Tender and juicy Instant Pot Meatballs in marinara sauce loaded with so much flavors. Serve the meatballs with spaghetti for an Italian-inspired pasta dinner.

Pair these delicious juicy Meatballs with homemade Breadsticks and a Caesar Salad for a complete meal.

Instant pot meatballs over a bed of pasta on a white plate.

BEST INSTANT POT MEATBALLS-

Learn to make the BEST homemade juicy meatballs in a flavor-packed marinara sauce. All you need to do is the shape and throw the meatballs into the instant pot and dinner is ready.

You don’t need to sauté the meatballs, just shape and add to the marinara sauce and cook – so easy.

A ladle with instant pot meatballs topped with fresh greens,

INGREDIENTS-

  • Meatballs– For the meatballs, we use our homemade meatball recipe for fresh meatballs. You can also use frozen meatballs for a busy weeknight dinner.
  • Marinara Sauce– You can also use your favorite jar of canned marinara sauce or our Homemade Marinara Sauce.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, use our classic homemade Meatball Recipe.

Uncooked meatballs in the instant pot with sauce ready to be cooked.

HOW TO MAKE MEATBALLS IN INSTANT POT-

With just a few basic ingredients you can have this simple dinner ready.

  1. Meatballs– Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl. Shape 24 meatballs.
  2. Marinara Sauce– Turn the instant pot to sauté mode and sauté the onions.
  3. Puree– Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. With a handheld mixer, blend the sauce until pureed.
  4. Cook Meatballs– Add the meatballs into the instant pot sauce, close the lid, seal and cook on high pressure.
  5. Enjoy– Serve as desired and enjoy!

HOW TO SERVE-

There are several different ways to enjoy these juicy meatballs! Here are our favorite ways:

  • Pasta Dinner– Serve over spaghetti pasta for a hearty and delicious pasta dinner.
  • Meatball Subs- Add the meatballs in subs along with mozzarella cheese for subs!
  • Sliders– Serve these as meatball sliders with cheese like our sliders recipe.
  • With Side–  Enjoy with Mashed Potatoes or a side of Sweet Potato Fries.
Instant pot meatballs over a bed of spaghetti.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-

What kind of meat do I use?

You want to use beef with about 90% lean-10% fat content. You can use all beef in this recipe or mix the meat with other meat. One pound of ground beef may be combined with one pound of ground pork, chicken, or turkey with great results.

Can I add pasta along with meatballs for spaghetti and meatballs?

Yes, add about 8 oz of raw pasta in with the meatballs and continue with instructions.

Can I add the meatballs raw?

Yes, the instant pot cooks the meatballs fully!

Will the meatballs clump and stick together?

No, the instant pot will cook instantly and the meatballs will cook through and the sauce keeps them from sticking to each other.

How do I reheat the meatballs?

Reheat the meatballs and sauce in the microwave or on the stove-top in a skillet.

Juicy baked meatballs in sauce in the instant pot topped with fresh greens and parmesan cheese.

OTHER ITALIAN-INSPIRED DISHES-

Instant Pot Meatballs

Valentina
Tender and juicy Instant Pot Meatballs in marinara sauce loaded with so much flavors. Serve the meatballs with spaghetti for an Italian-inspired pasta dinner.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 13 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 590 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

homemade meatballs-

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 large onion finely grated
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp whole milk
  • tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil chopped

sauce-

  • 1/2 large onion finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 28 oz diced tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp dried parsley

Instructions
 

prepare meatballs-

  • Grate onion on the small protruding holes’ side of the grater.
  • In a bowl, combine the ground beef, grated onion, minced garlic, eggs, mayo, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and chopped basil.
  • Shape the mixture into 24 even shaped meatballs.

cook sauce and meatballs-

  • Turn the instant pot to sauté mode and sauté the chopped onion with oil and butter until the onion is tender. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley to the instant pot and bring to a simmer.
  • With a hand held mixer, puree the sauce to desired texture.
  • Add the shaped meatballs to the instant pot.
  • Seal and pressure cook for 9 minutes, release pressure and serve.

Notes

Marinara Sauce– If you want to skip making homemade sauce, just use a 32 oz jar of marinara sauce. 
  • Add the sauce to the instant pot and add in all the shaped meatballs then cook. 

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 31gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 1227mgPotassium: 757mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 403IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 5mg
(The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!