Easiest Instant Pot Meatballs - Recipes From A Pantry (2024)

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You have landed on the best Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe the internet can give you. They are quick and easy to make with minimum prep and a few minutes of cooking in the Instant Pot. A great make-ahead freezer meal.

Suitable for Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, and Gluten-Free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

These are the BEST Instant Pot Meatballs EVER. I know I can say this since I have worked my way through a gazillion different versions of Instant Pot meatballs recipes to make sure I really bring you THE BEST version.

Allow me to demonstrate just how easy this recipe is. Flavorful and juicy meatballs in a herby tomato sauce all cooked up in the Instant Pot in just 5 minutes. It truly doesn’t get much better – or easier – than Instant Pot recipes like this!

You don’t have to fry or bake the meatballs first, you don’t have to simmer the tomato sauce away. Nope, not for this recipe. To cook meatballs, you just add the ingredients, press start, and let the Instant Pot do the work for you. #instantpotforthewin

Yeap, these Instant Pot meatballs are all about simple, good quality, pantry staple ingredients that you can throw together in a heartbeat for an easy yet impressive meal.

If you like this easy pressure cooker meatball recipe, you’ll definitely want to learn How to Cook Frozen Meatballs. And while you’re at it, check out my effortless recipes for Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs and Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs (that’s right, grape jelly!).

Effortless Instant pot cooking is just one of the things that makes this recipe for tender meatballs a great option for weeknight suppers, busy life moments, and whenever you are short on time. You are very welcome!!!

Why Make This Meatball Recipe

• Make Ahead – batch cooking these Instant Pot Meatballs and marinara sauce, then refrigerating and reheating meatballs is so easy
• Freezer Friendly – freeze meatballs, then thaw and use them to make all sorts of delicious meals.
• Meatballs for a crowd – double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd.
• Meal Planning Friendly – use these juicy meatballs for the basis of a whole week’s worth of meal planning. See some ideas below.
• Family Friendly – seriously the whole family will love them.
• Immensely adaptable – add herbs and spices to your taste.
• Diet Friendly – low carb, keto, and gluten free.

Recipe Tools

Ingredients Notes

• Ground Beef – can also use pork, turkey, or a combination.
• Water – or use beef broth for added flavor.
• Green onions– finely chopped.
• Eggs – to bind the meatballs.
• Almond flour – keeps these meatballs keto, paleo, and gluten free.
• Grated Parmesan cheese – optional but adds great flavor.
• Herbs – parsley, dried oregano, garlic purée for classic Italian meatball flair.
• Salt –add to taste.
• Olive oil – or swap for no-calorie cooking spray.
• Diced tomatoes– or crushed tomatoes. Make sure to they are sugar free.
• Red Wine vinegar – gives the marinara sauce a nice depth of flavor.
• Italian seasoning – add more or less to the sauce, as desired.

So are you ready to learn how easy it is to cook the best meatballs in Instant Pot? Then gather all your ingredients and let me show you…..

How To Make Instant Pot Meatballs

1. Combinethe ground beef with the rest of the meatballingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Form the meat mixture intoballsusing your hands or a small ice cream scoop.
3. Oil theInstantPotinsert, then add themeat balls (you can layer them if needed)
4. Add the tomatoes, water, vinegar, and herbs.
5. Cover theInstantPot, turn the valve to sealing, and set to manual pressure/ high pressure for 5 minutes.
6. Allow for a 10-minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick pressure release of any remaining pressure.

How To Cook Frozen Meatballs

1. Oil theInstantPotinsert, then add in thefrozen meatballs (it’s okay to layer them if needed).
2. Pour the tomatoes, water, vinegar, and herbs over the meatballs in the inner pot.
3. Cover theInstantPot, turn the valve to the sealing position, and set to manual pressure/high pressure for 5 minutes.
4. When done, allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release, and then quick release the rest.

See how easy it is to make these awesome homemade meatballs?

Tips For Success

• This was designed as a ‘one pan dump everything in and press go’ Instant Pot recipe for busy moments in your life. If you have time and prefer to, then please go ahead and brown the meatballs first. Just brown them using the saute function in batches in the Instant Pot until done.
• Don’t forget to deglaze the Instant Pot insert before cooking meatballs in the sauce if you brown the meatballs first.
• If you like a rich tomato sauce, add some tomato paste.
• To make life even easier feel free to use a pre-made tomato sauce or some store-bought pasta sauce.
• The total cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
• You can use regular bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs if you are not following a low carb or gluten-free diet.
• I find ground beef with some fat works best when making these beef meatballs. However, if you are trying to reduce the calories, then use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.

Recipe Variations

• Change the spicesand herbs – Feel free to add in Tuscan seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, dried rosemary, red pepper flakes, chipotle paste, etc.
• Swap in bread crumbs– Instead of almond flour, you can use gluten free breadcrumbs, regular breadcrumbs, or panko breadcrumbs if you prefer.
• Use broth – Swapping the water for beef broth or chicken broth adds so much flavor.
• Swap the meat – instead of beef meatballs, make pork, chicken, or turkey meatballs or create a flavorful meat mixture by combining different meats together.
• Top them with cheese – Transfer Instant Pot meatballs to a broil-safe dish, top with grates parmesan cheese and broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted.
• Change the sauce – Use bbq sauce instead of tomatoes for a totally different flavor profile.

Prep Ahead And Storage

This pressure cooker meatballs recipe is super freezer-friendly, which means it is ideally suited for meal prep. Simply whip up a batch (or double or even triple) and then store it in the freezer until you’re ready to use.

• Prep Ahead– Pressure cook these meatballs up to a few days in advance and reheated when needed.
• Store– Leftover meatballs cook in pasta sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze– Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze this;
  • Transfer into these convenientZiploc freezer bags.
  • Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
  • Label the bags and then lay them flat on a baking sheet in thefreezer.
  • Store in the freezer for 3 months.
  • To make reheating easier, freeze in the right portion sizes that you need for the future.
• To Thaw – Remove the meatballs from the freezer the night before needed and let thaw in the fridge.
• Reheat – To reheat, simply let them thaw out in the fridge and then reheat in a saucepan over low heat so that the meatballs stay moist.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This low carb meatballs and spaghetti sauce recipe is so versatile! Try serving on top of zucchini noodles, turning them into hearty meatball subs, or serve meatballs with toothpicks as a delicious appetizer or game day snack!

Meal Planning Ideas

So the great thing about the best Instant Pot Meatballs is that they can be an awesome base for meal planning.

There are a gazillion ways you can use these for meal planning. I suggest a few ideas of what to serve with your meatballs here, but please don’t be limited by these ideas. They are just a starting point.

More Recipes You May Like

• How to Make Meatballs.
• How To Freeze Meatballs.
• How To Cook Frozen Meatballs.
• Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
• How To Cook Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Easy Instant Pot Chili.
• Instant Pot Sloppy Joes.
• Juicy Instant Pot Hamburgers.
• Instant Pot Chili Mac.
• Instant Pot Swiss Steak.
• Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli.
• Instant Pot Pot Roast.
• Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Weight Watchers Points

If you use calorie-controlled cooking spray instead of olive oil, as well as lean ground turkey, there are 2 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

Thank you for reading myInstant Pot Meatballs recipe post.And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordableAir Fryerrecipes,Instant PotRecipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Originally published August 2018. Republished August 2020. Updated January 2023.