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Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
Category
Main Course
Servings
6
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion (diced into 1/2″ pieces)
- 3 large cloves garlic (smashed and peeled)
-
1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flake (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
-
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 3 inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional, but recommended!)
- Sprig of basil (optional)
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
-
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 cloves garlic (minced or microplaned)
- 1 pound ground dark turkey meat
- 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage links (casings removed)
For The Sauce:
For The Meatballs:
Instructions
- Set the function of your Instant pot to “saute”. Once hot, add the olive oil and onion. Stir until the onion pieces start to get translucent and soft, after about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and the pepper flakes if using. Stir until fragrant, for another minute or so.
- Turn off the saute function, and add the crushed tomatoes and salt to the pot. Stir to combine everything together, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon for any bits that caramelized at the bottom.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, milk, egg and garlic. Mix well with a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine. Add the turkey meat and turkey sausage. Using your fingers, gently mix all the ingredients until just combined. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (27 – 30 meatballs total).
- Add the meatballs to the Instant pot with the tomato mixture. If you need to make a second layer of meatballs, gently press on the first layer to submerge and add the next layer on top. It’s okay if they aren’t fully covered in sauce.
- Nestle the Parmesan rind and basil into the sauce, if using. Lock the lid onto the instant pot, and make sure the steam release valve is set to the “sealing” position. Set it to pressure cook mode on high for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, and then quick release, being careful to not hold your hand over the vent to prevent steam burns.
- If the sauce looks like it needs to be reduced, you can turn on the saute function for about 2-3 minutes – make sure to not let this run for too long, as it can scorch the bottom of the tomato sauce.
- Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese, or allow to cool to room temperature and store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- *Cooks note: This recipe uses the pressure cooker function of the instant pot resulting in a large amount of steam that needs to be properly released from the pot. Please read all instant pot instructions carefully before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6
- per serving
- Calories
- 413
Amount/Serving
% Daily Value
- Carbs
- 33 grams
- Protein
- 40 grams
- Fat
- 15 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 5 grams
- Cholesterol
- 120 milligrams
- Sodium
- 2086 milligrams
- Fiber
- 6 grams
- Sugar
- 17 grams
5 comments
This was way too thick for my pressure cooker to come to pressure, so I wound up with scorched, tough meatballs and scorched, thin sauce. Based on my experience, I recommend simmering this on the stove for 30-45 minutes instead of using the instant pot for this recipe. Actually, I recommend making Giada’s penne and turkey meatballs/ sauce from “Everyday Italian” instead. It’s been my go to spaghetti and meatball recipe for 20 years, and though I try different recipes every so often, I haven’t been able to beat that one!
Wow! These are so tasty. I found them to be moist, perfectly seasoned, and so simple to make. It's way easier to make these instead of traditional meatballs. I did find the sauce to be too thin, so I let it go on sautee for a few minutes, which thickened it up.
LOVE this recipe! So yummy!!
I had trouble with this recipe. Either it was too much sauce or too much meat. My Instant Pot kept saying food burn and shutting off. Any tips?
These were awesome – so easy and tasty.