This is our easy Instant Pot Swedish meatballs recipe with sour cream is made in less than 20 minutes with homemade or pressure cooker frozen meatballs! It’s keto friendly, delicious, and can be made in your Ninja Foodi or Crockpot express too.
I have made this Swedish meatballs recipe for years and my whole family loves it. Tastes like my Grandma’s and it’s one of our very favorite Instant Pot recipes. Use our homemade creamy sauce to eat as is or over egg noodles.
I don’t know about you but year round I am all about comfort food! I used to throw it in the oven but especially when it is 100 degrees outside I have no interest in that. Thank goodness for my fancy pressure cooker! 😉
On my counter are a few different brands and they all work basically the same. That means if you are looking for a great and easy Ninja Foodi recipe you can follow the same directions using the lid that is not attached and the pressure cook button. A Mealthy and crockpot express work the same way as in the recipe card below
I know…it looks delicious right??!! If you remember eating a version of these with your family members back in the day you can make them quicker now, with the same taste.
Of course you could use frozen meatballs for this dish but I think my basic meatball recipe is so simple and is packed with flavor though, so I prefer to make them myself. If you have a favorite meatloaf recipe just use that and instead of a large hunk divide it up into palm sized balls.
Meat with a bit more fat content work a bit better just so the meatballs don’t fall apart in the pressure cooking process. 80/20 is usually best or you can mix half spicy ground sausage with beef which tastes amazing but that is totally up to you.
Ingredient Notes
The balls are traditionally made with onion, ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. You can season as you would like but you’ll need a binder for sure with the meat and egg so they don’t fall apart
The Swedish Meatball Sauce with Sour Cream ingredients typically include butter, all purpose flour, beef broth, sour cream, salt and pepper.
I like to add some dijon mustard for a pop of zing for the sauce and heavy cream so it is thicker.
Can you use frozen meatballs?
Yes you can make this with a “bag of meat” but from scratch isn’t that hard and so much better. If you really wanted to use ready made just pop them into the sauce, toss to coat and pressure cook for a few minutes.
How Long to Cook Swedish Meatballs in Instant Pot
Pour 1.5 c. water inside your inner liner with a vegetable steamer inside. Empty bag of frozen meatballs into basket. Close lid and steam valve and set to pressure high for 3 minutes followed by a quick release. Timing will vary but this is pretty good for all brands. Differences will come if yours are quite large but even if they’re not cooked all the way through they will be with the second heating time with the sauce
You can skip step one since these are precooked and now defrosted. Take out, set aside, drain water out of pot and start with whisking your sauce ingredients together. In a pot on the stove boil egg noodles to al dente When done fold both together to coat
Put diced onions in as is without sauteeing first with the meat, that is fine because they’ll soften in the cooking process. Or make our baked Easy Swedish meatball casserole recipe.
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pkg french onion soup mix
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, substitute french’s fried onions if making keto
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 can beef broth, 14.5 oz.
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2-1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, varies according to thickness desired
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Mix together your ground beef, packet of french onion soup mix, 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce, bread crumbs, and 1 egg. (skip if using frozen meatballs). Make into medium size meatballs.
- Spray the inside of your Instant Pot with non stick spray and add a bit of olive oil inside. Set to saute, low.
- Add your meatballs and diced onions to your pot and cook until the outsides are browned (if using frozen meatballs skip this step). Turn pot OFF. Take meatballs out and add 1/2 your can of beef broth to deglaze your pot.
- Mix together all your other ingredients in another bowl and use a whisk to make sure all lumps are gone.
- Pour your cream mixture into the pot and put meatballs back in. Put your lid on, close your steam valve.
- Push the pressure high button on your Instant Pot for 3 minutes for homemade meatballs. If using defrosted previously frozen meatballs cook for only 3 minutes as well. If using frozen meatballs need 5 minutes (for small frozen, larger may take longer).
- Once it’s done and beeps do a quick release.
- Check meatballs to ensure they’re cooked thru. Remove the meatballs from the pot.
- Set Instant Pot to saute low again.
- Add remaining 2-3 tbsp. of cornstarch and whisk into liquid in pot.
- Allow to bubble and thicken, add more cornstarch if desired.
- Add meatballs back into sauce mixture and serve!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you want a side I would suggest a bit of egg noodles or Instant Pot white rice. We love them just as they are. 😉 I think that it is best to boil them to slightly al dente on the stovetop separately. Then when done pour them in and fold together so the sauce can coat everything.
What do you serve with Swedish meatballs?
Traditionally these are served with potatoes and lingonberry jam, which I love! We have also served them alongside white or brown rice or noodles. If you like spiced meatballs, add a dash of allspice to the meat mixture.
Mashed cauliflower is a great choice for a low carb alternative. What vegetables go with Swedish meatballs? Well you’d probably get a different answer depending on whom you asked. For us if you want a really healthy option you can just make these mixed Instant Pot steamed vegetables Instant Pot mashed potatoes using red potatoes is probably our favorite.
Well maybe nothing for you unless you’re like me and had a Swedish relative who made these! THEN they come with a boat load of memories I tell you. If you are looking for a recipe specific to your heritage this may be something you could make and pass down to younger generations. Recipes with meaning are so much better no matter what they really taste like. Yes I love my slow cooker but quick is where it’s at nowadays.
This was absolutely delicious! So much flavour and loved by hubby and the kids. I’ll make again for sure. 🙂
Oh yay!
So good! The homemade meatball recipe was easy and tasty.
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and was a savory success! My kind of comfort food, indeed; my whole family loved it!