Easy and Healthy Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs

Instant Pot Swedish meatballs are a delicious change from the Italian version. Swedish meatballs are a blend of savory spices covered in a light but creamy gravy.  

These are great for dinner, meal prep, a potluck, or a game day treat! Who doesn’t love food you can eat on a toothpick?  

2/2020: This recipe has been updated to help the meatballs stick together better in the Instant Pot. It also has a ton of information about the ingredients and nutrition for you!

I love to serve these healthy Swedish meatballs over mashed potatoes, whole wheat egg noodles, or quinoa. If you’re in the Ikea Swedish Meatball fan club, you might love these with a side of lingonberry jam!

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s quick and easy. Easy to freeze and reheat, perfect for snacking. I hope you love it as much as we do!

What’s in a Swedish Meatball?

• Ground Turkey: I prefer turkey for my meatballs, but ground beef works just as well. If you use beef, swap out your cooking liquid to beef broth–it’s delicious!
• Paprika: Paprika is a powder made from dried red peppers. Much like the vegetable it is derived from paprika has a very bright, slightly sweet flavor. 
• Pepper: I love using a medley of red, green, white, and black peppercorns. Each one has a distinct spice. If you want to reduce the spice just leave the pepper out. 
• Onion Powder: I find using onion powder works better for turkey meatballs versus fresh onions. The moisture from freshly chopped onions can cause your meatballs to fall apart. 
• Garlic Powder: Just like the onions fresh garlic produces moisture which can cause your meatballs to crumble.  
• Allspice: I always thought allspice was a seasoning blend. Even though it holds the flavors of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg it is very much a plant all of its own. Allspice is actually a berry of Jamaican origin. 
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for this recipe. Ghee or olive oil can be used as well, just avoid the margarine. 
• Chicken Broth: I love making my own chicken bone broth. If you prefer to use store bought make sure and grab low sodium. 
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: You can also use coconut aminos, or low-sodium tamari. Here’s the difference between using tamari or coconut aminos. Some people like Worcestershire sauce for this recipe as well.
• Mustard: The turmeric and vinegar in mustard add a wonderful depth of flavor to this dish. I like to use a Dijon or spicy brown mustard, but regular yellow mustard works great!
• Greek yogurt: A traditional Swedish meatball recipe is made with sour cream, but Greek yogurt is a healthier substitute and you can’t tell the difference. Plus, you get a ton of extra protein.  
• Parsley: Dried parsley can be used in this recipe as well. Just add 1 teaspoon to the pot before cooking under pressure.

Recipe Tips:

Looking for more? Here’s where I share a little more about the recipe with you!

• Brown meatballs in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. 
• You can substitute the ground turkey with ground beef. 
• Tomato sauce isn’t used in this recipe because of the tendency it has to cause a burn warning in the Instant Pot.
• You can use ghee or oil in place of butter. 
• I don’t typically salt my recipes. Please add salt to your taste and dietary restrictions. Remember, the soy sauce in this recipe adds a lot of sodium.  
• These are great served over mashed cauliflower or egg noodles. 
• Ground turkey does not like to be handled. Be careful not to over mix, and use your hands to blend until spices are just combined. It’s best to use turkey that is very cold.
• I have not tested this recipe in a slow cooker.
• I’ve made the meatballs ahead of time and frozen them. Frozen meatballs hold up well in the Instant Pot.
• If you’re using the stovetop method, you can cook the meatballs on a baking sheet if you’d prefer. I’d cook at 350 for 15 minutes before finishing them on the stovetop.
• Waiting a few minutes for the sauce to cool before adding the yogurt in will help keep the recipe from curdling.

Struggling with your meatballs?

Recipe update: I highly recommend rolling the meatballs and freezing them for 30 minutes, then place them on your trivet and pressure cooking on high pressure for 7 minutes. Doing this allows you to skip step 2 in the recipe below, but don’t forget to add your liquids to the pot!

Instructions for Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs:

Stovetop Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine together ground turkey, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and allspice.
2. Form 16 equally sized meatballs, careful to not over mix.
3. In a large saucepan, melt butter and add meatballs to pan, allowing them to sear a bit.
4. Remove meatballs and set aside.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the pan and use a silicone scraper to scrape the bottom of the pan.
6. Mix in the coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce along with the mustard, then gently add the meatballs back to the pan.
7. Cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
8. Turn off the heat on the stovetop, remove the meatballs, and allow the sauce to cool a bit.
9. Whisk in the plain Greek yogurt until the sauce is smooth.
10. Add the parsley.
11. Allow the parsley to soften for 1-2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
12. Note: If the sauce is too hot when the Greek yogurt is added in, it’ll curdle. Make sure it’s cooled before mixing in the yogurt. This is a perfect time to prepare your side dishes!

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix: For this entire recipe of 21 Day Fix Swedish Meatballs: 

• 5 Red Containers
• 4 teaspoons. 

Per serving (4 meatballs and 1/2 cup of gravy):

• 1 ¼ Red Container and 1 teaspoon.
• Don’t forget to count any parmesan used for garnish in your Blue Container.  
• Add containers for any sides that you serve with these 21 Day Fix meatballs. Watch this video if you need help counting containers for the 21 Day Fix.

More 21 Day Fix recipes you’ll love:

• 21 Day Fix Orange Chicken
• 21 Day Fix Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• 21 Day Fix Crack Chicken
• Quinoa and Brown Rice

2B Mindset: Serve as lunch with vegetables and an FFC, or as dinner with vegetables.

Weight Watchers: You can find a WW approved version of this recipe along with points information right here.

Loving this recipe? Here are some more that you might like:

• Mississippi Pot Roast
• Beef Gyro Recipe
• Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
• Vegetable Chowder
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Easy and Healthy Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs Recipe | 21 Day Fix Swedish Meatballs

Looking for a healthy Swedish Meatballs? I've got one for you! While this recipe will save you some calories, it doesn't compromise taste!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Swedish Meatballs

Servings: 4

Approximate Serving Size: 4 meatballs plus 1/2 cup of gravy/sauce

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 qt

Ingredients

• 1 lbs ground turkey
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp allspice
• 4 tsp butter unsalted
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (garnish)

salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Using your hand mix ground turkey, paprika, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and allspice together in a medium size bowl. Form 16 equally sized meatballs. Do not over mix these, they stay together much better when handled minimally.
• Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Once the pot is hot add butter to the bottom.
• Brown your meatballs in small groups, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown about 15 seconds per side until the meat is just beginning to change colors.
• Add your broth to the pot and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape away any stuck pieces from the bottom. This will help prevent a burn warning and make it easier to clean. Add low-sodium soy sauce, and mustard.
• Lock the lid and place the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (high) for 5 minutes.
• When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
• Using a spoon, scoop out your meatballs and set aside. Stir in the Greek yogurt and parsley then add meatballs back to the pot. Gently stir until the meatballs are evenly coated. Serve topped with fresh Parmesan. 

Stove Top Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and allspice.
• Form 16 equally sized meatballs, careful to not over mix.
• In a large saucepan, melt butter and add meatballs to pan, allowing them to sear a bit. Remove meatballs and set aside.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pan and use a silicone scraper to scrape the bottom of the pan. Mix in the coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce along with the mustard, then gently add the meatballs back to the pan.
• Cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Turn off the heat on the stovetop, remove the meatballs, and allow the sauce to cool a bit.
• Whisk in the plain Greek yogurt until the sauce is smooth.
• Add the parsley. Allow the parsley to soften for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
• Note: If the sauce is too hot when the Greek yogurt is added in, it'll curdle. Make sure it's cooled before mixing in the yogurt. This is a perfect time to prepare your side dishes!

Notes

Cooking Tips:

1. Brown meatballs in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. 
2. You can substitute the ground turkey with ground beef. 
3. You can use ghee or oil in place of butter. 
4. Add salt to taste. 
5. These are great served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 
6. If using dried parsley add it when you add your broth. You will only need a teaspoon. 
7. Turkey does not like to be handled. Be careful not to overmix, use your hands to blend until spices are just combined. It’s best to use turkey that is very cold.

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix: For this entire recipe of 21 Day Fix Swedish Meatballs: 5 Red Containers, and 4 teaspoons. Per Serving of 4 meatballs and ½ cup of gravy: 1 ¼ Red Container and 1 teaspoon. Don’t forget to count any parmesan used for garnish in your Blue Container.  

2B Mindset: Serve as lunch with vegetables and an FFC, or as dinner with vegetables. 

Weight Watchers: Weight Watchers recipe and point information here.

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Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 764IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg

Love this recipe?Take a pic and tag @beccaludlum or #mycrazygoodlife!