Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs Recipe

Sharing is caring!

This Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs recipe perfectly solves your busy weeknight dinner dilemma. We made this an Instant Pot Frozen Meatball recipe for a reason. It's quick and straightforward. You're only six ingredients away from having a delicious dinner.

Thanks to the Instant Pot, this recipe goes from a group of ingredients to your plate in less than 15 minutes, making for the perfect weeknight dinner.

The Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs Recipe is also a great starter if you're new to Instant Pot cooking. Many people buy an Instant Pot and are scared to use it.

But don't be! With such a short cooking time, there's no need to worry about burning or over-cooking.

If you're a little scared of the pressure release valve (I know I was intimidated the first time I used my Instant Pot), try using the handle of a wooden spoon as an extra precaution when moving the valve to the venting position.

asian meatballs in white bowl

Why You Will Love This Instant Pot Recipe

  • Quick dinner
  • Family-friendly
  • Sweet and savory
  • Great to dress up frozen meatballs and create a new flavor to the dish
  • Pair with rice, quinoa, etc.

Sweet and Savory Meatballs in BBQ Sauce

For fans of the sweet and savory combination, these Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs are for you! 

The orange marmalade brings a sharp, sweet, but slightly bitter quality to the recipe that perfectly compliments barbecue sauce's smoky, hickory flavor.

New to cooking with a pressure cooker? Try out the Be the Boss of Your Instant Pot Video Course! It'll help take the pressure off and ease you into cooking with your Instant Pot.

Meatball Appetizer Recipe

Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs Recipe calls for combining orange marmalade with a pre-made BBQ sauce. Tailor the recipe to your taste by choosing any BBQ sauce flavor.

Whether you opt for a sweet and smoky or a truly hot and spicy sauce, this recipe tastes great.

How to Make Crockpot BBQ Meatballs

Don't have an Instant Pot? No worries, make this recipe in your crockpot! Just toss the ingredients as directed in the recipe, turn them on low, and let them cook for 4-6 hours!

How long to cook frozen meatballs in crockpots depends on whether you cook at high or low temperatures. It should take between 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a high-temperature setting.

How Should I Serve Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs?

There are lots of serving options for these Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs. They can be served on a bed of white or brown rice.

Pair them with steamed broccoli, green beans, spinach, or collared greens to add some vegetable goodness. Or, serve them up solo as tasty hors d'oeuvres or a hearty happy hour snack.

More Recipes Like Our Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Want more meatballs in your life? Then you've got to try these other delicious and flavorful meatball recipes:

orange meatballs on white plate
Asian Meatballs and White Rice

How to Make Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Place cooked frozen meatballs in your Instant Pot.

Add orange marmalade, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, honey hickory BBQ sauce, and water to the Instant Pot.

Close the lid and set manual pressure for 6 minutes. When cooking time is completed, perform a quick release.

Serve them up with a solo, or pair them with the side dish of your choice!

Storing Leftovers

Go ahead and store your meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let them cool, then store them in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheat as you would like in the microwave or a skillet on the stove.

In terms of freezing, you can freeze the cooked meatballs for up to three months.

Flavor Options For Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs

Frozen meatballs are one item I always keep stocked in my freezer. Here are fantastic ideas to change up the flavors of the meatballs.

Any way you play it, this Instant Pot meatball recipe has many variations that will go a long way in your meal planning.

  • Grape jelly meatballs with BBQ - BBQ jelly meatballs mix two delicious flavors, the traditional grape jelly meatball recipe mixed with BBQ sauce.
  • Grape jelly chili sauce meatballs with grape jelly and BBQ sauce are a mix of sweet and spicy.
  • Instant pot turkey meatballs with one of these sauce combinations - make grape jelly BBQ meatballs, BBQ meatballs, or add a sweet and sour Asian sauce to the mix.
  • Straight barbecue meatballs - simple and easy. Mix up a traditional homemade BBQ sauce or even cherry BBQ sauce for something different.
  • Buffalo chicken meatballs - mix up a recipe similar to our buffalo chicken dip, but with meatballs instead.
  • Sweet and sour meatballs - add in a sweet and sour sauce made from scratch or a store-bought sauce.
  • Mongolian meatballs - similar to the ingredients in our Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe or our other version of Mongolian Beef.
  • Etc

Grab Costco meatballs, Kirkland meatballs, Sam's Choice, or any other brands of meatballs you like. With a few ingredients and a little time, you can create a meatball appetizer or dinner in no time.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to cook frozen meatballs?

It takes just 6 minutes to cook frozen meatballs in the Instant Pot. Once they are done, do a quick release of pressure.

Do I use homemade or store-bought meatballs?

You can use either homemade or buy your favorite brand of frozen meatballs. Both work great. And if the meatballs are pre-cooked, the cooking time stays the same for either.

What pairs well with meatballs?

Mashed potatoes, rice, fried cabbage, pilaf, and other sides are great.

Can you overcook meatballs?

Like any food, yes, you can overcook meatballs. I find that the 6-minute mark works excellent for these pressure cooker meatballs.

Can I use a Ninja Foodi for this recipe?

Absolutely! Ninja Foodi meatballs are delicious. Just use the pressure cooker lid and not the crisping lid. Make these party meatballs, or even serve them for dinner.

Recipe Instant Pot Frozen Meatballs

Yield: 8 Servings of 3 Meatballs Each

Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs Recipe

meatballs on white plate

A different way of dealing with a classic in every kitchen. Instant Pot Orange BBQ Meatballs are easy, quick, and so satisfying. This dish has no comparison. Surprise your family with this delicious recipe. It's the perfect weekday dinner solution!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

Equipment Used to Make Frozen Meatballs

Equipment Used to Make Meatballs from Scratch

Ingredients for Orange BBQ Meatballs

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker.
  2. Turn pressure valve to sealed.
  3. Set manual pressure for 6 minutes.
  4. Quick release the pressure and serve.

Notes

Tips and Tricks to do the best Orange BBQ Meatballs:

  1. If you don't have the tool to form meatballs, you can make them by hand. To avoid the meat stick to your hands when making the meatballs, you can wet your hands, and impregnate them with a thin layer of oil or flour before forming the balls.
  2. If you do not like orange marmalade, do not add it, but surely you will have to thicken the sauce so that it acquires a certain consistency. To make it thick, you can add, while cooking, half a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in cold water or a tablespoon of potato flakes or a piece of cooked potato.
  3. If you want, before pouring the orange into the pan, you can turn the heat to maximum and add 100 ml of white wine, stir, allow the alcohol to consume, and then add the orange marmalade.
  4. With chicken meatballs, this sauce is also very rich.
  5. To give it a fresher touch, when you serve the meatballs, serve them with some chopped orange wedges and some mint leaves.

FAQs

  • Can my dog have Orange BBQ Meatballs? Your dog could eat meatballs, but it should be a recipe specially designed for his diet. This Orange BBQ Meatballs recipe includes a lot of sugar, which can be difficult for your dog to process. In addition, you must take care not to give him these frozen meatballs because they contain toxic ingredients for your pet, such as garlic or onion seasoning.
  • Can my cat have Orange BBQ Meatballs? It's not a good idea to give this meatball recipe to your cat, especially since frozen meatballs have garlic and onion, among other ingredients that are toxic to your furry friend. Plus, the high sugar levels in the sauce are dangerous for your kitty's little body. It is better that you give him some meatballs specially designed for your cat's diet.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 72Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 8mgSodium 112mgCarbohydrates 14gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 12gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Get more Instant Pot recipes in our Facebook group and by following APressureCooker.com on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Have you tried this recipe? Don't forget to Rate This Recipe and leave a comment!

Author

  • Jessica McCoy

    Jessica McCoy is a seasoned food blogger with 14+ years of experience in the industry. As a self-taught home cook, she enjoys creating and finetuning easy recipes that are fool proof and simple for anyone to make. Her expertise is in all things kitchen: cooking tips, air fryer recipes, Instant Pot and other pressure cooking recipes, and slow cooker recipes. Jessica was the previous owner of AllSheCooks, where she focused on easy every day recipes including budget friendly dinner recipes and desserts.

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

One Comment

  1. Was interested in making orange meatballs from scratch but gave up after wasting 5 minutes of my time scrolling through my phone trying to find the recipie..make your site more user friendly

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *