Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
by Chungah
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These Instant Pot Swedish meatballs is a true one pot meal! Made with the most tender, juicy homemade meatballs and a rich, velvety gravy.
Featured Comment
So delicious. Somehow I ended up with 45 meatballs so decided to freeze half after the browning stage. The gravy was incredible and I served everything over egg noodles. My kids asked for seconds and thirds! Thanks for a keeper.
why you’l love Instant Pot swedish meatballs
- Ultimate comfort food. Pairing juicy, tender meatballs with a rich, velvety creamy gravy is simply pure comfort food, nostalgic of Ikea’s favorited classic meatballs. They are perfect for a cozy night in or impressing weekend company.
- One pot convenience. Making Swedish meatballs in the Instant Pot cuts down on time and effort, cooking both the meatballs and gravy all in a single pot. It’s an absolute weeknight miracle dinner!
- Nothing beats homemade meatballs. Homemade meatballs give you complete control over ingredients, flavors, and texture. And the mix of ground beef and ground pork yields the juiciest, most tender meatballs. The best part? You can double the batch of meatballs and freeze them for later!
How to make swedish meatballs in the Instant Pot
- Make the meatballs.
- Combine the ingredients. Combine the ground beef, ground pork, Panko, milk, egg yolks, shallot, garlic, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Mix gently. Mix the ingredients just until combined. Overworking the meat will lead to tough, dense meatballs.
- Form the meatballs. Portion and roll the mixture into 3/4-to-1-inch meatballs. Pro tip: Keep your hands slightly wet with water.
- Sear. Sear the meatballs in batches in a 6-qt Instant Pot® using the “sauté” function until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. They will not be fully cooked here.
- Build the gravy. Whisk in the flour until golden, about 1 minute, then stir in the beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up any browned bits.
- Pressure cook. Return the seared meatballs to the Instant Pot, seal the pressure cooker valve and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, carefully turn the valve for a quick-release.
- Thicken the gravy. Set the meatballs aside and keep warm. Set the Instant Pot to the “sauté” function and simmer until reduced and thickened, about 4-5 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more it thickens. Stir in the sour cream, salt, and pepper until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency.
- Serve. Serve the meatballs and warm gravy over mashed potatoes, garnished with dill and parsley.
How to serve swedish meatballs
- Base: serve the meatballs and gravy over a hot starchy base such as mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or egg noodles
- Sides: peas, green beans, or roasted vegetables
- Condiments: sweet lingonberry preserves or cranberry sauce
- Garnish: sprinkle with parsley or chives for a pop of color
more favorited meatball recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I “flash freeze” the meatballs?
Place the uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the meatballs to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 1 month.
Do I have to brown the meatballs before pressure cooking?
Yes! Browning the meatballs first (using the “sauté” function) will lock in their shape, preventing them from falling apart in the Instant Pot, while adding deep, rich, caramelized flavors to the base of the gravy.
Can I use frozen meatballs instead?
Yes, you can use frozen meatballs as a major time-saver for busy nights! Skip the thaw and pressure cook the meatballs with the beef stock for 6 minutes, followed by a quick-release.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating gently on the stovetop over medium low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of beef stock, if needed.
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Everyone’s favorite IKEA Swedish meatballs made so easily right in your pressure cooker! So tender so creamy!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ cup Panko
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Heat canola oil; working in two batches, add meatballs and cook until all sides are browned, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beef stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Return meatballs to the Instant Pot®. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 8 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Set meatballs aside. Select high sauté setting; simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with meatballs, garnished with dill and parsley, if desired.
For the meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, milk, egg yolks, shallot, garlic, thyme, allspice and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-to-1-inch meatballs, forming about 30-32 meatballs.
Equipment
Notes
- Keep your hands wet. When forming the meatballs, keep your hands slightly wet to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands, ensuring perfectly round, smooth meatballs.
- Make ahead of time. The meatballs can be assembled up to 1 day in advance and placed in the fridge until ready to use. The uncooked meatballs can also be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month (once flash freezing).
- Make a double batch to freeze. Make a big batch of meatballs, doubling the recipe, to have a stash ready in the freezer to cut weeknight dinner prep to just a few minutes.
- Deglaze with beef stock. Deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot with beef stock, lifting up the browned bits (fond) to incorporate all the rich, caramelized flavors to the gravy while also preventing the dreaded burn error.
- Chicken stock also works. Unsalted chicken stock works well in place of the beef stock.
- Serve with a starchy base. Serve the meatballs with a starchy base such as mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles to sop up the rich, creamy gravy.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can these be cooked on the stove top?
Great recipe. been cooking for 72 years never saw this one. but please no CANOLA OIL. it is a GMO created by MONSANTO maker of ROUND UP otherwise a SUPER Great Recipe
What is a good substitute in this recipe for the pork? I can’t have pork and I’m wondering what other ground meat would mix well with the beef? And what percentages of lean vs fat?
Loved it! I added white wine to the sauce, little spoon of mustard and a hint of soy sauce. To gave the sauce some more depth.
I don’t usually do reviews mainly because I always flavor recipes to my own taste….. changing ingredients…. spices…etc… made this for dinner and it was great! Simple and delicious. No leftovers…. next time I’m going to have to double the recipe!
Delicious! This tastes the most like something I would get at a restaurant. It was very popular with guests and even great served with a few slices of bread as an entree.
Amazing recipe so delicious and did not make my heartburn act up! Love the mix of spices, i have never use allspice and nutmeg, it was a good change. I served it over mashed potatoes.
Thank you! The recipe is good and we enjoyed it very much
Simple to make and very yummy. My hubby ranted and raved on how delicious they were.
The flavors of the gravy were fantastic. Warning: do not substitute the pork for turkey. It’s not good.
Love it! I made it with a few modifications since I didn’t have the necessary ingredients. I used 1 fresh garlic clove instead of shallots. I substituted paprika instead of all spice. I made beef broth from a beef bouillon cube. I served the meat balls on an open faced sliced of bread since I was out of potatoes. WOW! incredible.
My meatballs don’t look nearly as perfect but the flavors are damn delicious. I made some substitutions to make it gluten free, red meat free and dairy free and it still turned out great. Substitutions that worked really well for me~Dairy free tofutti sour cream, GF panko, and ground organic turkey. Next time I will be doubling the gravy. I made some noodles and threw in some fresh arugula and OMG. Yum. Thank you!!
Great recipe
This was a delight to make. Very easy and quick. My family loved it. We served it over brown rice and it was delicious. I did add the Worcestershire sauce as suggested by someone and it added a nice little zing. I was pleasantly surprised at how the dill worked with this dish. I will definitely make this again except next time I’ll be sure to make extra sauce!
I’m a cook who doesn’t like fussy-work and so mucking about with raw meat and eggs, and the idea of transferring meatballs in and out of my instantpot did not thrill me, but I gave it a shot.
I’d send a picture, but we gobbled everything up and licked the platter clean.
Could I prepare this whole dish and leave on warm in the instant pot for a few hours or would you recommend going all the way through the step of cooking thr meatballs and then do the sauce when we are ready to eat? Sports night make things difficult with 3 kids!
We followed your recipe exactly as it is written. Turned out perfect. No substitutions needed. Thank you
This is absolutely delicious. Made it today for the first time and it was great. I forgot to buy egg noodles so I’ll be serving over rice.
OMG. You have knocked my socks off. This is SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD. Thank you thank you thank you! First time I’ve ever done meatballs in gravy. Wow! I must admit, I did add a splash of Worcestershire at the end. Sublime flavours. Thank you very much. I’ll be back!
Absolutely delish. The dill adds a layer of flavor that can’t be beat. I served with broad noodles and would make this again in a New York minute. The only problem I had was that the meatballs stuck to the IP liner a LOT despite using a good amount of oil. I think next time I’ll try using my non-stick IP liner instead. Other than that, this recipe is a total winner. Thank you.
I really loved this dish. It took longer than 25 minutes to prep, but perhaps the ice cream scoop trick will speed things along the next time. The only I wish this recipe listed was the nutritional value.
I agree it needs the nutritional value and that the ice cream scoop trick totally goes way faster than hand rolling the meatballs.