This easy Instant Pot Lasagna is made without a springform pan in 30 minutes! It is possible to add uncooked pasta, meat, and sauce to your pressure cooker and enjoy saucy, cheesy lazy lasagna.
Why You’ll Love This Lasagna
Words can’t describe how easy and tasty this Instant Pot lasagna is! Bold flavors, tender noodles, and gooey cheese. All there in one pot without the use of a springform pan or cake pan like other recipes suggest!
You don’t even need to boil noodles first, just like with Instant Pot lasagna soup or Instant Pot white chicken lasagna soup. A quick browning of the beef followed by a “dump and go” hands-off cooking method for lazy weekends or busy weeknights.
I tested and retested it to make sure it works without getting the dreaded Burn notice. I succeeded (obviously, or this post would be weird) and I couldn’t wait to share this recipe for lasagna in Instant Pot with you!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Lasagna
- Ground meat: Ground beef, ground sausage, or Italian sausage is more of a traditional choice, where as ground turkey or ground chicken will work as well.
- Lasagna noodles: No need to pre-cook the pasta. I have used regular lasagna noodles, as well as whole wheat noodles and gluten-free noodles. No-boil, also known as oven-ready noodles, are OK too. I also tried brown rice noodles with chicken lasagna roll-ups, so I can imagine they would be great in this recipe too.
- Tomato sauce: I used the cheapest plain tomato sauce from a can. My only word of caution is if your tomato sauce is not low in sodium, add less salt. Same goes for spaghetti sauce, use it but add way less salt and no seasonings.
- Ricotta cheese: I originally didn’t add ricotta out of fear it will curdle, but many readers mixed it with an egg, and added it as a layer on top of meat.
- Spinach or kale: You can skip the kale or spinach if you are not a fan.
- Mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese: Added on top after cooking.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper is all you need to impart amazing flavor.
How to Make Lasagna in Instant Pot
Cook Ground Meat
- Preheat: Press Saute and wait until the display says Hot, which takes about 3-5 minutes. Add a drizzle of oil.
- Add meat: Cook ground turkey or beef while breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Season: Add the spices halfway through the browning process. We want ground meat seasoned well and other ingredients will absorb its flavor.
- Divide: Remove half of the meat into a bowl and press Cancel.
Layer and Cook Lasagna
The main thing to remember when layering lasagna in an Instant Pot is that you want your meat on the bottom and the tomato sauce on top.
- Layer #1: Add water (beef broth or chicken broth for more flavor) on top of half of the ground meat that remained in the pot. Break 4 uncooked noodles in half and lay them on top of the meat mixture in a single layer, overlapping a bit.
- Layer #2: Add half of the kale on top of the noodles and break 4 more noodles in half and lay them on top of the kale.
- Layer #3: Add the ground meat from the bowl, remaining half of the kale on top of the noodles, and then pour 14 ounces of the tomato sauce on top.
- Layer #4: Break the last 4 noodles in half and lay on top of everything, then pour the remaining 14 ounces can of tomato sauce overtop.
- Cook: Pressure cook lasagna on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let pressure come down for 10 minutes and then turn valve to Venting to do Quick Release to release any remaining pressure.
Add Cheese
- When you open the lid, pressure cooker lasagna will be like a casserole. A bit saucy. It won’t be soupy or messy though. The longer lasagna sits, the more it will set as the pasta absorbs the liquids and settles.
- Sprinkle cheese on top, cover, and let the lasagna sit for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Do not cook with the cheese.
Tips for Best Results
- Don’t double the recipe: I do not recommend to double this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe because Instant Pot will not come to pressure even in an 8-quart pot. You can add an extra 1 pound of meat and another layer of noodles to bulk it up.
- 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut the ingredients in half (even the water) but keep the same cooking time.
- 8 quart Instant Pot: The amount of ingredients remains the same, including water. So does the cooking time. Same goes for larger 10 quart pressure cooker.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap ground beef for tofu crumbles or completely omit the meat. Instead use drained white beans, sliced mushrooms or chopped veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini or bell peppers. Word of caution is not to use too many watery vegetables.
- Add more veggies: Add a layer of chopped mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or broccoli.
Serving Ideas
- Slicing: You can cut through Instant Pot lasagna with a slotted spoon, knife, or spatula. It will feel like cutting butter. That’s how tender lasagna noodles are!
- Serving: Serve hot garnished with fresh basil or fresh parsley and freshly cracked pepper. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bread basket: What’s a lasagna without a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the sauce? A sourdough, garlic bread, or try it with Greek yogurt bread for more protein.
- Side dish idea: Serve with zesty arugula feta salad or a refreshing creamy cucumber salad.
How to Store and Reheat
Keep warm: Since there is a bit of liquid on the bottom, the lasagna keeps warm without burning for up to 10 hours.
Refrigerate: If there are any leftovers, I cover the inner stainless steel pot with a glass or silicone lid, remove it from the outer pot and refrigerate.
Reheat: I simply put the inner pot back in the outer pot, cover with the lid, and press Steam or Pressure Cook for 1 minute. The saute function works too. If you don’t see much liquid on the bottom, add 1/4 cup. We need a bit to create steam to warm the lasagna through.
How to Freeze
Pressure cooker lasagna is great for freezing! You can freeze entire cooked lasagna or in individual portions for easy reheating. In either case, cook and let it cool completely. Then transfer in airtight containers in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. I recommend to reheat it in a microwave, so lasagna doesn’t dry out.
FAQs
It could be because some brands add water or more of it to the tomato sauce. Also possible if you have added more veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers as they produce water. Or because it just looks watery when it is first cooked.
The good news is when you let it sit, it should absorb most, if not all of it. So close the lid and give it 10-20 minutes. Even if it doesn’t, it’ll just sit at the bottom of the pot.
Could be several reasons. Did you add the seasoning too early? Did you add enough water? Did you layer it as directed?
Tomato sauce is notorious for burning if placed on the bottom of the Instant Pot. So I recommend any layering recipe like this, to keep the tomato sauce away from the bottom.
Original recipe doesn’t call for it but you can combine ricotta with egg and add it on top of meat layer.
More Lasagna Recipes to Try
- Lasagna rolls with zucchini
- Cottage cheese lasagna
- Zucchini lasagna
- Chicken lasagna roll ups
- One pot lasagna
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Lasagna
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- 11 ounces lasagna noodles, 12 sheets
- 2 x 14 ounces cans tomato sauce, low sodium
- 3 cups kale or spinach, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- Parmesan cheese, optional
- Basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- On Instant Pot, press Saute and wait until display says Hot. Takes 3-5 minutes. Swirl oil to coat and add ground beef. Start breaking into pieces with spatula.
- Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Keep cooking until brown or about 5 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces and stirring.
- Press Cancel and remove half of ground beef into a bowl. Time to layer lasagna.°Layer #1: Add water and break 4 noodles in half and lay on top.°Layer #2: Add half of kale and break 4 noodles in half and lay on top.°Layer #3: Add ground beef from the bowl, remaining half of kale and pour 14 oz can tomato sauce on top.°Layer #4: Break 4 noodles in half and lay on top. Then pour remaining 14 oz can of tomato sauce.
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes and then turn valve to Venting.
- When you open the lid, lasagna will be like a casserole, a bit saucy. Not soup though. The longer lasagna sits, the more it will be like lasagna as pasta absorbs the liquids and settles.
- Sprinkle cheese on top, cover and let lasagna sit for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Do not cook with cheese. Instant Pot stays warm for a while, especially if you have Keep Warm on. Covered pot is enough to melt the cheese.
- Cut with a spoon or spatula and serve hot. Keep warm to eat later. To reheat, add 1/4 cup of water and press pressure cook for 1 minute or Steam.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months.
- Lasagna noodles: No need to pre-cook pasta. I used kamut (whole wheat), regular, gluten free and no-boil (oven ready) noodles are OK too.
- Spinach or kale: You can skip kale or spinach if you are not a fan.
- Ricotta or cottage cheese + egg (optional): I do not use but many readers ask. Mix both and layer on top of meat.
- Double the recipe? I do not recommend to do so because Instant Pot will not come to pressure, even 8 quart. You can add 1 lb extra meat and if you are good with eye balling recipes, another layer of noodles.
- For 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut ingredients in half (even water) but keep same cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Easy!!
Any advice for using brown rice GF lasagna noodles?
Yes I would cook them a little bit less. Try to pressure cook for 4 minutes instead of 7 minutes.
Can (and should I) substitute spaghetti sauce for the tomato sauce?
I believe spaghetti sauce has spices so you would need to use less seasonings in the recipe.
Great recipe, husband and teenage son loved it! Came out perfect. I used frozen spinach and rung it out before adding it to the pot. Thank you for a yummy, quick dinner!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Re: subbing out for meat, I used 1.5 large zucchini, diced; 3 modest long eggplants, split lengthwise and sliced; 2 vegan sausages; and tofu ricotta. Did sauté the squash and eggplant ahead, and then layered them with the sausage. Also used fresh spinach (with tofu ricotta layered on top of that). I was generous with water and sauce. Next time will not add any extra water: Even with ww lasagna noodles, it’s still a little soupy lower down a good hour+ after dinner. But tasted good, and tho a little involved, SO much easier and faster than the traditional pan method!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was so super easy to make and now the family says we can have this weekly. It was tasty and very enjoyable. But I have to make 2 pots of it as the first one disappears right before your eyes and this would be a leftover favorite. Glad to have found this recipe!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!
You mentioned that you could totally substitute out a protien for something like mushrooms. So would you literally swap out 2 lbs of protien for 2lbs of mushroom? That seems like a lot of water.
I would not substitute the whole amount for mushrooms and would suggest sauteing them first to release water. While this is a suggestion, it is not tested, so proceed with caution.
This was fantastic!! My picky teen gave it 9/10 so you know it’s a winner! LOL
I omitted the spinach and instead did three layers of meat and the cottage cheese+egg mixture in two of the meat layers.
I agree with others that the longer it sits the better! After it cooked for 7 minutes, I let it NR for 20 then anther 5 after I added the cheese.
This will definitely be in rotation!!
So glad you enjoyed it and it won over the teen!
I made it with italian sausage. Yum! Thanks
A delicious addition! So glad you enjoyed it!
First off love all your recipes including this one. I have made it several times with my kale from the garden. But it is done for the season. Can I use frozen spinach? Or have you before
That should work fine!