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These Instant Pot Meatballs are the easiest way to make meatballs, EVER. No browning or sautéing. Just throw them in the sauce uncooked and let the Instant Pot do the rest!
Featured with this Recipe
- Instant Pot Meatballs
- Instant Pot Meatball Ingredients
- How to Make Meatballs
- Put them straight in the Pot!
- Any Kind Of Pressure Cooker Will Work
- Avoiding The Burn Notice
- Quick Reference: How Long To Cook Meatballs in the Instant Pot
- Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Meatballs
- Tips for Cooking and Serving
- Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Meatballs
- Want More Instant Pot Recipes?
- How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
- Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe
Instant Pot Meatballs
Try this Instant Pot Meatballs recipe 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.
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!
Instant Pot Meatball Ingredients
- ground beef – You can also use a beef/pork mixture with lean ground beef and Italian sausage, or if you prefer turkey meatballs use ground turkey
- onion – yellow or white will work best, finely chopped or grated
- bread crumbs – seasoned or unseasoned is fine. We like using panko bread crumb
- parmesan cheese
- eggs – the “binder” that holds the meatballs together.
- milk – adds more moisture to the meat while cooking and keeps them from drying out
- seasonings – garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper (feel free to add or sub out other dried or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme)
- spagetti sauce – you can use jarred pasta sauce or our recipe for canned spaghetti sauce
How to Make Meatballs
- Combine all ingredients (except spaghetti sauce) in a large bowl until well mixed. Mixing together with your hands works great.
- Form into 1.5 inch balls using hands or small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop. You want them to be slightly smaller than a golf ball. I like to set them on some parchment paper as I roll them.
Put them straight in the 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 sautéing meatballs in a skillet. I don’t know why they don’t fall apart in the Instant Pot. It’s like magic.
Any Kind Of Pressure Cooker Will Work
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. Just make sure you have enough liquid in the pot so it will actually seal. You also don’t want to get a burn notice. Which brings me to…
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.
Quick Reference: How Long To Cook Meatballs in the Instant Pot
Cooking time (high pressure): 7 minutes
Slow release (natural release): 5 minutes
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Meatballs
To store your meatballs after cooking, allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes, and then place them in an airtight container or freezer zip-top bag. Store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. These meatballs are great for meal prep and you can make large batches at one time. To re-heat, place frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight to thaw and re-heat over the stove top or in the microwave until meatballs are cooked through and the marinara sauce is hot.
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 pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken meatballs too! We will often do a mixture of both ground beef and pork to make them more tender.
- 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.
- Have leftovers? These meatballs make incredible meatball subs! Give them a try!
Read Next: 27 BEST Instant Pot Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Meatballs
It’s not the time as much as it is the temperature. The internal temperature should be 160-degrees. By following this recipe you will have perfectly cooked meatballs in 20 minutes.
Yes! The meat will heat up quickly in the Instant Pot, making it a safe cooking method.
If cooking pre cooked meatballs and they are frozen, you can cook them on high pressure for 5 minutes and do a 5 minute slow release.
Definitely, these are great used for a meatball sub sandwich, with toothpicks as an appetizer, or even as a main dish with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables for a more low carb option.
Read Next: Pym Test Kitchen Impossible Spoonful
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:
How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
Instant Pot Meatballs
Video
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef lean
- 1/2 cup onion grated
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ 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 cups 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.
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.
My family loves this recipe! And it’s so easy compared to the way I used to make meatballs. Thank you.
How do you suggest cooking these if I made the meatballs ahead of time and froze them? Then cooked them from frozen?
I would try them on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, with a natural release after!
Ok try this…put 3/4 cup water in your pot, then trivet. Then meatballs atop the trivet and then pour sauce on top.
I avoid the burn notice by putting a layer or two of diced onions, celery, carrots and or mushrooms on the bottom of the pot first with a quarter cup of broth or water. Then I load the meatballs and gently pour the sauce over the meatballs so I don’t disturb the bottom layers and the water or broth stays put. I always add two or three TBS of tomato paste on top to compensate for the added liquid and the liquid from the veggies so the sauce doesn’t thin. After it’s finished cooking I stir it all together. Works every time and my family gets more vegetables on their plates.
Thank you so much for your tips! Great ideas!
This was so easy to make and my picky husband LOVES them!
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.
I’m sorry this burned for you. What brand and what model of Instant Pot do you have?
This looks so delicious and tasty! I’m so excited to give this a try! My family and I are going to love this!
Best meatballs ever!!!
So easy to make and a new family favorite. Instant pot makes it even easier! Thank you!
LOVE these instant pot meatballs recipe! Thank you for this recipe.
Although they look and smell good 7 min in my instant pot did not work, they were completely raw. 😁 so turning back on.
Oh shoot! How did they turn out after the additional time?
Would the time be the same if I make this with turkey mince instead of beef?
Thanks
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!
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!
Hi!! Excited to try this recipe. Could I substitute two tablespoons of milk with Ricotta cheese to make it extra creamy and rich?
Sadiya
I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not sure! Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
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.
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!
I haven’t tried it that way, so I’m not sure! Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
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!
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!!!
Meatballs are one thing I haven’t tried in my IP yet. I had to give them a try. So easy!
This really is the easiest recipe I have come across without browning. I seem to love instant pot recipes these days!
No browning? Hurrah! These meatballs look incredible and so easy in the IP.
This really is the easiest recipe and was a hit with my whole family! I love instant pot recipes these days!