Instant Pot Meat Sauce
on Feb 19, 2026
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This Instant Pot meat sauce delivers everything you want from a classic, slow-simmered sauce — deep tomato flavor, tender meat, and cozy comfort — without spending hours at the stove. Thanks to the pressure cooker function, this sauce comes together quickly while still tasting like it’s been cooking all afternoon.
It’s a weeknight lifesaver, a staple in our weekly rotation, and endlessly adaptable to whatever meat or vegetables you have on hand. This is one of those recipes that earns its keep in your freezer.
What's In This Post?
Ingredients
- Chopped onion
- Chopped carrots
- Chopped celery stalks
- Minced garlic
- Ground meat – You can use beef, pork, turkey, or a combination.
- Tomato paste – This is a great use for leftover tomato paste that’s in your fridge.
- Dried oregano and basil
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, but adds a nice kick.
- Chicken or beef broth – Less-sodium broth is always best so you can control the amount of salt.
- Canned tomatoes – The recipe uses crushed tomatoes along with either tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
- Parmesan rind and bay leaf – The rind is optional, but it adds great flavor. Both of these are removed from the sauce before serving.
How to Make Meat Sauce in the Instant Pot
- Sauté the vegetables: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the meat: Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink.
- Finish adding sauce ingredients: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat everything evenly. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot (this helps prevent a burn warning). Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Parmesan rind (if using), and bay leaf. Stir well.
- Cook the sauce: Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook on High for 15 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Finish the sauce: Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want a thicker sauce, set the pot back to Sauté and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
How to Freeze Meat Sauce
- Let the sauce cool completely.
- Transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags.
- Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Pro Tip
Freeze in 2-cup portions for easy pasta nights.
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Variations
- Make it lighter: Use ground turkey or chicken.
- Add vegetables: Finely chopped mushrooms or zucchini blend right in.
- Freeze it: This sauce freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
- Double the batch: It fits comfortably in a 6-quart Instant Pot, and future-you will be grateful.
Slow Cooker Version
It’s also easy to make meat sauce in a slow cooker. Here’s how…
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened.
- Brown the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer everything to a slow cooker. Stir in tomato paste, herbs, broth, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf.
- Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Remove bay leaf and rind, adjust seasoning, and serve.
Also see Classic Italian Meat Sauce, made on the stovetop.
To Serve
Serve over spaghetti, rigatoni, or any pasta you love. It’s also great over creamy polenta, spooned onto garlic bread, or layered into baked ziti or lasagna. Finish with grated Parmesan and, if you’re feeling fancy, a little fresh basil.
FAQs
Yes! The Instant Pot creates deep, slow-simmered flavor in much less time by pressure cooking the sauce and allowing the ingredients to meld quickly.
This usually happens if the bottom isn’t fully deglazed. Always scrape up browned bits after adding the broth before pressure cooking.
Absolutely. Ground turkey or chicken makes a lighter sauce while still staying flavorful.
Not usually. Carrots naturally sweeten the sauce, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. Some cooks like to add a generous pinch of sugar; taste it and see what you think.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for 4–5 days.
What to Serve With Meat Sauce and Pasta
Instant Pot Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, or a combination)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional but excellent)
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. If there’s excess fat, spoon some of it off.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat everything evenly.
- Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot (this helps prevent a burn warning). Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Parmesan rind (if using), and bay leaf. Stir well.
- Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook on High for 15 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to sealing.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want a thicker sauce, set the pot back to Sauté and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
