Fast and Flavorful Instant Pot Meatballs
Meatballs are one of my favorite family meals. They’re a flavorful way to dress up ground beef, and everyone at my table — even the picky eaters — loves them. Until recently, classic meatballs simmered in rich tomato sauce remained a weekend-only project. But that was before I discovered Instant Pot meatballs, which are ready in under 30 minutes, thanks to my trusty pressure cooker and a supermarket shortcut.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean or extra-lean ground beef
- 8 ounces uncooked Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce
- 2 cups water
- Lightly beat 1 egg in a large bowl. Mince 4 garlic cloves and grate 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and add both to the bowl. Add 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Remove the casings from 8 ounces Italian sausage if needed, and add the sausage and 1 pound ground beef to the bowl.
- Gently mix with your hands until well combined. Form and shape the mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each), and place on a plate or baking sheet.
- Bring 2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce and 2 cups water to a simmer in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker with the Sauté function. Add the meatballs, stacking them but avoiding pressing them into each other. Turn off the saute function.
- Lock the lid on and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure, and serve the meatballs as desired.