Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup

You will love this simple but delicious Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup. It's warming, hearty, and full of flavor. Made with simple everyday ingredients, this soup is creamy and full of beef, potatoes, cheese, and more!

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
🥘 Ingredients Needed
🔪 Instructions
👪 FAQs
💭 Other Helpful Tips
📖 Variations
🥗 Suggested Side Dishes
🍞 Soup Recipes
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
📋 Recipe Card
💬 Reviews and Comments

👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe

I love to cozy up to a big bowl of soup once the weather cools down. You will love how hearty, rich, and full of flavor this cheeseburger soup is. Even better, as the soup is made in the Instant Pot, it means the recipe is relatively hands-free and you don't have to babysit a simmering pot.

Like a hug in a bowl, this is a recipe that the whole family will love as well. It tastes just like a cheeseburger and even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy it. I mean, what's there not to love about a cheesy soup?!

If you just bought a new Instant Pot, then you're going to want to make this recipe ASAP, or any of the Instant Pot recipes here! They're so convenient and like my Creamy Instant Pot Beef Pasta, it means dinner is made all in one pot. The fewer dishes I have to do, the better. Another great one pot soup is this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup!

And here's an instant pot Hamburger Soup if you want to skip the cheese but still have the burger-as-a-soup experience!

🥘 Ingredients Needed

olive oil - or whatever oil you prefer.
ground beef - I use lean ground beef to avoid having to drain any grease from the Instant Pot liner.
onion - I use a small sweet onion but you can use what you have on hand.
seasoning - I season the beef and onions with salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, and garlic powder.
carrot - simply grate a carrot into the soup so your kids won't notice the addition of the vegetable.
potatoes - I peel and dice russet potatoes. They help make the soup hearty but also helps thickens the soup.
stock - you can use chicken or beef stock for this cheeseburger soup recipe. If you have neither, vegetable stock works as well.
cornstarch - this is for making a cornstarch slurry if you want the soup thicker.
cheddar cheese - I grate my own cheese from a block as it melts better than pre-shredded cheese.
sour cream - this adds some creaminess and tangy flavor to the soup.
bacon - this is optional but I highly recommend topping the soup off with some crumbled bacon.

🔪 Instructions

Set of two photos showing beef added to an instant pot and then onions and seasoning.

Set of two photos showing carrots and potatoes added to the instant pot.

On SAUTE mode, add the olive oil and ground beef. Cook the ground beef for two minutes. Avoid breaking it up too much, you want there to be chunks of beef.
Add the diced onions, salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, and garlic powder. Cook for another minute.
Add the grated carrot.
Add the diced potatoes. Stir to combine.
Add the stock, place the lid on, set the valve to seal, and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Natural pressure release for 10 minutes before quick releasing.
Mix the cornstarch with a bit of cold water and add it to the soup, on SAUTE mode, to make the soup thicker if you prefer. Stir in the shredded cheese and sour cream before serving.

Instant pot with broth added then sour cream and cheddar cheese stirred in.

👪 FAQs

What is Natural Pressure Release?

Natural Pressure Release (NPR) means you just wait for the metal pin in your lid to drop instead of doing a quick release to get all the steam out of your Instant Pot.

Can I freeze this?

Due to the sour cream and diced potatoes, I would skip freezing the cheeseburger soup as the texture will not be the same when thawed.

How do I reheat it?

I usually gently reheat this soup on the stove. I don't recommend reheating it under pressure as the thick soup may lead to a burn notice. You can also reheat on SAUTE mode if you'd prefer.

A bowl of instant pot cheeseburger soup with a burger bun.

💭 Other Helpful Tips

Serve this with a hamburger bun to really make this into a cheeseburger in soup form. I love dipping a brioche bun to the soup. This Cream Cheese Garlic Bread is a great side to go with the soup as well.
I like to add a bit of green onions as garnish to add a pop of color but it's not mandatory.
If you're out of ground beef, other ground meats will work as well. Try ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork instead.
Feel free to add other vegetables to the soup as well. A handful of spinach at the end is a great way to up the vegetables per serving.
I recommend serving this right away while the soup is still warm.
Looking for a shortcut? Use frozen diced onions and frozen diced potatoes.

📖 Variations

Use a different cheese if you prefer. Shredded Montery Jack adds a nice hint of heat to the soup.

🥗 Suggested Side Dishes

If you're looking for some sides to go with this Instant Pot Cheeseburger soup that doesn't require turning on the stove, then try these Air Fryer Eggplant Fries, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Air Fryer Green Beans.

🍞 Soup Recipes

Instant Pot Lentil Soup - Healthy, hearty, and loaded with vegetables, this Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe comes together quickly and easily.
Carrot and Lentil Soup - This delicious Carrot and Lentil Soup is packed with nutrients, and has an amazing texture that you will love.
Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup - Silky smooth and delicious, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup makes the whole house so fragrant as it cooks!