Instant pot chicken Parmesan meatballs are loaded with flavors. It’s full of meatballs, cheese that is simmered in spicy marinara sauce for an easy dinner any day of the week. Luckily, these chicken Parm meatballs comes together really fast. We are talking 20 minutes fast! Gotta love easy, fast and versatile dinner recipes like this one!

Chicken Parmesan meatballs are an Italian classic dish which BTW happens to be one of my favorites. Chicken meatballs and marinara sauce are best paired together. While meatballs in tomato sauce is a classic South Italian recipe, tomato saucy meatballs draped over spaghetti are more of American-Italian way.

Tips to make tender, juicy, soft instant pot chicken Parmesan meatballs

What you get from this recipe is tender, juicy, flavor packed chicken. If you are questioning how can chicken that is cooked for say 10 minutes be juicy and soft?, the answer to it is Instant Pot. While ground chicken thighs is what I would recommend, I have tested with chicken breasts(both fresh and frozen meat balls) and it works. Instant pot meat balls are pressure cooked, which is steam cooking method. Meatballs retains it’s juices.

The other secret to tender meatballs is – FRESH BREADCRUMBS. Making and using your own bread crumbs gives more tender meatballs.

And the last secret – the sauce. These chicken Parmesan meatballs are mixed with breadcrumbs (along with more staple pantry ingredients), steam cooked in SAUCE. It’s hardly possible that meatballs will turn dry.

Should I or should I not fry(saute) meatballs first?

I know there are gazillion different recipe on internet that tells you ‘don’t fry, just dump’, and then there are gazillion more recipes that tell you ‘fry first and then dump’.

So which one should you follow? I’ll tell what happens if you fry first and just dump. You are the best one to decide which one you want follow.

Typically I would always saute chicken meatballs in olive oil until it gets nice brown outer crust. And then I dump these browned meatballs in tomato-base sauce to simmer and cook for minutes. The outer browned crust may not retain it’s slight crispiness that it attains while sauteing it and once cooked it does become soft and juicy. Those brown bits adds to the flavor of the dish. You get another layer of flavor and texture in the dish, which according to me is AMAZING!

And if you worry about meatballs sticking to your pan like crazy, do this-

After you form meatballs, just roll it once lightly in breadcrumbs.

Use little extra oil while sauteing.

Keep adjusting the heat in instant pot by turning off the pot for a minute or 2 if pot turns HOT. Turn it back on.

Dumping raw chicken Parmesan meatballs into sauce directly will give you delicious meatball dish, but that extra added flavor will miss out in the dish.

All you meatball lovers, how about vegan beetballs? Sounds interesting? Then head over to this Vegan Beetball Pasta – super delicious and healthy beetballs served over spaghetti.

Recipe for instant pot chicken Parmesan meatballs

Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl.

Using hand mix it up well until all ingredients are combined well. Scoop out equal portions of meatball mix and place on aluminium lined tray.

Using your hands roll each portion into ball.

Pro-Tip : After shaping balls, lightly roll the balls in bread crumbs. This will help meatballs from sticking to the pot.

Oil instant pot and select SAUTE option. Will until instant pot turns on and the inner pot becomes slightly warm.

Place meatballs into the pot in one single layer. If required fry meatballs in batches.

Pro-Tip : Do not crowd the pot and make sure meatballs aren’t touching each other.

After a minute turn meatballs over and fry. We want to brown chicken Parmesan meat balls on all sides.

Remove browned meatballs onto a plate.

Pour marinara sauce into the pot.

Pro-Tip : scrape down any brown bits of chicken pieces that might be stuck to the pot.

Add back chicken meatballs.

Add seasoning.

Scoop the sauce over the over chicken meatballs.

Cover lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Once cooking time is done, allow 10 minutes natural pressure release and then quick release all the pressure by turning pressure knob to VENTING position. Turn off pot.

Sprinkle grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with glass lid for 5 minutes until cheese melts.