Want an easy low carb meal made in an electric pressure cooker? Here’s a No Noodle Instant Pot Lasagna that’s a breeze to make.
I’ve been taking it easy lately and trying to make cooking easier. I had a craving for my keto lasagna, but didn’t want to take the time to make a meatza or turn the oven on.
I find that using my Crock Pot and Instant Pot really simplify meal preparation. The Instant Pot is a fairly new appliance for me, and I am still learning how to best use it. But, it’s quickly becoming one of my most favorite kitchen appliances.
Thanks to the multi-functions of the Instant Pot, I’ve been able to get rid of my steamer and rice cooker. It’s also a slow cooker, but I’m keeping my crock pots because you can never have enough slow cookers.
This Instant Pot lasagna recipe was adapted from my spaghetti squash lasagna recipe. I decided to leave out the veggie noodles, though. I suppose I could have used layers of zucchini to help hold things together. But, I didn’t bother to do that. That’s why I call this recipe a no noodle lasagna. There’s NO NOODLES, real or faux.
My traditional lasagna recipe uses a ricotta cheese filling in the layers. Some like to use cottage cheese, but I prefer the taste of ricotta. However, either will work so use the one you like best.
Can You Cook Lasagna in Instant Pot?
You bet! I experimented with two methods of cooking an Instant Pot lasagna without noodles to see if one was better than the other. But both ways resulted in a great meal so you can pick the one you prefer.
The first method is directly placing all the ingredients into the pressure cooker. Some readers have experienced their food burning. This could be due to using the HIGH temp method when cooking. Take a look at your screen to make sure that it is set to the NORMAL operating level.
The second method is layering the ingredients into a round baking pan first. If using a springform pan, it needs to be wrapped with aluminum foil at the bottom to prevent any moisture from entering the bottom of the lasagna, resulting in a soggy mess. Another TIP when it comes to layering, is to set the pan on the rack and make a sling out of aluminum foil so that you can easily pull out the lasagna once it’s done cooking!
How Long Do You Pressure Cook Lasagna?
The good thing about cooking a lasagna in a pressure cooker is that it’s made all in the Pot! You’re browning the ground beef, sauteing the onions and heating it all together! Even when using the second method of cooking the no noodle lasagna and layering your ingredients, it’s still comes together in just one pot!
Once all your ingredients come together you will pressure cook the lasagna on HIGH for 9 minutes. It really does come together quicker than the oven!
Can I Cook Frozen Hamburger in the Instant Pot?
One email I get often from my readers is asking if you can cook hamburger meat in an Instant Pot directly from the freezer when making no noodle lasagna. The answer is YES!
Here’s how to cook frozen hamburger in the Instant Pot:
- Place frozen hamburger slab on trivet.
- Add 1 cup of water inside your Instant Pot Basket.
- Next, place your hamburger on the trivet inside your Instant Pot basket.
- Place your lid on, with the venting valve on SEALING.
- Select MANUAL MODE for 15 minutes.
- Allow to manual release and then do a quick release.
- Your hamburger is now thawed, partially browned, and ready to use!
If you want the ground beef to be fully cooked, it needs to cook under pressure for at least 20 minutes. But I like to keep it slightly uncooked as I finish cooking it on the sauté setting with onion and garlic for the lasagna. You can even cook the meat in the sauce to save time!
Tips on How to Cook a Pressure Cooker Lasagna Perfectly Every Time
- It’s best to loosely cover the lasagna with aluminum foil while it’s cooking in the Instant Pot. It prevents condensation from dripping on top of the cheese.
- If you prefer, you could leave the top layer of cheese off during the cooking process. Then, when the time is up, simple add the cheese to the top after depressurizing. Then, put the lid back on and let the heat of the warm cycle melt the cheese.
In any case, this is a super easy recipe that cooks up in the Instant Pot. And, it only dirties one pot since you can brown the meat right in the pot!
I think you’ll love this simple Instant Post no noodle lasagna. It’s very similar to a skillet lasagna. And it skips the pasta which saves low carb eaters those unnecessary carbs!
How to Make Instant Pot No Noodle Lasagna without a Pan
Why dirty two pots if can get away with using only one? If that’s your thinking, you may prefer cooking the lasagna directly in the Instant Pot.
Here’s how to cook Instant Pot lasagna without a pan:
- On sauté setting, brown the ground beef with a little garlic and onion.
- While the meat is browning, combine ricotta (or cottage) cheese with Parmesan and egg in a small mixing bowl.
- Drain grease and remove meat mixture from Instant Pot.
- In a medium bowl, mix meat with marinara sauce (reserving 1/2 cup).
- Place half of the meat mixture into the Instant Pot.
- Top meat mixture with the cheese mixture and mozzarella slices, then repeat the layers.
- Spread the reserved meat sauce on top. (This keeps the top layer of cheese from getting condensation drips on it)
- Attach lid and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
- Vent steam, remove the lid and serve.
Note that the lasagna may burn using this method if there isn’t enough liquid in the sauce which is needed when pressure cooking. So if you want to ensure burning doesn’t occur, go with the method that uses a baking pan in the pressure cooker.
How to Make Instant Pot Lasagna Using the Baking Pan Method
Using a small pan that fits into your Instant Pot is probably the most common method used to make pressure cooker lasagna. The ingredients and cook time are the same, but everything is layered in a pan sized to fit into the Instant Pot. The pan is then placed on the rack over over water. This method will also prevent burning the lasagna as there should be adequate water needed for pressure cooking.
Here’s how to make pressure cooker lasagna with a springform pan (or any pan that fits into the Instant Pot):
- On the sauté setting, the meat is browned with garlic and onion.
- While the meat is browning, combine the ricotta (or cottage) cheese with parmesan and egg in a small bowl.
- Once ground beef is browned, the grease is drained and the meat mixture is removed from the Instant Pot.
- The meat mixture is combined with marinara in a medium bowl, reserving half cup.
- Next, using a round dish that fits within your Instant Pot (such as a springform pan with aluminum foil to catch any drippings) layer half of your lasagna meat, mozzarella and ricotta cheese mixture repeating for a second time until no ingredients remain. Top with ½ c of reserved marinara sauce.
- Pour 1 cup water in Instant Pot then place rack in pot with sling.
- Set dish in Instant Pot on rack.
- Attach lid and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
- Vent steam, remove the lid and serve.
Variations to Making a No Noodle Lasagna in a Pressure Cooker
All recipes are used as a base. Sure you can make this No Noodle Lasagna as the recipe states below. However, if you are needing to increase protein, lessen your carb count for the day or want more veggies, by all means change things up!
Here’s a few ideas you may want to try:
- Add in a cup of two of fresh spinach to increase your fiber for the day.
- Layer in zucchini or eggplant slices to add even more veggies into your no noodle lasagna.
- Have fresh tomatoes? Dice it up and throw it into the pot for freshness!
- Speaking of freshness. If you have fresh herbs on hand like basil, chop up a tablespoon or two and throw it in on top of the cheese once the lasagna has cooked to complete the dish! Greenery on top of cheese is always my favorite way to bring a dish together and look pretty!
- If you are a fan of cottage cheese and have some on hand, sub the ricotta out in place of cottage cheese!
What variations have you tried when making the pressure cooker lasagna? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below!
Need more ideas for low carb cooking in an electric pressure cooker? Take a look at the following recipes:
No Noodle Instant Pot Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 jar marinara sauce 25 ounces
- 8 ounces mozzarella sliced
Instructions
- On sauté setting, brown the ground beef with the garlic and onion.
- While the meat is browning, combine the ricotta cheese with the Parmesan and egg in a small mixing bowl.
- Drain grease and remove meat mixture from Instant Pot.
- In a medium size bowl mix meat mixture with 25 ounce jar of marinara (reserve ½ c for the top).
- Next, using a round dish that fits within your Instant Pot (A springform pan with aluminum foil to catch any drippings works) layer half of your lasagna meat, mozzarella and ricotta cheese mixture repeating for a second time until no ingredients remain. Top with ½ c of reserved marinara sauce.
- Place sling in Instant Pot over rack and pour in 1 cup of water.
- Set dish in instant pot. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if desired to keep condensation from dripping on the lasagna.
- Attach lid, close valve, and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
- Vent steam, remove the lid and serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:Post updated in January 2019. Originally published July 2016.
Katy says
Could u add cabbage to this for the noodle?
Lisa MarcAurele says
Cabbage should work. You may need to precook it, though.
txgrandma says
I made this tonight and it was very good. I did use the PIP method and it was okay but the cheese wasn’t melted when it depressurized and I removed it and so I just put it in the oven for a bit and it turned out well. Next time i will probably just make the whole thing in the oven or cook it longer in the IP. The recipe is so easy and has a great flavor. I suspect it will be even better as leftover in a couple of days. Thanks so much for your patience and posting this recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s definitely great as leftovers! The IP doesn’t brown cheese well, so sometimes I just stick the pan under the broiler.
Lisa says
I tried this directly in my instant pot. I browned the meat on the stove, added extra watered down sauce in the bottom of my pan, added additional sauce throughout, layered with Canadian bacon and pepperoni. Still got the burn message. I tried low pressure but still got the message. I turned my oven on 350, put my IP pot in there and cooked it for about 10-12 minutes. Since it had already started to cook in the IP it didn’t take too long in the oven. I would’ve sprinkled mozzarella all over the top before putting in oven but I was out. It needed it. Other than that, it was really good. My husband liked it and told me to add this my cook again list.
Lisa MarcAurele says
The pot method does seem to be the more fail proof method. I’m glad you were able to finish it in the oven.
Michelle says
I really like the taste and the fact that it is a low carb is a plus. The only problem I had was there was a lot of moisture and fell apart. I think I might decrease the amount of marinara the next time. Has anyone used less marinara?
Lisa MarcAurele says
You do need adequate liquid for pressure cooking. But you could try less sauce, especially if you are using the separate pot in the pot method.
Debbie Hughes says
I oven bake a recipe very similar to this using deli ham as the “pasta layer” and pepperoni on top of th3 final layer of cheese. Keto friendly and delish! Possibly the natural fat in the ham would prevent burning? Just researching Instant Pots so cant say for sure!
Lisa MarcAurele says
That sounds like a great idea for noodle layers! I bet it would work in the recipe.
Vonda says
Hello I’m gonna make this when I close the lid I press pressure cook press more 9 minutes do I turn the valve to sealing r just keep it in the middle and when it’s done turn to venting
Lisa MarcAurele says
When pressure cooking, you always need the valve in the sealing position.
Kimberly says
For those of you wondering if you don’t do the Pot in Pot, which I think was ill-advised not to put that in the title and wait until people have ALL their ingredients, and are at home preparing their meal when they suddenly realize they need a ice safe dish that fits in their insta pot. Not everyone has one, self-included. I went to looking for one at 10pm at night and couldn’t find one anywhere. Extremely frustrated I returned home and trie it without the PIP method. I kept getting the “burn” error message until finally i just went and dumped the rest of the marinar in the insta pot. That seemed to solve the problem. So my advice is, if your not doing the PIP method you’ll need to add A LOT more sauce than the recipe calls for. Wish I would have know this ahead of time.
Lisa says
The issue with burning is if there isn’t enough liquid in the pot when cooking under pressure. So a “watery” sauce is what’s needed to keep the lasagna from burning. Extra sauce should also prevent burning as you discovered.
ron says
I’ve been using a Pyrex 7 court container for pot in pot cooking. Gives you the pot, and it’s already in a storage container when you’re done.
I wonder if people were getting burn notices because the bottom wasn’t deglazing after browning the meat? That happened to me a few times.
Lisa says
Thanks for the tips Ron!
Melissa says
I have never posted for a recipe I made before but this time I had to. This was INCREDIBLE! I added a package of mushrooms I sautéed first, but other than that I followed your recipe exactly. I can’t believe how much it tastes like lasagne! This is hands down the best pasta substitute dish I’ve in the 1.5 years I’ve been keto. Thanks so much!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Melissa!
Roni says
I was just wondering about the net carb amount. You said it is 4 net carbs, but in the Nutritional Information, it says 7 total carbs and 1 fiber, which is 6 net carbs, right?
Lisa says
It’s 6g net carb based on the info. I’m not sure where the 4 net came from.
Char says
Is there a way to make this in he crockpot?
Lisa says
Absolutely! It would be pretty much the same procedure but just cooked longer at a lower temp.
Loni says
Can you use cottage cheese instead of ricotta? My family loves cottage cheese more than ricotta..
Lisa says
It should work out just as well, but I haven’t tried it.
Amanda says
YUM!!! I made sure to clean the pot between browning the meat & placing the little dish in for cooking the lasagna. Covered my dish in foil and cooked for 9 minutes. So good!!!
Regina says
Why is there an egg in it…I made a cheeseburger casserole it had egg in it…its horrible. I have never made a lasagna with egg before.
Lisa says
The egg thickens and helps hold the cheese mix together.
Laura says
Regina, if you don’t want to use the egg, don’t. Or, another option is just don’t make the recipe. I liken your comment to saying, “why did you put tuna in tuna casserole, I don’t like the way tuna tastes”
Ashley says
If I wanted to add sliced zucchini as layers for noodles do you think I should just add them in raw? Should I adjust cooking time at all? I just got an instant pot and am new to pressure cooking so I’m hesitant to make changes to any recipes. Thank you!
Lisa says
It should work as the PIP method is similar to an oven.
Haley says
Lisa,
As I read everyone’s comments and your suggestions, I went ahead and tried to find the right dish to do the PIP method in addition to covering with tin foil so that the condensation wouldn’t hit the cheese.
The result?
PERFECTION.
Thank you so much!! Love this recipe and especially when I have been needing a lasagna fix!
Lisa says
Yay! I’m so glad you got it to work out.
Madison says
Is there a modification for this to cooking in the oven? I don’t have a pot that will fit in my instantpot to do the pot in pot method…
Lisa says
You can bake it at 350F until heated throughout. I don’t use a pot-in-pot but so many people ended up burning their pot that I changed the recipe. It could be the ingredients they used as you do need enough liquid to properly pressure cook so if a thick sauce is used, it could burn.
Lizzie Randol says
If I don’t donpot in pot can I just layer it in my instant pot pot? If so should I adjust the cooking time and I’m assuming I don’t use water? Thanks
Lisa says
You’ll need to make sure there is plenty of liquid or water in the sauce otherwise it may burn under pressure.
Kathy says
Not worth the frustration!!
I keep getting the Burn error too. 😡
I sautéed my meat in a separate pan so started this recipe from step 3. PIP isn’t an option. So frustrated. Now I just have goupy soupy mess in my pot. ☹️
Lisa says
The note on burning is in step 3 so you should have seen it. Recipe has changed to only use the PIP method so no one else has the burning issue.
Joe says
My wife and I were very excited to try this recipe. After reading the comments I decided to brown the meat on the stove and then assemble everything in the Instant pot to cook. Assembled as directed and turn the instant pot on. It never even began its timed cycle before the BURN came on and stopped the machine. I think if you are planning on trying this I would say try the pot within and pot approach.
The food itself was OK it did taste like lasagna without noodles but there was far too much cheese and not enough meat. I would say to double the meat and leave the rest the same and it might have a chance to be OK. I don’t think we’ll ever know because it is not going into our meal routine.
I cook all the time and love doing it, I use many different methods from smoking, BBQ, stove top, slow cookers, deep fryers almost every way you can think. Got the instant for Christmas from my daughter and have used it about 5 times now and think it has a spot in our house. If this was the first recipe and time I used the instant pot I would be taking it back as this was a complete fail.
Thank you for the recipe and your time.
Samantha says
I didn’t read the comments prior to starting the recipe. I just ended up using the saute function in my IP and then transferring to a baking dish and baking in the oven since it seems that it burns the bottom of the IP following this recipe. It finished off in the oven quite well!
Lisa says
It seems the key is to make sure to turn off the sauté setting right away after the meat browns or to use the pot in pot method. Mine did not burn on the bottom, but I canceled the sauté right away and gave it time to cool before starting the pressure cycle.
Amanda says
Temp and how long do u cook it in the oven?
Lisa says
I’d do 350F until it’s heated throughout. It should be done in about 20 minutes or so.
Heidi says
Do you drain the grease from the meat before putting together?
My IP says not to make spaghetti sauce in it because of splattering-is this different because it’s. It just sauce.
Can you tell I just got mine and have t used lol
Lisa says
I use lean meat. You probably want to drain some of the grease if there’s lot in the pot. Since it’s not just a sauce, you should be fine. I believe the issue is the sauce steaming through the pressure valve when opened.
Paige says
This was the first recipe I ever made in my Instant Pot. It didn’t pressurize and the bottom burnt up pretty badly but my husband and I both still enjoyed it. That was a few weeks ago and my husband asked me to make it again tonight. As expected, it didn’t pressurize but I was careful to turn off sauté while preparing the layers so this time it didn’t burn. Yay! This will be a regular in my house… however, if you don’t add zoodles or noodles of any sort, this is more like “Meat and Cheese soup” or “Lasagna Chili” lol. Regardless, we like it 😁
Lisa says
Maybe that’s the issue that others are having. I always turn the sauté off right away when the meat is cooked.
Severin Molitor says
I think you fat content is a bit off pretty sure there is more then that just in the cheese
Lisa says
Recalculated and updated the recipe.
Tony Schwarz says
Terrible recipe. Burns badly. Really poor advice and no good responses to those, like me, who’ve ‘felt the burn’. Please stop advertising this as an Instant Pot recipe.
Lisa says
The comment has already been answered. It’s best to use the PIP (Pot In Pot) method.
Abby says
Mine burned too. I just switch it over to slow cook and I hope it is cooked well enough to eat.
Ashley says
I have to ask how this didn’t burn for you did you use PIP method? I didn’t read anything of thin liquid for the pot to come to pressure. Id love to make this but, dont have a pan at the moment that’ll fit my IP to do PIP. I eat low carb so noodle-less is me go to.
Lisa says
It didn’t burn for me, but it’s best to use the Pot in Pot method.
Ginger says
Thanks this is a simple dinner that tastes like full carb lasagna! I turned off the sauté after browning the beef as I put the layers together slowly. If I left it on I think It would have burned as the sauce was boiling hard.
This dinner will have a regular rotation in our home!
Lisa says
So glad it worked out for you!
Kathryn says
Do you just put on maual setting for 8-10 minutes? Or do you use of the presets? I’m co fused.
Lisa says
I use the manual setting.
Casey says
I’m curious to see if you’ve tried this again and found a way to make it without the bottom burning? I really want to try this and worried mine won’t come to pressure. I don’t know how to do the pot in pot and only have one pot for the IP.
thanks so much!
Lisa says
I’d say cook it in another pan on a rack in the IP.
Casey says
What kind of container though? I have no idea what this means?
Lisa says
I like to use a round Pyrex container that fits in the pot.
Ramona Ward says
Have you remade this again in a different way to solve the burning on the bottom? Flavors are wonderful but mine burnes on the bottom like others. Was just wondering if you ever revisited this recipe and found a better way.
Lisa says
I’d say cook it in a container on a rack. I’m not sure why mine has never burned on bottom.
Ariel says
Flavors were there but was very goopy. I will not be making again.
Lisa says
You could put some add-ins to beef it up a bit.
Cerissa says
This is delicious! But, like some of the others, my pressure cooker would not come to pressure and ended up burning the bottom. Next time I will cook it in a pot on the trivet with water on the bottom so that it will come to pressure. Thanks!
Lisa says
Good idea! I bet that would work. I’m still learning how to use the pressure cooker so I’ll try it that way next time.
Thomasa says
It was yummy! Only problem was it burned on the bottom and kept turning off my IP due to overheating. I figured after two tries of getting it to pressure it was cooked well enough.
Lisa says
Hmm. I wonder why I didn’t have this issue. Mine actually didn’t brown at all.
Cerissa says
I had this same problem. I suspected it would not come to pressure because the sauce was too thick, but thought I would try it anyway. I believe you really need to make this in a dish inside the pot with a cup of water under it for it to come to pressure. It was still delicious, even though the bottom was burned. I will try it the pot in pot method next time!
Casey says
How do you do pot in pot?
Carol says
I have never heard of an instant pot before! Sounds like something I will have to save up for. Does the cheese brown at all in this pot? That is what I like best about melted cheese. 🙂
Lisa says
It did brown a bit for me.
Chef Jon says
Save up for 2….after u buy one you will quickly realize you need another. Chevk out Amazon.com
amy says
I must have messed up somewhere along the way, plus my IP didn’t get pressure even though on High pressure for 8 minutes. It also was burned on the bottom when finished. It was a mess… just a heap of the mixture. Totally disappointed. Maybe I’ll attempt again but am disappointed and have to go to plan b for a teacher’s dinner item. 🙁
Lisa says
Did you check your valve and seal on the IP? I’ve never had anything burn in the IP.
kim says
Same here. I thought maybe the cycle didn’t run, so i did it again. Still no pressure and the bottom is burnt.
Nicole says
Is soooo yummy!! Thank you very much
Lisa says
You’re welcome!
Patricia says
I don’t know why I feel weird about it, but it’s OK to use foil in the IP, huh? Just checking.
Sounds like a good recipe – I’ll be using veggie crumbles in place of the meat. It’ll probably raise the carb count a little, but it’s still a ton below using pasta noodles. I doubt I’ll need any insulin for this at all.
Lisa says
Totally fine to use foil, but I didn’t bother. It’s similar to when you use a crock pot and don’t want the condensation dripping on the food.
Saoirse says
Thanks! I’m always looking for new recipes to use my Instant Pot. I was out of ideas for dinner tonight and this will be perfect and fast before taking the kids out to sports practices, etc.
Lisa says
It does come together quick and easy to feed the family of busy nights!
Nicole says
Right on time as always… Can you believe I was looking in vain for a recipe like this last week??? I haven’t yet tried out my new IP, and wanted a noodleless lasagna to be my initiation! I have to admit that I’m a little intimidated by it… So many buttons, etc! Wish me well please 🙂 as always… Thank you!!
Lisa says
I’m still learning my IP, but it’s much easier than it looks!
Chris says
How would you make this if you don’t have a pressure cooker? It looks really good but I don’t have an instant pot.
Lisa says
It could be made in the microwave. Just layer it into a microwavable dish after the meat is browned. You’d want to heat just until its hot and cook covered.
Cat says
How would you go about making this in the oven or a traditional slow-cooker? I don’t have an instant pot either and hate cooking with the microwave, but this looks great!
Lisa says
I would just put everything in a baking dish and bake at 350F until cheese is beginning to brown.