Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs
Have you heard of comfort meatballs? Well – it’s a thing. And trust me, these are it. These Instant Pot meatballs are total comfort food. I was inspired to create this recipe because of Pioneer Woman Meatballs – and I think you’ll find that is an easier version of that.
Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs
If you are looking for easy meals to fit into your busy schedule, this is one that is a huge win for my family.
I’ve shared some of our other favorite Instant Pot meals and this Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs recipe definitely qualifies as a favorite.
These are fantastic on sandwiches and also go really well with my homemade zoodles recipe (zucchini anyone!?) and I love how abundant this recipe is because we end up getting quite a few meals out of it!
Ingredient for Instant Pot Meatballs
3 total pounds of ground meat
*I used 1 pound of beef mixed with 2 pounds of a pork but you can switch this up depending on what you have on hand.
1 red onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon of avocado or olive oil
fresh thyme, salt and pepper to preference
about 1 cup of breadcrumbs or Panko
about 1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce to mix in with the meatball mixture
1/3 cup of bbq sauce to mix in with the sautéing onions and/or spread on the top of the meatballs after they are in the Instant Pot
2/3 cup of stock or broth
(That’s right, no eggs and these hold together and are moist like a dream)!
*I use the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker and I love it!
How to make meatballs in your Instant Pot
Start by heating the oil in the inner pot using the sauté setting on high or a small non stick pan, then cook and brown the onions.
As they are starting to brown in the pot you can pour in some of the bbq sauce to caramelize them.
When done turn off the Instant Pot or burner and remove the onions from the pan or pot.
Add them to the ground meat along with all of the other ingredients, except for the stock.
Pour the stock into the bottom of the Instant Pot, set the trivet that came with your Instant Pot in the bottom of the inner pot.
Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly (adding more bbq sauce OR breadcrumbs as needed) and then make uniformly sized balls and set them onto the trivet.
Layering the meatballs is perfectly fine, just try not to smoosh the bottom ones by pushing down. Brush a little more bbq sauce on top of the formed meatballs.
Check your sealing ring and then twist on the locking lid.
Set the valve to sealing and select Manual mode for 6 minutes.
When the pressurized cook time has ended let the pot naturally pressure release for an additional 6 minutes before carefully manually releasing the rest of the pressure.
There will be quite a bit of liquid in the pot around the meatballs, most of this is fat so you’ll want to strain away.
Let the meatballs cool for a few minutes before plating.
*The amount of time needed for cooking may vary if you are making larger or smaller meatballs.
Print the Recipe for Instant Pot Meatballs
Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 total pounds of ground meat
- *I used 1 pound of beef mixed with 2 pounds of a pork but you can switch this up depending on what you have on hand.
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of avocado or olive oil
- fresh thyme, salt and pepper to preference
- about 1 cup of breadcrumbs or Panko
- about 1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce to mix in with the meatball mixture
- 1/3 cup of bbq sauce to mix in with the sautéing onions and/or spread on the top of the meatballs after they are in the Instant Pot
- 2/3 cup of stock or broth
- (That’s right, no eggs and these hold together and are moist like a dream)!
- Instructions
Instructions
Start by heating the oil in the inner pot using the sauté setting on high or a small non stick pan, then cook and brown the onions.
As they are starting to brown in the pot you can pour in some of the bbq sauce to caramelize them.
When done turn off the Instant Pot or burner and remove the onions from the pan or pot. Add them to the ground meat along with all of the other ingredients, except for the stock.
Pour the stock into the bottom of the Instant Pot, set the trivet that came with your Instant Pot in the bottom of the inner pot.
Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly (adding more bbq sauce OR breadcrumbs as needed) and then make uniformly sized balls and set them onto the trivet.
Layering the meatballs is perfectly fine, just try not to smoosh the bottom ones by pushing down. Brush a little more bbq sauce on top of the formed meatballs.
Check your sealing ring and then twist on the locking lid. Set the valve to sealing and select Manual mode for 6 minutes.
When the pressurized cook time has ended let the pot naturally pressure release for an additional 6 minutes before carefully manually releasing the rest of the pressure.
There will be quite a bit of liquid in the pot around the meatballs, most of this is fat so you’ll want to strain away.
Let the meatballs cool for a few minutes before plating.
Notes
*The amount of time needed for cooking may vary if you are making larger or smaller meatballs.
Meet the author – Keri Lyn
The creative and frugal mind behind She Saved for over 12 years now, Keri Lyn shares her adventures in parenting along with her love for family travel, country living and brand marketing. A self-proclaimed “brand loyalist”, Keri Lyn is known for her strong and enthusiastic voice when it comes to the products and brands that she loves. She Saved has become a community for like-minded consumers who appreciate saving money, time and sanity by getting the best deals on quality products and experiences.
Wow, those look amazing. Don’t have an Instapot, so will have to try on the stove. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.