Enjoy a hearty and flavorful meal with Instant Pot Meat Sauce. Using the convenience of the Instant Pot, you can quickly and easily prepare a rich and savory sauce that pairs perfectly with pasta or as a topping for other dishes. Let's dive into how to make this delicious pressure cooker meat sauce in no time!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful And Filling: This meat sauce is packed with rich, meaty goodness for a satisfying meal.
- Fast And Convenient: Pressure cooking spaghetti sauce in the Instant Pot cuts down the simmering time drastically.
- Versatile: Perfect for pasta, lasagna, or as a base for other dishes, this pressure cooker spaghetti sauce is versatile and useful.
📋 Ingredients
Making meat sauce is simple with this list of ingredients.
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onions and garlic, it adds a depth of flavor and helps to release their aromas, enhancing the overall taste of the sauce.
- Onion (Minced): Provides a sweet base note that balances the richness of the beef and the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Garlic Cloves: Adds a pungent kick, contributing to the savory depth of the meat sauce.
- Ground Beef: Provides a hearty, rich, and protein-packed element to the sauce.
- Oregano: Oregano lends a touch of earthy, slightly sweet flavor that enhances the overall taste of the bolognese sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the tomato flavor and adds thickness to the sauce, creating a fuller body and richer taste.
- Whole Tomatoes: Break down during cooking to create a chunky, flavorful sauce that pairs perfectly with the minced beef.
- Red Wine (Optional): Adds another layer of complexity to the sauce, enhancing its richness and depth of flavor.
- Salt & Pepper (Optional) Add freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Crushed Tomatoes: We use whole tomatoes (san marzano tomatoes) for this recipe. Feel free to use a can of crushed tomatoes. Canned tomatoes will still deliver a delicious meat sauce.
- Ground Pork: Switch the ground beef for ground pork or ground turkey if looking for a leaner meat source.
- Add Sausage: Feel free to add some Italian sausage, chorizo or Italian chicken sausage chopped up adds an extra level of flavor to this meat sauce.
- Beef Stock: If you do not wish to use red wine, switch it for beef stock.
- Add Heat: For a kick of heat add a teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.
🔪How To Make Instant Pot Meat Sauce?
Step One: Place the olive oil in the Instant Pot and set to “saute” setting. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Step Two: Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir constantly.
Step Three: Add the oregano seasoning, tomato paste, whole tomatoes, and red wine (if using). ecure the lid on the Instant Pot and set to “meat/stew” setting for 10 minutes. Natural release.
Step Four: Your Italian style Instant Pot meat sauce is ready to serve!
6 Ways To Use Meat Sauce
The best thing about making a big pot of meat sauce is that it is affordable and versatile. You don't have to only use meat sauce for pasta. Here are 5 ways you can use your pasta sauce.
- Instead of using tomato sauce, use this meat sauce in our Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe.
- Make a healthy dish by using your meat sauce with Spaghetti Squash. Stuffed spaghetti squash and emat sauce make a great evening meal.
- If you are looking for an easy side dish, simply add your sauce to some Zucchini Nests and top with cheese.
- Top your meatloaf with it. Add a kick of flavor and a little more meat to your meatloaf.
- Mix it into your favorite recipe of Ratatatouille. It gives it a little more protein and an extra burst of flavor.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Deglaze: After you saute the ground beef and garlic, use a wooden spoon to deglaze the Instant Pot. This will prevent a Burn Notice during the pressure cooking stage.
A mix of ground beef and ground pork gives the best flavor, but you can also use ground turkey or Italian sausage for different variations. An 80/20 fat ratio in ground beef provides a rich taste without being too greasy.
To thicken meat sauce, let it simmer uncovered for longer, add tomato paste, or stir in a small amount of cornstarch slurry. You can also mash some of the cooked vegetables or add grated parmesan cheese.
Yes! Meat sauce actually tastes better the next day because the flavors have more time to develop. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Classic pairings include spaghetti, penne, or fettuccine, but it also works great in lasagna, stuffed peppers, or over zucchini noodles for a low-carb option.
After cooking, let the meat sauce cool (no more than 2 hours), then transfer it into shallow, airtight containers. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, or for longer storage, portion it into freezer-safe bags or containers, labeling each with the date.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Instant Pot Meat Sauce:
- Classic Pasta Dish: Serve it over your favorite pasta—spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni work well.
- Lasagna Layer: Use it as a rich layer in your lasagna.
- Polenta or Mashed Potatoes: Top creamy polenta or mashed potatoes for a hearty meal.
- Sandwich Filling: Spoon it into a hoagie roll with melted cheese for a meat sauce sub.
- Baked Dishes: Drizzle over baked eggplant or zucchini for an Italian twist.
- Toppings: Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for extra flavor.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Instant Pot Meat Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion minced
- 8 cloves Garlic Mince 6 whole
- 1 lb Ground Beef minced 450g
- 2 Tablespoons Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 Cans Whole Tomatoes
- ½ Cup Red Wine optional
Instructions
- Place the olive oil in the Instant Pot and set to “sauté” setting.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir constantly. Then add the minced beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the sauté setting.
- Add the whole garlic cloves. Next add the Cannamela oregano seasoning, tomato paste, whole tomatoes and red wine (if using).
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and set to “meat/stew” setting for 10 minutes. Natural release.
Notes
Nutrition
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What a wonderfully versatile sauce to make! I've pinned this to try out for myself 🙂
I need to get an instant pot, even my mum has one now! This sauce sounds delicious and so easy to make
It does taste good!
Angela, can I used the tomatoes from my garden that is in my freezer instead of the canned ones? I have more than 80 kilos of tomatoes harvested from my garden yet to be used for canning salsa and marinara sauce. Besides serving pasta with the sauce, how else do you use the meat sauce for? It looks so delicious, and I can finish eating the whole bowl in one sitting plus a thick slice of Italian bread to wipe the sauce off the bowl!
yes sure.