Instant Pot Meatballs with Tomato Sauce. Why simmer meatballs for hours when you can pressure cook them in minutes? A quick batch of homemade meatballs and tomato sauce takes about an hour, with 15 minutes at high pressure.
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To brown, or not to brown, that is the question:
Apologies to William Shakespeare
Wether ’tis nobler to brown the meatball
and build a deeper sauce,
Or to take the easy way out
and drop the meatballs straight into the sauce
uncooked.
I am converting my meatball recipe to work with my Instant Pot. (I’m surprised it took me this long.) I did my usual research, googling around to get times and techniques from other recipes…and was surprised that most Instant Pot meatball recipes don’t have a browning step.
Are they saying I can throw the meatballs in the pot without browning? Yes, but they taste better browned, don’t they?
I made a few batches of meatballs, some browned, some not. The differences were a lot more subtle than I expected. The browned meatballs had a little more flavor, and the un-browned meatballs were more tender. My testing panel said both meatballs are great, but I think my kids just like meatballs.
There wasn't enough difference to insist on the extra browning step. (The meatballs actually got a little browned from sitting on the bottom of the pot). So, I made browning the meatballs an optional step in this recipe. If you want to add flavor, check the notes section for browning instructions; otherwise, drop the uncooked meatballs straight into the pot.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1½ pounds meatloaf mix (1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork)
- 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (2oz) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
- ¾ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup red wine (or broth or water)
- 1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade, or water
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Garnish
- More grated pecorino Romano cheese
How to Make Instant Pot Meatballs
Shape the meatballs
In a large bowl, break up the beef and pork. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and red pepper flakes over the meat, then work the dry ingredients into the meat. Once evenly mixed, put the egg on top and work it into the meat. Roll the meat mix into 16 golf-ball-sized meatballs, each about 2 inches in diameter.
Sauté the soffritto, simmer the wine
Heat the olive oil in an Instant Pot set to sauté mode until the oil starts shimmering. (Use medium heat on a stovetop PC). Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pot. Sprinkle with the Italian herb mix, crushed red pepper flakes, and fine sea salt, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping any stuck bits of onion loose from the bottom. Simmer the wine for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol.
Everything in the pot
Stir in the chicken broth, then add the meatballs to the pot, trying for a single layer of meatballs. (I usually wind up with one that has to sit on top of the others). Pour the crushed tomatoes over the meatballs, and do not stir.
Pressure Cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Release
Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 15 minutes (Use “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot) or for 13 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, let the pressure come down for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.)
Serve
Scoop the meatballs out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Stir the fresh ground black pepper into the tomato sauce in the pot. Pour a few spoons of sauce over the meatballs, then sprinkle with some more pecorino Romano cheese. Use the rest of the tomato sauce with dinner - it’s enough to sauce a pound of pasta. Serve and enjoy.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
Avoiding Burn Warnings
For this Instant Pot Meatballs recipe, a burn warning is probably the tomatoes sinking to the bottom, sticking to the bottom, and burning. Don't stir the crushed tomatoes into the pot; pour them over the top of everything. The soffritto, wine, meatballs, and chicken broth act as a buffer and keep the tomatoes from sinking to the bottom of the pot.
How Long to Cook Meatballs in an Instant Pot?
How long should you cook meatballs in an Instant Pot? I cook meatballs for 15 minutes with at least a 15 minute natural release.
Storing Leftovers
This Instant Pot meatballs recipe makes fantastic leftovers. If I want a quick lunch, I store leftovers in 2-cup containers. Leftovers last in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for months. The 2-cup container makes a perfect lunch size for reheating in the microwave - about 5 minutes.
Reheating Instant Pot Meatballs
When cooking for two, I still make the full recipe, but only cook ½ a pound of pasta, and save half the meatballs and sauce for a later meal.
Microwave reheating
I freeze the sauce and meatballs together in a large microwave-safe container, about 1½ quarts. Then I reheat it in the microwave, starting with 5 minutes, then adding time as necessary to get the sauce heated through. (Microwave time depends a lot on the power of your microwave.)
Stovetop reheating
As mentioned above, I freeze the sauce and meatballs together in a large container, about 1½ quarts. To thaw, I take the frozen brick of meatballs and sauce out and put it in a large pot or skillet with a lid. I reheat the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until it is melted and starting to bubble. Then I turn the heat down to low and let it simmer while I cook the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size Instant Pot should I use?
Use a 6-quart pressure cooker (or larger) for this recipe.
Can I brown the meatballs?
As I said in the headnotes for this recipe, I don't brown the meatballs in this instant pot meatballs recipe. If you want to, do the following: In the “Fry the soffritto” step, after heating the olive oil: Add the meatballs and brown on two sides, about 3 minutes a side. Remove the meatballs from the pot with a slotted spoon, set them aside, and continue with sautéing the onions and other aromatics. The browned meatballs go back into the pot when the recipe says to add them.
What's a Soffritto?
Soffritto is Italian for “fried slowly.” It is the slowly sautéed mix of minced onions, carrots, and celery that form the backbone of most Italian recipes. (It's also spelled with two t's in Italian).
Why are my Instant Pot Meatballs tough?
You are probably overworking your meatball mix. The overworked meatball mix comes out tough. Work the meatball mix until all the ingredients are evenly spread out, and the meatballs hold together when shaped, but no more than that.
Can you make Instant Pot Meatballs ahead of time?
Absolutely! All the work in this recipe is in making the meatballs. So, I do meal prep by making a double batch of meatballs and freezing half of it. (I put the meatballs on a sheet pan in the freezer overnight, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a zip-top bag.) When making another batch of spaghetti sauce, I follow the recipe as written, with the frozen meatballs going straight from the freezer into the Instant Pot. Then I add 5 minutes to the pressure cooking time to thaw the meatballs while cooking. (In other words, with frozen meatballs, pressure cook at high pressure for 20 minutes or 18 minutes on a stovetop PC).
Can I double this recipe?
If you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, you can double this recipe. It's too much to double in a 6-quart pressure cooker.
Do I need a steamer basket?
In this recipe, we're cooking meatballs right at the bottom of the pot—no steamer basket is needed.
Do you have any other meatball recipes?
Of course I do! This recipe is based on my Baked Italian Meatballs recipe, converted to pressure cooking. Once I figured out how to make meatballs in the Instant Pot, I made a bunch of other meatball recipes, including Instant Pot Greek Meatballs (Soutzoukakia) and Instant Pot Chinese Meatballs (Lions Head Meatballs).
Inspired by: CookSmart by Pam Anderson
Print
Instant Pot Meatball Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 meatballs and tomato sauce 1x
Description
Instant Pot Meatballs with Tomato Sauce. Why simmer meatballs for hours when you can pressure cook them in minutes?
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1½ pounds meatloaf mix (1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork)
- 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (2oz) finely grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup Italian style bread crumbs
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup red wine (or broth or water)
- 1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade, or water
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Garnish
- More grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Shape the meatballs: In a large bowl, break up the beef and pork. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and red pepper flakes over the meat, then work the dry ingredients into the meat. Once everything is evenly mixed, put the egg on top and work it into the meat. Roll the meat mix into 16 golf-ball sized meatballs, each about 2 inches in diameter.
- Sauté the soffritto: Heat the olive oil an Instant Pot set to sauté mode until the oil starts shimmering. (Use medium heat on a stovetop PC). Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pot. Sprinkle with the Italian herb mix, crushed red pepper flakes, and fine sea salt, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer the wine: Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping any stuck bits of onion loose from the bottom. Simmer the wine for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol.
- Everything in the pot: Stir in the chicken broth, then add the meatballs to the pot, trying for a single layer of meatballs. (I usually wind up with one that has to sit on top of the others). Pour the crushed tomatoes over the meatballs.
- Pressure Cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 15 minutes (Use “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot), or for 13 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker. Let the pressure to come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, let the pressure come down for 15 minutes then quick release any remaining pressure.)
- Serve: Scoop the meatballs out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Stir the fresh ground black pepper into the tomato sauce in the pot. Pour a few ladles of sauce over the meatballs, then sprinkle with some more pecorino romano cheese. Use the rest of the tomato sauce with dinner - it’s enough to sauce a pound of pasta. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Browning the Meatballs: In the “Fry the soffritto” step, after heating the olive oil: Add the meatballs and brown on two sides, about 3 minutes a side. Remove the meatballs from the pot with a slotted spoon, set them aside, and continue with sautéing the onions and other aromatics. The browned meatballs go back in the pot when the recipe says to add them.
Soffritto is Italian for “fried slowly”. It is the slowly sautéed mix of minced onions, carrots, and celery that form the backbone of most Italian recipes.
I make 16 meatballs by shaping the mixed meat into an even-shaped log. Then I break the meat in half, and break each half in half, giving me 4 pieces. I break each of those pieces into 4 equal pieces, and I have 16 roughly even size pieces of meat, each one ready to roll into a meatball.
Frozen: Because all the work in this recipe is in making the meatballs, I save time by making a double batch, and freezing half of it. (I put the meatballs on a sheet pan in the freezer overnight, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a zip-top bag.) The frozen meatballs go straight from the freezer into the Instant Pot; cooking from frozen adds 5 minutes to the pressure cooking time. (In other words, pressure cook at high pressure for 20 minutes, or 18 minutes in a stovetop PC).
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
- Flat edged wooden spoon
- Slotted Spoon
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
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Melissa says
Tasted great- first time my meatballs weren’t too dry for a meatball sub. My kids loved them with some melted mozzarella and basil on a bun toasted with butter and garlic salt. Thank you!! Oh, and I loved not having to pan fry or bake them first.
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Mindi says
I didn’t make them yet, but I’m certain that it will be delicious.
I am going to make your meatballs in my Instant Pot when my grand kids come over.
They love meatballs! And pastas 😁
Thanks for sharing your great cooking idea!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Sigrid says
If you don’t want to make the sofrito, Better Than Bouillon makes a sofrito.
Peter says
I cheated! I used Ikea meatballs (my go-to for pork/beef meatballs - yes, they are precooked, but I add them frozen). I doubled the recipe (used my 12 quart instant pot) and the sauce was incredible. I reduced it a bit afterward for a thicker sauce. Served on top of a mix of penne and rotini pasta, it was wonderful. Mike, I don't know how you do it, but I have yet to find an instant pot recipe on your site that isn't the best in its class.
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Jessica says
So good. I follow the recipe as is except I don't use the instapot. I brown the meatballs then cook them in the homemade sauce! Big hit! I use the stovetop because I enjoy the smell in the home.
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks, glad you enjoy them!
kath says
hi - I'm in the middle making this- assume the italian seasoning goes into the pot the same time as the salt and pepper flakes. Can you confirm? Thanks
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, it does. Fixed the recipe to state that.
Roberta says
I can't wait to try this recipe and I forwarded it to my daughter to try.
Thanks!
Mrs C says
Great recipe and so Italiano 👍. Thank you for sharing how to do my homemade sauce and meatballs with an instant pot. Keep cooking 👊🏼
God bless.
Debi H says
This was absolutely wonderful!!!! Thank you for a great recipe. The meatballs were the best that I have ever had.
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!