Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce with ground beef, peppers, onions, garlic, herbs, and tomato sauce this delectable recipe is very simple to make in your pressure cooker! Simple ingredients and only a few steps will have this recipe on your table with minimal effort. This recipe is high protein, low carb, sugar-free, and keto-friendly!

The Best Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
It's So Easy
This is an easy spaghetti sauce recipe! I love that there are only a few steps and its the perfect quick recipe for a busy weeknight! This recipe has ground beef so it really becomes a meal in one.
Better Than Store-Bought
This is my go-to spaghetti sauce recipe because it is so easy to make. It is WAY better than store-bought sauce, it is healthy, and I love that you know what ingredients are in it.
Family Friendly Recipe!
Most kids love spaghetti sauce, this makes it a perfect family-friendly recipe that everyone will eat!
3 Ways To Make It
Three ways to cook this amazing sauce! Making spaghetti sauce in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) is certainly convenient, but this can also be easily made in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. I have provided instructions for making all three ways. The Instant Pot and Stovetop method are true one-pot recipes.
Slow cooker spaghetti sauce is perfect if you cook the beef, peppers, and onions ahead of time. While you have to brown the ground beef and cook the peppers and onions in a separate pan, cooking the sauce low and slow add day is definitely delicious! Then add the remaining ingredients on the day you want to serve the sauce.
Healthy Spaghetti Sauce
This spaghetti sauce recipe has no added sugar (nor chemicals), which is perfect for someone who is trying to watch their sugar intake. It is also high in protein, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
What You'll Need
Here's what you'll need to make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce:
- Ground beef
- Tomato sauce
- Onion, diced
- Green pepper, diced
- Garlic, minced
- Bay leaf
- Worcestershire
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
While I created this recipe to make in your pressure cooker, you can certainly make it in the slow cooker and on the stove! I have included directions for all three methods below:
Saute Ground Beef and Vegetables
Using pressure cooker saute setting (high heat), ground beef, onion, and green pepper until beef is browned.
Pressure Cook Sauce
Stir in remaining ingredients and lock lid.
Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high. Allow a 15 minute natural release, then follow with a quick pressure release.
Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, or favorite veggies.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onion, bell pepper, and ground beef until the beef is browned and the vegetables are soft.
- Add to slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Stovetop Spaghetti Sauce
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, pepper, and onions until the beef is brown and the vegetables are soft.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
FAQ's
There are a lot of similarities and nowadays the terms are often used interchangeably, however, spaghetti sauce typically has meat, while marinara does not.
Yes! Tomatoes are definitely keto-friendly. They are also loaded with vitamins and healthy for most diets!
Yes. You can substitute fresh tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. You will need to blanch, peel, seed, and quarter the tomatoes. Then, add them to a saucepan over medium-high, bringing them to a gentle boil.
As the tomatoes are heating, crush them in the pot with a spoon. Crushing the tomatoes releases the juices. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are soft and boiling gently for approximately 5 minutes.
Process tomatoes with an immersion blender until you have a smooth sauce.
If you do not have an immersion blender, process small batches in a blender - be careful not to overload your blender or you will have hot tomato juice everywhere! Ask me how I know this! LOL!
Yes. You can substitute fresh tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. You will need to blanch, peel, seed, and quarter the tomatoes. Then, add them to a saucepan over medium-high, bringing them to a gentle boil.
As the tomatoes are heating, crush them in the pot with a spoon. Crushing the tomatoes releases the juices. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are soft and boiling gently for approximately 5 minutes.
Process tomatoes with an immersion blender until you have a smooth sauce.
If you do not have an immersion blender, process small batches in a blender - be careful not to overload your blender or you will have hot tomato juice everywhere! Ask me how I know this! LOL!
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 medium green pepper (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
- Using pressure cooker saute setting (high heat), ground beef, onion, and green pepper until beef is browned.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and lock lid. Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high. Allow a 15 natural release, then follow with a quick pressure release. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, favorite veggies, or meatballs.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion, bell pepper, and ground beef until beef is browned and vegetables are soft.
- Add to slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Stovetop Method
- In a dutch oven over medium-high heat cook ground beef, pepper, and onions until beef is brown and vegetables are soft. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Video
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
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This Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is super easy to make and a healthy recipe! Low carb and keto spaghetti sauce that is perfect for your whole family. You'll never buy jarred spaghetti again when you see how easy and delicious this is. Not only is this a pressure cooker spaghetti sauce but you can also make it a slow cooker spaghetti sauce or on your stovetop! #instantpot #pressurecooker #slowcooker #keto #lowcarb #italian #easyrecipe #healthyrecipe
BT Saucedo
Instead of cooking hamburger meat, can I just add frozen meatballs to the sauce before I start the pressure cooker time?
Kori
I haven't done it, but I don't see why not. The sauce might be slightly runnier since it won't have the meat incorporated within it, but the meatballs should taste quite delicious! 🙂 The flavor of the meatballs should replace the ground beef juices too. Let me know how it turns out!
Caryn
Can I double the recipe? Or will it explode when I try and relieve some pressure?
Kori
As long as you don't go over the maximum fill line in your pot you will be fine. When I made this recipe I used an Instant Pot that holds 5 quarts up to the max line. I looked at the pictures on the site and it looks like the ingredients aren't even 1/2 way up to the max line. Based upon my pot I could double the recipe. I'm not sure what model or pot you have so it's hard to tell. I would start it in your pressure cooker and then if your ingredients are more than your pot's max, just stop and transfer to your stovetop and simmer, covered, on the stove for 15 minutes. Either way, you'll have spaghetti sauce! 🙂
Michelle
What is a serving size?
Kori
Approximately 1 1/2 cups of sauce
Maggie
Are you using a red onion in this recipe?
seekinggoodeats
Hi! I used red onion in the photos but you can use whatever onion you have on hand. I sub different onions all the time 🙂
Rita
Yum. So easy and delicious!!! Thank you!!