Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
There’s nothing quite like a bowl of comforting soup to warm you up on a cold night, and this Cheeseburger Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Packed with all the flavors of a classic cheeseburger, this hearty soup combines savory ground beef, tender potatoes, and a rich, cheesy broth that’s perfect for any occasion. Best of all, this one-pot meal is made entirely in the Instant Pot, making it an easy and delicious option for busy weeknights.

Ingredients
For this satisfying comfort food in a soup bowl, you need the following ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium white onion, finely diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste
- 2 cups red potatoes, chopped small
- 3 cups beef broth, preferably organic, divided
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Ground sirloin is an excellent choice for this recipe if you’re looking for leaner meat, but any ground beef will work just fine. As the beef browns, it’s essential to crumble it into small pieces for even cooking.

How To Make Cheeseburger Soup in the Instant Pot
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot® inner cooking pot and select the Sauté function. Use the “Adjust” button to select the “Normal” (medium) setting.
- Once hot, add the diced onion and ground beef. Add the Italian seasoning and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently and breaking the beef into small crumbles, until the onion begins to color and the beef is mostly browned, about 6 to 7 minutes.

- Push the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button. Pour in about ½ cup of the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the red potatoes and the remaining broth. Add the lid and lock it into place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” setting on “High.” Adjust the cook time to 3 minutes.

- When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam before carefully removing the lid.
- To prevent curdling, temper the heavy cream by adding 2-3 tablespoons of the hot liquid from inside the Instant Pot® to it before adding it to the pot. Stir the tempered cream into the soup.

- Add the cheddar cheese, one cup at a time, and stir until completely melted. Serve immediately, garnished with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, if desired. Enjoy!

If cozy soups are your kind of comfort food, you’ll love a few more of my favorites. Warm up with a hearty bowl of Easy Seven Can Soup, flavorful Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, or cheesy Lasagna Soup. For something with a little kick, try my White Bean Soup With Spicy Sausage. And for even more ideas, my easy soup and chili recipes roundup is packed with Crockpot and Instant Pot favorites for busy weeknights.

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot® inner cooking pot and select the Sauté function. Use the “Adjust” button to select the “Normal” (medium) setting.
- Once hot, add the diced onion and ground beef. Add the Italian seasoning and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently and breaking the beef into small crumbles, until the onion begins to color and the beef is mostly browned, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Push the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button. Pour in about ½ cup of the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the red potatoes and the remaining broth. Add the lid and lock it into place. Switch the vent to "Sealing" and select the "Manual" setting on "High." Adjust the cook time to 3 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam before carefully removing the lid.
- To prevent curdling, temper the heavy cream by adding 2-3 tablespoons of the hot liquid from inside the Instant Pot® to it before adding it to the pot. Stir the tempered cream into the soup.
- Add the cheddar cheese, one cup at a time, and stir until completely melted. Serve immediately with some freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkle of smoked paprika for garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Storage
Cool leftovers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Freezing isn’t recommended, because the cream and cheese can separate and the potatoes turn grainy once thawed.
Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, and don’t let it boil, so the cheese stays smooth. If it’s thickened in the fridge, add a splash of beef broth or water.
Toppings
While this soup is delicious on its own, adding your favorite burger toppings can take it to the next level. Here are some ideas:
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack, Monterey jack, or Colby jack
- Diced onions
- Sliced pickles
- Crispy bacon bits
- Chives
- Sour cream
Tips for Best Results
- Cheese Melting: To ensure the cheese melts smoothly into the soup, use freshly grated cheese rather than pre-shredded, which often contains anti-caking agents that can prevent smooth melting.
- Thickening the Soup: If you prefer a thicker soup, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with cold water. Stir it in on the Sauté setting after pressure cooking and simmer until thickened, then add the cream and cheese.
- Bacon Crumbles: Cook bacon separately and add it as a topping just before serving to keep it crispy.
Substitutions
- Ground Beef: Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
- Potatoes: Use russet potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of red potatoes if preferred.
- Cheese: Velveeta adds an extra-creamy texture but makes the soup saltier, so taste before adding salt. Or try a mix of cheddar and cream cheese for a different flavor.
- Broth: Substitute chicken broth for beef broth if you prefer a milder flavor.
Variations
- Keto Cheeseburger Soup: For a lower-carb version, omit the potatoes and replace them with cauliflower florets. They will “melt” into the soup.
- Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup: Brown the ground beef and onions on the stove, then transfer them to a slow cooker with the potatoes and broth. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, then stir in the cream and cheese.
- Loaded Cheeseburger Soup: Add your favorite burger toppings directly into the soup, such as diced tomatoes, jalapeños, or even a swirl of ketchup and mustard for a true burger experience in soup form.
Calories in Cheeseburger Soup
A reader asked about the calorie count for this soup, and it’s a great question. I always appreciate it when readers reach out! To help anyone else wondering, here’s how the numbers break down.
I compared calorie counts from three sites: Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and FatSecret. The results varied a bit, which is normal, since brands and measurements make a difference. I went with Fitbit’s numbers:
- Lean ground sirloin (1 pound): 748 calories
- Heavy cream (½ cup): 416 calories
- Shredded cheddar cheese (4 cups): 1,760 calories
- Red potatoes (2 cups): 216 calories
- Extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons): 240 calories
That comes to 3,380 calories for the whole pot, or about 563 calories per serving if you divide it into 6 bowls. The onion, seasonings, and broth add only a little more, so you’re looking at roughly 575 calories per serving before toppings.
Want to lighten it up? The cheese makes up more than half of the calories, so that’s the easiest place to cut back. Using 2 cups of a sharp cheddar instead of 4 keeps plenty of flavor and saves about 145 calories per serving. You can also swap the heavy cream for half-and-half (temper it well, since it curdles more easily), or go easy on toppings like bacon and sour cream.
Last Bite
Love this Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup? If you make it, leave a star rating (it helps other cooks find the recipe) and tell me in the comments which toppings you piled on. Don’t forget to save it to Pinterest for your next game day or chilly evening!

Can you freeze it?
It might be possible, but I don’t recommend it because of the cream.
Is it really over 900 calories per serving?
Good news! It looks like the app that my blog uses is off on the calculations. There are NOT that many calories.
I went online and searched three sites for calories counts: Fitbit.com, MyFitnessPal.com, and Fatsecret.com. I did get various results which is to be expected since there are numerous variables.
After comparing the values at the sites, I decided to go with Fitbit’s calculations.
Using Fitbit’s calculations, we have the following calories 748 (sirloin) + 416 (heavy cream) + 1760 (shredded cheese) + 337 (red potatoes) + 240 (extra virgin olive oil) = 3501 calories. Divide that by 6 and it comes out to 583.50 per serving. That does not include the onion, seasoning, or broth (which only has 10 – 20 calories per cup). So all-in-all, I would say that there are less than 700 calories per serving.
Below are the calories I found at the different sites for the ingredients:
For the sirloin, I found the following nutrition caloric values:
• MyFitnessPal: 650
• Fitbit.com 748
• Fatsecret.com 912
½ cup heavy cream
• MyFitnessPal: 400
• Fitbit.com: 416
• Fatsecret.com: 411
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• MyFitnessPal: 1760
• Fitbit.com: 1760
• Fatsecret.com: 1940
1 Pound of Red Potatoes
• MyFitnessPal: 383
• Fitbit.com: 337
• Fatsecret.com: 327
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• MyFitnessPal: 240
• Fitbit.com: 240
• Fatsecret.com: 240
Nevermind! It was 3 minutes and tasted delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Just checking, 3 minutes is the cook time?
Yes.
Be sure that the potatoes are chopped small.
It will take a little bit of time for the Instant Pot to heat up, the 3 minutes of pressure cook time, plus the 10 minutes for the natural release. If you get through step 4 and the potatoes aren’t soft, then pressure cook it for 4-5 minutes more.
Then follow the rest of the directions.
I hope you enjoy it!