Learn how to make a delicious Instant Pot Bolognese sauce with our beginner-friendly, step-by-step recipe. Making a Bolognese sauce in the Instant Pot pressure cooker not only saves time but it also locks in all those gorgeous, hearty flavours and nutrients. Enjoy over favorite pasta or zucchini noodles! We've included modifications for gluten-free, Whole30/Paleo versions.
In This Post:
- ℹ️ Overview
- 🛒 What You Need
- 📝 Go To Full Recipe
- 📷 How To Make It Step-By-Step
- 🫙Storage Tips
- 🌮Using Up Leftovers
- ⭐️ Comment On & Rate This Recipe
For more delicious meat recipes, check out our Incredible Italian Beef Ragu, Instant Pot Beef Cheeks (Served 4 Ways), Instant Pot Short Ribs With Garlic & Wine, and Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff.
Instant Pot Bolognese
In our humble opinion, if you're going to master only a handful of pressure cooker recipes, one of them should definitely be a good, hearty Instant Pot Bolognese sauce. Served over good quality pasta, rice or zucchini noodles, this nourishing beef ragu sauce is always a crowd-pleaser. The best part - it's super versatile and can be turned into many other dishes, such as Shepherd's Pie or spicy beef chilli.
The secret to a good Bolognese sauce is good quality meat, organic tomatoes (they are sweeter!) and slow cooking. The longer you can cook the sauce the better; however, not everyone has the time. Right? That's when your trusted Instant Pot comes into play.
Instant Pot Bolognese sauce takes half the time, yet the result is as good as if you've been cooking it all afternoon. Plus, you seal in all those nutrients and flavours. In today's beginner-friendly recipe, we show you how to make pressure cooker Bolognese sauce using the Instant Pot. It's super easy and you will love the flavors of our version.
PS. The more authentic Italian Bolognese uses fewer tomatoes but we like it nice and saucy this way. This recipe is gluten-free, Whole30 and paleo-friendly.
What You Need For Instant Pot Bolognese
- Ground beef
- Bacon or pancetta
- Tomato sauce
- Veggies: onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- For flavor: tomato paste, dried thyme, salt and pepper, bay leaf.
- Stock: chicken or beef stock
- For extra flavor (optional, not in the main ingredients): 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, cinnamon, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of fish sauce, ½ teaspoon of chili powder; throw these in at the same time as other spices:
This Bolognese sauce recipe is part of our Instant Pot for beginner series. If you’re new to the Instant Pot, make sure to check out these posts as well:
- How Does An Instant Pot Work? Cooking Stages + Key Features Explained
- How To Use The Instant Pot For Beginners
- How To Cook Rice In Instant Pot
- Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot Step-By-Step Recipe)
- The First 10 Meals You Should Make In Your Instant Pot
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let us know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion medium, finely diced
- 1 carrot, large carrot or 2 small, diced into small cubes
- 2 celery ribs diced into small cubes
- 3 oz. bacon about 90 g, diced into small cubes
- 2.5 lbs. ground beef we used grass-fed, about 1.1-1.2kg
- 4 cloves garlic diced finely
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or basil
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine you could use red too
- 1 cup chicken stock or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14 oz. tomato sauce 1 can or jar of tomato sauce or puree, also known as passata, about 400 g (we love this brand)
To finish:
- 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose or gluten-free flour, tapioca/arrowroot for Whole30 or paleo
- ¼ cup milk optional, to mellow out the acidity from tomatoes
To serve
- Fresh parsley or basil
- Cooked spaghetti pasta or zucchini noodles
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep. Dice onions, carrots, celery, bacon and garlic. Set garlic aside.
- Sauté stage. Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté function key (it will show Normal, 30 minutes). Once hot, add olive oil, onions, celery, carrots and bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- After 3-4 minutes, add the beef, garlic, salt, pepper and spices/herbs and stir through breaking the meat apart with a spatula. Add ½ cup of white wine and stir into the beef, allow it to bubble for 30 seconds or so. Follow with the stock and press Cancel to stop the Sauté process. Mix the beef and stock through really well, keep breaking the meat apart if it's in large clumps. Use the spatula to scrape anything that might have stuck to the bottom.
- Now, pour the tomato puree/sauce over the top and spread it evenly, don't stir through all the way. This will prevent any possible BURN error as tomato sauce can get caramelized on the bottom.
- Set & cook. Secure the lid on top and turn to lock in place. If using earlier models, check that the steam releasing handle is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook button and use the + / - keys to adjust the time to 15 minutes. It should say HIGH pressure. If not, change to HIGH using the Pressure Level button. After a couple of seconds, the screen will show ON and the pot will start to heat up and build the pressure.
- The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. The more liquid/ingredients you have in the pot, the longer it usually takes. Once the pressure is built up, the float valve will come to the UP position.Now, the 15-minute timer will show on the screen. Note that the cooking actually begins during the pressurizing stage.
- Once the timer is done, the Instant Pot will change to a natural pressure release stage. Allow about 10 minutes to rest and then use the quick release to manually let off the remaining pressure (press the Quick Release button on the top). If Keep Warm is selected, you will see a new timer on the screen to let you know how many minutes the pressure cooker has been staying warm (you can use it as your timer for natural release).
- Thicken the sauce. Open the lid and stir the sauce. At first, it may seem like it's got too much liquid but we're not done just yet. Press the Sauté button again. Allow the sauce to come to a simmering bubble and cook it for 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. This will allow some of that liquid to evaporate.
- In the meantime, mix 2 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl into a smooth slurry. Pour this liquid into the sauce and stir immediately. Press Cancel to stop the Sauté function. The sauce will now look more thickened and glossy. Taste for seasoning.
- Optional: Many authentic Italian recipes call for a few splashes of milk at the end of cooking. Milk mellows out the acidity of tomatoes. Stir in ¼ cup right at the end if you wish.
- The sauce can be served right away or stored in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to cool it down completely before storing. Serve with your favorite pasta (spaghetti is more traditional) or gluten-free alternatives. Zucchini noodles are great for Whole30, Keto, Paleo version.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Bolognese Sauce In Instant Pot
Here are step-by-step instructions for making Bolognese sauce in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. We used Instant Pot Duo Nova 6-quart for this recipe. There are three stages to making this dish: the initial Sautéing, Pressure Cooking, final Sautéing & thickening of the sauce.
- Step 1. Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté function key. Once hot, add olive oil, onions, celery, carrots and bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Step 2. Once the vegetables have softened up, add the beef, garlic, salt, pepper and spices/herbs and stir through breaking the meat apart with a spatula.
- Step 3. Add the white wine and stir into the beef, allow it to bubble for 30 seconds or so. Follow with the stock and press Cancel to stop the Sauté process. Mix the beef and stock through really well, keep breaking the meat apart if it's in large clumps. Use the spatula to scrape anything that might have stuck to the bottom.
- Step 4. Now, pour the tomato puree/sauce over the top and spread it evenly, no need to stir through all the way. This will prevent any possible BURN error as tomato sauce can get caramelized on the bottom.
- Step 5. Secure the lid on top and turn to lock in place. If using earlier models, check that the steam releasing handle is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook button and use the + and - keys to adjust the time to 15 minutes. It should say HIGH pressure. If not, change to HIGH.
After a couple of seconds, the screen will show ON and the Instant Pot will start to heat up and build the pressure inside. You will see Heating & Pressure icons on top of the screen. The Instant Pot will now take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. The more liquid/ingredients you have in the pot, the longer it might take. Once the pressure is built up, the float valve will come to the UP position. Now, the 15-minute timer will show on the screen. Note that the cooking actually begins during the pressurizing stage.
Once the timer is done, the Instant Pot will change to a natural pressure release stage. Allow about 10 minutes to rest and use the quick release to manually let off the remaining pressure.
Tip: If Keep Warm is selected, you will see a new 00:00 timer on the screen letting you know how much time the pot has been resting at a warm temperature. You can use that timer for your natural release count.
- Step 6. Open the lid and stir the sauce. At first, it may seem like it's got too much liquid but we're not done just yet. Now, press the Cancel button and change back to Saute function. Allow the sauce to come to a simmering bubble and cook it for 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. This will allow some of that liquid to evaporate.
- Step 7. In the meantime, mix 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl into a smooth slurry. Pour this liquid into the sauce and stir immediately. Press Cancel to stop the Saute function. The sauce will now look more thickened and glossy. Taste for seasoning.
Storage Tips
This recipe makes 6-8 servings because we like to make a big batch of the sauce to then use as leftovers and to turn into other dishes. The sauce can be served right away or stored in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to cool it down completely before storing it. Divide the sauce between Ziplock bags or containers and freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
How To Use Up Leftover Bolognese
If you have leftover Bolognese sauce, there are quite a few ways to use it up. Obviously, you can reheat it for another spaghetti Bolognese meal.
- Cold Bolognese is great in a Shepherd's or cottage pie.
- You can re-fry the Bolognese sauce with added Tex-Mex spices and turn it into taco and burrito filling.
- If you add some ginger, garlic and soy sauce, you can turn it into a more Asian-inspired dish and serve it with rice.
- Pan-fry the sauce for 5-10 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. Once it thickens, add some BBQ sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce and turn it into Sloppy Joes.
More Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Shredded Beef
- Instant Pot Chili With Beef & Chorizo
- Instant Pot Italian Pork & Bean Stew
- Instant Pot Meatballs & Spaghetti
- Best Instant Pot Italian Recipes
SAVE THIS BOLOGNESE RECIPE TO PINTEREST
Nick Warren
Looks like a good recipe and I will definitely try it, but please include metric measures. "Cups" really isn't great method to use. And "sticks" of butter. I know it's not in this recipe but, oh lordy
Anonymous
Very greasy I would strain the oil off the meat next time
Instant Pot Eats
This depends on how fatty the ground beef is that you use.
Noris
I did the previous recipe so many times!! cant find it! Can you please help by sending the previous recipe!
Instant Pot Eats
See Notes under the recipe for the extra ingredients used in the previous recipe and omit the bacon (unless you like a little bacon in your Bol sauce). The rest is pretty much the same.
Pandie
I did love the previous version but I’ll try this too
Instant Pot Eats
And make sure to check the notes as we left all those add-ons that were included in a more complex original recipe. The rest is pretty much the same really.
Matt
The old version of this was amazing!!! A family staple for years. Thanks for including the original ingredients in the notes, but I think I might try to track it down on the Internet Archive and save it to my cloud drive. It was that good.
Instant Pot Eats
The basic recipe template is the same, it was mainly the addition of those spices/condiments that was different in the original. Plus, we added a little bacon but can be omitted.
Alli
Matt if you found the full original in the archive would you be willing to send to me? Loved that one too.
Jezebel James
Did you change this recipe? I thought it had star anise, smoked paprika and bay leaves. Also fish sauce and aminos. I'm disappointed loved it that way!
Instant Pot Eats
We have simplified the ingredients for a more accessible version. We have left all the add-ons from the previous recipe in the Notes under the recipe.
ADD-ONS FROM THE EARLIER RECIPE. For a bolder, more in-depth flavor, you can add any or all of the following: 1 teaspoon paprika powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons Tamari gluten-free soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce (don’t worry, you can’t taste it), 1-2 bay leaves and chili flakes or powder to spice it up. In this recipe, we have also added bacon which is optional.
Kelly
When did the recipe change or do you have a link to the old version with cinnamon, fish sauce, diced tomatoes, etc? I’ve been making that version for years and it’s a family favorite.
Instant Pot Eats
Hey Kelly,
If you look in the notes, you will see all those other ingredients in there as optional. We simplified the main recipe so it was easier for people that didn't have those ingredients on hand, but left them in the Notes below the recipe. We also added bacon to the main recipe, which you can take out.
PS. we can vouch that this one is just as tasty but agree, the cinnamon and fish sauce give it an extra special quality so.
IPE team
Dru
What size Instant Pot is this for?
Ann Fabrizio
6 qt.
Jen
This is the best recipe! I've made it so many times in the middle of a busy week. Highly reccommend.
Angel N Glaze
I used turkey instead of beef.I loved it. Bold, flavorful, and healthy!
instantpoteats
Thanks, Angel. Ground turkey would work so well, I can taste it 🙂
Angel N Glaze
Loved it. Bold, flavorful, and healthy!
Ghooper
That is defiantly cilantro you garnished with?????????
Liz
Absolutely loved this recipe. I was looking for something with ground beef that wasn't "chili" like and this fit the bill. I skimped on the salt and later added it back to the recipe. Served with spaghetti squash, this was the perfect meal.
instantpoteats
Thank you! Sounds like a very healthy meal to serve it over spaghetti squash.
nickyb
My whole family, including the 5 year old and 1 year old LOVED this! Thanks!
Only issue was the star anise breaks up in the instant pot so you get a crunchy surprise once in a while - any way to prevent this??
instantpoteats
Hi Nicky, first of all, thank you. I'm super glad you enjoyed the recipe. In regards to the star anise, I am not sure if there is a way to keep it intact. Whenever I cook with it on a stovetop, it doesn't break up into pieces, but I guess pressure cooking softens it up enough for it to fall apart. Not really sure you can avoid it, but you could omit it from the recipe if it really bothers you or the kids. You might also be able to grind the star anise in a mortar & pestle before adding it to the pot so that you still get the flavour but not the crunchy bits.
Tam
I used half of the cinnamon that was called for and added 1tsp of onion powder, basil, oregano, and parsley along with everything else except fish sauce. Fab.
Sy
Wow, this is insanely good. My family went wild! Thanks!
Sally
Can I add baby Bella mushrooms?
instantpoteats
Absolutely!
erin
hi there! looks awesome. can i double it and will it still fit in the instant pot?
instantpoteats
Yes, it should fit okay 🙂
KM
Tried this and it was absolutely perfect. To double this recipe, what adaptations should I make?
John Marshall
Great instruction for newbies. Keep posting them.
Jennifer
Hi, I assume you put in the bay leaves when you add the tomatoes? There is nothing written about when to add them. Looks delicious.