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by Ed
If you’ve only used your Instant Pot for pressure cooking, you are missing out on this great appliance’s other multitasking abilities. This easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs recipe allows you to use the Sauté feature to replace oven cooking or stovetop frying.
If you haven’t tried the Suaté setting yet, why not get started with this Instant Pot Turkey Swedish Meatballs recipe? Meatballs are always a crowd-pleaser in our house and they are weirdly fun to make by hand if you’ve never tried them before.
And I literally mean ‘by hand’; mixing the meat, bread crumbs, eggs, etc and then shaping the meatballs is always best done with your hands. If that wigs you out a little, get a clean pair of gloves to wear while you mix and form the meatballs and always remember to wash your hands well before and after – gloves or not.
The Suaté setting gets up to heat quickly and is excellent for searing meats or browning veggies (for that sought-after Maillard reaction) before you seal it up and pressure cook the rest of the meal.
And – bonus – the Instant Pot will already be almost up to temperature and seal faster meaning your pressure cooking starts faster.
Cooking Turkey Meatballs in Instant Pot also has another winning feature: you only have one pot to clean up after.
Typically cooking meatballs in the oven or frying them on the stovetop generates more dirty dishes that need washing after. Any option that reduces dishes is always something we pick when given the choice. And Turkey Meatballs are a healthier option with less fat while still cooking up moist and tasty.
Making your own meatballs allows you to customize the size.
Our son once wanted to try giant meatballs, so we made them that way. Sometimes we want smaller meatballs so that they get more evenly distributed in the sauce which creates more meatball equality (or meatballity) when you are plating the food. Whatever. You meatball you.
Sear the outsides in the Instant Pot and the pressure cooking will take care of the insides later on. No worrying about under- or overcooking as everything stays moist and juicy in the sealed Instant Pot.
Now let’s talk sauce.
Always a touchy point, particularly when our kids were younger. This one has a couple of tough customers- mushrooms and onions – that can stand out in the final sauce, especially when you cook on the stovetop.
The Instant Pot is a sauce magician and can help you hide delicious ingredients that not everyone in the family likes. If you have a house of easy-going, broad-palate people – leave the onion and mushroom pieces large and they can star in the sauce along with the meatballs.
But if some members of your family don’t like certain ingredients (Ed note: After years and years of trying, I still struggle with big pieces of mushroom. I know. I’m a monster), dice them smaller and the Instant Pot will pressure cook them until they basically disappear. Magic!
You know your family best, so cut the veggies to suit their palates and make the meatballs in whatever size you want.
All of this comes together pretty quickly after the initial hands-on time with the meatball mixing and cooking.
Once the pot is sealed and the sauce is saucing, whip up some noodles, potatoes or even rice and it will all be ready to serve in a pretty outstandingly short amount of time. Plate it up as is or add a side like green beans or a salad. You’re done!
If you’ve never made your own meatballs or used your Instant Pot Sauté feature (or – madness – done neither!) before, this dish is your gateway to a bunch of great meals that are both fun and flavourful. Give it a shot and let us know how you and your household enjoyed it!
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 3/4 lb ground turkey
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 C breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp rosemary, dried crushed
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp sage, dried
- 2 C chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
- 1 cup of mushrooms, chopped or diced
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire
Directions:
Sear the meatballs until slightly brown on all sides. (Cook in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot.)
Remove meatballs from Instant Pot and set aside.
Stir in flour to coat the vegetables.
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs Recipe Your Family Will Love
These Swedish-inspired Instant Pot turkey meatballs have a rich and savoury gravy to please anyone. They are quick and easy to make - with just one pot for simple clean-up.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb ground turkey
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 C breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp rosemary, dried crushed
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp sage, dried
- 2 C chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, minced garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Form into 1-1/2″ balls.
- Heat oil in the Instant Pot on the high saute setting. Sear the meatballs until slightly brown on all sides. (Cook in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot.) Remove meatballs from Instant Pot and set them aside.
- Still on saute, melt butter and stir in onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until onions start to soften. Stir in flour to coat the vegetables.
- Add stock, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire into the pot. Return meatballs, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- If needed, add additional flour and cook gravy on saute to thicken.
- Serve gravy and meatballs over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.