Instant Pot Taco Meat

This Instant Pot Taco Meat recipe is the easiest way to prepare taco meat and so quick. Once you cook your taco meat this way, you’ll never go back to the way you were cooking it before.

Tacos are a staple in my house as my family loves taco night.  It is a simple meal but now it is even easier.

The pressure cooker makes this popular meal even faster. The entire meal comes together in minutes.

This is a great way to get dinner on the table even during busy weeknights. Also check out Leftover Taco Meat Recipes.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make crock pot taco meat instead or Check out also our Skillet Ground Beef Tacos.

Can I cook ground beef in my instant pot?

Yes, you can definitely cook ground beef in the instant pot and you do not need to brown the meat first on your stove top.  An instant pot makes cooking with ground beef even easier.

I put the ground beef in the pressure cooker raw and then use a spoon or meat tenderizer to break the meat up once it has been cooked.

Let’s make Instant pot Taco meat.

This is one of our favorite meals and it is so fast and easy.

Ingredients

• ground beef

• salsa. You can use any brand you prefer.

• Taco seasoning. I use Homemade Taco Seasoning and make it in bulk. You can also use store bought taco seasoning if you prefer.

• water. Beef broth can also be used.

How to make Instant pot taco meat

You are not going to believe how EASY it is to make this taco meat instant pot. 

• First, add the ground beef and all of the ingredients in your instant pot including the water. It is just that simple.  Keep in mind you need at least 1 cup of liquid any time you use a pressure cooker. 

• Then seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.

• Finally, once it has finished cooking, do a quick release and then use a spoon to break up the taco meat.

That’s all there is to it and this recipe will be ready to serve to all your friends and family.  Trust me, after you make taco meat in a pressure cooker, you’ll never make it on your stove top again.

Keep reading for the complete recipe.

Topping ideas

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• onion
• diced tomatoes
• salsa
• guacamole

I enjoy making a taco bar so that everyone can have what they like on their tacos shells.

What to serve with instant pot tacos

• Instant Pot Spanish Rice- This is so easy and much better than any of those box mixes. Make extra to freeze for another easy side dish later.

• Pressure Cooker Refried Beans– Save money and enjoy flavor packed refried beans with this simple recipe. This is another great recipe that you can freeze for easy dinners later.

• Mexican Corn on the Cob – Street corn is amazing with so many layers of flavor. This is a must try with tacos.

• Easy Arepas – I love serving the taco meat with cheese on top of easy arepas.

For more easy ideas, check out even more side dishes for tacos.

Tips and tricks

• Keep in mind you need at least 1 cup of liquid any time you use a pressure cooker. Don’t skip the water.

• Substitute beef broth instead of water for even more delicious flavor. If you decide to make instant pot ground beef tacos without salsa, I would suggest using beef broth to add flavor.

• You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef in the recipe. The ground turkey takes on the flavor from the taco seasoning. It is delicious as well.

• Learn how to make homemade taco seasoning.  You will save a lot of money by making this in bulk. Plus, I love knowing exactly what ingredients are in the seasoning.

• If you need a pressure cooker, I love the  8 quart Instant pot . However, you might like the 6 quart size if you have a smaller family size.  We have the Instant Pot Brand and have been pleased with it.

Can you thaw meat in an instant pot?

If you forgot to thaw your ground beef for this recipe, don’t worry.  The instant pot is great at taking frozen food to a wonderfully cooked dinner in no time at all.

You can put the frozen ground beef directly into the pressure cooker.  If you are using frozen meat, you will need to increase the pressure cooking time to 20 minutes.

This will allow extra time for the meat to thaw and cook for this recipe.

Thanks to this fast and easy way to cook frozen meat, there really isn’t any excuse not to make this. I love that I can literally grab the meat from the freezer and still have a fast dinner.

Can you brown meat in an instant pot?

One of my favorite features of the instant pot is the saute function.  The sauté setting allows the instant pot to work just like a pot on the stove top. 

You can use this feature if you prefer to brown the meat instead of using the pressure cooker feature.

I always cook instant pot taco meat on the pressure cooker option but this feature works great for recipes that do require browned ground beef.

Make easy instant pot tacos!

It is one of of our favorite instant pot recipes. Anyone can make this and get dinner on the table fast.

This is a great meal to make when you are tempted to get takeout. You can literally have this ready and on the table in less time than eating out. It is cheaper too and we think tastes better.

Give it a try today. I think your family and friends will enjoy it. It definitely does not disappoint.

More Instant Pot taco recipes: 

• Instant Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos Recipe 
• Pressure Cooker Street Tacos
• Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Tacos Recipe
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe
• Healthy Chicken Tacos Pressure Cooker Recipe
• Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos Recipe
• Find all our best Taco Night Ideas