Instant pot Bolognese sauce is a quicker version of this classic Italian dinner recipe. No hassle, quicker than on stove top but equally delicious!
Guys, if you like Spaghetti Bolognese, then you will definitely enjoy this instant pot Bolognese sauce.
What to cook in Instant Pot?
There are endless possibilities when it comes to cooking in a pressure cooker. Soups, stews, pasta sauces (see this pressure cooker Bolognese sauce), rice (check my Fried Rice), chili or curry dishes (Chicken Curry), pulled pork. There are hundreds of recipes you can make in your Instant Pot!
Step by step – How to make Bolognese sauce in Instant Pot:
Prep the veggies: Dice the carrots, celery and finely chop the onion. Press the “SAUTE” function and throw all the veggies in. Saute this for about 5 minutes.
Turn off the saute function and add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix everything well and close the lid. I buy plum tinned tomatoes so I like to break them with a wooden spoon before I close the lid.
Turn the steam release to “SEALING” position. Press “MANUAL” and adjust the time to 5 minutes. Yes, 5 minutes is all it takes to make this instant pot Bolognese sauce.
Remember, that the pressure cooker needs time before AND after the active cooking time to bring the pot to pressure and then release the pressure. This time varies with every dish.
When making this Bolognese sauce count with about 10 minutes for pressurizing and after the cooking is finished, wait 10 minutes before releasing the pressure.
Note: I add a lot of carrots and celery because they give this Bolognese sauce an amazing flavor and that is exactly how I was taught to do it by an Italian. If you prefer more meat, rather than veggies, then simply decrease the number of carrots and celery and increase the amount of ground meat.
I also recommend using less salt at the beginning and adding more (if needed) after the cooking is finished. Bear in mind that every salt has a different level of saltiness.
Instant pot Bolognese sauce – Ingredient substitutions:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – regular olive oil or sunflower/vegetable oil can be also used. However, I highly recommend using olive oil.
- Ground Beef or Pork – you can also use a mix of beef and pork.
- Celery, Carrots – these add this sauce a great flavor and I would not omit them. Because they are cooked in an Instant Pot, they are so soft they will melt in your mouth. However, you can reduce their amount if you feel like 3 of each sound too much for you.
Guys, I hope you will like this instant pot Bolognese sauce as much as we do. It reduces the cooking time significantly and making Bolognese sauce in a pressure cooker is definitely worth it!
Check out more Easy Instant Pot Recipes!
Want to see how to make Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce? Watch the video!
Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , see note 1
- 3 medium carrots , finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)
- 3 celery sticks , about 1 cup
- 1 pound ground beef (450 grams), see note 2
- 1 can plum tomatoes (14-ounces/400-milliliters), see note 3
- 1 can pureed tomatoes (14-ounces/400-milliliters)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt , see note 4
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- black pepper , a generous pinch
Instructions
- Turn on Instant Pot and press “SAUTE”. Pour in olive oil and when hot add carrots, onion and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ground beef and using a fork or wooden spoon, break the meat so it cooks evenly. Add the rest of the ingredients. Break the plum tomatoes into smaller chunks and mix everything well. Turn the “SAUTE” function off.
- Cover with lid and lock it into its position. Turn the steam release to “SEALING”. Press “MANUAL” (or PRESSURE COOK) function and make sure the pressure is set on HIGH. Set timer to 5 minutes.
- When time is up, turn it off and wait 8 minutes before releasing the pressure manually by turning the steam release valve to “VENTING”.
- Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.
- Serve warm with long pasta (spaghetti, pappardelle, tagliatelle).
Notes
- Instead of extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil can be used. If you don’t have these, you can substitute with vegetable or sunflower oil.
- Ground beef, pork or a combination of these works well.
- Plum tomatoes can be substituted with a can of chopped or crushed. Choose good-quality ones – preferably Italian.
- Taste the sauce at the very end and add more seasoning, if you like your food saltier.
- This recipe was developed for a 6-quart/6-liter instant pot.
- Overall cooking time does not include the time the pot needs to come to pressure (about 13 minutes) and the 8 minutes you wait after it has been cooked. The sauce will be ready on your table in 30 minutes, from start to finish!
- Instant pot bolognese sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days (in an airtight container) or in the freezer up to 3 months (use a freezer-friendly container, don’t overfill – leave about an inch/2.5-centimeters free from top.
Soniya says
This looks so Delicious and easy to make.. instant pot has made our life so easy ;) I am always looking for new instant pot recipe and I have found one I am try this weekend!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear that, Soniya! Let me know how you liked it :)
Tina says
Such a great way to sneak extra veggies into kids;) I love this stuff!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Exactly! :)
Amy says
I’m hopefully getting an instant pot for Christmas, this recipe will be top of my list to try!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Happy to hear that!
Jessy says
Yum! I just got an instant pot and I’m regretting not getting it sooner because it’s amazing! I can’t wait to try this!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
I too can’t believe I waited so long to get it! :) It’s a great appliance to have!
Liz says
I’ve been seeing so many fun instant pot recipes! I Think I’m going to have to get one for Christmas!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You will love it, Liz! :)
Jamie says
This is delicious! If I double the recipe next time, do I change the cooking time?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Not sure about this, Jamie. I guess I would add extra 2 minutes just to be sure. Hope this helps.
Carey says
I doubled it tonight & added 2 minutes- it turned out perfect! Fantastic recipe!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Carey, thanks so much for your feedback! I hope you will find more recipes here that you love! :)
Pete says
Hello Julia,
In most of the recipes I’ve tried it seems like the meat is browned on the saute mode first. Is that not the case here?. Thanks, looking forward to trying this one.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi, Pete. You can brown the meat altogether with veggies if you prefer it this way. I personally don’t do it in this case. Let me know how you liked it if you do try!
Judy says
Certainly you add meat in with veggies to sauté? It isn’t mentioned on the recipe. I’m new to this Instant Pot stuff so thought I’d ask….
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Judy, you can add the meat in with veggies but it is not necessary. I saute only the veggies. Hope this helps. Happy cooking!
Jen says
Any ideas on how to make the sauce thicker? I followed this recipe yesterday but it was a little bit watered down.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Jen, to thicken the sauce you can stir in concentrated tomato puree at the very end. Some canned tomatoes are also more watery than others that is why I prefer not using the ready-chopped ones. Hope this helps.
Pam says
I had to add extra water as my cooker (Ninja Foodi) displayed not enough liquid. Do instant pots cook with less water when using pressure cooker mode I wonder? But it was delicious but unfortunately a little bit liquidy.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Pam. Some of the pressure cookers have safety features that are more sensitive than others and this can be the reason yours asks for more liquid. You can still reduce it at the very end if you have the saute function. Hope this helps.
Rosalba Mora says
Hello! Thanks for the recipe! I want to add a little bit of red wine for the cooking process but I don’t know if I have to add time on the manual mode or I have to reduce it on the sauté mode. Hope you do know! Thanks!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Rosalba. I suggest reducing it on the saute mode. Hope it helps!
Rosalba Mora says
I actually did that for about 12 minutes. It tasted really good. Thanks for sharing and answering!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for the feedback, Rosalba! Happy Instant Pot cooking! :)