These easy hearty pita tacos are a fun twist on taco night. The taco filling is made in the Instant Pot and comes together in less than 30 minutes for a simple and delicious weeknight dinner.
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Instant Pot Pita Tacos are made with lean ground beef or turkey, diced onions, kidney beans, frozen corn, spices, and taco sauce and paired with a whole-wheat pita pocket. Topped off with sliced olives, cheese, green onions, and fresh cilantro.
When shopping for the ingredients for this recipe be sure you are buying pita pockets like these and not just flat pita bread.
Instant Pot Pita Tacos were inspired by my other easy 30-Minute Meals like Air Fried Fish Stick Tacos, Instant Pot Ravioli, 6-Ingredient Instant Pot Chili and it pairs perfectly with Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
Can You Cook Ground Meat In The Instant Pot?
Yes! One of the best features of the Instant Pot is the sauté function. Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot eliminates the need to brown the meat in a skillet and transfer, therefore dirtying fewer dishes. First, select the sauté function on the Instant Pot and add a few tablespoons of high temp cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil. When the display reads HOT add your ground meat and brown.
Pita Taco Ingredients:
- EVOO
- 1.5 Lbs lean ground beef
- 1 small white onion diced
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Sea salt
- Can dark red kidney beans
- Frozen corn
- Sweet bell peppers (red/orange/yellow)
- Taco sauce
- ¼ cup water
- Whole wheat pita pockets
- Optional Toppings:
- Sliced black olives
- Sliced green onions
- Shredded Colby jack cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
- Diced avocado
- Taco sauce/Hot sauce
How to make Instant Pot Pita Tacos
First, press and turn on the sauté function and add EVOO. When the display reads HOT add ground beef or turkey and brown. When the meat has little to no pink add diced onion and sautés until translucent. Using a wooden spatula scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to remove any stuck-on bits. Next add the beans, corn, peppers, spices, taco sauce, and water and stir to combine ingredients. Cancel or turn off the sauté function and lock the lid in place with the vent knob turned to the sealing position. Select pressure cook/manual high pressure and set the cooking time for 5 minutes.
When the cooking cycle is complete let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and stir. If the sauce needs to thicken a bit return the Instant Pot to sauté function again for 2-3 minutes. Halve pita pockets and carefully open them up to form a pocket. Spoon the meat mixture inside and top with cheese, green onions, cilantro, and taco sauce.
How To Use leftovers
Store meat mixture in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Pita tacos make a quick lunch or use the leftover meat mixture on a bed of romaine lettuce for a quick taco salad.
How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In The Instant Pot
If you forgot to take the meat out for dinner don’t stress, the Instant Pot can be used to easily defrost and cook the frozen block of ground beef.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot, place the metal trivet into the pot, and set the frozen ground beef on the trivet. Pressure cook 1 lb. for 20 minutes, 2 lbs.
- for 23 minutes.
- NPR 5 min if you’re not in too much of a hurry to avoid drying out the meat.
- QR remaining pressure
- Remove trivet with meat and set to the side.
- Clean out the inner pot and place meat back into the pot.
- Using a meat masher like this one break up the ground meat. If the meat is not completely cooked return the Instant Pot to the sauté function and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked.
Easy 30 Minute Instant Pot Recipes To Make Tonight
Instant Pot Pita Tacos
Whole wheat hearty pita tacos
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbs EVOO
- 1.5 Lbs lean ground beef
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 sweet bell peppers diced (red/orange/yellow)
- ¾ cup taco sauce
- ¼ cup water
- Whole wheat pita pockets
Toppings
- Sliced black olives
- Sliced green onions
- Shredded Colby jack cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
- Diced avocado
- Taco sauce/Hot sauce
Instructions
- Turn on the saute function and add 1-2 Tbs of EVOO.
- When the display reads HOT add ground beef and brown.
- When the ground beef has little to no pink left, add the diced onion and stir.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot ensuring there is nothing stuck to the bottom,
- Add the kidney beans, frozen corn, diced peppers, spices, taco sauce, and water.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients and cancel the saute function.
- Lock Instant Pot lid in place and select pressure cook for 5 min on high.
- When the cooking cycle is complete let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure carefully and remove the lid.
- Stir taco meat if needed return to saute to thicken the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
- Halve pita bread pockets and carefully open them up to make a taco.
- Fill pita taco with taco meat and top with your choice of toppings.
Notes
Be sure to use pita pockets and not pita flat bread if you want the fillable style pita shell.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 456Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 592mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 35g
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Such a yummy, delicious and easy recipe. Love how everything comes together in one pot and the texture is just perfect.
Thank you! They are an easy kid-friendly recipe.