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Home » Mains » Vegan Hamburger Helper (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Vegan Hamburger Helper (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

July 7, 2019 / Updated February 28, 2020 / By Verna / 36 Comments

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Vegan Hamburger Helper at its best, homemade and delicious! This revised classic is easy, ready in minutes, so much better than the original and healthy too! Instant pot or stovetop option.

vegan hamburger helper in two white bowls on a wooden cutting board

Yes Hamburger helper veganized! Made with Gardein Beefless Ground, straight cut macaroni, Rotel tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs and spices! Whipped up in the instant pot in minutes! Comes out perfect everytime!! Saucy and full of noodles!

If you prefer straight cut macaroni pasta rather then elbow macaroni noodles you can buy them here (this is what I buy, they’re my favourite)

Ok guys who grew up eating hamburger helper? Yummy right!! For special occasions we brought out the tv trays ( yah I now that dates me ?) sat in front of the tv and chowed down on frozen TV dinners or take out Chinese ( which we had to pick up haha) or hamburger helper- Yum!! You know, all the healthy stuff. lol! YAY for Walt Disney Sundays!

vegan hamburger helper in a white bowl

vegan hamburger helper in a white bowl with a spoon

Well now you can have Hamburger Helper and feel good about it! This vegan version is full of flavour, pretty darn healthy, meat free and Grandkid approved! Woo hoo!

How to make Vegan Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot:

  1. First chop the onions and garlic and get all the other ingredients ready.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ and once Hot add the onions, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Now add the chopped garlic and frozen Gardein Beefless Ground. Stir for a minute until the vegan meat crumbles defrost and the garlic is fragrant.
  4. Press ‘Cancel’ on the Instant Pot. Add in the rest of ingredients and stir. Cover with lid and secure it properly.
  5. Set the pressure valve to ‘Seal’ Then Press the “Pressure Cooker’ button and manually set the timer for 4 minutes (with the + and - signs). It will then start automatically.
  6. When time is up carefully and quickly turn the valve from ‘seal’ to ‘Venting’ ( I use a dishcloth, it will be hot) Once all the pressure is released, remove the lid. Stir the Hamburger Helper and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
  7. Serve with hot sauce if you like (I like Valentina’s)
  8. Enjoy! For Stovetop instructions and full recipe ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.

four picture collage how to make vegan hamburger helper in an instant pot

vegan hamburger helper in a white bowl

Ok let's make some Vegan Hamburger Helper! It's 

a quick and easy Instant pot meal!

full of noodles

Grandkid approved!

saucy

absolutely delicious and addicting!

kid friendly

Enjoy guys! Happy day to you? feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.

Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based Vegan Recipes❤️

Here are some more tasty Vegan Pasta recipes for you: 

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta (Tomato Sauce) (Vegan)
Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce (Cashews)
Vegan Bolognese (Hearty & Healthy)
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Daiya)
Meatless Vegetable Lasagna (Vegan)

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vegan hamburger helper in two white bowls on a wooden cutting board

Vegan Hamburger Helper (Instant Pot or Stovetop)


★★★★★

5 from 12 reviews

  • Author: Verna
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
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Description

Vegan Hamburger Helper at its best, homemade and delicious! This revised classic is easy, ready in minutes, so much better than the original and healthy too!  Instant pot or stovetop option.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon oil, I use grape seed oil
  • 1 small-medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped small
  • 1 and 1/2 cups Gardein Beefless Ground Crumbles
  • 1 (281 ml) (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies ( I use Rotel mild)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base
  • 3 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles ( I buy these here, they are my favourite)

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. First chop the onions and garlic and get all the other ingredients ready.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ and once Hot add the onions, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Now add the chopped garlic and frozen Gardein Beefless Ground. Stir for a minute until the vegan meat crumbles defrost and the garlic is fragrant.
  4. Press ‘Cancel’ on the Instant Pot. Add in the rest of ingredients and stir. Cover with lid and secure it properly.
  5. Set the pressure valve to ‘Seal’ Then Press the “Pressure Cooker’ button and manually set the timer, high pressure for 4 minutes (with the + and - signs). It will then start automatically.
  6. When time is up carefully and quickly turn the pressure release valve from ‘seal’ to ‘Venting’ ( I use a dishcloth, it will be hot) Once all the pressure is released, remove the lid. Stir the Hamburger Helper and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
  7. Enjoy your Vegan hamburger helper!
  8. Serve with hot sauce if you like (I like Valentina’s)

Stovetop Instructions:

  1. Set a heavy bottomed pot (dutch oven) to medium heat. when hot add the onions, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or so till onions are softening and browning a bit.
  2. Add the garlic and Gardein Beefless Ground. Stir for a minute until the vegan meat crumbles defrost and the garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Stir well then Cover and cook for 7 minutes. (I like to stir once in between cooking in case the noodles are sticking).
  4. Remove from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes, covered.
  5. Remove the lid, stir and season with salt and pepper if necessary
  6. Enjoy!
  7. Serve with hot sauce if you like (I like Valentina’s)

Notes

  • I like to use straight cut macaroni noodles for this recipe (here is the link)  Elbow macaroni works great too. You can sometimes find Catelli brand Straight cut macaroni in the grocery stores or Walmart.
  • I am sure other vegan meat crumble brands would work. I have only made this recipe using Gardein Beefless Ground, they are my fav!
  • If you want your Hamburger Helper spicier, add a little more chili powder (I usually add another 1/2 tablespoon if it's just adults) and or add regular or hot Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green chilies in place of 'mild'
  • Category: Mains,
  • Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: vegan hamburger helper, instant pot, hamburger helper, easy, homemade, classic, best,

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

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Comments

  1. Hannah

    November 12, 2020 at 10:41 am

    For the vegan ground beef in the hamburger helper do you think I could use beyond meat or impossible burger?? They are my go to’s. and also I was thinking of adding some vegan cheese also. Would that work?

    Reply
    • Verna

      November 12, 2020 at 10:48 am

      You bet! they would work great! just cook meat first and then stir into the pasta at the end. The cheese would work well stirred in at the end as well! Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Amanda Banden

    September 15, 2020 at 6:21 am

    It’s a hit with the whole family and so easy to make.
    This will become a regular dinner at our house.
    Thanks so much!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      September 15, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      I'm thrilled your family enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your comment Amanda!xo

      Reply
  3. Marlena

    August 14, 2020 at 3:18 am

    Our boys love this hamburger helper recipe!! My husband makes it once a week for them. They’d eat it everyday if we let then haha! Very good recipe, thanks so much for this!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      August 14, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Oh thanks so much Marlena! You just made my day! glad they're enjoying the pasta!

      Reply
  4. Krista

    July 30, 2020 at 5:05 am

    Made this tonight and it was awesome!! Will be added to my recipe book! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Verna

      July 30, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Yay!! Thanks Krista, appreciate your comment. So happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Jennifer

    April 29, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    Can’t wait to try this. We use to eat hamburger helper stroganoff when I was a kid! This recipe looks and sounds delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      April 29, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      Thanks Jennifer! Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Erinn

    April 29, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    This is the best vegan hamburger helper! we use Mac and cheese noodles for ours and love it!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      April 29, 2020 at 8:07 pm

      Nice! So happy you're enjoying it Erinn! Thank you for commenting!

      Reply
  7. Justin @ DailyVeganMeal

    March 22, 2020 at 11:32 pm

    Very tasty recipe! We made it in the instantpot, and didn't have macaroni noodles. We used bowtie instead. We thickened the sauce up a little with some tomato paste. Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      March 23, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed the hamburger helper. Bowtie pasta sounds great! Thanks so much for your comment Justin

      Reply
  8. Kayla

    February 26, 2020 at 12:06 am

    Very good! Had to cut back on chili powder and cumin. Had a very good taste! Will continue to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      February 26, 2020 at 12:40 am

      Glad you enjoyed it Kayla! Thank so much for your for your comment! Have a great day!

      Reply
  9. Victoria

    February 10, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    I made this for supper last night, I added some chopped green and yellow peppers that needed to be used up. It was delicious, even my husband commented on it and he is a meat eater. Will definitely make again. Thanks !

    Reply
    • Verna

      February 10, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Thank you so much Victoria. So glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Love the addition of peppers!

      Reply
  10. Shay

    January 25, 2020 at 11:36 pm

    Is this high pressure or low?

    Reply
    • Verna

      January 25, 2020 at 11:50 pm

      high pressure😊 I will add that in the instructions Shay. Have a great day enjoy the hamburger helper!

      Reply
  11. Kirsten

    January 11, 2020 at 4:31 pm

    I've never had the original hamburger helper so I have no idea how this compares. But it's great! It scratches that junk supper itch while being hearty, filling, healthy, and way more delicious abs satisfying. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    I'm new to your site and with a little browsing this morning, have found a treasure trove of new recipes to try. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      January 11, 2020 at 4:46 pm

      Oh thank you so much Kirsten! Thrilled you enjoyed the pasta! Happy recipe browsing😊

      Reply
  12. Tanya

    August 08, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    My kids are in love with this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      August 08, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      Oh I'm so glad they are enjoying the noodles! Really appreciate your comment Tanya. Have a great day!

      Reply
  13. Brenda

    July 23, 2019 at 10:52 pm

    Could I use brown rice noodles?

    Reply
    • Verna

      July 24, 2019 at 1:48 am

      Hi Brenda, I haven't tried it with brown rice noodles but I can't see why it wouldn't work? Enjoy

      Reply
  14. Mandy

    July 23, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    Ok! We were blown away by this recipe! It is SO good! Our 2 young boys couldn't shovel it in fast enough! This is a new favourite around here! So appreciated thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      July 24, 2019 at 1:47 am

      that's great! so glad they liked it Mandy. Thank you so much for your comment!

      Reply
  15. Ashley

    July 21, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    Sooo Good! I just used a can of fire roasted tomatoes, all I had, chick pea macaroni, and a packet of concentrated veggie broth. Delish! Whole family ate it for lunch, and went back for seconds! Thank you for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Verna

      July 21, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      I'm so glad you all enjoyed the recipe! Roasted tomatoes are a great choice too! Thank you so much for your comment Ashley!?

      Reply
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