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When we need a fast dinner that everyone will actually eat, this Instant Pot ground beef recipe is always the answer. It turns simple pantry ingredients—ground beef, rice, beans, salsa—into hearty burrito bowls that taste like takeout but cost way less.
The best part? Besides being done in about 10 minutes, everything cooks right in the Instant Pot for minimal dishes and maximum flavor. Add your favorite toppings and let everyone customize their bowl for a weeknight meal that’s equal parts easy and satisfying.
Table of Contents
- Quick and Easy Dinners
- Ingredients for Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
- How Do I Make Instant Pot Ground Beef Burrito Bowls?
- What Toppings Should I Put on My Burrito Bowl?
- Burrito Bowls FAQs
- Storing and Reheating
- More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas:
- How to Make Quick and Easy Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
- Ground Beef Burrito Bowls Recipe
Family dinner ideas that are quick and easy are something that I am always on the hunt for! The flavor of this is fantastic but my very favorite part, aside from the fact that you can add in or substitute anything you want, it’s done in 10 minutes! Do you hear that?! DINNER IN TEN MINUTES!
Quick and Easy Dinners
Life is so busy especially with three kids who are all in completely different stages of life. We are constantly on the go. We need meals that are healthy, quick, and kid friendly. Some of our favorites are 20 Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta, 20 Minute Cherry Tomato Basil Angel Hair Pasta, 15 Minute Chicken Stir Fry, 15 Minute Pesto Pasta, and 15 Minute Beef Stir Fry.
These Instant Pot Quick and Easy Ground Beef Burrito Bowls are being added to that list. They are so flavorful and my kids love them! They can put whatever toppings they want on their own bowl. It not only allows them to be creative in the kitchen, but they are also more likely to eat something they have helped cook.
Ingredients for Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
I always like to include a quick list of ingredients so our readers can get a glimpse of everything they will need ahead of time.
- Ground Beef: Provides rich flavor and hearty protein; the slightly higher fat content adds juiciness and prevents the beef from drying out during pressure cooking.
- Olive Oil: Helps sauté the onions and brown the beef evenly while adding a touch of richness to the base of the bowls.
- Onion: Builds savory depth and sweetness that enhances the taco seasoning and balances the spices.
- Taco Seasoning: Layers in bold, Tex-Mex flavor with chili powder, cumin, and aromatics—instantly giving the dish that classic burrito bowl taste.
- Rice: Cooks directly in the broth to absorb flavor while adding bulk and heartiness—turning this into a complete meal, not just a topping.
- Black Beans: Add creamy texture, plant-based protein, and extra fiber to make the bowls more filling and nutritionally balanced.
- Tomatoes with Diced Green Chiles: Bring smoky depth, mild heat, and acidity that brighten the dish and prevent it from tasting heavy or one-note.
- Frozen Corn: Adds pops of sweetness and color while contrasting the textures of the beef and rice.
- Beef Broth: Infuses the rice with savory flavor as it cooks and keeps the beef mixture moist without watering it down.
- Colby Jack Cheese: Melts smoothly over the hot bowl, adding creamy richness and tying all the flavors together with just the right amount of indulgence.
How Do I Make Instant Pot Ground Beef Burrito Bowls?
- Cook the Ground Beef: Put your instant pot in “sauté” mode and brown your ground beef.
- What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use? Before you ask, we prefer to use 85/15 ground beef. It has just enough fat to have a deep, delicious flavor but not so much that your dish is greasy.
- Sauté: After ground beef has been browned, add the taco seasoning and diced onions with some olive oil and sauté them until the onions start to soften and the ground beef is cooked through. Then add some olive oil and the uncooked rice.
- PRO TIP: We have found that sauteing the rice for a minute or two gives it such a great flavor.
- Cook: Add the last four ingredients (black beans, canned tomatoes, corn and beef broth) and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon. Put the lid on your instant pot, lock it and set it to “manual” high pressure for 7 minutes.
read more: Looking for ground beef dinner ideas? Try our Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole, too!
If you are new to the instant pot or you want a concise list of the cook times for all your basic foods, check out our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet!
What Toppings Should I Put on My Burrito Bowl?
You can dish up bowls for everyone and let everyone put the toppings on that they want. It’s like choose your own burrito bowl adventure! We like to sort of make a burrito bowl bar with all the toppings out so everyone can personalize their bowl. The kids go crazy for this! Here are some of our favorite toppings:
- cheese
- tomatoes or pico de gallo
- sour cream
- avocado
- sliced jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sliced olives
- tortilla strips
- lime wedges
- creamy cilantro lime dressing
Burrito Bowls FAQs
Now, I know that no one wants to think about getting meat out to defrost, but it really is best to use thawed meat. And just in case you don’t, I tried partially thawed ground beef and it totally worked. NOT frozen, but frozen in the center. Hope my efforts to test help a stressed out mom.
We have had a lot of questions about what instant pot is the best. We still love our 6 Qt 9 Function Instant Pot. It is the perfect size for our family of 5. If you’re feeding more people, you might want to look into the 8qt size. If you’re cooking for one or two people, then the 3qt will be just fine.
When the instant pot has done its thing, you will want to do a quick pressure release. When the pressure has gone down, you can open the lid and give the rice a good fluff. Add the cheese to the top and put the lid back on for a minute or two until the cheese has melted.
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 5 days.
We don’t usually end up with many leftovers of this recipe, but I tend to reheat individual servings in the microwave. They make a great lunch the next day!
If your weeknights are as packed as ours, keep this Instant Pot ground beef recipe in your back pocket. It’s budget-friendly, customizable, and great for meal prep lunches or taco night leftovers. Don’t forget to bookmark or pin the recipe so you can whip up these burrito bowls anytime your dinner plans fall apart—we won’t tell.
We recommend topping it with some of our Restaurant Style Salsa too!
More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas:
- Smothered Honey Lime Chicken Burritos
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Sizzling Italian Spaghetti
- 20 Minute Tomato Basil Angel Hair Pasta
- Shortcut Chicken Parmesan
- 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken
How to Make Quick and Easy Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
Bowls
- 1 Pound Ground Beef, 85/15
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ Onion, yellow, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 Cup Rice, uncooked extra-long grain
- 15 oz Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 oz Tomatoes, fire roasted with Diced Green Chiles, diced, drained
- 1 Cup Corn, frozen
- 2 ¼ Cups Beef Broth
- 1 Cup Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
Toppings
- Cheese
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Avocado, chopped
- Sour Cream
- Jalapeno, sliced
Instructions
- Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot.
- Once hot, add ground beef to the pot, using a ground beef chopper to break up the meat.1 Pound Ground Beef
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the onions and taco seasoning and cook until onions start to soften.3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, ½ Onion, 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and uncooked rice and toast uncooked rice for a minute.3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Cup Rice
- Stir in black beans, canned tomatoes, corn, and broth.15 oz Black Beans, 14.5 oz Tomatoes, 1 Cup Corn, 2 ¼ Cups Beef Broth
- Lock the Instant Pot lid in place and set to Manual, High Pressure for 7 minutes.
- Use Quick Pressure Release, and once pressure drops, open Instant Pot and fluff the rice.
- Sprinkle with the cheese, recover and let set for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese.1 Cup Colby Jack Cheese
- Garnish with fresh tomatoes, sour cream etc.Cheese, Tomatoes, Avocado, Sour Cream, Jalapeno
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good! Even my two picky eating boys gave it two thumbs up. Definitely will make it again!
Anytime I can get my picky eaters to like a meal, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot! So glad this was a hit for your family!
Does “manual high pressure” mean “normal high” or “more high”? Cause i put “normal high” and needed to put it for 25 minutes.
We must have different versions of the Instant Pot! Manual high pressure would just be normal high pressure. It shouldn’t take that long to cook the rice. It could be that on your pressure cooker it needs to be “more high”.
We also are needing to cook for longer. We love anything taco/burrito/nacho/etc. The rice did not cook all the way and it was very soupy. I realize I did not drain the tomatoes. We have the Instant Pot brand and just did pressure cook for 7 min, which was not long enough. Will adjust in the future to best suit my pot. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the feedback Kari! Draining the tomatoes will help too!
SO DELICIOUS. I’ve made this 4 times already and it just keeps on getting better and better. Thanks for the awesome instant pot recipe!!
Thank you so much!! And thank you for taking time to leave us a comment!
Thanks for the recipe. It is delicious and quick to make.
After reading other reviews, I decided to use 2 cup broth + 2 cup rice (I read that somewhere for cooking rice in instant pot). I also added 1/2 tsp of salt. The result is still a bit on the wet side. I think I will reduce 1/4 cup of liquid next time.
Thank you so much Cady and thanks for feedback!
Too much liquid. I would definitely use lot less liquid for su or add more rice!
Made this on the stove in a big pot. Everyone loved it. I did use 1 3/4 cup of chicken broth to the 1 cup of long grain rice. Used about 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, black beans, black olives and corn with ground turkey. Then simmer on low for 20-25 mins. I had tostadas shells and it worked well. Used tomatoes, green onions, avocados, chopped lettuce, sour cream, cheese for toppings. It works with whatever you have on hand for a nice Mexican dish. I give it 5 stars because it really is a versatile dish. We enjoyed it. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Thank you so much! I love how you took the recipe and made it work for you! Sounds like a delicious meal!
Too much liquid. It was swimming in it. Maybe 1 1/4 cups. But 2 1/4 was a lot to use
Did you drain the beans and tomatoes? It shouldn’t have had excess liquid at all. Sorry for the frustration!
I had the same issue. I drained the tomatoes and no beans. Too much liquid.
We had no issues with it cooking in our IP and although I didn’t eat any my husband said it was delicious. It did need salt though – I don’t think any was included in the recipe. Will make again for sure!
Yay! Thank you for the feedback Rachel!
Way too much liquid and with all those spices, it was very bland.
That shouldn’t be the case at all if the directions are followed correctly. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out how you expected!
Can you use ground turkey
Absolutely!
Hi,
This looks good! Could I use basmati rice instead? Only rice I have on hand 🙂
Thanks!
Yes! Basmati rice usually needs a little longer to cook, so I would add a couple minutes to the Instant Pot.