Cheeseburger Soup

This Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup uses fresh or frozen ground beef and pre-chopped potatoes for a cheesy and delicious kid-friendly dinner.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: What’s not to love about a dinner that starts with frozen meat? There’s no need to thaw any meat and you get a super savory, satisfying dinner.

We’ve tested all the various ways to cook with ground beef in the Instant Pot, and have perfected the method of cooking an entire meal with frozen beef.

This soup proves that there’s no need to thaw ground meat to make a quick and super satisfying weeknight dinner. 

This is one of our favorite Instant Pot Ground Beef Recipes. If you’re a fan, be sure to try our Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe next.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Here’s what you need to make this cheesy beef soup:

• Beef broth. You can use store-bought broth or make your own. 
• Ground beef. It’s essential that your beef is frozen in one flat, even layer to avoid uneven cooking. 
• Veggies. The base of this soup is the classic combination of onions, carrots, and celery. You can make a great shortcut by buying pre-chopped mirepoix if your grocery store sells it. 
• Potatoes. Make sure to use diced potatoes, not the hash brown kind. You can find them in the refrigerated section. 
• Herbs. This soup is flavored with dried parsley and basil.
• Cornstarch. To thicken up your soup and give it silky, creamy body. 
• Cheese. Use shredded cheddar for the classic cheeseburger flavor. 
• Heavy cream. Add this at the end to finish the soup. 
• Bacon bits. If you like a smoky flavor, add some real bacon bits on top. 

How to Make Cheeseburger Soup in an Instant Pot

✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

To start cooking, combine the beef broth and frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot. Add the oil, veggies, and seasonings.

Next, place a steamer basket on top of the meat and veggies. Add the frozen potatoes to the steamer basket. 

Lock the lid in place and cook on high pressure for five minutes. When the timer ends, let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. 

Remove the lid, then remove the steamer basket from the pot. Use a meat chopper or potato masher to break up the beef in the pot. Select sauté on the pot and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, to brown the beef and thicken it up a bit. 

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Then add the cornstarch slurry to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Then add the cheddar, one handful at a time, until it melts. Add the remaining broth and heavy cream and heat the soup until it’s warm. Be careful not to let it boil. Finally, stir in the cooked potatoes.

When you’re ready to serve, divide the soup between bowls and add bacon bits on top if you like. 

Important Tips for Making Cheeseburger Soup

Keep these tips in mind for this recipe:

• If you’re cooking with frozen meat, the beef must be frozen flat, about an inch thick. If it’s frozen in a log or a sphere, the cook time will increase quite a bit. 
• If you’re cooking from refrigerated beef, reduce the pressure cook time by 2 minutes
• The potatoes will still pick up flavor as they steam, but the steamer basket makes it really easy to remove the potatoes so you can break up the beef without damaging the potatoes.
• We love the Oxo meat chopper to break up the beef. I like a little bit in each bite, my husband likes larger pieces. Follow your preferences for how much to break it up.
• If you don’t mind a messy meal, this soup tastes amazing using 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup cheddar cheese. The mozzarella is stringy, but it’s a great flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup

MORE Instant Pot Beef Recipes

Try these other meals with ground beef next:

• Easy Instant Pot Ground Beef Tacos are a classic for Taco Tuesday that kids love!
• Easy Sloppy Joes are a weeknight staple at our house, complete with extra sauce.
• No-Grill Instant Pot Hamburgers are a great way to enjoy a BBQ experience indoors. 

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Cheeseburger Soup - Instant Pot Recipe

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This easy Cheeseburger Soup starts with frozen ground beef and pre-chopped potatoes and is finished with plenty of melty cheese for a family favorite dinner that cooksk up quick in your Instant Pot.

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Ingredients

• 2 cans (14 oz each) reduced-sodium beef broth, divided
• 1 pound frozen ground beef*
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 package (20 oz) Simply Potatoes diced potatoes
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup real bacon bits, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. In the pressure cooking pot, combine 1 can of beef broth and frozen ground beef. Add the vegetable oil, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. 
2. Put a steamer basket in the cooking pot. Add the diced potatoes. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the cook time for 5 minutes.
3. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then use a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the potatoes and steamer basket from the pressure cooking pot and set aside.
4. Use a meat chopper or potato masher to break up the beef. Select Sauté and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5.  In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Add the slurry to the pot, stirring constantly until the soup thickens.
6. Add the cheddar a handful at a time, and stir until the cheese melts. Add the remaining can of broth and stir to combine. Stir in the heavy cream and heat through—do not bring to a boil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
7. Return the potatoes to the pot and stir to combine. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon bits and additional salt and pepper if desired.

Notes

If cooking from frozen, the beef must be frozen flat, about an inch thick. If it’s frozen in a log or a sphere, the cook time will increase quite a bit.  

If cooking from refrigerated beef, reduce the pressure cook time by 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 461Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 880mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g

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

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