Enjoy a quick, hearty, and delicious weeknight dinner with Instant-Pot Meatballs!
While I love to cook, sometimes chopping veggies, marinating meat, then standing in front of the stove is just not going to happen. Between school pick-up, wrangling the kids for sports, writing, and real life, I don’t always have time to make dinner. And I know I am not alone. Even without kids, life gets super busy. But there is no need to sacrifice a wholesome meal for super processed, sodium-filled fast food. Enter Instant-Pot meatballs. These little guys taste as good as Grandma’s and are ready in no time!
This recipe adapts a traditional Italian meatball recipe, preparing them in a pressure cooker for just seven minutes! Yes. Seven minutes! Using lean meat, Parmesan, garlic, egg, and breadcrumbs all soaked in marinara, these Instant Pot meatballs have all the flavor you know and love. You can use any brand of tomato sauce you love or make your own with this healthy Instant-Pot Tomato Sauce recipe. You don’t need to brown the meatballs first; just roll them and toss them in the Instant Pot. The secret that makes them so moist and flavorful is cooking them in sauce and beef broth.
are Instant-Pot Meatballs Healthy?
These Instant-Pot meatballs are packed with protein and low in carbohydrates. Since we are not frying the meatballs, they have less added fat compared to more traditional meatballs. Choose a marinara sauce that uses whole ingredients and is free of additives and preservatives. Or, better yet, make your own as suggested above.
If you’re gluten-free, swap the breadcrumbs for almond flour and add more grated Parmesan cheese.
How does the instant pot work its magic?
Well, it’s not sorcery or a time machine. In fact, it all comes down to pressure—and lots of it. The pressure pushes steamed liquids into the meatballs, or whatever you’re cooking, to cook them throughout and keep them moist and flavorful. While this recipe uses high pressure, the Instant Pot has other features. This guy can be a steamer, slow cooker, and a sauté pan. It’s also a rice cooker, as we use it for our Instant-Pot Rice Pilaf. So, if you don’t own an Instant Pot, you really need to get one!
How to Make Ahead and Store
To store leftovers, allow the meatballs to cool to room temp, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Be sure to store them with a generous amount of sauce. This helps hydrate the meatballs when reheated.
Serving Suggestions
While I love traditional spaghetti and meatballs, I also love tasty tricks to make my meals healthier. I sneak in veggies using zoodles for this dish, just like how they are prepared in our Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken With Zucchini Noodles. Side note—you can use your Instant Pot for this too!
You can also serve a crisp house salad topped with Easy Italian Salad Dressing or this yummy Summer Zucchini Noodle Salad. Of course, everyone wants to indulge sometimes, so if that’s for you today, go for pasta topped with this rich and crave-worthy Alfredo Sauce.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and set aside.
- Pour beef broth into the Instant Pot and place a trivet or steamer basket inside. Arrange the meatballs on the trivet.
- Pour marinara sauce over the meatballs, covering them evenly.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and serve the meatballs with additional sauce, if desired.
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