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5.0 from 150 votes

Instant Pot Meatballs

Instant Pot Meatballs (Pressure Cooker Meatballs): Make these delicious cheesy umami meatballs in tomato sauce with bursting smokey flavors. Perfect thrifty make ahead freezer meals your family will love!

Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 223 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American Fussion

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 pound (454g) lean ground beef
  • 4 trips (~80g) Bacon , minced
  • 1 small onion , roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic , roughly minced
  • 1 extra large egg , beaten
  • 1 teaspoon (1.8g) dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) fennel seed , ground
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) Worcestershire sauce 
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5g) kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) black pepper
  • ½ cup (31g) Panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup (62.5ml) milk
  • 2 - 2.5 oz (60 - 70g) cheese (we used 40g freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 30g Mozzarella cheese)
Easy Tomato Sauce
  • 2 cups (500ml) unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 ⅓ cup (398ml) tomato sauce
  • ⅔ cup (156ml) tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon (1.4g) basil
  • 1 teaspoon (1.8g) dried oregano

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix Meatballs Ingredients: Combine all the meatballs ingredients in a large mixing bowl. *Pro Tip: Add the dry ingredients first, then the wet ingredients. Mix well with your hands. Ensure the egg is beaten before adding it to the meatball mixture.
  2. Make Tomato Sauce: Combine all the tomato sauce ingredients in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Mix well until the tomato paste dissolves into the tomato sauce. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes, then Quick Release.
  3. Preheat Oven & Test Seasoning: While the tomato sauce is cooking, preheat oven to 450°F. Test the seasoning by cooking a small portion of the meatballs mixture on a skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Make Meatballs: Gently roll the meatballs mixture with your hands into ball shapes. *Pro Tip: As shown in the video, we like to serve ours slightly bigger than the size of a golf ball. You should be able to create 8 – 12 meatballs with the listed amount of ingredients.
  5. Brown in Oven: Place a piece of parchment paper on your baking tray and gently place the meatballs on it. Place the meatballs in the oven for roughly 12 – 16 minutes until the top is browned but not dried out.
  6. Pressure Cook Meatballs: By now, the tomato sauce should be done cooking on the first cycle. Remove the meatballs from the oven and fully submerge the meatballs in tomato sauce in Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for another 5 minutes, then quick release.
  7. Serve: Remove the meatballs from the tomato sauce. Confirm the internal temperature of the meatballs is at least 145°F.
  8. Optional: Continue to reduce the tomato sauce until desired consistency. Taste the seasoning of the tomato sauce and add in more salt and pepper if desired. If you like, sprinkle more cheese on top of the meatballs when it's served.

Notes

  • For Juicy Meatballs: Meatballs' juice will continue to escape into the tomato sauce the longer you cook it, so if you like juicy meatballs, it is best to serve immediately or keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
  • Freezer Meals or Batch Cooking: Cook a bigger batch and freeze some cooked meatballs in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Reheating Frozen Meatballs: Depending on the size of the Instant Pot Meatballs, you can pressure cook them frozen with tomato sauce at High Pressure for 8 – 10 minutes, then Quick Release. Confirm the internal temperature of the meatballs to be at least 145°F before serving.
  • Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!

Nutrition Information

Calories 223kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 20g (40%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 68mg (23%) Sodium 816mg (34%) Potassium 681mg (19%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 610IU (12%) Vitamin C 9.2mg (10%) Calcium 145mg (15%) Iron 3.2mg (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 223

% Daily Value*

Calories 223kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 20g 40%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 816mg 34%
Potassium 681mg 14%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 610IU 12%
Vitamin C 9.2mg 10%
Calcium 145mg 15%
Iron 3.2mg 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.