These Instant Pot Meatballs are the easiest way to make meatballs EVER. No browning or sautéeing. Just throw them in the sauce uncooked and let the Instant Pot do the rest!
Try these Instant Pot Meatballs with some of our favorite side dishes or salads. If it’s bread you are looking for, you can never go wrong with Hot & Cheesy Garlic Bread, Breadtwists, or our Parmesan Pull Apart bread.
Instant Pot Meatballs
Meatballs in the Instant Pot are THE way to go when it comes to meatballs. They really couldn’t be easier! When cooking meatballs in a pan they can crumble and fall apart. Baking them can dry them out. Cooking them in the Instant Pot is easier AND tastes better. By cooking them in the sauce the meaty flavor infuses the sauce and makes it so much more flavorful. Instant Pot Meatballs can be shaped, thrown in and cooked without falling apart AT ALL. The meatballs stay tightly packed and don’t crumble in the sauce!
Cooking the Meatballs in the Instant Pot
See? Uncooked! Crazy right? The first time I made these, I was a little worried. I thought that the meatballs wouldn’t keep their shape and I would end up having meat sauce, which happens to me more than I would care to admit when I am making meatballs in a skillet. I don’t know why they don’t fall apart in the Instant Pot. It’s like magic. I also need to mention that this will work great in ANY kind of pressure cooker. No matter what you use, you will get the same results.
Avoiding The Burn Notice
Tomato based sauces can be tricky in an Instant Pot because tomatoes have a tendency to burn easily. Make sure your sauce is thin enough to create steam and seal the pot. You can thin it out by adding a can of diced tomatoes or even just a little water. If you are worried about it being TOO thin, you can always add tomato paste or tomato sauce to your pasta sauce after the meatballs are done cooking. I like using my homemade canned sauce because the consistency is just right. If it seems too thin afterwards, I will add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and that usually does the trick.
Tips for Cooking and Serving
- For this recipe I used our own Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce but you can use your own recipe or just store-bought spaghetti sauce. No matter what you use, it is going to be awesome. Even store-bought spaghetti sauce will be kicked up a notch because the meatballs will be cooked in it, giving it an incredible flavor.
- Not a huge fan of ground beef? Feel free to try ground turkey or ground chicken meatballs too!
- These meatballs can easily be made gluten free if you want to switch out the Panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can also use gluten free oats if you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand.
- Of course, you will want to serve these meatballs over gluten-free pasta if you have an intolerance to gluten. If GF pasta isn’t your thing, you can also use zoodles (spiralized zucchini) or you can use spaghetti squash.
Want More Instant Pot Recipes?
Strapped for time? We have dozens of delicious dinners that come together in no time! Check out some of our Instant Pot favorites:
- Sunday Pot Roast Instant Pot Recipe
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Gravy
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef lean
- 1/2 cup onion grated
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cup spaghetti sauce (see notes above)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except spaghetti sauce) until well mixed. Mixing together with your hands works great.Form into balls using hands or small ice cream scoop. You want them to be slightly smaller than a golf ball.
- Spray bottom of Instant Pot with cooking spray and add spaghetti sauce. Place meatballs over the sauce, layering them if necessary. It's OK if they touch, just don't squish them too much.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and switch valve to "sealing". Press "Manual" and set to high pressure for 7 minutes.
- After you hear the timer go off, allow to slow release for another 5 minutes and then do the quick release (you do this by carefully switching the tab to "venting"). Remove lid from Instant Pot, stir, and serve over cooked pasta noodles.
Equipment
- 6-Quart Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (See Instant Pot Note Below)
Notes
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Kate says
LOVE THESE MEATBALLS!!!
I am an Instapot virgin haha, so I came here to get the easiest recipes. This recipe was the first one I tried. I’ve made these heavenly meatballs quite a few times now, and today i though I must leave a 5-star review that I always forget to write.
Echo Blickenstaff says
YAY!!! I’m happy this recipe was a success for you. Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
Jeffra says
Basic spaghetti and meatballs. It is exactly what it is, nothing more. Very easy to make, quick (7 minutes plus warm up and cooldown). No browning, just drop the meatballs into the sauce and hit start. Easy and perfect for a quick meal after work.
Meg says
My family loves this recipe! And it’s so easy compared to the way I used to make meatballs. Thank you.
Melissa says
How do you suggest cooking these if I made the meatballs ahead of time and froze them? Then cooked them from frozen?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I would try them on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, with a natural release after!
Delilah Jones says
This was so easy to make and my picky husband LOVES them!
Jamison J Haubenstricker says
Hands down the best spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever had! Way better than any Italian restaurant. The kitchen smelled delicious for a full day afterward.
Beth says
This looks so delicious and tasty! I’m so excited to give this a try! My family and I are going to love this!
Lisalia says
So easy to make and a new family favorite. Instant pot makes it even easier! Thank you!
Valentina says
LOVE these instant pot meatballs recipe! Thank you for this recipe.
Burn food says
It sucks. Burns everytime.
Echo Blickenstaff says
I’m sorry this burned for you. What brand and what model of Instant Pot do you have?
Maddy says
Ok try this…put 3/4 cup water in your pot, then trivet. Then meatballs atop the trivet and then pour sauce on top.
Lisa says
Although they look and smell good 7 min in my instant pot did not work, they were completely raw. 😁 so turning back on.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Oh shoot! How did they turn out after the additional time?
reluctant cook says
Would the time be the same if I make this with turkey mince instead of beef?
Thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
We haven’t tried it with turkey before, so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it turns out if you do try it!
Emily says
Great Recipe! Easy, fast and absolutely delicious! I highly recommend trying this excellent dish and even playing around with it. It is a great dish for everyone. We enjoy the meat balls with pasta and on their own with other sides. Give it a try, you won’t regret it!
Sadiya Ahmed says
Hi!! Excited to try this recipe. Could I substitute two tablespoons of milk with Ricotta cheese to make it extra creamy and rich?
Sadiya
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not sure! Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
Bridget says
These were great and my picky eater hubby even made a meatball sandwich the next day! I have a 3 quart Instant Pot and got the burn message before the timer started to count down when it was still on preheat. I unplugged the Instant pot and tried the quick release but there was no steam coming out. I removed the lid and did a temperature check on the meatballs and it said they were 145 degrees so I gently stirred them around and then put lid back on and Instant Pot unplugged. I kept them in for 5 minutes while I finished the noodles. Next time I might try putting the trivet (that came with the Instant Pot) in before the sauce and meatballs. I did not use the trivet this time.
Lu says
Hi!!!!
This looks amazing! I’m going to try it today! Do you think after cooking the meatballs, I could add some more water, the pasta on top and more tomato sauce and set it on high pressure 7 more minutes? 🤔
Thanks for sharing!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not sure! Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Damaris says
So simple and easy to follow but what’s even better is the flavor. These were amazing! I’m not a fan of cooking so I have to follow recipes in order to avoid disaster, lol! I was afraid I’d get the burn signal some were having but it didn’t come up. Instead the meatballs were delicious and perfect! Will be making this again and again…thanks!
Terri-Ann says
Great recipe!! My first time using IP for meatballs. I did slightly change the recipe. I used my own breadcrumb mixture and half ground beef, half ground pork. This recipe is a must try!! Thanks!! I will definitely try more of your recipes!!!
Angela says
Meatballs are one thing I haven’t tried in my IP yet. I had to give them a try. So easy!
Lata Lala says
This really is the easiest recipe I have come across without browning. I seem to love instant pot recipes these days!
Katherine says
No browning? Hurrah! These meatballs look incredible and so easy in the IP.
Emily says
This really is the easiest recipe and was a hit with my whole family! I love instant pot recipes these days!
Alisha Rodrigues says
Spaghetti and meatballs sauce is a match made in heaven .. I love all that your recipe has in there. Gotta try it out soon…
Norma says
I had to give this a try…being from an Italian family it is unheard of to not brown the meatballs but I tried this and it was delicious…..what a time saver!!!!!
Nicole says
Unfortunately I got the “burn food” message half way into cooking these! 🙁 I tried cancelling and adding sauce and stirring slightly but got the same message the 2nd time around. Now it’s just a “feel and pray” type of situation over here 🤦♀️
Favorite Family Recipes says
I’m so sorry! Sometimes if you have a newer Instant Pot, it can be more sensitive to the burn message. Try adding a little more liquid to offset that.
Marzena says
Made it today and it came out perfect! My boyfriend kept saying how good the meal was 🙂 I needed to add 4 more minutes to the cooking time as the meatballs were not cooked through after 7 minutes, but they were on a larger side, so that’s probably why.
Sarah Ann Spencer says
Easy and delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Tammie says
This dish came out perfect! The only thing I changed was I used Italian seasoning we purchased in Italy instead of the kosher salt and oregano and doubled the recipe to feed 6 adults and 4 children. Everyone raved about the flavor!
Maria says
Great instruction and visual helped. Thanks Dr. Chairez