If you’re in a rush, try this quick and easy recipe for Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs in buffalo sauce. With just a few steps, your entire family will be enjoying a tasty dish – even the kids! Cooking frozen meatballs in the Instant Pot has never been easier.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Time-Saver: This frozen meatballs Instant Pot recipe perfectly cooks your frozen meatballs.
- Spicy Buffalo Flavor: The buffalo sauce adds a tangy kick that's simply addictive.
- Versatile Dish: You can serve as a hearty appetizer or over rice or pasta for a main.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed for your frozen meatballs Instant Pot recipe
- Frozen Meatballs: Provide a convenient, protein-rich base for the dish. Opting for unseasoned chicken meatballs allows for versatility in flavor.
- Buffalo Hot Sauce: Gives the meatballs a spicy kick, adding depth and heat to the dish.
- Chicken Stock: Provides liquid for pressure cooking and enhances the savory flavors of the meatballs and sauce.
- Ranch Dressing: Adds a creamy, tangy element to the dish, balancing out the heat from the buffalo sauce. Also serves as a delicious dipping sauce.
- Green Onions: Offer a fresh, slightly sharp contrast to the rich flavors of the meatballs and sauce.
- Blue Cheese (Optional): If used, it can add a bold, tangy kick to the dish, complementing the heat of the buffalo sauce.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Marinara Meatballs: You could try marinara sauce or tomato sauce with Italian seasoning for Italian meatballs.
- Grape Jelly Meatballs: Other meatball sauce options could be honey garlic sauce, grape jelly meatballs, chili sauce, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, or teriyaki sauce.
- Beef Meatballs: You can use frozen meatballs made from beef in place of chicken meatballs in this recipe. You could also try using ground turkey for turkey meatballs.
- Beef Broth: Just follow the same instructions for cooking and use beef broth instead of chicken broth for a beefy flavor.
🔪How To Cook Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs
Using your Instant Pot means you’ll have a meal or appetizer on the table in less than half an hour. Follow the simple steps to cook your Instant Pot frozen meatballs.
Place all your Frozen meatballs into the Instant pot with the chicken broth.
Add Buffalo Hot Sauce and half of the ranch dressing to the inner pot. Stir to combine and coat the meatballs well.
Close your Instant Pot lid and place the vent in a sealing position. Pressure-cook your frozen meatballs by pressing the manual pressure cook button set for 5 minutes.
When the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release by flipping your valve to the “venting” position. The frozen meatballs such now be fully cooked and tender.
Serve your Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with extra ranch for dipping and garnish with green onions and blue cheese crumbles if desired. Enjoy!
👩🍳 Expert Tips
When mixing meatballs in sauce, use a gentle stirring motion to ensure that the meatballs are evenly coated without breaking apart. Stirring too vigorously may cause the meatballs to lose their shape and texture.
💭 FAQs
Depending on the size of your Instant Pot, you can cook anywhere from 25 to 50 meatballs in a single batch. This is perfect for feeding a crowd or stocking up the freezer with leftovers.
The usual time to cook frozen meatballs in Instant Pot is around 5 minutes on high pressure. However, you may need to adjust the cooking time based on the size and thickness of your meatballs.
When it comes to cooking meatballs, you can use fresh or frozen meatballs. I like frozen Instant Pot meatballs because they are fast and easy to make, and I can get them directly from the freezer if I decide to make an Instant Pot meatball recipe.
Yes, you can cook frozen meatballs in the Instant Pot using the slow cooker mode. Simply place the frozen meatballs and chicken stock or broth into the Instant Pot and set on the slow cooker setting for 4-6 hours.
There is not only one cheese for meatballs, as different types of cheeses will work well with different meats.
For example, some good options include feta cheese and Parmesan cheese with ground beef, ricotta cheese and Gorgonzola cheese with ground chicken, or cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese with ground turkey.
To store leftover meatballs, place them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To freeze meatballs for later use place them them in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Frozen Meatballs:
If you're wondering what to serve with meatballs then here are some great ideas! No matter what you choose to serve with meatballs, they are sure to be a crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish!
- Pasta: Serve the chicken meatballs over a bed of your favorite pasta, such as spaghetti or Fettuccine.
- Rice: Pair the meatballs with steamed white or Brown Rice for a satisfying and filling meal.
- Salad: Create a fresh and crisp salad, whether it's a simple garden salad or a more elaborate Caesar Salad.
- Vegetables: Roasted or grilled vegetables, such as Asparagus, Broccoli, or bell peppers, complement the chicken meatballs well.
- Bread: Enjoy the meatballs in a sandwich or wrap, using sub rolls, pita bread, or tortillas.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy Mashed Potatoes make for a comforting and hearty side dish.
- Cauliflower Mash. Try a Healthy Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower recipe as a side with your meatballs.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs Meatballs Frozen
- 1 cup Buffalo Hot Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon Butter
- ½ cup Ranch Dressing plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon Green Onions sliced, optional for serving
- 1 tablespoon Blue Cheese optional for serving
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot and stir well to combine.
- Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and set to manual pressure for 5 minutes.
- Quick release.
- Stir the meatballs well in the sauce to coat, then serve.
- Sprinkle with optional green onions and blue cheese for serving and drizzle with additional ranch or provide on the side for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
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