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Image shows a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with a fork twirling the spaghetti.

Instant Pot Meatballs and Sauce

Making Instant Pot meatballs and sauce is not only simple, but the flavors are amazing. This desperation dish turned into a family favorite!
4.93 from 14 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Low Lactose
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories: 166kcal
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the sauce

  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • In a bowl, add ground beef and pork. Add breadcrumbs, eggs, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Use clean hands to work ingredients together.
    1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 2 eggs, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Form into ping pong ball size meatballs, and place meatballs in the fridge while you prep the sauce.
  • Turn Instant Pot to saute. Peel and mince garlic, then add oil to Instant Pot once heated. Add garlic and turn off the heat immediately.
    6 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Open tomatoes and pour into IP over garlic. Add dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir.
    1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • Add refrigerated meatballs, ensuring they're all coated in tomato.
  • Close Instant Pot and ensure the vent is set to seal. Cook for 15 minutes, then let NPR for 10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately. This reheats well the next day. Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in fridge for up to three days.

Equipment

Instant Pot
Instant Pot
Can Opener
Bamboo Cutting Board
Bamboo Cutting Board

Notes

  • While I make this with a mix of ground beef and ground pork, you can easily make it with all ground beef if you prefer. Don't use a super lean beef. Ideally, you want to use 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef to make this.
  • For more tips and tricks, please read the full article above.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball and sauce | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Sodium: 54mg | Sugar: 3g

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.