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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Oh my goodness!! Whole family LOVED this. Only thing I added was a bit of Worcestershire Even my picky 9 yr old loved it!! Seconds all around!
Made this tonight and it was great, but I have one question.. This cooks in an Instant Pot, yet the pictures seem to show…a skillet?
Double the sauce because it’s THAT GOOD! Made this quite a few times and it’s so delicious and simple
How do you double the sauce? Just add more sour cream?
Perfect as always. I added a splash of worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Only thing that I would add next time is some mustard.
Very easy and tasty. I was feeding a hungry toddler so I used frozen meatballs but everything else was the same. I really appreciate the simplicity of the ingredients which made a very yummy dish.
Super delicious. And this is from someone who lived in Sweden. The only notes I’d make are that it makes a lot more than 32 meatballs, and takes longer to put together than mentioned. But this is still completely worth the effort.
Made this last night. It was awesome, the whole family enjoyed it. Served with noodles; definitely going to be making this again. Think next time we’ll make it with mashed potatoes, to compare. This is one of my new favorite recipes.
I made these tonight and my family loved them. I doubled the sauce and I added some Worcestershire sauce and some low sodium soy sauce. I also added 2 teaspoons of better than bouillon veggie flavor. I tried to keep count of the meatballs—I think I made about 30. I used 2 1/2 lbs if hamburger meat, because I didn’t have any pork. My very very picky husband, said “Great job, Honey!” and gave me a kiss. I almost passed out! Lol! Try this recipe, it is very good. PS this was the first time that I have ever made homemade meatballs!!!!
My family loved this dish! The only thing I did different was to add a dash or 2 of Worcestershire sauce per the suggestion in a few of the reviews.
Did anyone else get more than 30-32 meatballs from this recipe? I used my 1” scoop and got 53 meatballs! Good thing I made extra sauce. I double and triple checked I had the correct measurements and amounts. Oh well, they did not go to waste.
I will definitely make this dish again.
LOVED IT!!! my husband and I loved this recipe!! Quite perfect on a cold evening. Came together quickly and tastes amazing!!
This turned out great. Even my 16 mth old boys ate it! The only thing is I wish there was more sauce to have the meatballs with pasta. I’ll try doubling that part next time
This recipe was AMAZING! My first time making swedish meatballs from scratch and only my third time using my Instant Pot! I didn’t use the pork but it was still so very yummy; will definitely make again!
I wanted to ask, what would happen if I didn’t use the Panko in this recipe? Is there a substitute? I am asking because I cannot have bread, as I have a yeast allergy. Thank you! Also, I absolutely love your work; I have yet to make one of your recipes that my family didn’t rave about!
We substitute crushed Rice Chex for my gluten-free neice.
I almost always use oats instead of breadcrumbs when making meatballs, and they always come out wonderfully! The same amount of oats as breadcrumbs always does great. 🙂
So delicious. My mother in law conceded and said these were better than hers
Made these Swedish meatballs last night and they were great! I prepped the meatballs in the afternoon and left them on a covered cookie sheet in the fridge until I was ready for them. Served them over egg noodles with a side of steamed broccoli. Only thing I didn’t do was add the dill – the store was out. Next time I’ll find dill to add with the parsley. Looking forward to eating the leftovers on this rainy day!
Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical about using panko as the panade, but I was pleasantly surprised as these meatballs were very tender and not tough at all. Prior to this recipe, I have only had Ikea Swedish meatballs and these are far more superior and will now be in my regular rotation. Perfect comfort food on a chilly winter evening. Well done!
you missed a step where do I add the sour cream and sauce seasonings. Are they added to the instapot or are they done separately
Geree, this is listed in step #5.
5. 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.
What would be cooking method for conventional stove/oven?
The Swedish meatballs were delicious. As per other suggestions, I added a splash of Worcestershire sauce and low sodium soy sauce. Directions were perfect and easy to follow.
Made this last night and they were the best Swedish meatballs I’ve ever made (or had anywhere else)! The meatballs were a tad fragile but did hold together so next time I will add a bit more panko. I don’t understand the comments about the sauce being so bland since that was not my experience. I did add a splash of worchestershire. Maybe the quality of the beef broth? Anyway, served them over egg noodles and they were stupendous. Guests all went back for seconds. That was a yes/no good thing. Yes: Happy they liked it so much. No: The extra I made in order to have leftovers all disappeared.
This is good. I think the Worcestershire sauce suggestion would be great. I mentioned the same to my husband when we started eating. It was a pain to brown the meatballs and I almost gave up and threw it out, but I’m glad I didn’t. I will likely add more panko next time because they were so delicate.
Thank you for sharing. I will definitely make these again.