Instant Pot Hamburgers

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Instant Pot Hamburgers are an easy way to make juicy hamburgers inside without firing up the grill, featuring sweet, spicy and garlicky seasoning and sweet onions. 

onion burgers on buns with toppings in front of a glass of soda

❤️Why You’ll Love This Recipe: When you don’t want to fire up the grill, these easy from-scratch Instant Pot Hamburgers are seasoned with garlic, paprika, and sweet onion. 

If you want the experience of an outdoor barbecue without a grill, try making hamburgers in your Instant Pot. The meat stays juicy and flavorful. Plus, you can add any of your favorite mix-ins and seasonings. 

pinterest button for instant pot onion burgers

How to Make Instant Pot Hamburgers

This Instant Pot Onion Burgers recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant PotNinja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL

The meat for these pressure cooker burgers is seasoned with a simple but powerful blend of:

  • Smoked paprika
  • Diced sweet onion
  • Garlic

Together, these flavors infuse the burgers with delicious flavor as the meat cooks in the Instant Pot. 

The first step in this recipe is to sear your burgers in the Instant Pot. Not only does this brown them nicely on the outside, but it helps lock in moisture and gives the burgers their signature caramelized crust and flavor.  

Then, simply pressure cook the burgers on a wire rack to finish cooking through. They only need 6 minutes at high pressure. 

What Kind of Beef Is Best for Instant Pot Burgers?

Because your instant pot needs some fat in order to prevent foam from forming during pressure cooking, the best beef is 80/20. 

If you use leaner meat, be sure to watch for foaming (and it can get pretty messy, so I don’t recommend it). 

overhead of an instant pot with four hamburgers inside on a wire rack

Other Flavoring Ideas for Burgers

If you’d like to try some other seasonings for your Instant Pot burgers, try adding:

  • Diced jalapenos
  • Crumbled blue cheese or other shredded cheese
  • Cooked diced mushrooms
  • Fresh or dried herbs
two onion burgers with toppings in front of an instant pot pressure cooker

Make-Ahead Burgers

You can store your onion burgers in an airtight container for up to three days. If you’re entertaining, your burgers will be totally cooked and you can sear them quickly on the grill for some nice char marks and to reheat them. 

Then, simply add your favorite toppings (buns, tomato, lettuce and more onion because you can never have too much!). You can serve up juicy burgers without having to stand over the grill for the whole party. 

A thick, stacked hamburger, with the patty cooked in the Instant Pot, topped with lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickles, avocado, and a toasted bun on a white plate with chips and a tall glass of cola in the background

More Instant Pot Beef Recipes

Ground beef makes fast and easy weeknight dinners, but you can do more than just make burgers! Try these other Instant Pot easy beef recipes next:


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onion burgers on buns with toppings in front of a glass of soda

Instant Pot Onion Burgers

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes

These easy Instant Pot Hamburgers are made with a filling of smoked paprika, diced sweet onion, and garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 hamburger buns, toasted
  • Toppings: avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, ketchup

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic. Add the meat and gently work the seasoning mixture into the meat. Divide the mixture into 4 equal patties. Place 1 tablespoon minced onion in the center of each patty and fold the onions inside with your thumbs. 
  2. Select Sauté and preheat the cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and the patties and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side to brown. Transfer to a plate when browned.
  3. Add 1 cup water to the cooking pot, and scrape up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom. Place a trivet in the cooking pot and place the patties on the trivet, leaving space for steam. 
  4. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 6 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Use a quick pressure release.
  5. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. 
  6. Serve the burgers on toasted buns topped with avocado and your favorite burger toppings.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 913mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 14g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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originally published June 1, 2021 — last updated September 30, 2021
Categories: Beef