Here are the perfect 5 minute Instant Pot Dr Pepper barbecue meatballs that are the perfect appetizer for your next big party or to serve during the big game! This is how to cook Instant Pot frozen meatballs with a sweet and tangy sauce as well as other quick snacks you can serve!
Do you love getting together with friends and/or watching the big game with tasty appetizers you can snack on all day long?? Who doesn’t right??!! Well when you have kids sometimes it is easier to let’s say homegate rather than tailgage, and these Instant Pot Dr Pepper barbecue meatballs are the perfect snack!! Ok so really you could make a meal out of these and a few cheesy mozzarella sticks, and your friends will want to know how to make them. 😉  They will make you want seconds…and thirds! It’s one of our favorite side dish Instant Pot recipes. This post is sponsored by Farm Rich. All thoughts are my own. Visit your local grocery store to pick up Farm Rich snacks for game day.
Here’s the vision….let’s say it’s football season and you’re having friends over!
This is basically what you will need to make these Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Barbecue Meatballs
- Farm Rich Meatballs – we used Italian style
- Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks
- Toothpicks
- Green tablecloth
- Of course you can use a bottle of barbecue sauce and 1/2 c water or make your own homemade Dr Pepper barbecue sauce with our recipe + 1 can to drink!
Of course you could use prepackaged barbeque sauce but you may not realize just how easy it is to make homemade Dr Pepper barbecue sauce right at home! It’s sweet with a bit of spice to it and pairs with meatballs perfectly! There is something totally unique about Dr Pepper as it is a blend of 23 flavors and makes every sip and recipe you make with it truly unique!
Since we are focusing on quick and easy (totally my style) we are going to use Farm Rich Italian style Meatballs and mozzarella sticks found in the frozen food section, and we’re not even bother to defrost them first!!
The ooey gooey Mozzarella sticks come out perfectly crispy in the oven after only about 8 minutes, and putting these meatballs into our pressure cooker makes this yummy appetizer even quicker to make! Another great benefit is that the flavor is really locked in while they bubble and simmer for their 5 minute trip inside our pot. 😉
If you’re like us your family is BUSY, so anything that makes my life easier I’m all about….that’s why Farm Rich snacks are perfect for busy weekdays and get togethers! Ready made and just waiting for you to warm them up in the oven (or the Instant Pot in our case), it’s no wonder they’re America’s favorite snacks and appetizers brand.
Here’s how you make pressure cooker barbecue meatballs
The perfect Instant Pot Dr Pepper barbecue meatballs are here for your next big party or the big game! How to prepare the quick & easy snacks at home.
- 1 bag Farm Rich Meatballs
- 1 can Dr Pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 c tomato puree can use crushed tomatoes too if you prefer a bit chunkier
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Sriracha optional
- 1 tbsp spicy mustard optional
- 1/2 c onion minced, optional
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Add your can of Dr Pepper to a large bowl.
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Add all other ingredients into your bowl (except your frozen meatballs) and whisk together until well combined (can double recipe if you are making a large batch of meatballs).
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Pour your Dr Pepper barbecue sauce into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
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Pour your frozen Farm Rich meatballs on top and gently stir so all meatballs are coated with sauce.
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Set Instant Pot - pressure cooker to manual, pressure, high, for 5 minutes or low for about 8 (times vary according to how tender you like and how large your meatballs are, them but this works for us).
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Do a quick release.
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Check meatballs and make sure they are cooked thru (if very large may need to put on saute just until done but 5 min should be adequate to cook most frozen meatballs in a pressure cooker).
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Allow to cool so sauce thickens a bit, serve!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker you can still make these Dr Pepper barbecue meatballs on your stovetop! It is just as easy…..it will just take a bit longer but will still have the same great flavor. Here is what you do to make our Instant Pot Dr Pepper barbecue meatballs on the stovetop.
- Make the sauce as directed above in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat and allow to simmer.
- Then add your Farm Rich frozen Meatballs and wait until it comes to a rolling boil again.
- Turn your heat to low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are your desired tenderness (we like them very tender), and sauce thickens.
Of course if you’re sitting down to watch the game, and/or having people over you need more than one thing to snack on…..so these Mozzarella sticks are a great duo. Just pop them in the oven and they are perfectly crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside after only about 8 minutes! I preheat the oven once I set the time on my pressure cooker which makes everything done around the same time. Eat as is or serve with a side of marinara sauce or ranch dressing….oh they are so good!
For more homegating ideas from Farm Rich visit their site and have a blast friends!
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