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Instant Pot Taco Meat

by 111 Comments

This Instant Pot taco meat is so flavorful! I love cooking taco meat in my Instant Pot because I can make a big batch and feed my family throughout the week. I enjoy making and eating traditional tacos but when it comes to leftovers I try to be creative by using the meat in breakfast tacos with eggs or potatoes, on top of salads, or in a “burrito” bowl with rice and fun taco toppings.

Instant Pot Taco Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

This is the most flavorful taco meat that you’ll ever meet! It’s delicious served with tortillas (like my paleo naan), over salad or on top of nachos. I love this recipe so much that I’ve made it twice in the past couple weeks and have been happily enjoying leftovers.

Whenever I make taco meat, I like to freeze a portion of it for a lazy cooking day. It makes for awesome leftovers. This recipe is delicious as is – but if you want to stretch the meat out to serve more people or to last you a little longer, you can add some chopped potatoes to it. I’ve done this – and it’s fantastic.

I love making taco meat in my Instant Pot because it’s my favorite kitchen gadget ever. It cooks everything super fast and I really feel like it intensifies the flavors of the seasonings that I use.

Instant Pot Taco Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

One thing you have to keep in mind when making this recipe is that meat can sometimes release quite a bit of liquid. That’s why I don’t add any additional water to the Instant Pot before making this taco meat. Even without adding liquid, I have to boil off some water that the meat naturally releases. Once I remove the lid from the pot, I press the sauté button to boil off any remaining liquid.

Then, I top the meat with lots of cilantro and use it in all different sorts of ways: tacos, burritos, on top of salads, in a “burrito” bowl, etc.

Instant Pot Taco Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

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Instant Pot Taco Meat

★★★★★ 5 from 24 reviews
  • Author: Ashley Thomas
  • Yield: 2 pounds meat
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot except for the ground beef.
  2. Press the “sauté” button and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Then add the ground beef to the pot and cook until mostly brown.
  4. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
  5. Naturally release pressure (or you can quick release too if you’re in a hurry).
  6. Open the lid, and if the meat released any liquid then press the sauté button to boil it off.
  7. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Notes

  • I do not add any additional water to the Instant Pot prior to cooking this because meat naturally releases water as it cooks. You can add a bit of water if you’d like, but you’ll need to boil it off at the end by pressing the sauté button once it’s done cooking.

Instant Pot Taco Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try these:

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Carne Guisada
Instant Pot Saag
Instant Pot Habanero Chili
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Goat Curry in a Hurry
Instant Pot Texas Beef Chili
Instant Pot Ground Lamb Curry
Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Comments

    • Mina, you can use ground chicken/turkey instead of beef. I’d keep the same cooking time (to help the flavors come flavors together). The meat will likely cook in less time though so it’s up to you!

      Reply

  5. Setting it for 30 minutes in the pressure cooker doesn’t make the meat turn into mush since it was already mostly cooked before that? I’m just wondering how the texture will be since ground meat cooks fast already.

    Reply

    • I am making this now and just reading the comments. In this comment you mentioned setting for 30 mins, but in the recipe it says 10? Just wondering about this? Otherwise it smells great so far! Thanks!!

      Reply

  7. I’m following the Fast Metabolism Diet and can’t use oil during certain phases. Is there a way to do this recipe without the oil?

    Reply

  8. OMG this is wonderful!! My husband and I had it for Mexican xmas this year, in burritos & taquitos. And then … the leftovers spiced up our favourite Hamburger Soup. Wow! Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  9. I’m using my instant pot for the first time with this recipe! When you say “make sure the steam valve is closed” do you mean “sealed” setting?

    Reply

  10. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The meat has a complex flavor that reminds me of one of my favorite restaurants. I’ll crispy make a double batch next time to have extras for the freezer.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  11. Absolutely delicious! I make my own taco meat all the time but never thought to use my Instant Pot…what a revelation! I used ground chicken and halved the recipe; I added about half a cup of tomato sauce, a teaspoon each of coconut sugar and apple cider vinegar before switching into bean/chili mode (the recipe I’ve used for a decade includes these ingredients and I find it makes a huge difference to add a splash of acid and and a dash of sweetener to taco meat). Loved the spice combination and the great flavor that developed by cooking this under pressure!

    Reply

  12. Just made this and it’s fantastic! My bf said it’s so good he could rub it all over his body! Ha ha! He’s hard to please! Can’t wait to try your other recipes. Delish!

    Reply

      • If I wanted to double this recipe and make it in my 8 quart Instant Pot, how long do you think I should cook it for? This sounds really great! Thank you!

        Reply

        • Hi Beth, you can keep the time the same – the Instant Pot will just take longer to reach pressure before it begins the countdown due to the extra meat inside. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think of it!

          Reply

  14. I’ve made this twice now, and it’s so incredible. I absolutely love the spice combo in the meat. My six year old and husband are also addicted. Very easy and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe, this will be in my rotation from here on out!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Hi Lisa, you can use either button – as long as you cook at high pressure for 30 minutes 🙂 I’m in the process of changing my directions as some of the newer models have different time settings.

    Reply

  16. I just made this to use for meal prep bowls for the week, and it is fabulous! I kind of questioned cooking under pressure for 30 minutes, then having to simmer it to reduce the liquid when I read the recipe. Seemed like an awful lot of work/time for just some taco meat I could do faster on the stove. I decided to try it out anyways bc I love the recipes on this site, and I love tacos.

    Wow! I’m so so glad I did. A lot of the cooking time doesn’t require being in the kitchen, so I didn’t feel like it took that long. The end results was totally worth it. This meat is flavorful, tender, and tastes like it’s restaurant quality. It’s not mushy as some commenters wondered, and the seasoning is great! The only comment I’d make – make sure to use leaner ground beef. The way the steps are written, if you had to drain it, you’d end up losing some of the seasoning. I used 90/10 and it was perfect 🙂

    Thank you for providing such a delicious, clean recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Beth! That’s so great to hear! I’ve actually reduced the cook time to 10 minutes after hearing feedback from my readers and it’s just as good! Thank you for the helpful comment – it will definitely help other readers!

      Reply

  18. Trying this as my first meal in my new instant pot and I am a bit nervous. I am a beginner cook. I am still confused in reading through the comments on this thread. You mentioned to cook on high for 10 minutes while others said 30 minutes on the chili mode. When I enter on high for 10 minutes does the pressure cook come to pressure and at the 10 minute mark it is done cooking and releases valve on its own? Or do I need to hit the quick release valve myself? A bit confused with the whole valve thing. Also how many would you say the recipe feeds? 6-8 adults?

    Reply

    • Hi Emily, I changed the cooking time to 10 minutes after more testing/feedback and it works perfectly! I suggest following the directions in the recipe card and you’ll be set! Once the cooking time is done, just turn the valve to release pressure and once the pin drops, you’ll be able to open the lid. And I’d say it feeds 6-7. If you try this, please let me know what ya think!

      Reply

  19. Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this tonight. It’s the second time I’ve used my Instant Pot and it helped me learn more about what it can do.

    Reply

  20. Thank you for this recipe! I haven’t tried it yet but wanted to ask: do you drain the fat from the ground beef? Or no?

    Reply

  21. Do you think this would also come out well if you just threw everything in the pot and cooked without sauteeing? Would the cook time stay the same?

    Reply

  22. I need to cook 7-8 pounds of taco meat for a party this weekend. Think I can safetly do it in one batch (I have the instant pot duo 6 quart).

    Reply

  23. This is our go-to taco filling. Our family loves it! Just doubled the batch and used an Elite electric pressure cooker and followed the directions exactly. Turned out scrumptious.

    Reply

  24. Made this tonight and it’s hands down the best taco meat recipe I’ve ever made. My husband loves it too. I only did a pound of ground beef so I halved the seasonings but kept cook time the same. So, so good. I’ve been looking for a good taco recipe for years and I finally found it! Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  25. Not sure what went wrong but mine came out the consistency of chili. No amount of saute mode boiling got rid of the liquid. Despite that, it was delicious. A huge hit at my company potluck and my husband and 9 yr old raved about how good it was. No one minded eating tacos for dinner 3 nights in a row.

    Reply

  26. My first instant pot recipe to try besides steel cut oats. Was very successful. Thanks, glad I found you and can follow you on Pinterest and here.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  28. Hi, I was wondering how spicy (hot) is this recipe? I love tacos but have a low tolerance for spicyness 🙂 I know it’s relative but would you say is hot? medium? mild?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  29. Incredibly obsessed with this recipe – I haven’t made taco meat any other way in over a year and I always come back to your site to make sure I get it just right! THANK YOU!

    Reply

  30. So my family cannot eat green peppers. Do you think that leaving those out will affect the moisture in the meat as it cooks? Does it matter what percentage of fat the beef has? I hope this helps my son enjoy tacos more!

    Reply

  31. This is a weekly staple now. We eat it over sweet potatoes and sauteed cabbage for lunch. It reheats beautifully, maybe even better the next day. Ashley’s skill with blending spices is very impressive!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  33. I’ve made this recipe twice in as many weeks.
    Easy and DELICIOUS.

    Last night I subbed 1lb of black bean & brown rice (which I make in huge batches in the instant pot and store in the freezer) because I only had 1lb of beef handy. Required a bit more liquid (1/2 cup). Very authentic tasting!

    I like to finish it off with the juice of 1 lime after step 6. I like the brightness of the lime but it is still amazing without.

    Well done.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  34. Can you start with frozen meat? We processed our own grassfed beef, but reading this I want to try it NOW and don’t have meat thawed! New Instant Pot user- your recipes are where i am starting!

    Reply

    • Heather, so happy to hear that you’re starting with my recipes! If it were me, I would probably sauté until the meat thawed to make sure it mixes well with the spices – I know that will take longer since you’re starting with frozen meat. Technically I think you can pressure cook the whole frozen chunk of ground beef then sauté at the end to boil off any additional liquid that released – I just haven’t tried it this way. Let me know if you do that and how it goes!

      Reply

  35. How do you get the beef broken down while cooking? Is that why you sauté first? If so then why Pressure cook?
    I usually cook 4-5 pounds of beef and pork mixture and package into small bags and freeze. It takes for ever. This seems so much faster. Can I do that much at one time?

    Reply

  37. I made this for my family using ground turkey. My husband didn’t even realize it was ground turkey until I mentioned something about it. We’ve added this into our regular rotation!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  38. I don’t usually review recipes, but this one is fantastic. Seriously. Make this tonight! You won’t be sorry. Thanks so much for posting!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. I like how straight forward this is. I’m looking to add meal to my repetoire that allow me to “set it and forget it” until I can put together stuff quickly after activites. If I saute and set the pressure cooker part, can I leave it until I get back an hour later, then saute to boil off any additional liquid? Thanks so much

    Reply

    • Thanks Rane! So happy to hear that you like this 🙂 And yes, you can leave it – it’ll switch to the warm setting and be ready for you whenever you get home 🙂

      Reply

  41. Amazingly good! So flavorful! I just made this with ground turkey minus the green pepper and cilantro. I couldn’t help adding some water, but I just used a baster to remove excess water. This one is a keeper— thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  42. How many servings does this make? Roughly how many tacos would I get from 2 pounds of grass fed beef?

    Reply

  43. Delicious! I left out green peppers and basil, and added red potatoes in the 6th step as suggested. It’s spicy, but you don’t notice how spicy until you eat a couple of them! That’s the best kind of spice! Will make this again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  44. I made this recipe today with the only variation was that I only added 1/2 tsp of chili pepper. It is the best recipe taco rwcipe I have tried!! It is delicious and easy to make. Did not added water and put it in the sauté option at the end to boil the water down!! It was amazing!

    Reply

  45. I made this today , I did add a small can of tomato sauce and then I put it on sauté to get rid of the extra liquid at the end ! It’s a keeper ! Thank you for this Great easy instant pot taco meat meal ! We loved it !

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  46. DELICIOUS! I want to print it on my nice recipe paper, but I can’t get it to print without the ads. Any ideas?
    Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  48. Amazing! Best taco meat I have ever made! Will try using leaner meat in the future to make less greasy but I can’t complain. First recipe from this site, but will look for more soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  50. The spice combination is delicious. I used 90/10 beef and did not drain the fat. Just required a little sauté at the end. This one is a keeper!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  52. This recipe is so yummy! After browning my meat, there wasn’t much juice so I did add 1/2 cup of water. You were right, there was quite a bit of juice I had to cook off, so next time, I won’t add the water. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  53. Excellent recipe! I made just a few changes: I doubled the amount of cumin ( I love the flavor of cumin in taco meat), and I doubled the amount of salt. Also, I used red bell peppers to make the results look more attractive. I actually prefer my taco meat to be on the “mushy” side, so I increased the cooking time to 15 minutes. I also added 1/2 cup of beef broth. One other thing: in order to better control the browning, I let the diced bell peppers sauté for a minute or two before I added the onions. Then I waited another minute or two before I added the garlic. I guess this is just a preference thing.

    ★★★★★

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  54. Wow, what a great idea. I am going to use this method for my all ground meat. I often cook for groups of 40+ and must do some food prep. I sometimes prep cook my beef and freeze, the extra juice in the meat makes it a great freezer item. I did add some cider vinegar just becasue add some sort of vingegar to all most everything.

    10 Minutes natural release is PERFECT. Thanks.

    Look forward to cooking it down more and stuffing my Mexican Egg Rools with it!

    Somehow the food cooked in the insta pot intensify the spices.

    Again, thanks so much I am going to make use of this often, in may dishes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  55. LOVE this recipe. I tried it a few weeks ago for the first time and have since made it 4 times. Delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  56. I’m planning on making this for a party. If I used 4 lbs of ground meat, would I have to adjust the cooking time or keep it the same?

    Reply

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