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Home » Instant Pot » Easy Instant Pot Baked Ziti with Meat

Easy Instant Pot Baked Ziti with Meat

December 8, 2022 by Ryan Allen 9 Comments

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This quick and easy dinner is packed with Italian flavor and can be made right in your pressure cooker. Enjoy Instant Pot Baked Ziti With Meat as a weeknight meal or for a Sunday feast!

Overhead look at Instant Pot baked ziti on a plate with a salad in the background.

Baked ziti is a classic Italian comfort food dish. It's made with layers of cheese, meat, and creamy tomato sauce. It's hearty, filling, and delicious. While it's typically baked, thanks to the Instant Pot, you can make this favorite dish in no time at all!

A pressure cooker is a kitchen gadget that uses built-up pressure to cook food quickly and evenly. It's perfect for dishes like instant pot baked ziti with Meat because it cuts down on cook time while still producing delicious results.

This instant pot baked ziti couldn't be easier to make! Simply brown the meat using the saute function, then add in the sauce and pasta. Let it pressure cook to perfection before adding the cheese and mix in until it's melted. Serve alongside a piece of toasted garlic bread, and you've got an easy meal that the whole family will love!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Everything is made in just one pot, making clean-up super easy!
  • No need to boil the ziti! The pressure cooker uses steam to cook the pasta perfectly.
  • It's a hearty meal packed with Italian flavor.
  • The entire meal takes just 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Ground Beef - This hearty protein adds a beefy flavor throughout the dish, along with satisfying protein.
  • Olive Oil - Used to saute the beef, onions, and garlic to brown and cook them properly.
  • Onion & Garlic - Infuses this dinner recipe with bold garlic and onion flavor that pairs well with the beef.
  • Italian Seasoning - This mix of dried herbs is classic in Italian cooking and adds a depth of flavor.
  • Dried Seasonings - A mix of salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper enhance the flavor of the salt.
  • Chicken Broth - Adds a flavorful liquid to the pot that helps steam the ingredients to cook them properly.
  • Diced Tomatoes - Helps create the rich tomato sauce and adds liquid.
  • Ziti - These wide pasta shapes help soak up the sauce and flavors of the dish. You can also use penne pasta.
  • Spaghetti Sauce - A simple red sauce is used to create that classic Italian flavor.
  • Mozzarella Cheese - Adds a creamy and cheesy flavor to the dish when mixed in and melted.

How To Make Baked Ziti In The Instant Pot

Brown the ground beef: Turn your Instant pot to saute mode; once hot, add olive oil, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft.

Layer the ingredients: Add salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and chicken broth. Stir until well combined. Add diced tomatoes and spread them out evenly on the ground beef. Pour noodles on the diced tomatoes and press them down into the liquid. Evenly pour spaghetti sauce over noodles.

Steps to make pasta Recipe

Pressure cook the baked ziti: Place the lid on Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook on high for two minutes.

Add the cheese: When the pasta is finished cooking, turn the Instant Pot off and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, open the valve to release pressure. Wait until the valve drops, carefully remove the lid and stir well. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and place the lid back on for 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Steps to make pasta Recipe

Recipe Tips

  • When layering the ingredients, ensure that the pasta is fully submerged in the liquid, as this will help it cook evenly.
  • If your instant pot baked, ziti comes out a bit too dry, thin it out with a little more chicken broth or tomato sauce before serving.
  • Do not pressure cook for longer than two minutes as the pasta will become mushy and will fall apart easily.
  • More cheese can be added on top after melting some inside to create a cheesy top layer.
  • If you don't have chicken broth on hand, water or vegetable broth can be used as substitutes.

Variations

  • Use other meats: Instead of ground beef, try using ground chicken or turkey, Italian sausage, or even chorizo.
  • Add more veggies: For a vegetarian version of this instant pot baked ziti, add in some finely chopped zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, or kale.
  • Switch up the cheese: Try using provolone cheese instead of mozzarella for a delicious twist.
  • Make it vegetarian: Use crumbled tofu or tempeh in place of ground beef for a vegan option.
  • Make it gluten-free: For a gluten-free instant pot baked ziti, use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free chicken broth.
  • Add heavy cream: For an even more rich baked ziti, stir in some heavy cream after the cheese.
Baked ziti on a fork with more in the background.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Once cooled, portion out the baked ziti and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Place portions of instant pot baked ziti in an airtight freezer bag or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until heated through.

FAQ

What size of Instant Pot do I need to use to make this recipe?

Any instant pot that is 6 quarts or larger will work for this recipe.

Do I have to use ziti noodles?

No, you can use any type of pasta that you prefer. Penne, macaroni, and rigatoni will all work well in this recipe.

What is the difference between baked ziti and baked penne?

The main difference between the two is that baked ziti has ridges in the shape of a tube, while penne is shaped like cylinders. Both are great for baking and have a delicious, cheesy texture.

Overhead look at Instant Pot baked ziti on a plate with a piece of garlic bread.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

  • Creamy Corn Chowder Recipe
  • Honey Teriyaki Chicken
  • Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes
  • Easy Creamy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

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Overhead look at Instant Pot baked ziti on a plate with a salad in the background.

Instant Pot Baked Ziti with Sausage

This quick and easy dinner is packed with Italian flavor and can be made right in your pressure cooker. Enjoy Instant Pot Baked Ziti With Meat as a weeknight meal or for a Sunday feast.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Pressure and Release Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 644 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Duo 7

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
  • 2 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 28 oz diced tomatoes (do not drain)
  • 1 lb ziti or penne pasta (uncooked)
  • 26 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 1½ cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • Turn your Instant pot to saute; once hot add olive oil, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft.
  • Add salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and chicken broth. Stir until well combined.
  • Add diced tomatoes and spread them out evenly on top of sausage.
  • Pour noodles on the diced tomatoes and press them down into the liquid. Evenly pour spaghetti sauce over noodles.
  • Place the lid on Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook high, high pressure. Set a time to cook for 3 minutes.
  • When the pasta is finished cooking, turn the Instant Pot off and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, open the valve to release pressure. Wait until the valve drops, and carefully remove the lid.
  • Remove the lid and stir well. Top with cheese and place the lid back on for 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 32gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1506mgPotassium: 1062mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 898IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 245mgIron: 5mg

*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.

Keyword Instant Pot Baked Ziti, Instant Pot Baked Ziti with Meat
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Charles

    December 09, 2022 at 10:21 am

    5 stars
    I can never seem to find ziti pasta at the market but when I do I now have a great recipe thanks to your Instant Pot Baked Ziti with Sausage! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Cara Campbell

    December 09, 2022 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    This is going in my weekly rotation. Love an one-pot IP meal - even better when it's a super flavorful pasta!

    Reply
    • Ryan Allen

      December 09, 2022 at 10:28 am

      Thanks! Easy Insta Pot meals are my favorite.

      Reply
  3. Priya Srinivasan

    December 09, 2022 at 10:45 am

    5 stars
    Oh love cooking in IP and this one pot pasta is such a life saver! Such a hearty meal!

    Reply
    • Ryan Allen

      December 09, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      Making dinner in the Instant Pot is a life saver on busy nights.

      Reply
  4. Tayler Ross

    December 09, 2022 at 11:03 am

    5 stars
    I made this baked ziti for dinner last night and it was incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Tara

    December 09, 2022 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    This is quite possibly the easiest and tastiest dinner ever made in my IP! Ziti is already so warm and comforting so this is just a winner!

    Reply
  6. Katherine Higgins

    December 12, 2022 at 9:22 am

    Do I drain the fats from the pot? The meat I have yielded more than a cup of fat

    Reply
    • Ryan Allen

      December 14, 2022 at 7:52 pm

      I recommend using lean ground beef. If you have a lot of grease I would drain it off.

      Reply

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We are Ryan and Shanna, the creators of The Cooking Duo.

As food bloggers, photographers, and recipe developers, we are passionate about sharing simple, delicious recipes that make it easy to provide real food for your family. As parents ourselves, we know firsthand how challenging it can be to prepare a wholesome meal after a busy day. That's why we are committed to offering accessible, seasonal, and mostly healthy ingredients in our family's favorite recipes. We're excited to share our culinary journey with you!

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