Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs

We’ve even made teriyaki sauce. However, we haven’t added the two together. Until now.

I’m not going to sugar coat things by saying these are the Best Teriyaki Meatballs or To-Die-For Teriyaki Meatballs. The truth is, I made this recipe multiple times, made lots of notes, and changed things along the way.

This Instant Pot teriyaki meatballs is good, but with so many ways to make it, there’s no way I’m going to claim it as “the best.” There’s always room for improvement. Be sure to check out the different variations below, because I’ve listed a few.

If you’re looking for a side to go with these meatballs, try some homemade egg rolls. The two taste great together!

If you’ve decided to go a different route all together, give our Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe a try! It’s amazing!

How to Make Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs:

Let’s start with the meatballs. This is where a lot of the variations come into play.

I chose to use ground beef, but chicken, turkey, or pork would also make good options. I’ve used both 93/7 and 80/20 ground beef, and prefer the 80/20 for this recipe.

The good thing about making meatballs from scratch is that they have a wonderful flavor that pairs well with the teriyaki sauce.

Another idea would be to purchase frozen meatballs from the freezer section of your local supermarket. You’d be able skip some of the steps below, and still have perfectly round, seasoned meatballs every, single time.

Start by placing the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, green onions, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic into a medium bowl. Use a spoon or your hands to mix the ingredients until well combined.

Next, shape the meat mixture into golf ball-sized balls. I was able to make about 12 to 14 meatballs depending on size.

Turn the Instant Pot on using the saute setting. Allow the liner to get hot, then add the cooking oil. Place the meatballs into the Instant Pot, and cook on each side about 1 to 2 minutes just until browned.

Here’s where another variation comes in.

If you’re using frozen meatballs, skip this part completely. There’s no need to saute them; frozen meatballs are pre-cooked then frozen. They just need to be reheated. That will happen during the pressure cooking stage.

After I’d tested and retested this recipe, then shot the photos and video, I had an idea. The meatballs could be placed in a foil bowl of sorts and placed on a trivet above the sauce. I DID NOT test this method; it’s just an idea. 

Basically, instead of sauteing the meatballs, you’d make a bowl out of aluminum foil and place the raw meatballs into the bowl. Similar to the process you’d use to make a meatloaf in the Instant Pot, but the meatballs wouldn’t touch.

As you’re turning the meatballs in the Instant Pot, it’s best to use a silicone spatula to move them around. These had a tendency to come apart when I tried to pick them up with tongs. (Another reason using frozen is my preference!)

After the meatballs have browned, remove them from the pot. If there’s a lot of residual grease, clean out the Instant Pot before continuing. Otherwise, add the water used for sauce, and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pot if needed.

Add the remaining ingredients for sauce, and whisk together to combine. Make sure that the brown sugar and honey are completely dissolved.

Place the meatballs back into the pot. If using frozen, add them in now directly into the sauce. If using the foil bowl method, place a trivet in the sauce high enough to sit above it. Then place the foil bowl on the trivet.

Close the lid, and set the valve to sealing. Use the manual (pressure cook) button to adjust the time to 5 minutes on high pressure. After the 5 minutes is up, turn the Instant Pot off, and allow a 10 minute natural pressure release before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.

Open the lid, and remove the meatballs. Combine 1/4 cup of the sauce (or 1/4 cup of cold water) and 2 tablespoons of corn starch to make a slurry. Whisk it together until smooth.

(At this point, the sauce can be strained through a mesh sieve if desired. If you made meatballs from scratch, there may be beef or onion pieces in the sauce. It’s up to you whether or not you’d like to strain those out.)

Turn the Instant Pot back on using the saute function. Pour the slurry back into the pour while whisking.

The sauce will turn a light brown color but will darken and thicken the hotter it gets. Continue to whisk for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off the Instant Pot.

Add the meatballs back to the sauce or drizzle the sauce over the meatballs. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Tips for Successful Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs:

• Teriyaki sauce for meatballs is usually very thick, dark, and sticky. That’s due to the color of the dark soy sauce, caramelization of brown sugar, and most of the liquid being cooked out.
• The Instant Pot can easily give you a burn notice if there isn’t enough liquid in the pot or if food gets stuck to the bottom. For those reasons, I didn’t attempt to thicken the sauce to a sticky glaze.
• Expect more of a gravy consistency. It’s best to eat these teriyaki meatballs while they’re hot.
• We’ve tried reheating this teriyaki sauce, and it does not reheat well. The cornstarch slurry turns it to a gelatin consistency as it cools.
• The best way we’ve found to reheat the sauce is to slowly add hot water to it a little at a time. Whisk the hot water in until the sauce thins out and heats up.
• As I mentioned a couple of times above, my preference for this recipe is to use pre-cooked, frozen meatballs. That way you’re guaranteed a uniform size, and there’s no need to sauté them.
• The only downside is that they won’t have the same seasonings as homemade meatballs. Using frozen does make this an easy teriyaki meatball recipe!
• Make sure to let the Instant Pot to complete a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release before opening the valve to release the remaining pressure. Otherwise, the meatballs will be tough, not tender and moist.