Instant Pot Tired Mom Soup–a shockingly easy and tasty ground beef and potato soup. It’s made in minutes in your Instant Pot and is perfect for a day you just don’t feel like exerting lots of effort into cooking dinner!
This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Both instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Instant Pot Tired Mom Soup
When I came across this recipe* I thought that there was no way it was going to be that good. It was just too simple and I was unsure on how the gravy mix would flavor the soup. I was happily very wrong! This soup is the bomb. It was SO easy and SO tasty! You’re going to LOVE how it comes together in just a few minutes without a lot of effort. It’s a perfect soup for a day you don’t have a lot of time or when you’re just plain exhausted.
This recipe is easy to double if you want to serve a crowd. Just double all the ingredients (in a 6 or 8 quart pot) and keep the cooking time the same. Check my notes section below for fun variation ideas!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Ground beef–or ground turkey
- Dehydrated minced onions–you can also use a teaspoon of onion powder or 1 cup of diced onions
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Frozen O’Brien potatoes–these are the cubed frozen potatoes with onions and peppers. They are found next to the frozen hashbrowns. You do not need to thaw the potatoes.
- Country gravy mix–I used McCormick’s brand
- Sharp cheddar cheese–optional but a yummy addition!
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break it up. Add in the minced onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
How I drain grease: Tilt the Instant Pot to one side while holding the ground meat against the other side with a wooden spoon. This should make most of the grease pool on the tilted side. Lower the Instant Pot down, the meat should stay to its side and the grease on the other. Place a couple paper towels into the grease and use the spoon to sop up the grease. Discard the paper towels.
Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
Dump in the potatoes.
Sprinkle the country gravy mix* on top of the potatoes. Don’t stir.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up let pot sit 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir in the cheese.
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a slice of fresh baked bread and a green salad.
- Veggie variation: add in a package of broccoli florets (on top of the potatoes, before the gravy mix) to make it more of a broccoli potato soup.
- Chowder variation: try adding in some corn to make this more of a chowder.
- Cheeseburger soup variation: after pressure cooking time is up stir in some diced pickles and diced tomatoes. Serve each bowl with a squirt of mustard and ketchup.
- To make this recipe gluten free: use a gluten free country gravy mix.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Instant Pot Easy Soup Recipes
Instant Pot Busy Day Soup
Meatball, macaroni and veggie soup made in just a few minutes!
Boy Scout Soup (Instant Pot or Crockpot)
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Boy Scout Soup has beef, baked beans, potatoes, corn and more. It’s an easy soup that tastes great served with warm cornbread and honey butter.
Simple Mom’s Soup
An easy chicken soup with vegetables and barley. Make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Instant Pot Working Mom’s Soup
The easiest dump and go soup that takes minimal effort and minimal time! Chicken, vegetables and macaroni make up this busy weeknight soup.
Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
An easy way to enjoy all the flavors of cabbage rolls. This soup will be your family’s new favorite!
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Instant Pot Tired Mom Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A shockingly easy and tasty ground beef and potato soup. It’s made in minutes in your Instant Pot and is perfect for a day you just don’t feel like exerting lots of effort into cooking dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 Tbsp dehydrated minced onions
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz) bag frozen O’Brien potatoes
- 1 (2.64 oz) packet country gravy mix
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break it up. Add in the minced onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Dump in the potatoes. Sprinkle the country gravy mix on top of the potatoes. Don’t stir.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up let pot sit 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the minced onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Add into the slow cooker.
- Stir in the broth, potatoes and country gravy mix.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This was fantastic. So quick and easy. Definitely going in the rotation. thanks Karen
That makes my day, thank you Richard! So glad it’s going into the rotation 😊
I forgot this was a soup until I opened the instant pot so it was a great surprise! Don’t normally like red/green peppers but they weren’t overpowering and added a nice touch. Going to freeze some portions for a warming soup on a chilly day. Thanks!
That’s the best surprise 😊 I’m glad the peppers weren’t overpowering and that you’re freezing some for later!
This is one of hubby’s most requested recipes since I first made it over 2 years ago, he loves it! And it’s so quick & EZ to make. She’s right, it’s flawless!! Thanks, Karen, for all the hard work you do to make life easier for all of us.
awww, you’re welcome! Thanks Kim
A friend sent me the link to this one and I can’t wait to make it for my Dad who adds a little food to his gravy ocean when we make anything with gravy.
lol!!
I love, love, love this soup! I have made it at least half a dozen times since I stumbled across it about a year ago. I absolutely hate cooking and this is one of the easiest recipes I have come across – No dicing, peeling or chopping! I make it with sausage instead of hamburger and the whole family loves it.
Does anyone have a regular creamy potato soup that is as simple as this (using frozen potatoes)? All the ones I have found have you dicing onions, or making a roux or slurry or some other things I know I will screw up.
So glad you love this soup! I don’t have a potato soup yet like that but I should get going on that!
Just add 1/2 cup of cream to this recipe.
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/creamy-potato-soup/
This one is almost exactly the one I use for normal potato! I don’t use diced onions- as you said, ain’t nobody got time for that on these easy dinner nights!
Karen, flawless recipe as always!
Thanks Abbey!
I like this one here, it comes together using frozen potatoes in the variations section of the author’s comments/blog section.
https://triedtestedandtrue.com/loaded-baked-potato-soup-recipe/#mv-creation-17-jtr
Hi Karen!
I made this for supper tonight and we really liked it. It’s also easy to make. I did fry some bacon and cut into small pieces to sprinkle on top of the bowls right before serving.
Definitely 5*
Your recipes don’t disappoint!
Thank you!
Yes on the bacon!! Love that.
This was SO good – and amazingly easy and fast to throw together! Perfect for a weeknight. And the leftovers were just as good. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad you tried it and loved it 🙂
I made this as written in my 3 qt. IP Mini, and it tasted great! I let the pressure release naturally for 8 min. (halfway between the 5-10 min. recommendation), but will choose 3-5 min. next time for firmer potatoes.
Oddly enough, there is no star rating field to check here, so I’ll just tell ya that this was a 5 star recipe in my book. Thanks again, Karen.
thanks for the review John! So happy you loved it…I am not sure why the stars aren’t working. Thanks for the heads up 🙂
Should I use soup button when making soups or the manual/pressure.
I love using the soup button. Some pots don’t have it but if you do I would use that.
Ok so I made this soup it did take me longer then the time that’s posted but that’s my problem as I don’t like packaged gravy so I made mine from scratch I also put cubes of fresh potatoes I don’t like frozen I also added garlic grated in to the meat and I added 1/2 fresh onion and salt pepper and garlic powder Worcestershire sauce celery corn mushrooms all fresh and a full box of beef broth I used some for the meat and my homemade gravy
It took around 1/2 hour to chop everything and cook but like I said I made most of it from scratch
Man it smells amazing I
Hope this can freeze well
Sounds like a great version! Love all these homemade ideas 🙂
Why do people say, oh I like this and I like that and turns out nothing like the original recipe. I tend to pay no attention to their changes until they make it likes it’s written. This one is over the top…
On the other hand, I love when people make changes and write what worked and what didn’t. This soup sounds good but I don’t like using packaged things and tend to modify recipes to make them homemade. Recipes can be guidelines and updated to suit your own tastes. To each their own!
I made this soup this am. It was very easy, but the end result needed salt and pepper. Maybe it was the brand of county gravy I used. I’m going to try again sometime with a different brand of gravy mix.
Okay good plan! Thanks for the review!
Easy, fast, and my picky kid scraped her bowl clean! The rest of the family enjoyed it too.
I love hearing this Angie!
WOWZA!!! Like you, at first I didn’t think this was gonna have much flavor but I was soooo wrong. Was delicious & so EZ. I used ground Italian sausage & added bag of frozen broccoli florets. My husband took one bite, looked at me & said, “you’ve been holding out on me, how come we haven’t had this before now?” Of course, I blamed it on you, Karen…haha!
Got one question since I live way out in the woods, not close to grocery stores. If I don’t have the frozen O’Brien stuff & I want to make it from ‘scratch’: do I just cube 28 oz of potatoes & dice some onion & peppers & cook for 2 min longer? (You know you could do the ‘from scratch’ version of this recipe for us & name it “Not So Tired Mom Soup”.) Thanks for another winner, can’t believe how good this one is.
It’s surprising how good it is! As far as making from scratch, I think you’re right on. Let me know how it goes!
Just made tonight. YUM! Not just fast, but GREAT tasting. Going to put Obriens on my regular grocery list along with the gravy packet.
so glad you tried this one! It’s amazing!
The slow cooker instructions still have part of the instant pot instructions in the first step. Just an FYI. I’m going to make this tomorrow using half ground beef & half italian sausage. Fingers crossed!
Oops! Fixed it! Thanks for the heads up
It came out thicker than I was expecting, but the kids loved it! So easy and yummy. I put corn in it like your suggestion, and it tastes kinda of like a soupy shepard’s pie. The country gravy really makes it great though. Thank you! I’m adding this one to the rotation.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the 5 stars Jocelynne!
I am really concerned about the gravy packet. Does the broth or the soup liquid taste like gravy because I absolutely hate gravy.
I think the gravy is acting more as a seasoning than a gravy. Worth a try for sure!
Heather is right, it serves as the seasoning. It don’t think it tasted like gravy!
I’m going to try it with sausage next time!
Sounds like a great idea to me!
Delicious! Hamburger was a crazy price so I used Italian sausage. Store didn’t have hash brown O’Brien so I added some chopped onion and peppers. Even though I gave neighbors some there is still a lot. Hope it freezes well!
Yum sausage sounds great! I bet it will freeze great!
Could I use diced fresh potatoes onions and peppers for this?
Sure you could do that! I may increase cooking time to 2 minutes, if your potato cubes are a little larger.
TIP: You can use country gravy mix as a base for MANY soups! I use it for broccoli-cheese soup as well as baked potato soup. I started by making the “broccoli cheese soup” recipe on the back of the backage. This was stovetop. So I tried it w/my potato soup, and it turned out great.
I am going to use this tip! Thank you!
Could you share your broccoli cheese soup recipe with the gravy mix?
Could you share your broccoli cheese recipe with the gravy mix?
Sounds wonderful and we’ve got visitors coming! Can I use a 6 qt for double recipe?
Yes a 6 quart will work to double!
Great quick meal. I’m going to try sausage next time or maybe half ground beef, half sausage. Italian sausage might be really good.
Yes I agree! That sounds awesome!