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These Instant Pot Meatballs are tender, juicy, and packed with flavor! Cooked in a rich marinara sauce, they’re a quick and easy dinner option perfect for busy nights.
Instant Pot Meatballs are the perfect solution for when you need a hearty, homemade dinner in a hurry. The pressure cooker locks in moisture, making the meatballs incredibly tender while infusing them with rich flavor as they simmer in marinara sauce.
Cooking meatballs in the Instant Pot is such a quick way to get them on the table. You don’t have to stand over a large skillet and brown them in batches, the pressure cooker does all the work. And just like everything else you make in their, it comes out so tender!
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Ground Beef
- Ground Pork
- Onion
- Garlic
- Eggs
- Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Parsley
- Milk
- Salt
- Marinara Sauce
I like to cook the meatballs in marinara sauce, for a few reasons. Mainly, that is what I serve it with every time. But also it is just another thing that helps keep the meatballs from drying out and being tough. I will include instructions if you want to cook the meatballs without the sauce.
How To Make Instant Pot Meatballs
- Sauté Veggies. Start by finely chopping your onion and adding it to a large skillet with a little olive oil. Cook the onions over medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Once they are nice and soft, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until you can start to smell it.
- Add Meat. While the onions are cooking add all of the remaining ingredients (except the marinara sauce) in a large bowl. Add the onions and garlic once they are cooked.
- Mix. Mix everything together until it is evenly blended. Form into balls about the size of a golf ball. At this point you can freeze them if making ahead.
- Arrange. Pour the sauce into the bottom of the Instant Pot and gently add the meatballs, it is ok if a few of them have to sit on top of each other.
- Cook. Close the lid, lock the pressure cooker, and cook under high pressure for 7 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, and then quick release to finish.
- Serve. Once the pressure has fully released remove the lid and serve the meatballs over pasta, as an appetizer, in a sandwich or however you like.
You can use this method with any meatball you want to make, and it is going to be delicious. This is definitely my go-to method for making meatballs from now own.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these like traditional spaghetti and meatballs over pasta, or you could serve them as an appetizer for a party. Or just meatballs on their own with some of your favorite sides.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Meat Choice. You can use whatever blend of meat you want. If you are avoiding red meat, you can use ground turkey, ground chicken etc. I like the blend of ground beef and pork for flavor, but you can lighten it up or change it to go with what you are serving.
- Make Ahead. Make the meatballs ahead and freeze them! Once you have formed the meatballs, place them on a baking tray and put them in the freezer. Once they are completely frozen transfer them to an air tight container for up to 3 months. Then add 1 minute to the cooking time when you want to actually make the meatballs.
- Don’t want marinara sauce? You can cook the meatballs without sauce, just add 1 cup of liquid to the bottom of the Instant Pot and then put the trivet that comes with the appliance in the bottom. Layer the meatballs on the trivet and follow the cooking instructions. You may want to brown them a little after they are done, they don’t look the most appetizing when cooked this way.
- Don’t Over Mix. The key to tender meatballs is to not over work them. Once everything is blended and combined, shape the balls. Don’t worry about getting them absolutely perfect.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
Sauce for Cooking
- 4 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until they are soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Place the lid on, make sure it is locked and sealed, and cook under high pressure for 7 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes before quick releasing to finish.
- Remove the lid and serve the meatballs immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My family would love these meatballs for dinner! Such a fantastic recipe!
These meatballs are incredibly delicious! My family loves them! Thank you for sharing!
My family loved it! A new favorite at my house!
My family never say no to meatballs. I should try to make meatballs this way!
I love that these don’t require browning. So quick and easy!
These turned out so moist and flavorful!
This was perfect for our spaghetti tonight and I’m so glad I got to bring my instant pot out too! So delicious and we loved them. Definitely going on our rotation list for dinner!