Instant Pot Turkey Swedish Meatballs

Instant Pot Turkey 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?  

I love to serve these Instant Pot 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 Swedish meatballs, but ground beef works just as well. If you use beef, swap out your cooking liquid to beef broth.
• Eggs: The perfect ingredient to hold together your meatballs. If you’re egg free, make a chia egg to help with this (1 tsp chia seeds + 1 tbsp water)
• Whole Grain Breadcrumbs or crackers: Breadcrumbs are a binder and also keep your meatballs from getting dry.
• Paprika
• Black Pepper 
• 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 and can cause your meatballs to crumble.  
• Allspice
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for this recipe. Ghee or olive oil can be used as well, just avoid the margarine. 
• Broth: I love making my own turkey stock/bone broth. If you prefer to use store bought make sure and grab low sodium. 
• Coconut aminos: Here’s the difference between using soy sauce and coconut aminos. Some people like Worcestershire sauce for this recipe instead.
• 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.
• Fresh Parsley: If you’d rather use dried parsley, just add 1 teaspoon to the pot before cooking under pressure.

Recipe Tips:

• 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.
• 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.
• As an alternative, you’re welcome to sauté the meatballs. I still recommend freezing them so they don’t fall apart, and pressure cook for 5 minutes after.
• Want to save time later? Make a double batch of the meatballs and keep 1/2 in the freezer for next time! Simply pull out your frozen meatballs, allow to thaw for a few minutes, and cook according to the rest of the recipe.

Instructions for Instant Pot Turkey Swedish Meatballs:

1. Make your meatballs: Using your hands, mix the meatball ingredients (ground turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, paprika, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and allspice) in a medium bowl. Form 16 equally sized meatballs. Do not over mix these, they stay together better when handed minimally.
2. Freeze: Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet and freeze them for 15 minutes or so. The goal is to be able to pick the meatballs up without them losing their shape.
3. Add the meatballs: Spray the bottom of the pot with oil and place the meatballs in your pot. It’s ok if they’re stacked. Add broth, coconut aminos, and mustard.
4. Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and lock it in place. Set the pressure valve to Sealing and set the time to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
5. Release the pressure: Once the cook time is complete, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release the pressure by turning the valve to Venting.
6. Remove the meatballs: Scoop out your meatballs with a large spoon and set aside. Add the butter, allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes, and slowly add the Greek yogurt and parsley into the pot. Carefully stir the meatballs until they’re evenly coated, and serve topped with fresh Parmesan.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine together ground turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and allspice.
2. Form 16 equally sized meatballs, careful to not over mix.
3. In a large skillet or 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 and 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, add the butter, 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.

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 these healthy Swedish Meatballs 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