s a lot of pasta in here.
Marylou Johnson says
This was so easy my 16 yr old son made it for dinner. He was excited about how tasty it was. We all liked it.
Natasha says
Aww that's awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Marylou 🙂
Santiago says
Hello Natasha. I just purchased an Instant Pot and your Mac and Cheese recipe will be my first. What is storage recommendation (Refrigerator/Freezer?)
Thank you
Natasha says
Hi! It's definitely better refrigerated than frozen, I'd say. It doesn't reheat as well when frozen as other dishes. Enjoy your new IP and let me know how this recipe goes!
Cindy says
Hi! I don’t have a pressure cooker is it the same process for stovetop? Thank you!!!
Natasha says
Hi Cindy! I haven't tested it, but I did include my thoughts in the notes section of the recipe card. Let me know how it goes!
Kati says
This recipe is definitely a family favorite! I make it, my mother makes it, my grandmother makes it (well, we make it at her house as she's afraid of the manual release) - basically, everyone LOVES it! We've switched it up a little with smoked Gouda and also using buffalo instead of ground beef.
Thank you for making this recipe and many other delicious ones I've tried from your website!!!
Natasha says
Awww I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for the sweet comment. ❤️
Paul says
Hello Natasha, thinking of trying to this one sometime this week. Just wondering if a regular pressure pot cooker will be okay to use? I’ve noticed that you use the electric ones and I’m not really sure about the regular pressure pot cooker. Thank you and you’re blog is outstanding.
Paul from Houston,TX
Natasha says
Hi Paul! Hmmm... I confess I really don't have any experience with a normal pressure cooker. I hopped on the electric bandwagon and have never actually used a standard one haha. Can a regular pressure cooker brown the meat? That concerns me... maybe do that in a normal pan on the stove first? I'm definitely curious if this would work in a regular pressure cooker, though. The timing to cook the pasta does make my red flags go up a little too... but let me know if you try it. I'm so glad you like my blog! 🙂
Rachel Geha says
Can I triple this recipe in the instant pot? What about the timing and water? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi Rachel! Hmmm it's really hard to say without testing it, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. Do you have a 6 quart Instant Pot or a bigger one? I don't think tripling it will fit in the 6 quart. Doubling perhaps would, just make sure you don't go over the fill line. I would keep the timing the same but double the water if you're doubling the pasta. Do let me know how it goes!
Rachel Geha says
HI! I doubled the recipe in my 6qt and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe. It was perfect for a big crowd:)
Natasha says
Excellent! So happy it worked out. 🙂
Jenn says
Hi Rachel! When you doubled did you double everything including time? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi Jenn, we can see if Rachel answers, but generally time should not be doubled on Instant Pot recipes. It’ll take longer to get up to pressure, and that compensates for any extra ingredients.
Howard Perkins says
Hi Natasha,
Love this recipe, great as I live alone and lasts me a few days, I did add some juice from a jar of Gherkins (think you call them pickles), gives it a bit more burger taste (try it, you wont regret), Anyway thank you for your wonderful emails and brilliant site, A merry Christmas to you and all your family, Howard in Wales, UK : )
Natasha says
Oooh adding the pickle juice is a great idea!! Thanks for the sweet comment, Howard! I wish you a wonderful Christmas too. 🙂