Say goodbye to the boxed stuff — this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a lightened-up, homemade version of the classic comfort food. It’s quick, cheesy, hearty, and made in just one pot! Perfect for Weight Watchers, meal prep, or busy weeknights when you want something nostalgic without the sodium overload.
Made with lean ground beef, elbow macaroni, and melty cheddar, it’s everything you love about the original — just healthier and way more flavorful.
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🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I've made a lot of pasta dishes on this site, including Quick and Easy Lasagna Pasta and One Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta. Readers love these easy weeknight dinner recipes for a reason:
- WW-friendly: Just 7–8 points per generous serving
- Made in the Instant Pot: No babysitting, one-pot cleanup
- Familiar & family-approved: Just like the boxed version, but better
- Customizable: Easy swaps for dairy-free, gluten-free, or veggie-packed versions
- Meal-prep gold: Makes great leftovers and reheats like a dream
Ingredients (with Substitution Tips)
- 8 oz 96% lean ground beef - Sub with 99% lean ground turkey or chicken to lower points even more
- ¼ cup yellow onion, diced or shallots or red onion for extra sweetness
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic Use garlic powder if you’re out of fresh
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce - No Worcestershire? Mix soy sauce + balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste Sub with 2–3 tablespoon tomato sauce or a squeeze of ketchup
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth No beef broth? Use veggie or chicken broth if needed
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni - Any small pasta works: shells, penne, rotini, or even gluten-free pasta
- 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese - Dairy-free cheddar or reduce amount to lower fat/points
- 2 scallions, chopped (optional) - Adds flavor and freshness on top — totally optional
- Scallions, chopped (optional)
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Step 1 Set your Instant Pot to Sauté Mode, and add ground beef and onion. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and cooked through. Drain any excess fat. You can add a little bit of olive oil if you like here or spray the pot with some cooking spray before adding the beef and onion.
Recipe Tip: You can make this on your stove or in an Instant Pot!
Step 2 Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 3 Pour in 2 cups of beef broth and continue stirring. Add in the elbow macaroni and make sure all the elbow macaroni is submerged into the liquid.
Step 4 Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing mode. Set the timer to 5 minutes. When the instant pot is done cooking, quick release the steam valve.
Step 5 Sprinkle cheese on the top and close the lid for a while until all the cheese is melted on top.
Pro Tips
- Want extra creaminess? Stir in a spoonful of nonfat Greek yogurt after cooking.
- Make it spicy with a pinch of red pepper flakes or dash of hot sauce.
- Add frozen peas, spinach, or diced zucchini before pressure cooking for extra veggies.
- If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of broth or unsweetened almond milk to loosen it up.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Pair with a side salad or steamed broccoli for balance
- Add a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a sprinkle of Trader Joe's Bagel Seasoning Recipe on top
- Serve with dill pickles on the side for that true cheeseburger feel
- Great for meal prep — store in airtight containers for up to 4 days
Recipe FAQs
I prefer ground beef for hamburger helper but you can sub ground turkey if you like. I get 96& lean ground beef at Aldi or Wal-Mart. It is still ok to eat ground beef on WW, just find a lean version or drain any remaining fat that is in the pot.
If you don’t like opening the smaller cans of tomato paste, I just love the tomato paste that comes in a tube. There was just enough leftover in mine for this recipe. They are a little bit more expensive but I think they’re worth it. You don’t end up wasting tomato paste that way.
I have the Instant Pot Duo 6 QT Electric Pressure Cooker. You can find it on Amazon. I'm not sponsored by them, it just a kitchen appliance I really like to use. Gotta love those muti-cookers!
Don’t be intimidated by your pressure because you’re afraid the lid will pop off or explode! Pressure cookers have built-in features that are for safety reasons. Some of the most common errors made are when the user forgets to turn the venting knob to sealing mode, overfills the pot, or uses the timer button to set the cooking time.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
If you tried this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Cook Time: 14 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade Hamburger Helper in your Instant Pot! The Instant Pot comes with a Saute function mode so the ground beef and onions can cook in the pot.
Ingredients
- 8 oz 96% lean ground beef
- ¼ cup of yellow onion, diced
- ½ tablespoon of minced garlic
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups of low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni
- 2 scallions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté Mode, and add ground beef and onion. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and cooked through. Drain any excess fat.
- Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups of beef broth and continue stirring.
- Add in the elbow macaroni and make sure all the elbow macaroni is submerged into the liquid.
- Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing mode. Set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the instant pot is done cooking, quick release the steam valve.
- Sprinkle cheese on the top and close the lid for a while until all the cheese is melted on top.
- Makes 4 servings. 1 ¼ cup serving size.
Notes
My WW Personal Points: 6 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 2.5g
- Fat: 5.4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Carbohydrates: 24.5g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Protein: 25.4g
Roxanne McKnight says
I switched mine to pressure cook too…hope this works!
Jenna says
Thanks B! 🙂
B says
So good! I was happy to find a recipe that did not call for a whole pound of pasta, which is always too much for us. Tasty and the kids loved it!
Rdc1976 says
I have a 3 quart instapot. How would I adjust this please?
Jenna says
I'm not sure why the pressure cooker does that. Glad you liked it though. 🙂
Mermaleeboo says
I made a double recipe. The whole family loved it! Only problem, I'm new at using the IP, so I guessed at switching to Pressure Cook. I also didn't set it correctly. I thought it would shut off after 5 minutes, but it kept releasing steam for a long time, and then it said "burn". Thankfully, it didn't, and the noodles didn't overcook. I read further in the comments and saw that others had had similar problems. But it turned out deliciously, and we'll definitely be making it again!
Jenna says
I would think you wouldn't have to increase the time since the hamburger is already cooked and all that needs to be pressure cooked is the noodles.
Vanessa E says
If I double the recipe to I increase the cook time ? I made this one other time and it was gone in minutes lol. So definitely want to double it.