Easy homemade Instant Pot Swedish meatballs recipe! Total comfort food at it’s finest and takes less than 20 minutes to make. You’ve got to try it with frozen meatballs or make them yourself! Keto friendly, delicious, and can be made in your Ninja Foodi or crockpot express too.
This easy homemade Instant Pot Swedish meatballs recipe is so great. Tastes like my Grandma’s and it’s one of our very favorite Instant Pot recipes. (originally published 6/17, affiliate links present)
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
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.
Let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
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- This is a great InstaPot cookbook to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot. It is easier to clean and will avoid the burn message too.
- For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.
Ninja Foodi Swedish Meatballs
- I know…it looks delicious right??!!
Of course you could use Instant Pot frozen meatballs for this dish. I think my easy 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.
What is a Swedish meatball?
They are traditionally made with onion, ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The sauce ingredients typically include butter, flour, beef broth, sour cream, salt and pepper.
It is an “old fashioned” dish I remember my Grandmother making as I grew up and I thought it was just a normal dish. As I got older I realized how lucky I was to have enjoyed her homemade dish and had to figure it out myself once I had kids.
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs with Noodles
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.
OR you can make it together in the oven with our Swedish Meatball casserole (shared below).
For dinner when we have a quiet house (very rare, but it does happen), or just as a special treat I love pairing this with a glass of Chardonnay too!
- If you’re like me and don’t have a lot of time to make it to the store you can order what you want online.
- I love a glass of wine with these personally.
Homemade Instant Pot Swedish meatballs
- Homemade meatballs – or use this is how to cook frozen meatballs other ways
- Ground beef
- or half sausage and half ground beef or turkey
- Bread crumbs
- If making Keto Swedish meatballs substitute for fried onions
- French onion soup mix – yes really
- Egg
- Ground beef
Frozen Swedish Meatballs and Noodles
You could use either frozen or homemade. The latter may fall apart easier if you don’t brown them ahead of time pretty well (but tastier). Ready made are of course quicker and take the same time in your pot.
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Beef broth
- Onion
- Sour cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce
- Dijon mustard
You can also opt to make a basic meatball recipe here too. Use half ground beef and half sausage for best results
Pressure cooker Swedish Meatballs
Time needed: 7 minutes.
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
- Make meatballs
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.
- Saute
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 sauce
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.
- Cook
Set to high pressure 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. - Thicken
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!
Swedish Swedish Meatballs Using Frozen Meatballs
Homemade Swedish Meatballs
What if you want to use frozen meatballs instead?
Here are instructions for Crockpot frozen meatballs. That means you’d only have to use the recipe for my sauce and coat.
- That is a good question and a great alternative to save time and prep time.
- I have done this. With that said I will say I prefer my homemade meatballs better but here’s what you do if you want this easier version:
- 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.
Put diced onions in as is without sauteeing first with the meat, that is fine because they’ll soften in the cooking process.
What is the IKEA meatball sauce?
They keep these details under tight wraps, but I must say this could be a copycat IKEA meatball recipe because our Swedish meatballs sauce with sour cream tastes so similar.
- The key to success is the sauce really, made right in the skillet where you brown the meatballs.
- As stated earlier, it is a mixture of butter, flour, beef broth, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
- This creamy sauce picks up all the flavorful fond on the bottom of the pan.
- Try it for yourself and let us know if it’s as close and good as you remember having it there.
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.
Other suggestions are:
- This is the best mashed cauliflower for a low carb alternative side dish
- 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 steamed vegetables
- Instant Pot mashed potatoes using red potatoes is probably our favorite.
What is so special about Swedish meatballs?
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.
Instant Pot Swedish meatballs Recipe
Another easy meatloaf recipe you can follow to make homemade meatballs for this. Looking for other meatball recipes, here are a few others to try:
- Easy Swedish meatball casserole was made after this with noodles cooked together topped with crispy fried onions on top!
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Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pkg french onion soup mix
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c 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 c heavy cream
- 1/2-1 onion diced
- 1/2 c sour cream
- 3 tbsp cornstarch varies according to thickness desired
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- mushrooms quartered, optional
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
Gina
Thursday 12th of May 2022
Really enjoyed this recipe. Not only was it quick to make after a busy day but also so delicious! Will be keeping this in my dinner rotation!
Taryn
Thursday 12th of May 2022
I enjoyed this recipe. They remind me of the meatballs from Ikea.
The Typical Mom
Saturday 21st of May 2022
totally
Lisa
Sunday 20th of February 2022
Swedish or not this dish is amazing! This is the second time I have made it and my family loved it. We are garlic lovers so I added some frozen garlic cubs from Trader Joe's and some parsley. Thank you for this recipe!
Meg
Saturday 20th of November 2021
This was great! I had used another recipe in the past for “Swedish meatballs” that was a real pass, but this is a winner.
I did make some subs (no fat half & half over heavy cream, less butter, reduced sodium beef broth) and I also added a wee bit of onion powder mix to the gravy.
We liked it so much that I just made a freezer version(froze uncooked meatballs & put the gravy in another ziplock), will update it it goes well!
Katiejstew
Friday 17th of January 2020
Hi I am trying to meal prep- I like to freeze bulk- can I do this? pre-make the meatballs, make 20/30. Freeze them in batches of 10 to pull out when needed for dinner? Stick them frozen in the insta pot? Would I need to alter your recipe at all? It says no egg if frozen? Just want to check! Thanks!
Jacquelyn
Wednesday 20th of January 2021
Hi Katiejstew,
If I’m reading it correctly I think she means to skip all of the meatball ingredients if using frozen meatballs, not just the egg. I was confused by it at first too, until I reread it. You can put the meatballs in the instant pot while frozen, although she states to add a couple of minutes to the cook time. I’m going to try this tonight using fresh meatballs. Great idea to make a few batches ahead of time and freeze them!