Instant Pot Meatballs
A delicious and easy method for homemade meatballs, these Instant Pot Meatballs take less than 15 minutes from start to finish and will transform any dish you add them to – no more frozen meatballs!
Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe
Homemade meatballs are one of those overlooked pleasures in life. They transform an otherwise boring dish into something restaurant-quality, with their tender, juicy texture and incomparable flavor.
It takes literally 5 extra minutes of effort to make the mix and form it into meatballs. After making (and tasting) homemade meatballs, you’ll have a hard time reaching for frozen meatballs ever again.
These homemade meatballs are flavor-packed and just melt in your mouth. We used our homemade Italian seasoning, but you can also swap out the seasonings to your personal preferences.
I purposefully kept this recipe very simple and straight-forward, with just 6 ingredients, so you can use this as a base recipe and experiment. I often like to use half ground beef and half ground pork (or even half ground veal), I’ll swap out the tomato paste for milk or cream (or even other sauces like our homemade teriyaki sauce), and you can also swap out the bread crumbs for crushed crackers or even crushed pork rinds. Just keep the ratio of dry and wet ingredients the same and you’ll still have great results.
This is also a great recipe to make with the kids. My daughter loves helping to squish and form the meatballs, and then she’s always so proud to enjoy her creation at dinnertime!
Can I freeze this recipe? Yes. Store in an airtight freezer bag or freezer container for up to three months. Allow to thaw before reheating.(This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) I often will double or triple the batch of meatballs so that I can freeze them. You can freeze them uncooked or fully cooked.
Can I steam the meatballs instead of browning them? Yes, but I personally don’t recommend that for best flavor. Browning these meatballs adds flavor and texture. To steam meatballs in the Instant Pot, place 1 cup of beef broth in the Instant Pot and position your trivet overtop. Place the meatballs carefully on the trivet and then seal. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
You can use these Instant Pot Meatballs in so many ways:
- Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs
- Instant Pot Meatball Sandwiches
- Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole from The Seasoned Mom
- Cheesy Meatball Pull-Apart Pizza Ring from Pinch of Yum
- Pull-Apart Meatball Sandwiches
- Grilled Meatball Kebabs from the Kitchn
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Check out our full collection here!
Instant Pot Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Garlic, minced
- Italian seasoning <– grab our recipe for homemade Italian seasoning
- Bread crumbs, to personal preference <– we always use Panko crumbs, no exception
- Egg
- Tomato or BBQ sauce, optional
- Olive oil
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: swap out the Italian seasoning for homemade cajun seasoning or Greek seasoning for a fun twist.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Instant Pot <– I’m so excited to upgrade to this one with air fryer capacities soon! (You can also just buy the lid which adds the air fryer capacity to your standard IP.)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
- Mixing bowl
How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
Combine the beef, minced garlic and Italian seasoning until thoroughly combined.
Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs and knead in until fully combined.
Knead in 1 egg. Adjust the texture to your personal preference with additional breadcrumbs or the addition of tomato (or BBQ) sauce.
Roll the meat mixture into 1.5 Tablespoon sized meatballs. (I used a cookie scoop to measure out the meat mixture.) Set each finished meatball in a clean container or on a plate.
Place the olive oil in your Instant Pot and set to “saute.”
Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown well on each side.
To fully cook the meatballs, you need to cook for 6-8 minutes, however if you will be adding to a sauce you can cook until just browned, about 4 minutes, and finish cooking them in the sauce.
Brown all meatballs, then turn off the saute setting and remove meatballs from the Instant Pot.
Pin this Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe:
Grab your free printable for our homemade meatballs in the Instant Pot:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.
Instant Pot Meatballs
A quick and easy recipe for homemade Italian meatballs in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning <-- grab our recipe for homemade Italian seasoning
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, or to personal preference
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon tomato or BBQ sauce, optional
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the beef, minced garlic and Italian seasoning until thoroughly combined.
- Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs and knead in until fully combined.
- Knead in 1 egg. Adjust the texture to your personal preference with additional breadcrumbs or the addition of tomato (or BBQ) sauce.
- Roll the meat mixture into 1.5 Tablespoon sized meatballs. (I used a cookie scoop to measure out the meat mixture.) Set each finished meatball in a clean container or on a plate.
- Place the olive oil in your Instant Pot and set to "saute."
- Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown well on each side.
- To fully cook the meatballs, you need to cook for 6-8 minutes, however if you will be adding to a sauce you can cook until just browned, about 4 minutes, and finish cooking them in the sauce.
- Brown all meatballs, then turn off the saute setting and remove meatballs from the Instant Pot.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 692Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 357mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 52g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this Instant Pot Italian Meatballs recipe as much as mine does!
For more delicious Instant Pot beef recipes, check out our Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon or our Instant Pot Taco Pasta (with Video).
