Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Rice {Pot in Pot}

 Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs with rice comes together in the one pot, at the same time. But, using the pot in pot method, the rice and the meatballs are cooked separately, in about 30 minutes!

This recipe is a go to for both dinners and prep ahead meal prep because it has limited ingredients and this is an ultimate one pot recipe! 

The very best part of this recipe is that you can easily use the pot in pot method to make the meatballs, sauce and rice - all in one pot! 

What is pot in pot method? 

This is a fantastic method to cook the sweet and sour meatballs in the liner of your pot, and then adding a long legged trivet, and adding a bowl of rice and water on top!

With this method you use only one pot, and you are not watching a pot of rice boil over! 

Do I need accessories to do this?

Yes, you do. 

The trivet that comes with your Instant Pot is not designed for this and you need one with longer legs. 

You also need a bowl that fits for both height and diameter.

I use this long leg trivet and this Instant Pot insert bowl. (affiliate links)

But, I don't have the accessories and want this tonight!

Have no fear. You can follow the directions as written - just skip the steps where you set up the rice and cook your rice separately on the stove according to the directions on the rice package.

Simple, minimal ingredients and only a few steps needed for Sweet and Sour Meatballs!

Yes, you can freeze this meatball meal? 

You can freeze this recipe in these 2 compartment glass containers, or you can use a Souper Cubes silicone mold to freeze in individual freezer servings. 

See my post here about how I use Souper Cubes for individual freezer meals for lunches! 

This recipe is a 10/10 because of the minimal ingredients - most of them are from your pantry!

A few notes on the ingredients

• You can use either fresh or frozen meatballs. I don't adjust the cook time. I do 10 minutes under pressure for frozen or not. 

• I don't recommend using ground beef meatballs - unless it is ultra lean.

• I have used half turkey and half Italian sausage meatballs and it worked great, but if you use 100% ground beef you are going to have ALOT of grease. 

With traditional meatball cooking methods (stovetop and oven), you have the opportunity to drain the fat after cooking, before you add the sauce. But, with this recipe and method, you can't do that - this is why I suggest leaner meat for this one. 

If you like things super saucy, double the sauce recipe, but I make it with the recipe as is and love it.

If you are looking for more ways get using your Instant Pot, we have tons of Instant Pot meals here for you too!

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3.56 from 9 votes

Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Rice {Pot in Pot}

 Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs with rice comes together in the one pot, at the same time. But, using the pot in pot method, the rice and the meatballs are cooked separately, in about 30 minutes!

Course Instant Pot

Cuisine American

Keyword Instnat Pot, Meatball recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 20 meatballs

Calories 104kcal

Equipment

• 6 Quart Instant Pot
• Long Leg Trivet
• Bowl (see post for details)

Ingredients

• 15-20 frozen ground turkey or ground chicken meatballs or other extra lean ground meat - DO NOT USE REGULAR GROUND BEEF
• ⅔ cup pineapple juice
• ¼ cup rice vinegar you can use regular vinegar in a pinch
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or soy alternative
• cornstarch slurry 1 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons water.
• 1.o cups white basmati rice
• 1.25 cups water

Instructions

• In the liner of your instant pot, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, & soy sauce.
• Add the meatballs into the pot.
• If doing pot in pot, add the trivet into the pot.
• Place the rice combined with water in your bowl and place on top of the trivet.
• Secure the lid on your instant pot. Seal the pot, and press manual and set for 10 minutes.
• When timer beeps, let the pot naturally release pressure for 5 minutes.
• Quick release the remaining pressure.
• In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch into a slurry. After the pressure cycle, stir it into the liner with the meatballs and sauce. Let sit for 2-3 minutes so the sauce can thicken up!
• Serve the meatballs and sauce over the rice.

Notes

Only use very lean meat for this recipe. You are not able to drain the grease after cooking and using regular ground beef results in very oily sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Sugar: 4g