This post contains affiliate links. This is also a sponsored post with Instant Pot. All thoughts and opinions are my own (because you KNOW I love my Instant Pot!!).
The giveaway has ended, but enjoy this awesome free recipe!
These Ground Turkey Meatballs are super simple to make and cook in a flash in the Instant Pot. They are full of Italian seasonings and spices. But no onions and no fresh garlic, making it a super easy and kid-friendly dinner.
When my kids say “what’s for dinner, Mom?” and I say “turkey meatballs”, they actually say “YES”, with a fist pump!
It definitely gets a 5 star vote from my kids.
You can also try making these Instant Pot Italian Meatballs or Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs. Both are AMAZING!
And if meatballs are one of your favorite dinners, check out all the Meatball Recipes on Mom’s Dinner!
Winning with the Instant Pot
I LOVE using my Instant Pot! I am telling you it has changed our my dinner routine completely. I am able to set it and forget it. No standing in the kitchen, stirring, and waiting. Once it is set I can walk away, get things done, and listen for the beep.
Even if I completely forget to thaw chicken for dinner, I still know I can get dinner on the table in 30 minutes, using my Instant Pot (for example my Instant Pot Chicken & Rice Soup , which is made with frozen chicken!!!).
The other thing I love about my Instant Pot is that it is takes the place of another bulky kitchen appliance, the slow cooker. To use the IP as a slow cooker simply set it to the slow cook function, set your time, and keep the pressure valve open on the top. So easy!
One thing to consider, that not a lot of people mention, is that a recipe may say it takes 10 minutes to cook, however that does not include the time that it takes the pot to come to pressure. That can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 10 minutes depending on how much food/liquid you have in the pot. But, the actual cooking time is SO much shorter than traditional oven or stove cooking that it makes up for that time.
The Instant Pot I Use & Recommend
The model I use and recommend is the Instant Pot Duo Plus 60 6 quart 9-in-1, which I absolutely love. To be honest I will probably never know how to use all 9 functions, like the yogurt or sterilize functions. But, they are there if I need them!
The main reason I love this pot is because of the size, 6 quarts. It is large enough for just about any recipe and is a great size for a family of 2 up to 8.
I would also recommend the Instant Pot Duo 60 6 quart 7-in-1, same size, just less functionality, which is probably just fine!
Instant Pot Giveaway
This giveaway has ended.
Which Ground Turkey to Use for Homemade Meatballs
This is not the time to save on calories! Ground turkey is already considered a lean protein, so go ahead and get the 93% lean turkey. The 99% lean turkey will not give you the correct flavor or texture that you want in a meatball.
When the 99% lean turkey is cooked it can tend to resemble the texture of plastic, ewwww. Not what I am looking for in a meatball. Unless you are on a strict diet I would steer clear of the 99% lean ground turkey.
How to Make Homemade Turkey Meatballs
This is truly a super simple meatball recipe.
Put all the ingredients (except the oil and marinara sauce) in a mixing bowl. With clean hands, lightly mix the ingredients together just until they are combined.
I like to have slightly wet hands when I form the meatballs. This is a great kitchen tip to keep the turkey from sticking to your hands.
Grab about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of turkey mixture and roll it around in between the palms of your hands to form a ball, about the size of a ping-pong ball.
Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place all the meatballs in the prepared Instant Pot.
I am able to get 1 layer of meatballs in my 6 quart Instant Pot. If you have to layer the meatballs, that is okay… just lay the top layer in lightly.
Pour a 24 oz jar of your favorite, store-bought marinara sauce over the meatballs. Pop the lid on, seal the vent, and set the pot to meat/stew or manual mode on high pressure for 10 minutes.
If you plan to have the meatballs with pasta, you can cook the pasta while the meatballs cook in the Instant Pot.
When the pot beeps at the end of 10 minutes (plus pressure time), do a quick release.
Lightly stir the meatballs in the marinara sauce. There may be some light browning on the bottom of the pan, that is just extra flavor!
Serving Easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
This is a super versatile recipe. It can be an appetizer, sandwich, or entree.
At our house you will most likely find these meatballs on top of a pile of spaghetti. But here are a few ideas for serving Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs:
- Appetizer with grilled or warm garlic bread
- Serve over your favorite pasta
- Serve over zoodles (zucchini noodles) for a low carb option
- Or over a mixture of spaghetti & zoodles for a lower carb option
- On a hoagie bun for a great Meatball Sub
I hope you give this recipe for Easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs a try in your kitchen.
More Delicious Meatballs & Related Recipes
Did you make this recipe?!
If you make this recipe I would love to hear your review. Pop down to the comment section and connect with me.
Then sign up for our Weekly Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe!
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93/7 Ground Turkey
- 1 0.7 ounce packet of Italian Dressing Season Packet
- 2 tablespoon bread crumbs Italian or Plain
- 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, using clean and slightly wet hands (which helps the turkey not stick to your hands), lightly mix the turkey with the Italian dressing packet, bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire. Do Not add extra salt, there is plenty of salt in the dressing packet. Grab about 1 ½-2 tablespoon of meat mixture at a time and form 20 meatballs.
- Pour the olive oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add all the meatballs to the pot. It is ok if you need to make two layers, just lay the second layer of meatballs in lightly.Pour the jar of marinara and water over the meatballs.
- Close the lid and turn the pressure vent to seal.Cook the meatballs on meat/stew or pressure/manual mode, on high pressure, for 10 minutes. Do a quick release.
- Lightly stir the meatballs and serve.(there may be some browning on the bottom of the pan, that is okay, it’s just extra flavor)
Notes:
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Dean
I don’t know what happened. I followed the instructions carefully and my meatballs came out way under cooked. I tried to finish them in a frying pan after and still, just could not get the right texture. I tried a 2nd batch using 20 minutes high pressure cook time, still, the meatballs seemed way underdone. I used a very expensive, pasture raised organic turkey from Costco and other high quality organic ingredients. It was my first attempt at making these and I spent a fortune on ingredients. Regretfully, I don’t think I’ll retry this one.
Susie Weinrich
I am so sorry that happened, Dean! If you cooked turkey meat in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes (on high pressure) they should have been WAY over done! I would double check that your pot is sealed and coming to pressure properly. I have had times when my Instant Pot glitches and doesn’t come to pressure, but still does the countdown.
Candice Kilby
I think it would be better to brown the meatballs a little and add the sause first and then the meatballs. My instant pot would not come to pressure because it kept saying food burn. I might try this recipe again making the necessary changes.
Susie Weinrich
Hi Candice- I am so sorry that you got the burn warning! That is such a pain! From being on a lot of Instant Pot Forums I feel like some IP’s just get the burn warning more than others (not being user error!!).
You can absolutely brown these first. Just make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot after doing so. It would definitely add another layer of flavor.
Also add a little marinara under your meatballs or give the bottom of your pot a squirt with non stick spray.
I hope you try them again and are able to come back and give these 5 stars next time.
Have a great day! Susie
Tracy Foster
My husband HATES anything that is healthy for him. I made these and WOW, they turned out perfect. So very tender and juicy. He LOVED them. We ate them over pasta. He requested a 2nd batch tonight for meatball subs. I love them as well!
Nicole
I’ve made this a few times- always great. Kids can easily make! I’ve subbed sourcream & Bolthouse yogurt Caesar dressing when I’ve been out of Greek yogurt and it’s come out great still. I even left out panko and added spinach and cheese for a lower carb version and it still was so good!
Nicole
This recipie is fantastic! I tried this recipie the first time and it was great. I wanted some more garlic in there though, so I started adding some ingredients in. I added fresh onion, garlic and parmasean into the mix. It is fantastic! Thank you SO much!
Susie Weinrich
Love your customizations!!!
Jen
Excited to try these! Do I have to cook them with marinara sauce? Thanks
Susie Weinrich
No, you do not have to add the marinara. You could just add the water (or broth) and cook. Just make sure you add some type of liquid to the Instant Pot so it will come to pressure.
Adel
Hi! Made it several times already, thank you! I was wondering if I can freeze a frozen portion of it, how would it look like?
Susie
Definitely – you could freeze the meatballs individually before you cook, then just add 2 minutes to the cook time when making from frozen.
Or you can freeze after you cook and just heat them in microwave or oven.
Debra
I love this recipe!!! Great flavor. Problem with burn notice. I always get one. Any suggestions?
Susie
Great, I’m so glad you love it!!!
That burn notice is a big pain in the butt. I don’t know if this is true but I feel like some pots get it more than others (not being user error!!).
Try spraying the bottom of your pot with a non stick cooking spray before starting anything. Then I would also use the trivet as much as you can.
If you saute anything make sure to COMPLETELY deglaze the bottom before moving on to pressure cooking.
Hope that helps!
Susie
Megan
So delicious! Came across this recipe today while looking for some new ways to make meatballs. So glad I did, thanks!
Susie
Thank you so much!!! I hope you will come back to Mom’s Dinner for additional recipes!
Kayleen
This idea looks amazing!
Do you think it could work with a crock pot? If so what setting and how long do you think it would take?
Susie
I would imagine it would work really well in a crockpot. It looks like other crockpot meatball recipes cook on low for 4-6 hours. Just make sure they reach 165 degrees internal temp.
Shelley
Can I double this? They’re a huge hit in my house.
Susie
I have not tried a double batch, but I would think they would still cook in the Instant Pot just fine. Since there is more weight in the pot you may have some darker caramelizing on the bottom meatballs, but they should be just fine.
If you do try it will you report back??!! Please!
(I am so glad your family loves them!!)
Mindy Schroeder
This was so easy, and super delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. It is a keeper! I served it with carrot spirals. Everyone raved about it.
Susie
ohhhhh- ive always wanted to try the carrot spirals. Great idea! Thank you
emily
Is there a substitute that we can use in replace of the yogurt? what about sour cream? thank you!
Susie
You can absolutely sub sour cream for the yogurt! Enjoy : )
Danielle Wolter
The instant pot is one of the best inventions ever. i absolutely love mine and am using it constantly. Those meatballs look incredible susie, and so easy in the instant pot!
Susie
Thank you!!
JOHN
This is a crowd pleasing recipe. It is even kid approved! Delicious!!
Tawnie Kroll
Such a wonderful giveaway and recipe looks AMAZING!!!!