Quick and Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

This quick and easy instant pot cocktail meatballs recipe is the perfect party appetizer. Homemade beef meatballs in an easy sauce made of jelly and a jar of sweet chili sauce. These also double as a quick dinner, serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Meatballs can be made ahead and kept in the freezer, or sub store-bought meatballs for a quick swap.

A classic party appetizer or an easy weeknight meal!

Highlights of the Instant pot cocktail meatballs:

• Quick cooking time
• Family friendly
• Great for meal prep, appetizers, and game days
• Freezer friendly
• Can be made ahead
• Budget friendly, with store-bought options
• Easy instant pot recipe
• Leftover meatballs can be repurposed into other meals

Homemade meatballs are so easy to make and can be easily customized. Add garlic chili sauce to make a spicy sauce.

Variations & Serving Ideas:

• Serve as a delicious appetizer at holiday parties or for game day
• Serve in a rice bowl topped with avocados, green onions, cilantro, and lime for an easy main course
• Substitute apricot preserves, orange marmalade, or cranberry sauce for grape jelly
• Use homemade or store-bought meatballs
• Serve with plenty of toothpicks or skewers for the perfect small bite at dinner parties
• Turn leftover meatballs into meatball subs
• Serve over lo mien noodles with green beans or broccoli

Tools I used for these instant pot meatballs:

• Glasslock Glass Food Storage Containers – the square containers are the perfect size for lunches or leftovers, stain proof, and they are dishwasher safe
• Tongs – a must have kitchen tool!
• USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely
• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker – A versatile counter top appliance perfect for quickly cooking these meatballs! My favorite electric pressure cooker.
• Portion Scoops – perfect for getting even sized meatballs.

Grape jelly and sweet chili sauce makes a super easy, flavorful, tangy sauce that pairs perfectly with the tender meatballs.

Grocery List & Ingredient Substitutions:

• Jar of grape jelly
• Jar of chili sauce
• Lean ground beef (or substitute store-bought beef, chicken, or turkey meatballs)
• Large whole eggs
• Bread crumbs
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Garlic cloves
• Garlic powder
• Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

If you like this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe, try these other easy recipes…

Easy Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs Recipe

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatballs

Easy Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Instant Pot BBQ and Grape Jelly Meatballs

Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatball Bowls

Final Steps:

• Add chilled meatballs and sauce ingredients to instant pot
• Pressure cook
• Release pressure naturally
• Stir to combine
• Serve with extra sauce

How do I keep my meatballs from falling apart?

A good mixture of binding agents is important. Both whole eggs and breadcrumbs are great for keeping meatballs from falling apart. A simple way to check that the meatballs wont fall apart while cooking is while rolling the meatballs. If the meatballs do not stay together while rolling, they will most likely fall apart while cooking. If your raw meatball mixture is falling apart, increase the amount of breadcrumbs as needed. You can also chill/freeze the meatballs before baking to help them hold their shape.

How do I make sure my meatballs are moist?

Pressure cooking meatballs in the instant pot keeps the inside light and moist. The key is to start on the low end of time and add more as needed! Cooking in a sauce, such as this sweet chili and jelly sauce, is another key!

These beef meatballs are so simple and flavorful! A classic party appetizer perfect for holiday parties or gatherings.

Instructions for the Quick and Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe:

For the meatballs:

• In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, and garlic powder. Gently mix with your hands until evenly combined. Use a portion scoop to scoop 1 oz. meatballs. Roll into balls and place on a sheet pan, you will get about 25 meatballs. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until hard.*
• Add the chilled meatballs into the base of the instant pot along with the grape jelly and chili sauce. Stir to combine. Secure the lid onto the pressure cooker. Turn on, select “Pressure Cook” setting, set to “high pressure” for 25-30 minutes, and start.
• Once the timer has expired and the meatballs have finished cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally. Serve with extra sauce. Leftover instant pot meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes:

*Alternatively you could use store-bought frozen meatballs. I freeze the meatballs before placing in the pressure cooker so they don’t fall apart.

*Cooking time may need to be adjusted by the size of the meatballs, they should reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. before serving. 

*If needed, toss the meatballs halfway through cooking to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot

Did you make this recipe?

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