Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce (With Frozen Ground Beef)

Instant pot spaghetti Bolognese sauce recipe made with frozen ground beef! This easy homemade pasta sauce you would find yourself making over and over again. It is quick, easy, meaty, delicious, not bland and the best.

Not only is this pressure cooker spaghetti sauce easy to put together you can also serve the delicious sauce with other dishes, and it stores well too.

Spaghetti Bolognese is a weeknight staple in most homes especially if you have got kids. This classic Italian recipe has won the heart of many homes including mine. It is one of my children’s favourites and I have no choice but to make it when they request it. I have the quick stove top version of spaghetti bolognese recipe on the blog already, that would tell you how much my family loves it.  

Since I started using an instant pot, I found it easier to make Bolognese sauce as it is mostly handsfree, I don’t have to simmer for hours and it also gives me the chance to use up frozen ground beef I have in my freezer.

Pressure cooker bolognese sauce is affordable and it uses store cupboard ingredients, delicious family favourites and perfect for fussy kids.

You will have this recipe from the instant pot to your table in 30 minutes if you use fresh ground beef instead of frozen. I leave instructions on the cooking time if using fresh mincemeat. Let me show you how to make the best instant pot spaghetti bolognese sauce with fresh or frozen beef.

Ingredients

A detailed list of ingredients used is in the recipe card at the bottom of the page!

Fresh or frozen ground beef: I use a combination of pork and beef mince.

Olive oil: use any flavourless cooking oil you have on hand

Onion

Celery

Carrots

Worcestershire sauce: substitute with brown sugar to balance the acidity from the tomato

Passata: substitute with canned chopped tomatoes

Tomato paste

Garlic granules: substitute with fresh chopped garlic

Basil: use dried or fresh. I tend to use dried herbs when cooking in the pressure cooker and garnish or stir in fresh herbs after the dish is cooked.

Parsley

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes: this is optional but use it if you want some heat in the food

Bay leaf

Beef bouillon cube: I used OXO cubes

Parmesan cheese to serve

How to make instant pot Bolognese sauce with frozen ground beef

Let me show you how to make this classic Italian dish in easy steps

Saute the onions and vegetables: Turn on your instant pot to the saute function. Pour olive oil to the inner pot and heat until IP displays ‘hot’, carefully add chopped onions, chopped celery, grated carrots and saute until soft and fragrant. This shouldn’t be more than 5 minutes. Do not skip this process as it helps build the overall flavour of the dish.

Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the frozen ground beef: add Worcestershire sauce, passata, tomato paste,garlic granules, parsley, basil, salt,  pepper, bay leaf and lastly crumble the beef bouillon over the sauce and stir to combine. Make sure you deglaze the bottom of the pot to avoid getting a BURN notice.

Add the frozen beef: carefully add the frozen ground beef to avoid splatter and add ½  cup of water.

Pressure cook: lock the instant pot to safety, turning the valve to the seal position. Select manual or pressure cook and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. After the cooking cycle is completed, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure and carefully do a quick pressure release.

Open the lid, break the ground beef and mix to combine with the sauce. If the sauce has much liquid in it, using the sauté function, simmer the sauce until reduced to desired consistency.  Serve the bolognese sauce over cooked spaghetti or add it to the sauce and combine.

How to cook instant pot Bolognese sauce with fresh ground beef

Start by sautéing the chopped onions, grated carrots and chopped celery in hot olive oil until onions is soft and translucent.

Add the ground beef and pork, salt and pepper and cook with the aromatic until browned. Pour the passata over the browned beef then add parsley, red pepper flakes, basil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic granules, tomato paste, bay leaf, beef stock and mix to combine.

Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then do 5 minutes NPR and quick release the remaining pressure.

Serve over pasta, spaghetti or use as desired.

How to store and use leftovers

Bolognese sauce will stay in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days and up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure the sauce is cooled completely before storing.

• How to use leftovers: add kidney beans to the leftover bolognese sauce to turn into chili or chili con carne
• Use as lasagne filling
• Make some spaghetti bake using your favourite melty cheese and bake in the oven. My daughter still calls this lasagne and I don’t blame her, they taste similar.

Other instant pot recipes you would love

Instant pot lentil curry, serve with this easy instant pot basmati rice

Pressure cooker rice and chicken, this is a one-pot pressure cooker recipe and it is utterly delicious

Instant pot chicken pasta, this one-pot chicken dinner is easy to make and delicious too.

Instant pot ratatouille, serve with cooked pasta and make the leftover into a soup.

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Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce (With Frozen Ground Beef)

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Instant pot Bolognese sauce recipe made with frozen ground beef! This easy homemade pasta sauce you would find yourself making over and over again. It is quick, easy, meaty, delicious, not bland and the best. Not only is this pressure cooker spaghetti sauce easy to put together, you can also serve the delicious sauce with other dishes, and it stores well too.

5 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

natural pressure release 5 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine British, Italian

Servings 6

Calories 217 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 g Fresh or frozen lean ground beef and pork
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil: use any flavourless cooking oil you have on hand
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 2 carrots grated about 1 cup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce: substitute with 1 tablespoon brown sugar to balance the acidity from the tomato
• 500 ml Passata: substitute with canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ tablespoon garlic granules
• ½ tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes: this is optional but use it if you want some heat in the food
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Beef bouillon cube
• Parmesan cheese to serve

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Turn on your instant pot to the saute function. Add olive oil to the inner pot and heat until IP displays ‘hot’, carefully add chopped onions, chopped celery, grated carrots and saute until soft and fragrant. This shouldn’t me more than 5 minutes. Do not skip this process as it helps build the overall flavour of the dish.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, passata, tomato paste, garlic granules, parsley, red pepper flakes, basil, salt, black pepper, bay leaf and lastly crumble the beef bouillon over the sauce and stir to combine. Make sure you deglaze the bottom of the pot properly to avoid getting a BURN notice.
• Carefully add the frozen ground beef to avoid splatter and add ½ cup of water.
• Lock the instant pot to safety, turning the valve to the seal position. Select manual or pressure cook and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. After the cooking cycle is completed, allow 5 minutes natural pressure and carefully do a quick pressure release.
• Open the lid, break up the ground beef and mix to combine with the sauce. If sauce has much liquid in it, using the sauté function, simmer the sauce until reduced to desired consistency. Chesk for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve the Bolognese sauce over cooked spaghetti or add it to the sauce and combine then top with grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

How to cook instant pot Bolognese sauce with fresh ground beef

Start by sautéing the chopped onions, grated carrots and chopped celery in hot olive oil until onions is soft and translucent.

Add the ground beef and pork, salt and pepper and cook with the aromatic until browned. Pour the passata over the browned beef then add parsley, red pepper flakes, basil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic granules, tomato paste, bay leaf, beef stock and mix to combine.

Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then do 5 minutes NPR and quick release the remaining pressure.
Serve over pasta, spaghetti or use as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 359mgPotassium: 869mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4011IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

Keyword instant pot bologenese sauce, instant pot bolognese, instant pot bolognese with frozen ground beef, pressure cooker bolognese sauce

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