Instant Pot meatballs are an effortless way to prepare tender and delicious meatballs!
Lean ground beef, Italian herbs, and parmesan cheese are mixed and rolled into balls and cooked in homemade marinara.
Meatballs come out juicy, tender, and ready to add to your spaghetti dinner or appetizer tray. This recipe practically cooks itself in minutes!
Making Meatballs from Scratch!
- Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs is a hearty meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
- Serve meatballs in the Instant Pot with pasta and a simple salad with breadsticks and let guests help themselves!
- Easily double up the recipe and make extra meatballs for future dishes! Simply thaw overnight from frozen and they’re ready to use!
Easy Ingredients and Variations
Beef – Use full-fat beef in this recipe for extra juicy meatballs with the best flavor! A mixture of ground turkey, chicken, or pork can be mixed in as well.
Sauce – This recipe has the perfect blend of ready-made marinara and an extra can of diced tomatoes (keep the juice)! Zest it up with a dash of red pepper flakes for a little heat, if desired.
Variations – Add shredded zucchini, carrots, or chopped kale in Step 2 for an extra boost of nutrition for those picky eaters!
How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
Instant Pot meatballs are an effortless way to prepare tender and delicious meatballs!
- In a large bowl, mix the beef with the egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings (as per the recipe below).
- Form into 12 equally-sized meatballs.
- Place the marinara, diced tomatoes, and water in the Instant Pot and place the meatballs on top.
- Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Serve the meatballs over spaghetti or as sliders.
Ways to Serve Instant Pot Meatballs
- Meatballs are the perfect pairing for a hearty plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce.
- Make meatballs without the marinara and freeze them for future grape jelly meatballs, Swedish meatballs, or tasty BBQ meatball sliders.
- Add meatballs to a hearty vegetable soup or line them up in a sturdy roll with some marinara and loads of melty mozzarella cheese for a hearty hoagie.
Pro Tips for Instant Pot Meatballs
- Adding water helps avoid the burn notice on the Instant Pot, especially if your sauce is cooking too thick.
- To thicken the sauce, remove the meatballs and switch to sauté mode for a few minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Keep leftover Instant Pot meatballs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze portions in zippered bags (without any pasta) for up to 4 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Our Favorite Meatball Recipes!
Did you make these Instant Pot Meatballs? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Instant Pot Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes with juices
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and salt. Divide evenly and roll into 12 meatballs.
- Add the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and water to the Instant Pot. Gently place the meatballs on top.
- Turn to manual, high pressure and cook for 8 minutes. Once the time is up, release any pressure.
- Serve the meatballs over spaghetti or in sub buns.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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what can you substitute for the rice vinagar
White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice can be swapped for rice vinegar if needed. Let us know when you try this recipe, Sherrie!
can this be made with raw meatballs?
Hi Leah, if you have raw meatballs bake them first until cooked and then add to the recipe.
is it safe to put frozen meatballs into the IP? Should they defrost first?
Thanks
It’s totally safe. They cook in the pot just like they would on the stove with no defrosting needed! 🙂