Instant Pot tacos made with ground beef and salsa are an ideal weeknight dinner: quick, kid-friendly, and incredibly flavorful. Best of all, they take less than 30 minutes, and you can prepare taco toppings while the pressure cooker does the heavy lifting.
We’re taco enthusiasts through and through. While we enjoy chicken, black bean, ground pork, or walnut chorizo variations, these simple ground beef tacos are a classic for a reason. Cooking the meat in the Instant Pot is fast, and the pressure intensifies the seasonings so every bite is well seasoned.
Instant Pot taco ingredients
Instant Pot cooking requires some liquid for pressure, so use that liquid as an opportunity to build flavor. This recipe keeps the ingredient list short while delivering big taste:
- Pico de gallo or your favorite salsa — fresh or jarred works fine.
- Green chilies from a small can; mild is great, or choose a hotter variety if you prefer heat.
- Taco seasoning and a pinch of salt.
That’s it. Homemade taco seasoning is excellent if you have it, but store-bought works fine and keeps this recipe easy. Store-bought pico de gallo is convenient, and if you make fresh pico, it’s delicious on the tacos or straight with chips.
How to make taco meat in the Instant Pot
Use the sauté function to brown the ground beef for a couple of minutes, stir in salsa, chilies, taco seasoning, and salt, then seal and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. While the Instant Pot works, warm tortillas and prep toppings.
After a quick release, the meat can be a bit saucy. Returning the pot to sauté for 1–2 minutes helps the meat absorb the sauce and finish with the right texture. If you want to impress, serve in homemade flour tortillas for extra praise.
Can I make Instant Pot tacos with frozen ground beef?
Yes. Add frozen beef to the Instant Pot with all seasonings and increase pressure cooking time to 10 minutes. After quick release, sauté for a minute or two to develop more flavor and improve texture since frozen meat won’t have had a chance to brown beforehand.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken?
Both ground turkey and ground chicken work well. They tend to release less liquid than beef, so you may be able to skip the final sauté step, though a brief sauté can still deepen flavor.
With such a simple, tasty filling, these tacos quickly become a family favorite.
Serving suggestions
These tacos are great kept simple, making them an easy family meal. Top as desired — light or loaded, both work:
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped red onion
- Shredded red or green cabbage
- Pico de gallo or other salsa
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
If you’re looking for another easy Instant Pot ground beef recipe, Instant Pot spaghetti with meat sauce is reliable and satisfying.
If you try these Ground Beef Instant Pot Tacos, please rate the recipe and leave a comment to let others know how it turned out. Feedback helps other cooks and supports the recipe creator.
Ground Beef Instant Pot Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup pico de gallo or salsa
- 4 ounce can green chilies
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For serving:
- tortillas or taco shells
- diced tomatoes
- shredded lettuce
- grated Mexican cheese
Instructions
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Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté function and add the ground beef. Cook 2–3 minutes, breaking up the meat, until mostly browned.
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Stir in the salsa, green chilies, taco seasoning, and salt. Close and seal the Instant Pot; cook 7 minutes on high/manual pressure.
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Use quick release to vent steam, open the lid, and stir. Return to sauté for 1–2 minutes to let the meat absorb excess sauce, if desired.
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Spoon the meat into tortillas or shells, add toppings, and enjoy.
Video
Last step!
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Notes
- The estimated cook time of 20 minutes includes about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and release; the actual pressure cooking time is 7 minutes.
- Homemade taco seasoning is easy to make in bulk and tastes great, but store-bought seasoning is convenient and works well here.
- Store-bought pico de gallo is convenient for this recipe, though fresh pico or any salsa you prefer will work.
- Leftover meat keeps in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or can be frozen for 2–3 months.
Nutrition Estimate
This post was originally published May 2, 2019 and has been updated with new photos, clearer text, and a few recipe tweaks.