These Instant Pot Meatball Sandwiches are a big hit with kids! This easy family dinner recipe is ready in under half an hour (even faster if you use pre-cooked meatballs).
My two biggest battles when it comes to getting dinner on the table every night are time and picky eaters. These Instant Pot meatball sandwiches solve both of those problems!
Since I cook them in my Instant Pot
, the pot does most of the work so I can do something else while dinner cooks. Plus, since I only use one pot, clean up is a breeze too.
Even better, I don’t have to listen to groans when my kids sit down to dinner. Meatballs, drowning in sauce, piled into a bun so they can eat with their hands? It’s pretty much everything my kids love in a meal!
Fast, kid-friendly, and delicious. It’s no wonder this is one of our favorite busy weeknight dinners.
How to Make Instant Pot Meatball Sandwiches
Like almost all of my dinner recipes, these meatball sandwiches super simple! In just a few simple steps, you’ll have a dinner on the table that the whole family will be excited about.
Step 1 – Brown the Meatballs
You can use homemade or frozen meatballs. I’ll confess to using frozen meatballs when I’m really in a hurry, but I really love the flavor of homemade!
Whether you use frozen or homemade meatballs though, you’ll want to brown them. So, heat up some oil in your Instant Pot on the saute setting and brown the meatballs.
Step 2 – Saute the Vegetables
Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, add the chopped peppers, onions and garlic. Cook them until they are translucent.
Step 3 – Add Sauce and Set Timer
Now you just need to add the sauce to the pot.
Place the lid on the pot, select “meat/stew” and set the timer.
For fresh meatballs, set the timer for 10 minutes. For precooked meatballs, set the timer for 2 minutes.
When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally. Then, spoon the meatballs into buns to serve.
Instant Pot Meatball Sandwiches Recipe
Hereโs a printable version of the recipe.
๐ Recipe
Instant Pot Meatball Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 12 meatballs
- 3 sweet bell peppers or 1 jar cooked peppers chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1-10 oz can tomato sauce
- 4 sub-style buns
Instructions
- Place the olive oil in your Instant Pot and select “saute” setting.
- Once the oil is hot, add your meatballs and sear until browned all over, stirring as needed.
- Add the chopped vegetables and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the tomato sauce and turn off the IP
- Secure the lid and select “meat/stew” setting for 10 minutes (2 if the meatballs are precooked).
- Allow to natural release and then serve on sub-style buns with a sprinkle of cheese or parsley.
Nutrition
More Easy Family Dinner Recipes
Looking for even more easy dinner recipes? Here are some of our other favorites:
Sausage, Onion and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
Baked Pork Chops and Apples with Brown Sugar Glaze
More Instant Pot Resources
Love your Instant Pot? Find more Instant Pot Recipes here. And check out my favorite Instant Pot Hacks.