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Home Method Instant Pot
/5
32 minutes

Instant Pot Meatballs

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Nut Free Nut Free
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise BustardLeave a Comment
Posted: 7/28/21 Updated: 7/14/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These Instant Pot meatballs come out so juicy and delicious! Infused with flavor from simple seasonings and marinara sauce, they are ready in under 30 minutes and keep your oven off. Works great with ground beef or turkey.

The Instant Pot works surprisingly well for pasta -- we've been having Instant Pot lasagna and Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce on repeat! Another great option for pasta night are these Instant Pot meatballs.

bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with one meatball broken open and spaghetti wound around a fork
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
2 Recipe video
3 Ingredient notes
4 Step by step directions
5 FAQ
6 Storage & reheating
7 More Instant Pot dinners
8 Instant Pot Meatballs

This recipe is perfect for those nights you want to keep the oven off, but are craving perfectly juicy 'baked' meatballs. You also need just a few simple ingredients to get dinner going! Serve with pasta, or over zucchini noodles (see how to cook zucchini noodles here!) for a delicious meal the whole family will love.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe

  • simple ingredients yield big flavors here- and the meatballs absorb even more flavor by cooking in the marinara sauce
  • you can have it ready and on your table in under 30 minutes
  • cooking the meatballs in a cake pan prevents the tomato-based marinara sauce from triggering a burn warning

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these Instant Pot meatballs. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

ingredients (labelled) for instant pot meatballs
  • ground beef- we've used lean ground beef here, but ground turkey works great as well!
  • marinara sauce- grab your favorite brand; we used Newman's Own
  • breadcrumbs- help the meatballs stick together; you could swap for gluten-free breadcrumbs or leave them out (the meatballs will be a bit stickier)

Step by step directions

ground beef mixed up with meatball ingredients in silver bowl

1. Mix- In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt, egg, worcestershire, basil and oregano. When completely combined, stir in the breadcrumbs until just mixed in.

Roll 1.5 tablespoon meatballs- if you do smaller, 1 tablespoon meatballs, you may want to reduce the cook time to prevent them from overcooking.

TIP- a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop helps you get perfectly portioned meatballs

meatballs in marinara sauce inside a cake pan in the instant pot

2. Prepare Instant Pot- Place 1.5 cups in the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot. Place a trivet over the water, and a cake pan on top of that. Pour in half a jar of marinara sauce, then arrange the meatballs in the sauce. Pour the rest of the marinara on top of the meatballs.

TIP- I love this 7 inch cake pan and use it all the time in my Instant Pot! Definitely one of my favorite purchases.

instant pot with 12 minutes on timer

3. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, then allow 5 minutes for a natural pressure release. After the 5 minutes are up, release any remaining pressure.

4. Serve- Spread the sauce and meatballs over pasta or zucchini noodles, sprinkle with fresh basil or parmesan cheese, and enjoy!


FAQ

Can I cook frozen meatballs in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you absolutely can, however I do not have a cook time for you. It's also worth mentioning that most commercially-available meatballs are 1 tablespoon in size whereas this recipe uses 1.5 tablespoons, so cook times might differ.

Why ¾ lb of ground beef? Can I use 1 lb?

When testing this recipe, I found 1 lb of ground beef made too many meatballs to fit in a single layer in the cake pan. When stacking the meatballs, they did not cook through evenly, therefore I recommend ¾ lb and a single layer.

Do I need the cake pan? Can I cook meatballs in the bottom of the Instant Pot?

You're welcome to try, however I have had issues with tomato based products giving the burn warning, and found this to be a reproducibly safer method.

Can I cook spaghetti in the bottom of the pot?

Unfortunately the cook time for spaghetti and these meatballs were not compatible; after 12 minutes, the pasta will be completely overcooked.

close up shot of meatballs on a bed of. spaghetti in blue bowl

Storage & reheating

  • fridge- cool completely, then either cover the cake pan and store away, or portion out into individual portions with pasta. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  • freezer- portion out into individual portions with pasta in freezer-friendly containers. Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months.
  • thaw- overnight in the fridge.
  • reheat- in the microwave until steaming hot.

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Our tried and true favorite meal prep containers and jars that will keep your food fresh, help you reheat it evenly, and withstand the test of time. No more wasting your money, these are the absolute best containers out there!

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Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with one meatball broken open and spaghetti wound around a fork

Instant Pot Meatballs

No ratings yet
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Time to pressurize + natural pressure release: 10 mins
Total Time: 32 mins
Print Rate
These Instant Pot meatballs come out so juicy and delicious! Infused with flavor from simple seasonings and marinara sauce, they are ready in under 30 minutes and keep your oven off. Works great with ground beef or turkey.
4

Ingredients

  • 12 oz ground beef 350 g/ ¾ lb; see note 1
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • 22 oz marinara sauce 650 mL/ 1 jar

Instructions 

  • 1. Mix- In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt, egg, worcestershire, basil and oregano. When completely combined, stir in the breadcrumbs until just mixed in.
    Roll 1.5 tablespoon meatballs- if you do smaller, 1 tablespoon meatballs, you may want to reduce the cook time to prevent them from overcooking.
    ground beef mixed up with meatball ingredients in silver bowl
  • Prepare Instant Pot- Place 1.5 cups in the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot. Place a trivet over the water, and a cake pan on top of that. Pour in half a jar of marinara sauce, then arrange the meatballs in the sauce. Pour the rest of the marinara on top of the meatballs.
    meatballs in marinara sauce inside a cake pan in the instant pot
  • Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, then allow 5 minutes for a natural pressure release. After the 5 minutes are up, release any remaining pressure.
    instant pot with 12 minutes on timer
  • Serve- Spread the sauce and meatballs over pasta or zucchini noodles, sprinkle with fresh basil or parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
    bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with one meatball broken open and spaghetti wound around a fork

Tips:

1- you can use lean ground beef or ground turkey in this recipe
2- nutritional information is for ¼ of the batch and does not include pasta
Storage
  • fridge- cool completely, then either cover the cake pan and store away, or portion out into individual portions with pasta. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  • freezer- portion out into individual portions with pasta in freezer-friendly containers. Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Thaw overnight in the fridge if necessary; heat in the microwave or a covered pan over medium heat until steaming hot.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.25batch; see note 2, Calories: 297kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 1092mg, Potassium: 783mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 738IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 4mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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