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With layers of seasoned ground beef, creamy bechamel sauce, cheese, and tender lasagna noodles, my Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe is both easy and delicious. Using simple ingredients, you can make this easy meat lasagna in the pressure cooker under an hour!
Jump to:
- Lasagna in Instant Pot
- Pressure Cooker Lasagna Ingredients
- Lasagna Instant Pot Instructions
- Instant Pot Lasagna FAQ
- How to Store Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce
- How to Freeze Lasagna
- How to Reheat Lasagna
- Instant Pot Lasagna Recipes Tips
- Instant Pot Beef Recipes
- Meatball Recipes
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Lasagna in Instant Pot
Instant Pot Lasagna is a budget-friendly, easy meal with so much flavor from seasoned ground beef and creamy, homemade bechamel sauce. You'll never want to make your lasagna any other way!
I'll show you how to make lasagna step-by-step in your Instant Pot, with steps for making my lasagna meat sauce recipe, the bechamel, and how to layer lasagna for the perfect bite.
I had no idea lasagna could be this easy and quick. This really made me fall in love with lasagna all over again.
Jordan on Pinterest
Pressure Cooker Lasagna Ingredients
Ground Beef Lasagna
- Ground Beef: The foundation of the lasagna's meat layer, ground beef has the perfect hearty texture for lasagna. You can also mix in Italian sausage or use a mix of ground meats if you prefer.
- Marinara Sauce: The tangy tomato sauce every lasagna needs! Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce or an equal quantity of homemade marinara sauce, if you prefer.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Offers a creamy, melty texture to the lasagna, contributing to its gooey, cheesy layers. If you like ricotta cheese, you can use a mix.
- Parmesan Cheese: The sharp, salty flavor of parmesan complements the mild and soft mozzarella and enriches the cheesy flavors of the lasagna.
- Onion: Contributes a subtle sweetness and aroma, adding depth to the lasagna's meat sauce. I recommend using white or yellow onion, and not red onion, which is too astringent.
- Minced Garlic and Garlic Powder: Cooks with the onion to infuse the sauce with a pungent flavor that enhances the overall taste of the dish. I use this in combination with garlic powder for a robust kick of flavor!
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of aromatic herbs ideal for complementing the tangy and creamy flavors of lasagna.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the beef and veggies. Olive oil has the best flavor to use for lasagna, so I recommend it over others, but you can also use avocado oil or another neutral oil if desired.
- Salt and Pepper: I recommend Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: Oven-ready lasagna noodles are easy to work with as they are partially cooked already and absorb less liquid. You can use regular noodles, but you will need to compensate with extra meat sauce and may need to increase the cook time.
Bechamel Sauce
- Butter: The rich base of the bechamel sauce. Use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, leave out the extra salt to avoid making the bechamel too salty.
- Flour: Works with butter to form a roux, thickening the bechamel to the perfect consistency.
- Milk: The main liquid in bechamel, milk creates a smooth, creamy sauce that adds a velvety layer to the lasagna. You can also use a mix of milk and heavy cream or half and half if you prefer, but this will elevate the richness of the sauce.
- Salt: As always, I recommend using sea salt flakes or kosher salt!
Lasagna Instant Pot Instructions
Preparing Meat Sauce
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat olive oil in the pot. Once the oil is hot, add ground beef to the pot.
- Cook the beef until it just begins to brown, then season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chopped onion, and minced garlic.
- Cook for 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the beef is browned.
- Finally, add in marinara sauce. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Transfer this sauce to a separate bowl.
- Clean the Instant Pot thoroughly to prepare it for the next step, ensuring no residues remain that could affect the flavors or cooking process.
Making Bechamel Sauce
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter.
- Gradually sprinkle in flour, stirring continuously to prevent lumps, until the mixture takes on a light golden color.
- Slowly add milk to the roux while whisking vigorously to maintain a smooth consistency.
- Continue to cook until the sauce reaches a thickened, creamy texture. Season with salt to taste.
Layering the Lasagna
- Prepare your springform pan or a round baking dish by lining it with parchment paper for easy removal of the lasagna after cooking.
- Start your lasagna layers with an even spread of the meat sauce at the bottom of the pan.
- Place a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles over the meat sauce, breaking them as needed to ensure complete coverage.
- Add another layer of meat sauce on top of the noodles, followed by a third of your bechamel sauce, spreading it gently to cover the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle a handful of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan over the bechamel layer.
- Continue layering with another set of lasagna noodles, then repeat the sequence: meat sauce, bechamel, and cheeses. For the final layer, cap it with lasagna noodles, topped with the remaining bechamel and cheeses, creating a rich and enticing top layer.
- Cover the assembled lasagna with aluminum foil securely. Create a sling from a long piece of foil, folded into a wide strip, to assist in placing and removing the pan from the Instant Pot with ease.
- Add water to the Instant Pot, set the trivet inside, and place your lasagna pan on the trivet using the foil sling for support.
- Seal the Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Once done, carefully perform a quick release of the pressure using a dish towel or oven mitt.
- Carefully open the lid and remove the lasagna. Let it sit for a few minutes to settle, then slice, serve, and savor the rich layers of your Instant Pot lasagna!
Instant Pot Lasagna FAQ
You don't need a springform pan to make lasagna in the Instant Pot. Springform pans make it easy to remove the lasagna in Instant Pot, but you can use a round baking pan if you don't have one.
I use oven-ready lasagna noodles as they are the easiest to work with. They are partially cooked already, so they absorb less liquid. However, you can use regular noodles to make our bechamel lasagna recipe if you want. But, you will need to compensate with extra meat sauce and may need to increase the cooking time.
Most lasagna recipes contain between three to four layers. Our pressure cooker lasagna has three layers.
My ground beef lasagna recipe uses a homemade bechamel sauce, also called white sauce. We layer it between the meat and cheese twice, and then again on top of the final layer of noodles before topping everything off with cheese.
Yes! This is a perfect make-ahead lasagna recipe. Assemble everything as instructed, wrap in foil, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cooking.
How to Store Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce
Store leftover lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze lasagna. See below!
How to Freeze Lasagna
- Follow the instructions to cook your lasagna.
- Allow it to cool completely.
- Remove to a freezer-safe baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Label with the freezing date.
- Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How to Reheat Lasagna
You can reheat your meat lasagna recipe right in the Instant Pot.
- Cover leftovers tightly with foil in a heat-proof dish. Make a sling by folding foil into a rectangular strip to make it easy to lift out of the pot.
- Add 1 cup of water to your pot and place the trivet inside. Set the dish on the trivet.
- Set to Steam for 5 minutes. Quick-release the pressure, and there you have it! Perfectly reheated lasagna.
Need a "set it and forget it" recipe? Try our easy Slow Cooker Lasagna for a longer lasagna cook time and a dish that's pure deliciousness.
Instant Pot Lasagna Recipes Tips
- You can brown the top of your lasagna by placing it under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes.
- We like to remove our lasagna from the pan to place in a glass dish to serve for a prettier presentation.
Instant Pot Beef Recipes
- Instant Pot Hamburger Soup
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Steak Pizzaiola
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- For more meat sauce recipes, try Sugo di Carne!
Meatball Recipes
Lasagna pairs deliciously with meatballs. If you haven't tried this combo yet, give one of my meatball recipes a try with this dish!
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you!
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Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- oven-ready lasagna noodles
Bechamel Sauce Recipe
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 sprinkle salt
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
How to Make Meat Sauce
- Set Instant Pot to saute mode. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot. When hot, add 1 lb. ground beef.1 lb. ground beef, 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- Cook until it just begins to brown, then add in garlic powder, Italian seasoning, 1 small chopped onion, 2 Tbsp. minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 3 minutes until onions are translucent and beef is browned.1 small onion, 2 Tbsp. garlic, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Add in 1 jar marinara sauce and stir until fully mixed. Then, pour the mixture into a separate bowl and clean out the inside of your Instant Pot.1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
How to Make Bechamel
- Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a pan over low heat. Sprinkle in 2 Tbsp. flour. Cook until the mixture just begins to brown, then slowly pour in 2 cups milk while whisking. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Finish it with salt.2 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. flour, 2 cups milk, 1 sprinkle salt
Layering Lasagna
- Line your springform pan or round baking dish with parchment paper. Add an even layer of meat sauce.
- Add a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles, breaking up as necessary to cover the meat sauce.oven-ready lasagna noodles
- Top with another layer of meat sauce. Spread ⅓ of your bechamel sauce over the meat sauce.
- Top with a handful of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan.1 cup mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan
- Place another layer of noodles over the cheese.
- Repeat the layers by starting again with the meat sauce. Layer in this order: meat, bechamel, shredded cheese, lasagna noodles. On the final layer, top with noodles, then your remaining bechamel sauce and shredded cheese.
- Cover the lasagna tightly in foil. Create a sling by folding a long sheet of foil into a rectangular strip. Use this strip as a "handle" to lift the pan in and out of the Instant Pot.
- Add 1 cup of water to your Instant Pot. Place the trivet in the pot, then add the covered lasagna with the foil sling underneath.
- Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Phyllis Janowski says
What size jar of marinara sauce?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Phyllis, I am so sorry that was information was omitted. Here is the correct size -24 oz. jar of marinara
STEVE M. says
Looks really good. More pressure cookers are coming with an air fryer lid. Instead of the oven, how about utilizing this feature, for browning / finishing purposes, in lieu of an oven?
Em Beitel says
Steve, that's a great idea! We love using the air fryer - we'll look into air fryer instructions for browning. Thank you for the suggestion!
Ria says
Giving this 5 stars as it’s so easy to make, and delicious! However, I find that the meat sauce is too much for my 7 inch springform pan. Been making adjustments till I find the right proportion of marinara + ground beef for my cookware.
On my first try, the remaining bechamel sauce wasn’t enough to cover the last layer of noodles, and I had used the traditional (not oven-ready) lasagna noodles, so they came out uncooked. On my second try, I made sure I had enough bechamel sauce remaining to cover the noodles.
Isabel Laessig says
So glad you enjoy it, Ria! Thank you for leaving us a review!