The Easiest Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Name: Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 32 frozen meatballs (about 16 ounces); 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed); 20 ounces pineapple chunks (with juice); 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 Tablespoon soy sauce; 1 red bell pepper; 1 yellow bell pepper; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 2 Tablespoons cold water

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Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs feature frozen meatballs, pineapple chunks, and peppers all covered in a tangy sauce. It’s an easy dinner to throw together that’s perfect for a crowd!

$8.54 per recipe / $1.71 per serving

White bowl full of sweet and sour meatballs, bell peppers, pineapple, and green onions.

I love sweet and sour sauce. I put it on fried rice, egg rolls, and chicken.

So when I saw a recipe for sweet and sour meatballs that a friend posted, I knew I had to make it for our next extended family dinner.

I made a few tweaks by cooking it in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker and everyone loved them!

This recipe works because it:

Is super easy to make. There’s very little prep work to get this dinner in the Instant Pot and cooking.
Is perfect for a crowd. I tripled this recipe to feed 18 people and it was so simple!
Doesn’t require an oven or stove! Let your Instant Pot to all of the work while you avoid cooking over the hot stove.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sweet and sour meatball ingredients on white table including brown sugar, vinegar, and pineapple chunks.

Place 32 frozen meatballs (about 16 ounces) on the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Top with 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 20 ounces pineapple chunks with juice, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

Pineapple chunks and frozen meatballs in Instant Pot insert.

Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is in the sealing position. Select PRESSURE COOK and set the timer for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot will come to pressure and then the timer will start counting down.

Instant Pot with lid on sits on counter with timer displaying 5 minutes.

While the Instant Pot is coming to pressure, de-seed one red and yellow bell pepper and slice into bite-sized pieces.

Once the meatballs are done cooking, move the valve from sealing to venting to do a quick release of the pressure. Once the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Hit CANCEL and then SAUTE.

Add the pepper chunks to the pot, and stir everything together.

Chopped bell peppers in Instant Pot with sweet and sour meatballs.

Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until well combined. When the sweet and sour sauce is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch slurry.

Cornstarch slurry in small white bowl with metal spoon and sliced bell peppers nearby.

When the sauce has thickened press CANCEL on the Instant Pot and serve or Press KEEP WARM until ready to serve.

Serve over cooked rice and garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

White bowl of Instant Pot sweet and sour meatballs with pineapple and bell peppers with bowl of cooked rice nearby.

You can use homestyle or Italian-style meatballs in this recipe.

It took about 35 minutes for my Instant Pot to come to pressure to cook the meatballs. It always takes longer for frozen foods to cook in an Instant Pot, so make sure you factor that time into your dinner prep.

The peppers will cook in the sauce, but they won’t get extra soft. If you’d like them to be tender, you can saute them in a skillet and add them in at the very end.

The cornstarch slurry may seem thick and difficult to mix when you first add the water to the cornstarch. Just keep stirring until the consistency is smooth and runny.

Make sure your sauce is bubbling before you add the slurry, otherwise, the cornstarch won’t be heated enough to thicken the sauce.

Try these additions to the meatballs to customize the flavor:

Fresh chopped onion
Green bell pepper
Fresh broccoli
Minced garlic
Chopped celery
1/2 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup water instead of the apple cider vinegar

Recipe Costs

This family-friendly dump-and-go recipe only costs $8.54 per recipe and $1.71 per serving. Using pre-made frozen meatballs keeps this recipe quick and easy. And you’ll only need a handful of simple and affordable pantry staples to complete the meal.

Meatballs – $3.73
Brown Sugar – $0.28
Pineapple Chunks – $1.28
Apple Cider Vinegar – $0.18
Soy Sauce – $0.05
Red Bell Pepper – $1.48
Yellow Bell Pepper – $1.48
Cornstarch – $0.06

FAQs

Sweet and sour meatballs over cooked white rice in gray bowl with chopsticks laying on bowl.

Can I use homemade meatballs in this recipe?

Yes, you can, but they need to be cooked first. If you’re using them at room temperature or chilled, it will not take the Instant Pot as long to come to pressure. If you’re using frozen meatballs, it will be the same time as store bought meatballs.

Can I use fresh pineapple in this recipe?

Yes, you can, but try to save as much fresh pineapple juice as you can to pour in. You’ll probably need 1/2 cup of liquid. If you don’t have enough, you can try one of these pineapple juice substitutes.

What is the point of the cornstarch slurry? Do I have to use it?

The cornstarch slurry will thicken your sauce so it clings to the meatballs and doesn’t run all over the place when served. You definitely don’t have to use it, but just know your sauce will be runny.

And don’t just throw the powdered cornstarch into the sauce or it will clump up. It has to be mixed with water for best results.

I hope your family loves these sweet and sour meatballs! If you make them, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!

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