Instant Pot Greek Meatballs {Keftedes}

The aroma of Cinnamon, Mint, Cumin from these Instant Pot Greek Meatballs {Keftedes} will have your mouth watering and your tummy growling. Keto and Low Carb too!

The aroma, the spices, the taste of Greek food. I spent some time in Greece back in the 70’s.

The beaches and the food, so wonderful. After a semester of High School in Israel, a few of us flew to Greece. We were able to visit some of the Islands and had a blast. Greek food – OH YUM!

I was determined to replicate Keftedes in my Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and make is super easy. This Instant Pot Greek Meatballs {Keftedes} recipe tastes just like the ones I ate in Lindos, Rhodes!

What are Pot Keftedes [Greek Meatballs]?

• They are meatballs made with various spices such as ground cumin and ground cinnamon. Fresh mint leaves give the Meatballs a wonderful flavor.
• While traditional Greek Meatballs are dusted with flour and then fried in extra virgin olive oil to give the Meatball a bit of crisp, this step is eliminated in my method and you won’t miss it at all.

Keftedes are very often served as an appetizer.

 

You will want to make up a batch of my Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe, before you start preparing your Keftedes.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Greek Meatballs

• Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb – any combination
• Old Fashion Oatmeal
• Red Onions, Egg
• Ground Cinnamon
• Dried Oregano, Fresh Mint Leaves
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
• White Distilled Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Types of Ground Meat for Greek Meatballs

• Authentic Greek Meatballs are generally made with a combination of ground beef, ground lamb and/or ground pork.
• For those who are Kosher, try using a combination of ground beef and ground turkey or ground lamb. Even using just one type of ground meat for Instant Pot Greek Meatballs will be delicious.
• Everyone has different preferences, so chose the combination that works best with your taste buds. Some people even like to use ground bison.

 

You could always use a very sharp Santoku Knife and dice up all the vegetables and then mince the Fresh Garlic and Fresh Mint.

Or, you could dump it all into the Bowl of a Large Food Processor and save yourself some aggravation and time. I mean, chopping up Old Fashion Oatmeal or Pork Rinds? Who ever heard of such a thing?

Make Instant Pot Greek Meatballs Keto/Low Carb.

• Use Pork Rinds instead of old fashion oatmeal

Pro Tip: Use a large food processor to make Greek meatballs. They will stay together so much better!

 

In a matter of seconds, you will have your Instant Pot Greek Meatballs Mix, all ready to go.

I use my Cuisinart Large Food Processor in so many recipes, rather than chopping by hand.

Check out my Instant Pot Greek Beef and Lamb Gyros, for another super easy Greek recipe.

So, this recipe method infiltrated my dreams for a few nights.

I was determined to present a Meatball recipe that is not boiled in liquid and not cooked in a sauce.

 

So, my train of thought went like this:

“The Meatballs shouldn’t stick to the pot. The Meatballs should “fry” in Olive Oil, but without any water to lessen the taste.

No broth either, to change the taste. And, they need to easily get to Pressure. And, and, and…… they need to be dry on the outside, but juicy on the inside. So, of course, that kept me thinking and again infiltrated my dreams and my thoughts.

I’m like a dog with a bone…..I won’t rest, until I figure out the perfect solution.”

 

Or, if you want even better Meatballs, add the ground meat into the Food Processor. This makes for a finer grind and will make smoother Instant Pot Greek Meatballs. Just make sure the Mixture is well combined.

Plus, they will hold together better and cook better. At this point, you can turn the Ground Beef, Lamb, Pork, (whichever combination you are using), into a Medium Mixing Bowl.

 

How to Cook Instant Pot Greek Meatballs

Since I promised to make a super, uber, very easy, there is no browning first. Therefore, you do not need to heat up your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and then brown the meatballs in extra virgin olive oil. The Maillard reaction will take care of this step all on its own.

If we were cooking these Instant Pot Greek Meatballs the traditional way, they would first be dredged in little flour and than pan fried to perfection. Make sure to check my notes at the bottom, as I have given Air Fryer directions if you want that little crunch.

 

Because I am a perfectionist, I need to have uniformity.

How To Make Perfectly Shaped Instant Pot Greek Meatballs?

• This 1.5 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop works perfectly to scoop out exactly the amount of meat for the Meatballs. Not only is the Cookie Scoop good for cookies, it is perfect for making very round, uniform Meatballs.
• I actually level off the Cookie Scoop, so that the Pressure Cooker Meatballs will be pretty close in weight.
• Use your hands to roll them out nice and tight and smooth.

If you are feeling lazy, you certainly can just drop the raw Meatballs right into the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker cooking pot, without actually rolling them. But then you take the chance of some breakage.

Using Disposable Gloves, helps to create a very smooth Meatball, as the meat won’t stick to the Gloves. Not that I am big on disposables, but I know some people don’t like to have extensive contact with raw food.

 

Roll the raw Meat Mixture as tight as you can, into small Meatballs. I get 38 out of this recipe.

You can leave the Meatballs with a flat bottom, or roll them into perfect little cylinders.

I eliminated one the wet ingredients from the Meatball Mix……….

Because, I had a thought. As it turns out, a really, really good thought.

 

Beautiful, little raw Meatballs. Stack them all up in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker cooking pot.

No Sauce. Will it work? Wait for it…………………..

Since there is no Sauce, you could even make a double batch and freeze.

You could even use your 3 Quart Instant Pot DUO Mini, if you like.

Well, I had an “ah ha” moment! Like a light bulb went off moment.

 

Nope, that is not water being poured into the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. Ready for my “ah ha” moment? My original stove top recipe, calls for a little Distilled Vinegar.

Why is No Water Used in Instant Pot Greek Meatballs?

• Ah ha!!!! So, did you guess? Didya? Instead of mixing the Distilled Vinegar into the Meatball Mix, I omitted it from the Meatball Mix altogether.
• Here it is……. Measure out the Distilled Vinegar and used it as the cooking liquid, instead of water! How brilliant is that? The raw Meatballs, will be firmer and easier to roll, since there is no liquid.
• Using the Distilled Vinegar during cooking, will infuse enough of the flavor into the Meatballs, and it will be as if the Vinegar was mixed in. There is no flavor loss, as water wasn’t used, which would dilute the flavor a bit!

The end flavor of these Instant Pot Greek Meatballs will be exactly as they are supposed to be! I don’t normally pat myself on the back, but I was so stinkin’ proud of myself.

 

The Instant Pot Greek Meatballs did not stick to the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker at all. They did not stick to each other.

They held up well, were nice and firm and did not fall apart! They did not have a vinegary taste. The perfect amount of Distilled Vinegar was infused into the meatballs.

For another Greek inspired recipe, try my Greek Tortellini Salad. My Turkey Meatballs with Blue Cheese & Horseradish is another delicious meatball recipe I am sure you will love. You will note, all Meatballs are the same size. 🙂

Indian Whey Chapati/Roti (Flatbread) and my Air Fryer Colombian Pan de Yuca recipes make great side dishes to Greek meatballs.

 

We like to make a side of Pressure Cooker Vegan Corn Chowder Soup and/or a side of Pressure Cooker Seasoned Vegetable Ghee Rice to go with the Pressure Cooker Greek Meatballs.

Remember now, Meatballs freeze really well, both raw and cooked. If you look in my freezer, you will find several different types of Meatballs that are ready to go. They freeze beautifully in my FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System and I can grab as many as I need for a quick snack or appetizer.

 

I sometimes like to use Greek Pita or Homemade Indian Naan and stuff it with Keftedes, lettuce, sliced Cucumber, Feta, Tomatoes and Greek Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce). (Excuse the bad photo. I made my lunch and then decided I should show you all. It was so good.

More Instant Pot Meatball Recipes to Make

• Instant Pot Low Carb Margherita Pizza Meatballs
• Instant Pot Italian Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce
• Instant Pot Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Instant Pot Americana Wedding Soup

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
• J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
• Alton Brown Salt Box
• Electric Pepper Mill
• 6 oz Porcelain Ramekins
• My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
• 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Microplane Stainless Steel Zester
• FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System

Please don’t feel that you need any of these tools to make delicious food. I use high end equipment as I find they last longer, so it is cheaper in the end than having to replace items. Always use the best that you can afford; don’t break the bank!

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

PIN this Pressure Cooker Greek Meatballs {Keftedes}!