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Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs are always tender and delicious in a rich gravy that is done in an instant! Super tasty over rice, noodles, or potatoes.
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Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs is one of those classic, comforting recipes that we remember from our childhood, but these days we can have this hearty dish on the table in record time. I mean, is there anything your pressure cooker can’t do? If you’re still uncertain about using an Instant Pot in your kitchen, try this recipe and you’ll be hooked! The meatballs cook to perfection, the creamy gravy is easy to make and tastes scrumptious over noodles, rice, potatoes, veggies, just about anything. You’ll love this easy Instant Pot meal!
Tips for Perfect Meatballs
Meatballs are really easy to make and they don’t take a lot of time either. However, if you want to speed this Instant Pot Swedish meatballs recipe along, use frozen meatballs! You can pour them straight in and start the recipe at step #6 in the recipe card below. Just make sure to cook them for 12 minutes instead of five.
- Start with a combination of meat. I love to use ground pork and ground beef. The combination keeps the meatballs tender, juicy and full of flavor.
- Mix in some finely diced (or shredded) onion, crushed garlic and seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Next, add two slightly beaten eggs.
- Finally, add some dried nutmeg and sage for a sweet and savory flavor.
- Add plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper too!
- Mix everything together with your hands, but be careful not to over mix. The meatballs can get tough if the meat is handled too much.
- I like to use a small cookie scoop to make the meatballs all the same size, or you can roll them out with your hands.
- Once cooked, you can freeze these meatballs too. Save them in a freezer safe bag for up to two months.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- Lean ground beef
- Ground pork
- Onion – shredded or finely chopped
- Seasoned breadcrumbs
- Eggs
- Crushed garlic
- Nutmeg
- Sage
- Salt and pepper – to taste
For the Sauce:
- Beef Consommé – or beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground mustard
- Heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- Cornstarch – optional
- Water – optional
Swedish Meatball Sauce
You can’t have Swedish meatballs without sauce! This homemade sauce comes together really quickly and tastes terrific all on its own. Here’s all you need to do:
- When the meatballs are done browning in the pressure cooker, use a little beef broth or consommé to scrape all those yummy brown bits off the side of the pot. They enhance the flavor of your gravy.
- Then, throw in some ground mustard (you can substitute with some Dijon if that’s what you have on hand)
- Add a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce and stir it all together.
- Once the meatballs and sauce are done cooking in the Instant Pot, take them out, and add more broth and some heavy cream. If you want it even thicker, add some water mixed with cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it up. .
- Salt and pepper to taste and your rich, savory sauce is done!
Don’t Forget the Sweet Sauce
I love the IKEA meatballs with the Lingonberry sauce that they sell at the store. Whenever I can get to IKEA I grab a jar or two of the sauce to keep on hand for serving with this recipe. You can also use cranberry sauce in a pinch, and it’s still tasty. The sweetness of the sauce with the savory meat is such a scrumptious combination.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a meat dish that is originated in Europe which describes meatballs combined with sauce that is served as a main dish. These meatballs are usually a combination a different meats like beef, pork, or veal, to create the base of the meatball that you know.
Typically, you can keep a cooked meatball in the fridge for 3-4 days. They last longer in the freezer, for up to 2-3 months.
The differences are the size and flavor. An Italian meatball is typically larger than a Swedish meatball. Also, Italian meatballs call for seasonings such as parmesan and oregano, whereas the Swedish meatball has seasonings like nutmeg, sage, and sometimes allspice.
Read Next: 27 BEST Instant Pot Recipes
More Meatball Recipes to Try
Meatballs are so versatile that you can make them work in so many recipes! Try these family favorites:
Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
How to Make Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup onion (shredded or finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoons crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sage
- salt and pepper
For The Sauce
- 3 cups beef Consomme or beef broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
- 2 tablespoons water (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together all meatball ingredients until well combined.
- Roll into 1" balls (a cookie scoop works great)
- Press the "saute" function on the Instant Pot. Once it is hot, spray the bottom of the Instant pot with cooking spray and place meatballs in about 1//2" apart (you will probably have to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your Instant Pot).
- Saute meatballs for 3-4 minutes, then flip and saute another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove meatballs from Instant pot and place on a paper towel.
- Add about 1 cup of the beef Consomme to deglaze the pot and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula. Add Worcestershire sauce, and ground mustard and stir well.
- Add meatballs back to the pot and set Instant Pot to high pressure for 5 minutes, doing a quick release when finished.
- Remove meatballs from the Instant Pot and return setting to "saute". Add remaining beef Consomme and heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
- If you want to make the sauce even thicker, combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Slowly whisk the mixture into the Instant Pot until you reach your desired consistency (you may not need all of the mixture).
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- When thickened, return the meatballs to the Instant Pot and stir into the sauce.
- Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
I loved this recipe. I had all of the ingredients, and it was super easy. The best part is, that the 3 and 5 year old grandkids loved it too.
Making meatballs in the instant pot is now my favorite way!
One of the top requested meals from my family! It’s so flavorful and tasty!
We love making these in the Instant Pot. They tasted great and were a hit!
My favorite IKEA restaurant meal – made at home in my instant pot! PERFECT and so yummy!