Salisbury Steak meatballs in the Instant Pot are so good with the tasty meatballs and gravy. They can be served over anything that you enjoy. I served Salisbury meatballs over pasta. These are also great served over mashed potatoes or rice.
These Instant Pot Salisbury Steak Meatballs have all the flavor of my long-time favorite Salisbury Steak. This is the ultimate in comfort food for me and I have loved Salisbury Steak since I was a kid.
Jump to:
- What is Salisbury Steak?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Salisbury Meatballs in the Instant Pot
- Salisbury Meatballs in the Crockpot
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs on the Stovetop.
- Can I add Mushrooms to the Gravy?
- Can I Use Store-Bought or Frozen Meatballs?
- Can I Cook the Salisbury Meatballs in the Oven?
- What to do with Leftover Meatballs
- Other Instant Pot Recipes and More to Enjoy
- Kitchen Essentials and Items Used in Recipe
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs Instant Pot
I have not tried it but I imagine Salisbury Meatballs would be good over rice. At the time when I came up with this idea for Salisbury Meatballs, I had some leftover macaroni in the fridge and that sounded like it would go together so I took a shot and I think it was delicious. These Salisbury Meatballs are also good over egg noodles.
This recipe is quick and easy to make. When I make this recipe I usually have the pasta already cooked or leftover mashed potatoes. The meatballs are even delicious on their own just dipped in the gravy.
What is Salisbury Steak?
Salisbury steak is made from ground beef and served with a gravy or brown sauce. It is formed into a steak shape to resemble a steak. I like to describe it like a steak with the texture of a meatball.
This can be served over pasta like macaroni or it is also really good over mashed potatoes too. This is a classic recipe that I put a modern style update on.
Ingredients
Measurements and cooking process jump to recipe card below
- Ground Beef
- Bread Crumbs ( I use Panko)
- Eggs
- Milk or Cream
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Steak Seasoning
- Salt
- Olive Oil
- Beef Broth
- Cornstarch
- Parsley
- Onion
- Mushrooms (Optional for mushroom gravy)
How to Make Salisbury Steak Meatballs
The first step in this recipe is to make the meat mixture for the meatballs. mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, milk and seasonings in a large bowl
Salisbury Meatballs in the Instant Pot
Press Saute on the Instant Pot. St to Normal Mode.
When screen says ” HOT” add Oil and saute meatballs about 3 minutes per side to brown.
Remove meatballs to a plate and set them aside.
Add onions to Instant Pot and saute about 4 minutes.
Deglaze pot with beef broth scraping bottom of pot to release all that flavor.
Place meatballs in Instant Pot. Place lid on pressure cooker and turn valve to SEAL.
Pressure Cook HIGH pressure for 5 minutes with a 5 minute NPR Natural Pressure Release.
Then Release Pressure
Salisbury Meatballs in the Crockpot
I made these Salisbury Steak Meatballs originally in the Instant Pot. They can also be made in the Slow cooker or Crock Pot.
The process is very similar. If you are going to make the meatballs in the slow cooker. Follow this process.
Brown Meatballs in Skillet in about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (except cornstarch slurry)
Cooking time is either 3 hours on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW.
Once cooking time is complete add the cornstarch slurry and cook 20 to thicken the sauce.
Salisbury Steak Meatballs on the Stovetop.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a slow cooker or an instant pot that’s OK I am including a Salisbury Meatballs stovetop method as well. No matter how you cook this recipe it’s fairly easy.
Place a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. While the skillet is preheating prepare the meatball mixture in a bowl. Form meatballs into golfball-sized meatballs.
Add meatballs to skillet and cook over medium high heat until golden brown on all sides. Cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes. Remove meatballs and set them aside. Add onions to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes until softened.
Return the meatballs to the pan and add the beef or chicken broth to the meatballs as well as the cornstarch slurry. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Can I add Mushrooms to the Gravy?
Absolutely! If you would like to add mushrooms to the Salisbury Meatballs gravy just add the mushrooms when you sauté the onions and sauté together for about five minutes. Then proceed with the recipe as normal. I would’ve included mushrooms but the kids don’t like them.
Can I Use Store-Bought or Frozen Meatballs?
If you were in a pinch for a quick weeknight meal yes you could use store-bought meatballs or even frozen meatballs. The process would be similar. Browned the meatballs in a pan and then make the gravy add the cornstarch and water to a small bowl to make a slurry and simmer until heated.
I recommend of course creating the recipe with homemade meatballs to get all the flavors that complement this recipe the way it was intended but after a long day using frozen in this meatball recipe is fine.
Can I Cook the Salisbury Meatballs in the Oven?
I cook meatballs in the oven all the time. It is a great method for cooking meatballs and also a much healthier method because it uses much less oil.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the meatballs on a baking rack and spray with oil or cooking spray. Cook meatballs in the oven about 30 minutes or until your preferred doneness.
Do Not Over Mix Meatballs. I find using my hands is the best way. The object is to just combine the ingredients and form the ball. Do not over knead the mixture.
To make forming the meatballs easier I find wetting my hands beforehand helps eliminate the stickiness.
Buying 80/20 Beef makes a better meatball. What this means is 80% meat 20% fat. The higher fat content makes for a much juicier flavorful meatball.
The same is true when making burgers. I always try to use an 80/20 mixture.
What to do with Leftover Meatballs
They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer. The gravy can also be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer
Other Instant Pot Recipes and More to Enjoy
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
Air Fryer Meatballs
Kitchen Essentials and Items Used in Recipe
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
365 Everyday Value, Elbows, 16 oz
4C Panko Bread Crumbs Plain, 8 oz
Salisbury Steak Meatballs Instant Pot
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 Pound Ground Beef I used 80/20 Grass-fed Beef
- 1/3 Cup breadcrumbs.
- 2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1 Egg
- 3 Tbsp. Milk or Cream I used Half and Half
- 1 Splash of Worcestershire
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Gravy
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth or Chicken Broth
- 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch + 2 Tbsp. Water
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
Macaroni
- 8 oz. Macaroni
- Enough water to cover macaroni by about 2 inches
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
Instructions
Prepare Macaroni
- I put the meatballs over macaroni which I had already prepared, but now would be a good time to cook the macaroni. I cook the macaroni in the instant pot. I put in about a half 8 oz. of macaroni and cover the macaroni with about 1 to 2 inches of water and salt of the water with 2 teaspoons of salt and about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Put the lid on the instant pot seal the valve and cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. Do a manual pressure release immediately after cooking is complete. Have a rag handy just in case pressure valve spits a little bit. Draining macaroni.
- YOU CAN ALSO PREPARE MACARONI AHEAD OF TIME ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS.
Meatballs
- In a bowl combine all your ingredients for your meatballs except the oil. Mix together with your hands until everything is incorporated. using a spoon scoop out enough to form a meatball about the size of a golf ball. Do this until you have used up all of the mixture. It’s somewhere around a dozen meatballs. Let meatballs sit for about 15 minutes to absorb moisture.
- Push sauté on the instant pot until the more setting lights up. Once the instant pot screen reads “Hot” we are ready to start browning the meat balls. Add the tablespoon of olive oil. Then add the meatballs. If there’s not enough room doing and two batches. Do not crowd the meatballs during the browning process. Brown meatballs on all sides for about 3 Minutes. Once you have browned all the meatballs remove them from the instant pot.
- Add onions to instant pot and Brown for about 4 Minutes. Deglaze instant pot with beef broth scraping bottom of pan with a spoon to get all the flavor bits.
- Return meatballs to instant pot and be careful not to squish them. Put lid on Instant Pot and Seal valve. Push cancel on the instant pot and then push Meat Button and set timer for 5 minutes. When cooking time is complete do a natural release for 5 minutes then release pressure manually. Remove lid from Instant Pot.
Gravy
- In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water and blend until smooth. Press cancel on Instant Pot and then press sauté button. Add cornstarch mixture into instant pot and stir slowly sauce should thicken almost immediately. Once sauce is thickened push cancel on the instant pot and then press the Keep Warm button. Your meatballs are now ready to be served. Serve over macaroni and top with chopped parsley.
- Enjoy.
Matt Freund
a new version of an old classic
Kelly Anthony
I love this twist on salisbury steak and my girls will too. They will eat anything in meatball form so this is a perfect meal for our family.
Matt
Let me know what your kids think. I too will eat anything and meatball form 🙂
Lisa Davis
Sounds delicious! I`m having this for supper tonight. Yum yum!
Matt
Great. Thanks for the complement and enjoy your dinner.
Matty
Joanna
Made for dinner tonight, it was delicious served on egg noodles.
Matt
I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I am going to have to try it with egg noodles. That sounds like a good idea. Thanks for your comment.
Matty.
SHANIKA
These Meatballs looks so good! I love the creamy sauce and flavor combo of this entire recipe!
Matt
Thank you very much
Krissy Allori
Oh man! This looks so good. I love meatballs and I can’t wait to try these.
Matt
Glad you like them.
Angela
Oh my YUM! These look incredible. Love that you can make them in the instant pot. What a great recipe. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Matt
You are very welcome.
Lisa Huff
My kids are going to LOVE this! My kind of fall/winter comfort food!
Matt
Let me know what they think 👍
Stacia Jahnke
We love this recipe…minus the macaroni & adding a few tweaks 😀 Hubby & I have been following the Keto lifestyle for 3 years so I had to make it a little more Keto-friendly. In the meatballs I used a blend of crushed pork rinds & Parmesan cheese in place of the breadcrumbs, Heavy Whipping Cream instead of the milk. For the gravy, I used Xanthum Gum instead of the cornstarch. I also used homemade Beef Bone Broth that I made in my Ninja Foodi.
Served over Garlic Cauliflower Mash. Perfect comfort food and so delicious!! Thanks for sharing, Matt!!
Matt
Thats great to hear. I am glad you enjoy it. Keep coming back I always post new recipes.
Amber B.
This was a fantastic recipe! We needed something delicious and filling that didn’t require a lot of ingredients since we were dealing with a pretty bare pantry. This was absolutely perfect! We both really loved it and we already have plans to make it again next week. Can’t wait to check out some of your other recipes!
Matt
I am so glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great comment and yes please try some other recipes. I am always making new things. You can also signup for our email list to get notified when I post something new.
Matty.
Dorinda
Made the Pressure Cooker version and it was delicious! Everyone agreed!
Matt
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for the review. I am always releasing new recipes. If you want easy notification sinup for our spam free mailing list.
Matty.
Maggie
Loved this recipe; the meatballs were very tasty and the gravy is very good. Served over mashed potatoes rather than macaroni. I also added 1/2 tsp of anchovies to the meat mixture in addition to the worchestershire. Will definitely make again
Matt
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment. I have some new things coming here shortly. Come back soon.
Matty
Jodi C
What a great recipe, everyone loved it. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!!!
Matt
Thank you for the nice complement and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Matty.
Dani D.
I loved Salisbury steak TV dinners when I was a kid, so I was excited to see a “grown-up” version of a fond childhood memory. The recipe is very flavorful and is something I rotate into the menu every couple of weeks. I like using egg noodles for the pasta and I double the gravy so that there’s lots of it to cover the noodles like a sauce. Delicious!
Matt
The TV dinners were also my favorite when I was a kid. I really do not see them around these days. I was like I am going to make an updated version. I like your egg noodle idea too. Thanks for the kind review.
Chris Bakewell
I had these for lunch today with a baked potato. Delicious!
Matt
Glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the nice review.
d mcfarland
When making the gravy do you remove the meatballs from instant pot ? thanks
Matt
No, you do not have to remove the meatballs with making the gravy. At the end it’s just a cornstarch slurry so you mix it up and stir it into the gravy.
Deloras
Loved it. Nastalgic!
I used bison and water instead of broth. I served it on gluten free elbow pasta.
Wonderful comfort food.
Easy! I cooked the pasta in my instant pot in ceramic liner while I made meat balls. Put in my stainless insert and it all went well. No burn notice. So very good!
Matt
So glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind review. I add new recipes all the time so come back or signup for our spam free mailing list and you eill be notified when I add new things.
Julie T Shane
These meatballs are amazing! I used egg noodles and doubled the gravy ingredients. My 80 year old mother is very picky about her food, but couldn’t get enough of these! Keep the recipes coming!
Matt
That’s great news. I’m so glad everybody enjoyed them. I will keep the recipes coming.
Matty
Sara
My family of three loved this recipe. It was easy to throw together on a weeknight, which I appreciated. My growing 12 yr old gobbled it down and my husband was looking for more. I will definitely double the recipe next time.
Matt
This was one of my favorites growing up as well. I still make this from time to time. Definitely comfort food to me for sure. Glad to hear your family enjoyed it.
Matty.
Melissa A.
Do I remove the cooked meatballs in order to make the gravy?
Matt
You do not have to remove them. You can if you want to but it is not necessary.
Cheryl
Do you think this would work with ground venison? I may try in my Instant Pot tonight with leftover mashed potatoes.
Cheryl
Made this recipe tonight using ground venison and it was delicious! I used beef broth and added a small can of mushrooms. At the end, I added some cooked peas to the gravy and served over leftover mashed potatoes. I’ll definitely use the venison again for this recipe.
Amy
WHen you cook the meatballs in the instant pot, is it just a splash of beef broth while they cook (sealed), or is there a substantial amount like other instant pot recipes?
Matt
Well, this is taken from the recipe.
1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth or Chicken Broth
Generally, you need at least 1/2 cup liquid for any recipe is a good rule of thumb.
Hope that answers your question.
Matty.
Jeanie
These were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. I would recommend using the ceramic pot for the Instant Pot if you have one because I had trouble with the meatballs sticking, even though I didn’t put them in until the IP said HOT. They broke apart some but that didn’t affect the taste, of course. I did the macaroni in the microwave (Steam function) while I cooked the meatballs so the pasta would be hot.
Matt
Glad that you enjoyed.
Matty
JENNIFER WENGER
This was super tasty. I used 2 tsps of garlic with the onions and a bit more cornstarch. Very very good. Will definitely make it again.
Matt
Good job. Glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
Matty
Sue Turnbeau
Absolutely my new favorite meatball recipe! Thank you! Had to buy an instant pot after seeing some of your recipes and this is the one I broke it in with! So much flavor! Will be making regularly!