How do you make sure turkey meatballs don’t fall apart?

For best results when making Instant Pot meatballs (or any kind of pressure cooker meatballs, really), I find browning them first and then letting them pressure cook helps them stay together. The breadcrumbs also help to soak up extra moisture so the meat mixture isn’t too sticky or wet when cooking.

How do you keep turkey meatballs tender?

Adding a little olive oil to the mixture helps to keep the meatballs tender, as does pressure cooking them with a little stock. Bonus: Both add great flavor too! Also, it is so important to NOT overmix the meat mixture. To ensure this, I mix all the rest of the ingredients first (egg, breadcrumbs, etc.) and then add meat and mix until just combined.

Can you freeze Instant Pot meatballs?

Yes, absolutely! Once the meatballs have cooled, arrange them in a single layer on a large plate for baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for 2-4 hours, until meatballs are completely frozen and then transfer to a bag or container to store. They'll stay good for months, or just until the next time you need some quick meatballs.

What is the best way to reheat meatballs?

You can reheat meatballs in a few different ways: If they are in a sauce of some sort (like spaghetti sauce), heat them covered on the stove over medium-low heat. Or place in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil and heat in the oven at 300 for 20 minutes or in the microwave for 3-5 minutes (depending on how powerful your microwave is). If you are warming up plain meatballs, you can reheat them in the oven, uncovered, or in an Air Fryer at 400 for 5 minutes.

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs

Name: Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 egg; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 lb ground turkey (I use 85/15 blend, but 93/7 works too); 1 cup chicken stock (or any kind of stock you prefer)

Description

With simple ingredients and just a few minutes in a pressure cooker, these Instant Pot turkey meatballs deserve to be in your rotation! Serve with your favorite sauce and/or pasta, or eat them on their own with a quick side dish for the perfect, healthy meal.

Ingredients

Scale

1 egg
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb ground turkey (I use 85/15 blend, but 93/7 works too)
1 cup chicken stock (or any kind of stock you prefer)

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Instructions

In a large bowl, combine 1 egg, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (if you're using any other seasoning, add it now too). Mix with a fork until everything is well combined.
Add 1 lb ground turkey and mix with a fork or your hands until JUST combined. Do not overmix!
Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, roll meat mixture into meatballs. Each should have about 2 tablespoons of mixture.
Heat Instant Pot on saute over high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the meatballs to the pot. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until one side is deeply browned. Remove from pot.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and brown the rest of the meatballs. Remove and set aside.
Turn off Instant Pot, then add 1 cup chicken stock to bottom of pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits.
Add steaming trivet to pot (wrap in foil if you're concerned the meatballs will fall through) and stack meatballs on trivet.
Set Instant Pot to pressure cook on high. Cook for 5 minutes, then let naturally release for another 5 minutes.
Serve turkey meatballs with your favorite sauce, pasta dish or on their own. Meatballs can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

See FAQs above for directions to freeze meatballs.
I highly suggest using this recipe as a base recipe - play around with the seasonings and use your favorite spices to flavor these up!
I prefer to use garlic and onion powder for ease, but you can use freshly minced garlic and onion if you prefer. I'd do 2 garlic cloves and about 1/4 cup minced onion.
When it comes to browning the meatballs in the Instant Pot, I prefer to do it first and then pressure cook to help ensure meatball integrity (even though they still won't be perfect, so don't worry about it!). I only brown one side just to get some flavor and help them stay intact, but you can brown all sides if you would like. If you do, I'd reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Global