Instant Pot Meatballs
User Reviews
5
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
223 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian-American Fussion
Instant Pot Meatballs
Description
Instant Pot Meatballs are prepared with ground beef, minced bacon, and carefully measured seasonings like oregano and ground fennel seed, blended with breadcrumbs, milk, and cheeses to deliver a tender yet structured texture. The meatballs are shaped golf-ball size and cooked in a tomato sauce made from chicken stock, tomato sauce, and paste, infused with basil and oregano. Using the Instant Pot, the sauce and meatballs cook under pressure, marrying flavors efficiently.
The sauce is cooked first in the Instant Pot, followed by quick release, while meatballs are formed and then browned in the oven for a flavorful exterior. The result is juicy meatballs suspended in a well-seasoned tomato sauce. Serve immediately to retain juiciness or keep warm briefly.
This recipe suggests making a bigger batch for freezing, with instructions for reheating frozen meatballs in the pressure cooker. Testing seasoning and browning the meatballs help ensure balanced flavor and appealing texture before serving. The inclusion of fresh cheeses gives richness without heaviness.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound (454g) ground beef lean
- 4 trips (~80g) Bacon , minced
- 1 onion roughly chopped, small
- 4 cloves garlic , roughly minced
- 1 egg beaten, extra large
- 1 teaspoon (1.8g) oregano dried
- 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) Parmesan Cheese freshly grated; weights 40g and 30g respectively
- 2 - 2.5 oz (60 - 70g) mozzarella cheese freshly grated; weights 40g and 30g respectively
Easy Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock unsalted
- 1 ⅓ cup (398ml) tomato sauce
- ⅔ cup (156ml) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (1.4g) basil
- 1 teaspoon (1.8g) oregano dried
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve: Remove the meatballs from the tomato sauce. Confirm the internal temperature of the meatballs is at least 145°F.
- 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
- Serve meatballs immediately or keep warm for up to 30 minutes to preserve juiciness.
- Batch cooking and freezing cooked meatballs extends easy meal options; they freeze well up to 3 months.
- Frozen meatballs can be pressure cooked with sauce for 8–10 minutes, ensuring they reach at least 145°F internally before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 223 kcal
% 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.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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