Instant Pot Bobby Flay’s Italian Meatballs–an Instant Pot version of Bobby’s meatball recipe. This is a super flavorful and very easy recipe.

Instant Pot Bobby Flay’s Italian Meatballs
I saw a recipe for Bobby Flay’s Italian Meatballs and wanted to try my hand at changing the recipe into an easy Instant Pot version. The result was tender, flavorful meatballs and a sauce that Greg spooned into his mouth straight out of the pot! These meatballs disappeared super quickly…I’ll be making them again soon!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground pork–sometimes this is a little hard to find so ask the butcher if you can’t see it
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef–use 93/7 or 90/10 lean so that it’s not greasy
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt–or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper–or white pepper
- 1 egg–used as a binder
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese–you can use fresh or powdered cheese
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic–or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs–you can use plain breadcrumbs, panko or Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley–or 3 Tbsp fresh parsley
Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion–try using frozen diced onions if you don’t like chopping
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic–or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup beef broth–or 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch of red pepper
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes–for best texture use crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley–or 2 Tbsp dried
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced into strips–you can also use 1 teaspoon dried
Instructions
- Make meatball mixture: In a medium size bowl mix together all meatball ingredients with hands (I like to use gloves*). Set aside.
- Saute onions and garlic: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When displays says HOT add in oil and onions. Saute for about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Stir in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off saute setting.
- Add in the bay leaf and red pepper.
- Form meat mixture into meatballs. Use ¼ cup of meat per meatball. Place the meatballs into the Instant Pot.
- Dump the crushed tomatoes over the meatballs. Don’t stir. Add in the parsley.
- Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Gently stir. Add in the basil.
- Serve meatballs topped with sauce, enjoy!
Notes
- If you want a less chunky sauce then move the meatballs out of the Instant Pot to a plate and use an immersion blender to smooth out the tomato sauce before serving.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You can also use an 8 quart or 3 quart pot.
- I found a package or pork and ground beef that was already mixed together at the grocery store! It worked so nicely. That was random though because I’ve never seen that before or since.
- This recipe makes 9 good size meatballs. You can double the meatball mixture and keep the sauce mixture the same if you’d like.
- Serve alongside a side a garlic bread or pasta.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot Meatball Recipes…
Instant Pot French Onion Meatballs
Instant Pot Mountain Meatballs
Instant Pot Great Grandma’s Italian Meatballs
Instant Pot Million Dollar Meatballs
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
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Instant Pot Bobby Flay’s Italian Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 9 meatballs 1x
Description
An Instant Pot version of Bobby’s meatball recipe. This is a super flavorful and very easy recipe.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley or 3 Tbsp fresh parsley
Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch of red pepper
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp dried
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced into strips
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl mix together all meatball ingredients with hands. Set aside.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When displays says HOT add in oil and onions. Saute for about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Stir in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off saute setting.
- Add in the bay leaf and red pepper.
- Form the meat mixture into meatballs. Use ¼ cup of meat per meatball. Place the meatballs into the Instant Pot.
- Dump the crushed tomatoes over the meatballs. Don’t stir. Add in the parsley.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Gently stir. Add in the basil.
- Serve meatballs topped with sauce, enjoy!
Notes
If you want a less chunky sauce then move the meatballs out of the Instant Pot to a plate and use an immersion blender to smooth out the tomato sauce before serving.
- Category: Beef and Pork
- Method: Instant Pot

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
With out a doubt the best meat balls we have had. And the sauce had the best flavor. I doubled the meatballs and kept the sauce amount the same. But the meatballs would have been stacked on each other and I was worried they would stick together and not cook properly. So I cooked what wouldn’t fit in the pot in the oven. Could I stack them and would they still cook properly?
★★★★★
I think they would be okay if you stacked them on top of each other…They would cook fine it’s just they might stick together a bit
I love the recipe but this time I need to double it for a larger family dinner. Have you tried this? Can I trust the automatic adjusted measurements and would cooking times remain the same?
★★★★★
I haven’t tried doubling. I may not double the broth and the sauce if I were you. I may just double the meatballs.
I just made these for the second time. I haven’t changed a thing….This is so easy and quick. Try this recipe, you won’t be disappointed!
★★★★★
Thanks Julie!
I made your meatballs for dinner tonight and they are without a doubt the best I’ve ever made and maybe the best I’ve ever had served. This recipe will definitely be a repeat for our family.
Wow what a great compliment!!! Thank you so much Carol!
The meatballs were very good. In place of the ground beef, I used ground turkey and used Italian breadcrumbs instead of plain breadcrumbs. Made 12 meatballs vs. 9 and served it over 12 oz. of spaghetti topped with parmesan cheese. I anticipated getting the burn message but fortunately it never happened😊. Will make this again.
★★★★★
Wahoo!! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Is there a way to make these meat balls without making the sauce or using my own pre-made sauce?
I would maybe bake them in the oven instead with no sauce??? I am not sure how long, probably 30-45 minutes at 350.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love meatballs, but have never attempted them in the Instant Pot. It looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
I think you’ll really love them!