Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs

These instant pot Swedish meatballs are one of my favorite comfort food dinners. They come together fast, taste incredible, and the creamy sauce is absolutely worth it.

The meatballs are made with a mix of beef and pork, which gives them a really tender and flavorful bite. A few simple spices like allspice and nutmeg bring that classic Swedish meatball taste.

The sauce is rich, creamy, and comes together right in the pot using the drippings from the meatballs. No extra pans needed.

And because we’re using the Instant Pot, the whole thing is done in a fraction of the time compared to the oven or stovetop method.

Serve them over egg noodles with a little parsley on top and you’ve got a dinner the whole family will love.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Sauce Is Incredibly Creamy – The sour cream stirred into beefy pan drippings creates a rich velvety gravy you will want to pour over everything.

Beef and Pork Together Make Better Meatballs – The pork keeps the meatballs tender and juicy while the beef adds deep savory flavor.

Pressure Cooking Locks In Juiciness – Five minutes under pressure means every meatball stays soft and moist instead of drying out in the oven.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 lb Ground Pork
• 1/3 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 tablespoons Whole Milk
• 1/4 teaspoon Allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

For the Sauce

• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 3/4 cup Sour Cream
• Egg Noodles, cooked, for serving
• Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, allspice, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and parsley. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Roll the mixture into about 24 meatballs, roughly 1.5 inches each.

Step 2

Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and melt the butter. Working in batches, sear the meatballs until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the meatballs to a plate as they finish.

Step 3

Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir it into the melted butter and drippings, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in the worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard.

Step 4

Carefully return all the meatballs to the pot in a single layer. Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.

Step 5

When the cook time is complete, do a quick pressure release by carefully switching the valve to venting. Remove the lid once the pin drops.

Step 6

Gently stir in the sour cream until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Set to saute mode and let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes without letting it boil.

Step 7

Serve the meatballs and creamy sauce over cooked egg noodles, garnished with fresh parsley.

Pro Tips

Don’t Overwork the Meat Mixture

When you’re combining the meatball ingredients, mix everything with your hands just until the spices and breadcrumbs are evenly distributed. As soon as it looks uniform, stop.

Overworking the meat makes the proteins bind too tightly, and you’ll end up with dense, rubbery meatballs instead of tender ones. Think of it like gently folding everything together rather than kneading it like dough.

Also, wet your hands slightly before rolling each meatball. The mixture won’t stick to your palms and you’ll get smoother, more even balls.

Sear in Small Batches

Only put about 8 meatballs in the Instant Pot at a time when you’re browning them. If you crowd the pot, the meatballs steam instead of sear and you won’t get that golden crust.

That brown crust isn’t just for looks. It adds a ton of flavor to both the meatballs and the sauce since those browned bits left on the bottom of the pot get worked into the gravy later.

Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through during this step. You just want color on the outside. The pressure cooking step will finish them off.

Deglaze the Pot Carefully

After you sprinkle in the flour and stir it around for a minute, pour the beef broth in slowly while whisking. This is the step that prevents the dreaded burn notice on your Instant Pot.

Make sure you scrape up every bit of browned stuff stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or whisk. If anything is stuck when you seal the lid, the Instant Pot will detect it and stop cooking.

Related Recipes

• Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Meatball Subs
• Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Goulash

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use all ground beef instead of a beef and pork mix?

You can, but the pork is what makes these meatballs extra tender and gives them that classic Swedish meatball flavor. Using all beef will still work, but the texture will be a bit firmer and you’ll lose some of that subtle richness.

If you don’t have ground pork, ground turkey is another option that keeps the meatballs soft, though the flavor will be milder overall.