Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper

Ditch the store-bought and try my Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper! It has all of the traditional flavors of your favorite ground turkey pasta, but tastes way better and is made with only whole ingredients! 

instant pot hamburger helper on a white plate

Box dinners sure can be tempting. I mean they are easy to make, budget-friendly, and are typically family favorites. But have you seen what’s really in them?! YUCK! 

I really like convenient meals but not ones that are super processed. So that’s what led me to make this easy ground turkey pasta recipe! 

Instant Pot Hamburger Helper has the flavors you remember from the box, but as I mentioned, only whole ingredients here! It’s a great recipe to use for meal prepping too! 

If you have picky eaters in your house, you won’t have to worry about that with hamburger helper! For some reason, kids love meals like this and it’s easy on mom, which is always a win! 

Check Out My Other Ground Turkey Recipes:

top shot of instant pot hamburger helper on a plate after cooking

What You Need to Make Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper 

Olive oil

Ground turkey – you can also use ground beef or chicken if you choose

Onion 

Garlic 

Salt and Pepper

Worcestershire sauce – you can also swap for Braggs Coconut Aminos

Tomato paste

Smoked paprika – if you don’t have smoked, just use regular

Chili Powder

Vegetable broth – grab the organic, low sodium kind

Cheddar cheese

Elbow macaroni – for more protein and a gluten-free option try Banza pasta!

top shot of instant pot hamburger helper on a white plate on top of dish towel

How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot 

Start by pouring the oil into the inner pot and press Saute. 

Add the ground turkey and diced onions, after about 5 minutes, add the spices, Worchetshire, and tomato paste. 

Cook for just a little longer, then deglaze the inner pot with a little veggie broth. Scrap the bottom to remove any stuck pieces. This will help to prevent getting the burn notice once you start pressure cooking. 

scooping hamburger helper on a spoon

Add the remaining broth and pasta. Be sure the noodles are totally submerged. 

Place the lid in the locking position, turn the valve to seal, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. 

Once the timer goes off, perform a quick release then stir in the cheese, and dinner is served! 

hamburger helper with a scoop on a spoon

Tips, Storing, and Meal Prepping

  • Hamburger helper will keep for about 4 days in the fridge, so perfect for leftovers and meal prepping! 
  • The inner pot is dishwasher safe, so cleaning up is easy! 
  • Instant Pot is just a brand, so feel free to make this recipe in any electric pressure cooker.

Your whole family is going to love this easy healthy ground turkey pasta dinner recipe! Right before you serve, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram

PIN ME FOR LATER

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes:

FAQs

Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey?

Yes! You can use any ground meat you prefer.

Can I make this recipe gluten free?

Yes! Be sure to use gluten free pasta and coconut aminos in place of the Worcesterchire sauce.

Can I make this recipe dairy free?

Yes! Simply use dairy free cheese to keep this healthy hamburger helper dairy free.

What should I serve with Hamburger Helper?

I’m a big fan of adding roasted veggies on the side of most pasta dishes, but you could totally serve this healthy hamburger helper as a meal on its own!

It has protein, healthy fats, carbs, and veggies. If you use chickpea pasta you can add extra fiber and protein as well.

instant pot hamburger helper on a white plate

Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper

Ditch the store bought and try my Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper! It has all of the traditional flavors of your favorite ground turkey pasta, but tastes way better and is made with only whole ingredients!
4.77 from 26 votes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 People

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 c. sweet yellow onion diced
  • 1 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 c. low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 16 oz elbow macaroni dry

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to the instant pot and set to saute.
  • Add ground turkey and onion. Cook and crumble until ground turkey is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Pour in 1/4 c. of vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any pieces of beef that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the burn indicator on the instant pot when pressure cooking.
  • Add the rest of the broth and macaroni. Stir and make sure the macaroni is submerged into the broth.
  • Lock the lid, seal the valve and set the pressure cooking on HIGH and time to 5 minutes.
  • When the instant pot is done cooking, quick release the steam valve. Stir in the cheese until completely melted and combined.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We’re not big fans of onion and garlic, so I subbed 1 tbsp of onion powder and 1 tsp of garlic salt. Even my very picky pre-teen daughter enjoyed it! Thanks!

    1. Thank you! I don’t have the nutrition information but you can add all the ingredients to an online nutrition calculator and divide by the serving size to find that information!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ll be honest , this recipe was used as an 11th hr, what the heck is for dinner, it is 90 degrees out, and I am tired of bbq. I was not necessarily expecting to like it……..but I did! Made it exactly as written and it was great. I love that you could totally season as you like. I stirred a handful of fresh spinach to my bowl. Perfect! And I would make again. Thank you!

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