Instant Pot meatloaf is juicy, flavorful, tender and so easy to make in your pressure cooker. Even the mashed potatoes are cooked in the pot at the same time!
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An Easy One Pot Comfort Dish
With a few flavorful additions and cooked in electric pressure cooker instead of an oven, this hands off Instant Pot meatloaf recipe will quickly become your go-to dinner. If you love my turkey meatloaf and my stuffed meatloaf, you’re going to love this recipe.
Classic meatloaf with ketchup glaze, creamy mashed potatoes and easy side like steamed green beans is an epitome of comfort food. The pressure cooker makes this dinner easy and clean up a breeze. Once you know how to use the Instant Pot, it’s truly a game changer. Even potatoes cook at the same time with the Instant Pot meatloaf.
Now you can enjoy this classic homemade meatloaf even on a weeknight after busy day at work. You can even prep it the day before, refrigerate and just pull out from the fridge when ready to cook.
Press a few buttons, dinner cooks itself and it can even keep warm for hours until your dinner time. This Instant Pot beef stew is another weeknight favorite. The Instant Pot is truly magical for busy days!
Recipe Ingredients
A flavorful mix of beef, spices and a few other simple ingredients are what makes this Instant Pot meatloaf so delicious. Check out what you’ll need below to get started.
Find the printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Ground beef: Using 80 to 90% lean ground beef adds just enough fat to make the meatloaf super tender and moist. A leaner variety will still have good flavor, it just won’t be as juicy.
- Eggs: Help bind the meat together to provide structure for the loaf.
- Breadcrumbs: Also used as a binding agent. The breadcrumbs will soak in the juices from the meat, which helps moisten the meatloaf. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own homemade breadcrumbs with leftover bread.
- Spices: A flavorful mix of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds a tangy flavor, as well as helps moisten the loaf.
- Ketchup: Used for the sweet glaze on top.
- Potatoes: These cook at the same time as the meat in the bottom of the pot. Gold potatoes or russets will work great. Cube them first so they cook quickly and evenly. Once cooked, they’ll get mixed with butter, milk and salt and pepper to make mashed potatoes.
Variations
- Worcestershire sauce. Replace balsamic vinegar with same amount of Worcestershire sauce if that is your usual meatloaf addition.
- Breadcrumbs substitute. You can use equal amount of rolled oats to make meatloaf more wholesome. Whole wheat breadcrumbs add fiber and nutrients as well.
- Lean poultry. Ground turkey will work and thanks to locked in steam during cooking, it comes out just as tender.
- Ketchup. Keep it simple with a ketchup glaze, or add a bit more flavor by making this easy 3-ingredient meatloaf sauce. The addition of BBQ sauce and light brown sugar make it perfectly sweet and tangy.
- Sweet potatoes. Instead of white potatoes use sweet potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes.
How to Make Instant Pot Meatloaf
Once you make meatloaf in Instant Pot, you’ll never make it any other way! The potatoes cook at the same time as the meatloaf, meaning you’ll have both the main course AND the side dish ready in just one pot!
- Prep. To Instant Pot, add water, potatoes and trivet. Stack two large pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other. Set aside.
- Mix and shape. In a large bowl, add ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powders, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix just until combined, place on top of foil and shape into round meatloaf. Fold foil to shape into a bowl with tall walls.
- Cook in instant pot. Place bowl with meatloaf on top of trivet, close the lid, set valve to sealing and pressure cook on high pressure for 27 minutes.
- Release pressure and remove meatloaf. After cook time is up, wait for 10 minutes and then turn valve to venting. Make sure the internal temperature of the meatloaf is cooked through to 160 degrees F. Then wearing oven mitts carefully remove bowl onto a large plate. Using spatula transfer meatloaf to a cutting board and discard foil with drippings.
- Glaze and mash. Brush meatloaf with ketchup. Remove trivet from instant pot and add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash potatoes with a masher but do not overmash.
- Serve. Slice meatloaf and serve hot with mashed potatoes.
Expert Tips
- Shape. It is important to shape meatloaf round and relatively flat to ensure even cooking.
- Do not vent right away. Wait 10 minutes before releasing pressure to allow the meat to finish cooking and retain its moisture.
- Cooking without potatoes. You can cook meatloaf without potatoes on a trivet by following the recipe. Keep 1 cup water and same cook time.
- Broil meatloaf. After your meatloaf is done cooking and has been brushed with the meatloaf sauce broil it for a few minutes to caramelize the the glaze.
Recipe FAQs
Since the meatloaf and mashed potatoes are already taken care, a simple vegetable and bread roll would round out the meal. Try roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans or roasted broccoli along with these dinner rolls!
This recipe already makes a large amount and is suitable for a 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot. You cannot double the ingredients or you will exceed the max fill line.
Yes! Cook time will remain the same. Just half the meatloaf ingredients for a one pound size meatloaf. You can use 1.5 pounds potatoes or 2 pounds potatoes. In order for the pot to pressurize you will still need to use one cup of water.
When inserted in the center and the thermometer reads 160°F, the meatloaf is ready. If it is around 150-155°F, close the lid back on and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking.
Make Ahead Meatloaf in Instant Pot
You can easily prep meatloaf and potatoes ahead for cooking and then keep warm until serving later. Here is how:
- Place cubed potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water to prevent browning. Shape meatloaf in a tin bowl and cover tightly with extra piece of foil. Refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to cook, drain potatoes and add them to instant pot along with 1 cup water. Remove top foil from meatloaf and place on trivet on top of potatoes and cook as per recipe.
- To keep cooked meal warm until ready to serve, place trivet on top of mashed potatoes. Save foil bowl but drain the juices, place meatloaf inside it, then on top of trivet, close the lid and press keep warm. I tried it for 4 hours and it was fantastic! Trivet is easy to remove from mashed potatoes and you can also reserve some juices to pour over sliced meatloaf.
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Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar , or Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cold water
- ½ cup ketchup
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 pounds potatoes , cubed
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Into 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup water, potatoes and place trivet on top. Also prep double layer of foil larger than a meatloaf size. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powders, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix just until combined (otherwise meat won’t be as tender).
- Place meat mixture on prepared foil, shape into round meatloaf and fold up foil into a tight bowl. You need walls tall enough to prevent grease spilling on over potatoes during cooking. Place on a trivet.
- Close the lid, set pressure release valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 27 minutes.
- After allow pressure to come down on its own for 10 minutes and then turn valve to venting to release remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and make sure thermometer inserted in the middle of the meatloaf reads 160°F. Wearing oven mitts, carefully transfer meatloaf bowl onto a large plate. Then using a spatula, transfer to a cutting board or another large plate. Brush meatloaf with ketchup. Discard foil with drippings.
- Remove trivet from Instant Pot, add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash potatoes with a masher but do not overmash.
- Slice meatloaf and serve hot with mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe contributed by Olena from ifoodreal for I Heart Naptime.
Categorized as: American, Beef, Dinner, Instant Pot, Instant Pot, Nut-Free, One Pot, One Pot
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I’d give this 6 stars if I could. Not only did my kitchen stay much cooler than if I had turned on the oven, but this was easy, and it was SO delicious.
This is going on heavy rotation around here. Thank you so much!
Yay, so happy to hear this Sandra! Thanks for your comment :)
Making this as we speak. It’s half a million degrees today and the thought of turning the oven on is too much to deal with, so this recipe, I’m really looking forward to taste how it comes out…I’ll report back :)
I hope you enjoy! Let me know how you like it :)
Jamielyn,
Can you make this recipe with another brand of pressure cooker than Instant Pot? In other words, any recipe can be made in any brand of pressure cooker? Thank You for answering my question.
Up North, Grandpa Al
Yes this will work in any type of pressure cooker.
I love the trivet technique and the flavor is awesome! Thank you!
I love how easy this meal is! Can’t wait to try this one out.