Your speedy new weeknight dinner, made with fresh ingredients, is right here with these tasty Instant Pot Meatballs.
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While I love to cook, sometimes chopping veggies, marinating meat, all the prep, then standing in front of the stove is just not going to happen. Between school pick-up, wrangling the kids for sports, writing, and real life – I don’t have time to make dinner. And I know I am not alone. Even without kids, life gets super busy. But there is no need to sacrifice a wholesome meal for super processed, sodium-filled fast food. Enter Instant Pot meatballs. These little guys taste as good as Grandma’s and are ready in no time!
This recipe takes a traditional Italian meatball recipe and cooks them in a pressure cooker for only SEVEN MINUTES! Yes. Seven minutes! Using lean meat, Parmesan, garlic, egg, and breadcrumbs all soaked in marinara, these Instant Pot meatballs have all the flavor you know and love. You can use any brand of tomato sauce you love, or make your own with this healthy Instant Pot Tomato Sauce recipe. You don’t need to brown the meatballs first, just roll them and toss them in the Instant Pot. The secret that makes them so moist and flavorful is cooking them in sauce and beef broth.
are Instant Pot Meatballs Healthy?
These Instant Pot meatballs are packed with protein and low in carbohydrates. Since we are not frying the Instant Pot meatballs, they have less saturated fat than more traditional meatballs. An easy swap to make these a bit healthier is to omit the breadcrumbs. Use almond flour and more grated Parmesan cheese to turn these meatballs Whole30, keto, paleo, and gluten-free!
How does the instant pot work its magic?
It is not sorcery, not a time machine, it is lots of pressure. The pressure pushes steamed liquids into the meatballs, or whatever you’re cooking, to cook them throughout and keep them moist and flavorful. While this recipe uses high pressure, the Instant Pot has other features. This guy can be a steamer, slow cooker, a sauté pan, and can even make yogurt. It is also a rice cooker, as we use it for our Instant Pot Rice Pilaf and I’m assuming you own one of these, otherwise, you wouldn’t be this far into the recipe… but if not, you need one! And you need to buy one for your favorite home chef, too.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix
Combine ingredients and form meatballs.
Layer
Place meatballs in the Instant Pot, and add sauce.
Cook
Pressure cook and release, then serve.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
To store leftovers, allow the meatballs to cool to room temp, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Be sure to store them with a generous amount of sauce. This will help hydrate the meatballs when reheated.
Yes! Use any ground meat you prefer or a combination of a couple. Turkey is a bit less fatty than beef, but since the recipe uses liquid and steam to cook the meatballs they should still be moist.
This recipe will work with even the smallest, a 3-quart Instant Pot. So obvy you can use the standard 6 or 8 quart as well.
Serving Suggestions
While I love traditional spaghetti and meatballs, I also love tasty tricks to make my meals healthier. For this dish, I sneak in veggies by using zoodles, just like how they are prepared in our Slow Cooker Italian Chicken with Zucchini Noodles. Side note – you can use your Instant Pot for this too!
You can also serve a crisp house salad topped with Easy Italian Salad Dressing or this yummy Summer Zucchini Noodle Salad. Of course, everyone wants to indulge sometimes, if that’s for you today go for pasta topped with this rich and crave-worthy Alfredo Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and set aside.
- Pour beef broth into the Instant Pot and place a trivet or steamer basket inside. Arrange the meatballs on the trivet.
- Pour marinara sauce over the meatballs, covering them evenly.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and serve the meatballs with additional sauce, if desired.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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