Easy Instant Pot Meat Sauce in Under an Hour

There’s nothing like an Italian red sauce for a comforting, filling meal. This Instant Pot meat sauce is a snap to make and excellent served over pasta, polenta, or in lasagna. 

Originally published May 2019; this post has been updated.

red sauce with meat in a white bowl from above.

My mom makes the best meat sauce. The best. My sons will tell you that mine is as good as Grammy’s — maybe even better. (Mom’s is always best, right??)

An Instant Pot Meat Sauce 

This one pot pasta sauce is an adaptation for the Instant Pot, for those of us who need to get dinner on the table in a hurry without stirring a pot on the stove for hours.

An easy meat sauce that comes together in under an hour in an Instant Pot, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day? It’s a winner.

If you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, there are instructions in the recipe card below for making it on the stove top.

Not sure what an Instant Pot is? Read my introduction to Instant Pot cooking here!

ingredients for meat sauce on a marble background.

Ingredients

Ground meat  This recipe calls for both Italian sausage and lean ground beef. If you prefer a different kind of ground meat, that’s perfectly fine. Ground chicken or ground turkey will make a little bit lighter red sauce. (I just wish they’d stop using Styrofoam to package it!)

Tomatoes  You’ll use three different types of canned tomatoes for this recipe: tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree. If you preserve your own tomatoes at home, use those. Not everybody has tackled home canning yet, though, and I wanted this easy meat sauce recipe to be easy enough for everyone to make. You can also use fresh Roma tomatoes ( San Marzano tomatoes are a favorite for cooking). Use about eight cups of chopped Romas to replace the canned tomato products.

Onion This recipe calls for a yellow onion, but you can use any kind of bulb onion you have on hand — white, yellow, or red.

Red bell pepper — The sweetness of the red bell pepper is perfectly suited to this recipe. 

Seasonings Italian seasoning features oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary; it’s what gives this meat sauce an Italian flair. Red pepper flakes add a bit of spice, and of course you’ll add salt and pepper. 

Red wine This is an optional ingredient, but one that really adds flavor. Avoid sweet wines, opting for something like a Zinfandel or Cabernet. If you prefer to leave it out, the meat sauce will still emerge from the Instant Pot tasting great.

4 panel showing the process of making the meat sauce, from browning the burger to adding the peppers and tomatoes.

Making this Meat Sauce

This easy sauce can be prepared entirely in the liner of the Instant Pot. Start by sautéing the ground meat and onion together, stirring frequently to break up the meat. Once browned, use hot pads to lift the liner out of the Instant Pot; drain excess grease. 

Add remaining ingredients and seal the pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the quick pressure release method. If not, let the pressure release naturally. 

4 panel showing the process of making the meat sauce, adding the wine and seasoning.

If you’re serving this as a spaghetti sauce, go ahead and boil the water for noodles while the sauce is cooking. This pasta sauce will work with a variety of noodles; use what’s in your pantry.

(I know, the Italian nonnas are out there cringing about mixing the wrong sort of pasta with the sauce, but cringe away, ladies! We’ve got to get dinner on the table!)

If you do not have an electric pressure cooker, no worries. Simply follow the instructions, but use a large stock pot instead. For a really flavorful sauce, cook over medium-low heat for two-to-three hours, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Meal Ideas

  • Serve it as a spaghetti meat sauce over spaghetti noodles or your favorite shape of pasta. 
  • Scoop some over a hot bowl of polenta.
  • Use it in homemade lasagna. 

Storing Leftover Meat Sauce

Allow meat sauce to cool. Transfer to an airtight container within two hours of serving. Refrigerate for several days. To serve, reheat in a saucepan.

red meat sauce in an instant pot with a wooden spoon.

★ Did you make this Instant Pot meat sauce? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

red sauce with meat in a white bowl from above.

Instant Pot Meat Sauce

Yield: 12 cups
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

This rich and flavorful Instant Pot spaghetti sauce is so easy; perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve it over pasta, polenta, or just alongside a loaf of crusty French bread for dipping!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground Italian Sausage, mild
  • 1 pound ground beef, lean
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, 15 ½ ounce can
  • 1 3/4 cups diced tomatoes, 14 ounce can
  • 3 3/4 cups tomato puree, 29 ounce can
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup red wine, optional

Instructions

    1. Start by sautéing the ground meat and onion together, stirring frequently to break up the meat. Once browned, use hot pads to lift the liner out of the Instant Pot; drain excess grease. 
    2. Add remaining ingredients and seal the pressure cooker.
    3. Set for a manual high-pressure time of 12 minutes, allowing for a quick pressure release at the end of the cooking time. If you're not in a hurry, it's perfectly fine to let the pressure release naturally.

Notes

Serves 12

If you prefer a different kind of ground meat, that’s perfectly fine. Ground chicken or ground turkey will make a little bit lighter red sauce. 

This homemade meat sauce recipe calls for canned tomatoes. If you’re a home canner, feel free to substitute your homemade version in equal amounts. 

If you don't care for chunks of tomatoes in your sauce, replace the diced tomatoes with 14 ounces crushed tomatoes.

If you do not have an electric pressure cooker, no worries. Simply follow the instructions, but use a large stock pot instead. For a really flavorful sauce, cook over medium-low heat for two-to-three hours, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1018mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 27g

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red meat sauce on a spoon.

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

21 comments… add one
  • Kim Logan Oct 24, 2023 @ 14:24

    Do I understand the directions correctly that I set the pressure for 12 minutes twice? See step 2 and 3.

    • Kris Bordessa Oct 29, 2023 @ 7:53

      Goodness, no. Thanks for catching that. Fixed!

  • Shirley Jul 6, 2023 @ 6:33

    I am making this now, It smells amazing that is for sure.

    • AttainableSustainable Jul 13, 2023 @ 12:15

      Oh good, I hope you love it!

  • Cynthia Mar 24, 2021 @ 10:06

    Also, if I don’t have any wine and only 2 lbs of ground meat would I adjust the other liquid amounts?

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 24, 2021 @ 15:42

      Changing a recipe will definitely change the end result, but try to keep the amount of liquid the same.

  • Cynthia Mar 24, 2021 @ 10:00

    If I only have crushed tomato cans and diced cans, would I just substitute equal parts or would it come out different?

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 24, 2021 @ 15:41

      Try to keep the tomato quantities the same.

  • J laguna Jan 18, 2021 @ 16:47

    I am excited to try this recipe. Do I understand this right? If I use 8 cups of cut up roma tomatoes I do not need the canned sauce, puree, and diced tomatoes? Need to cut some of the sodium down. Thank you.

    • Kris Bordessa Mar 11, 2021 @ 8:30

      I think that would work!

  • Stephanie Jan 11, 2021 @ 17:53

    Taste great. I doubled the recipe, added a chopped jalepeno and garlic. Looking forward to making lasagna with it.

  • Jean Servideo Oct 11, 2020 @ 10:39

    This truly needs some minced garlic!

    Sugar or honey, even carrots would cut the acid vs. chopped red peppers which are too pricey!

    • Kris Bordessa Oct 12, 2020 @ 8:42

      What I love about cooking is that we can all modify recipes to our own liking!

  • Melinda Aug 6, 2020 @ 12:59

    I’ve made this over and over and can’t believe I haven’t left a comment. Thanks for posting this recipe! It’s now our families favorite meat sauce!

    • Kris Bordessa Aug 6, 2020 @ 15:21

      Oh, I’m so glad! Thanks for telling me. 🙂

  • Peggy Jun 22, 2020 @ 12:19

    I freeze whole tomatoes and use them for sauces. Would I still need 8 cups for the sauce?

    • Kris Bordessa Jul 1, 2020 @ 8:25

      Yes, I’d use equal amounts of fresh tomatoes to the various tomato products.

  • Kari Jul 16, 2019 @ 3:23

    Made this tonight for dinner and it was a real hit. I work full time and just started using an instant pot for the first time. I loved how straight forward and quick this recipe was to make. The ingredients were simple but the sauce is full of flavor. We will be making this one again if we ever finish eating all of this batch. It makes a lot! Which is perfect if you want to put some up.

    • Kris Bordessa Jul 16, 2019 @ 16:56

      Glad to hear it!

  • EDDIE DYSON May 19, 2019 @ 1:58

    This sounds like a goooood recipe except cooking beef, sausage, and onions and then draining the “oil”.
    Where do all the seasonings from the sausage and the juice from the onions go. DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!!!!!!!

    • Kris Bordessa May 19, 2019 @ 7:25

      It depends some on how fatty the meat is. If it’s swimming in grease, I’ll drain. If it’s just a small or moderate amount, feel free to not drain.

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