Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
These Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are perfect when you want a fast, family-friendly meal in a jiffy. These are crazy good and so easy. Serve over your favorite bowl of rice, quinoa, or steamed veggies.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 244kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground turkey meat
- 8 saltine crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup) (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) buttermilk (see notes)
- ¼ cup green onion, sliced + more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 tablespoons (54 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
PRESSURE COOKER:
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, crushed crackers, buttermilk, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently shape into 16-18 meatballs.
- Combine teriyaki sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the Instant Pot in sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes per side. When the meatballs are brown for all sizes, add the teriyaki sauce, cover, and lock the lid. Cook high pressure for 10 minutes.
- After the cooking time is over, press "cancel" and allow it to release pressure naturally. This will take about 5-8 minutes. Then, carefully turn the valve to "Venting" to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid.
- Garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seed, if desired. Serve immediately over rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables.
STOVETOP:
- Prepare the turkey mixture and teriyaki sauce as instructed in the recipe (steps 1 and 2 above).
- Then brown the meatballs in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides.
- Add the teriyaki sauce and mix to combine. Reduce heat to low, and cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs' internal temperature reaches 165º F (75º C).
- Garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seed, if desired. Serve immediately over rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables.
Notes
TURKEY: you can substitute ground turkey for ground chicken or pork if you prefer.
SALTINES CRACKERS: If you don't have saltines crackers available, you can use 1/2 cup of plain panko.
BUTTERMILK: I use buttermilk because my daughter is allergic to eggs, but If you don't have any food restrictions, you can substitute the buttermilk for 1 egg. You can also substitute buttermilk for 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
TURKEY MIXTURE TOO WET: Over time, I've noticed that depending on the brand of ground turkey and the percentage of fat, sometimes the mixture could end up being too wet and not firm enough to hold the meatballs together. If this is your case, add an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of panko to the mixture to help to keep the meatballs together when cooking.
EXTRA TIPS:
- Browning meat in the Instant Pot can be tricky. The trick to brown meat in the Instant Pot is to do it in small batches and not turning until they have formed a crust on the bottom, or they will stick.
- The amount of sauce in this recipe is more than enough for 1 lb of meat. 1 lb meat yields 14-16 meatballs approximately. If you use more than 1 lb of meat, increase the amount of sauce accordingly.
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Nutrition
Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 241mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.7mg