Amazing 8-Minute Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

If you’re like me, weeknights are a sprint, and anything that saves you time without sacrificing flavor is practically a miracle. That’s why I’m so thrilled to share my recipe for Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs. Hello there! I’m Anna Kowalska, and here I share tried-and-true homemade recipes that you and your family will love. Everything I make is crafted with heart and flavor, and this recipe is no exception!

Forget long simmering times! This method gets tender, savory meatballs on your table faster than ordering takeout. You get all that deep, satisfying flavor from the garlic and mushrooms, perfectly cooked under pressure. Trust me, once you see how easy these are, they’ll become your go-to meal when you need something hearty and quick.

Assembling Your Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs Ingredients

Okay, before we even think about touching that Sauté button, we need to get our ducks in a row with the ingredients. This recipe is super forgiving, but for the best texture, especially when pressure cooking, precision matters! We’re keeping things simple here—no weird fillers, just real, flavorful components coming together beautifully. I always lay everything out on the counter first. It saves so much chaos later!

The key to making these meatballs sturdy enough for the Instant Pot is using oat flour instead of breadcrumbs. It holds everything together perfectly without getting gummy. Don’t skip the browning step either; that little bit of sear adds so much depth before the pressure cooking even starts!

Here is exactly what you need gathered before mixing starts:

Ingredient	Quantity	Preparation Note
Ground Chicken	1.5 lb	The main event!
Oat Flour	3/4 cup	For binding
Sea Salt	1 tsp	To taste
Garlic Cloves	2	Must be minced fresh!
Mushrooms	1/2 cup	Finely chopped
Olive Oil	2 tbsp	For browning
Chicken Broth	1 cup	For deglazing and cooking
Parsley	As needed	Chopped, for garnish

Essential Components for Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Let’s talk structure. You need a solid pound and a half of ground chicken—that’s our base, and it keeps this recipe nice and lean. For the binder, we are using three-quarters of a cup of oat flour. Seriously, oat flour is amazing; it keeps the meatballs tender but firm, which is crucial when they go into the pressure cooker. And don’t forget the half cup of finely chopped mushrooms! They melt right in and add that earthy flavor we are going for.

Flavor Builders and Liquids for Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

This is where the magic happens! Two cloves of garlic, minced super fine—you want that punch of flavor distributed evenly. We keep it simple with just one teaspoon of sea salt to start; you can always add more later, but you can’t take it out! For liquids, grab two tablespoons of olive oil for that initial sauté, which builds the flavor foundation, and one full cup of chicken broth. That broth is going to become our delicious, savory sauce after the pressure cooking is done. Make sure you have that parsley ready for a pop of color at the end!

Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Now that you have all your components laid out, it’s time to get messy! Cooking in the Instant Pot is fantastic because it handles two steps—browning and steaming—in one pot, which means less cleanup later. But the technique leading up to that pressure cook is what guarantees your meatballs aren’t crumbly or dry. We need to build flavor layer by layer!

Preparing and Shaping the Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Grab a large bowl. First, toss in your 1.5 pounds of ground chicken, the oat flour, the salt, the minced garlic, and those lovely chopped mushrooms. Now, here is my big tip for mixing: use your hands, but don’t overdo it! You want to mix just until everything is combined and you don’t see streaks of dry flour anymore. If you keep kneading the mixture like bread dough, those meatballs will turn out tough, and nobody wants a chewy meatball! Aim for gentle incorporation. Once mixed, divide the meat evenly and roll them into uniform sizes. Uniformity is important so they all cook at the same rate under pressure.

Browning for Flavor: Sautéing the Meatballs

Set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Once it’s hot, add your two tablespoons of olive oil. We’re browning these in batches—this is non-negotiable for flavor! If you crowd the pot, the temperature drops, and they just steam instead of sear. Brown them gently on all sides until they have a nice, light golden color, maybe just a minute or two per side. As they finish, pull them out onto a clean plate. If you notice any bits sticking after you remove the first batch—and sometimes they do stick, oops!—don’t panic. That browned stuff is pure flavor gold we need for the next step!

Pressure Cooking the Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

With the meatballs set aside, pour that one cup of chicken broth right into the hot inner pot. Take a wooden spoon and scrape up all those delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom—that’s called deglazing, and it prevents that annoying ‘Burn’ notice! Return all your browned meatballs to the pot, nestling them right into the broth. Seal the lid, make sure the valve is set to Sealing, and select the Poultry setting, or if you have an older model, use Manual/Pressure Cook on High for exactly 8 minutes. After the 8 minutes are up, let it do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for a full 5 minutes before carefully flipping the valve to Venting to release the rest. A short NPR helps them settle beautifully!

Tips for Success with Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Cooking in the Instant Pot is fast, but you still need a couple of little tricks up your sleeve to make sure these mushroom garlic chicken meatballs come out tasting like they simmered all day. Honestly, 90% of success is right there in the prep work, even before you hit Start!

My biggest piece of advice is about the browning step. If you try to cram all the meatballs in at once, they’ll steam, and you lose that depth of flavor we worked so hard to build with the oil and the fond on the bottom of the pot. Cook in batches, even if it feels slow at first. It’s worth the extra five minutes, I promise!

Achieving the Best Texture in Your Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Remember when I said not to overmix? That is the absolute key to texture here. Ground chicken is lean, so if you beat it up too much while incorporating the oat flour and vegetables, you develop the proteins too much, and you end up with something dense and bouncy instead of tender. Mix only until you see the ingredients just come together, like barely combined. If your meatballs wind up sticking a little during the browning phase, don’t worry about it too much—that’s totally normal, especially with leaner meat. Just be sure to scrape that layer up with the broth later!

Flavor Variations for Your Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

The base flavor profile here—chicken, mushroom, garlic—is fantastic, but sometimes you need to switch things up depending on what’s hiding in the spice cabinet! Since the cooking method is so quick, these variations are easy to incorporate right when you are mixing the raw ingredients.

If you want a little warmth, try swapping out half the salt for a half teaspoon of smoked paprika. It gives the meatballs a lovely, deep hue and a hint of smokiness that pairs surprisingly well with the earthy mushrooms. Or, if you’re feeling Italian, skip the parsley garnish and stir in one teaspoon of dried oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the salt.

For a brighter flavor? Add a tiny bit of lemon zest—maybe just a quarter of a teaspoon—when you mix everything. It cuts through the richness of the broth beautifully. These little tweaks keep dinner exciting without adding any extra cooking time, which is exactly what we want on a busy night!

Serving Suggestions for Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

The beauty of these savory mushroom garlic chicken meatballs is that they are fantastic on their own, but they really shine when paired with something that soaks up that delicious broth leftover in the pot. You absolutely must save that liquid!

The instructions mention serving them over rice or quinoa, and I highly recommend that. Quinoa adds a great nutritional boost and texture. If you are watching carbs, try serving them over a bed of wilted spinach or steamed broccoli. The meatballs and the broth wilt the greens perfectly as you serve them. A sprinkle of fresh parsley on top of whatever base you choose makes it look restaurant-ready!

Storing and Reheating Your Leftover Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

I rarely have leftovers because everyone dives in, but when I do, storing these garlic chicken meatballs is simple. The key is to separate the meatballs from the cooking liquid if you plan to keep them for more than a day. The liquid can make them a bit soft if they sit in it too long.

For refrigeration, pop the meatballs into an airtight container. If you want to freeze them, it’s best to freeze them *without* the broth first. They hold up great for about three months in a freezer bag. When reheating, just add a splash of fresh broth or water to help steam them back to life!

Storage Method	Duration	Reheating Tip
Refrigerator (Airtight)	3-4 days	Microwave briefly with a splash of water.
Freezer (Airtight Bag)	Up to 3 months	Thaw overnight, then simmer gently on the stovetop.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

I know you might have a few questions when you’re diving into a new pressure cooker recipe, especially when you’re trying to get those perfect mushroom meatballs just right! Don’t worry, I’ve answered the ones I get asked most often. We want this to be easy, fast, and delicious every single time you make it.

Can I use pre-minced garlic in the Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs?

You absolutely can use jarred pre-minced garlic if you are really pressed for time, but trust me, the flavor payoff isn’t the same. Freshly minced garlic has a sharper, brighter bite that really shines through the broth. If you use the jarred stuff, maybe use a tiny bit more, or consider adding a half teaspoon of garlic powder to the dry mix just to boost that essential garlic chicken flavor profile.

What if I do not have an Instant Pot for this recipe?

Oh, no Instant Pot? No problem at all! You can still make these wonderful mushroom meatballs. After you brown them on the stovetop in a skillet, just pour in the cup of chicken broth, bring it to a simmer, cover the skillet tightly, and let them cook gently for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are cooked through. They won’t have the same concentrated broth, but they will still be tender and tasty!

Is this recipe low fat as stated?

Yes, it is! We keep this recipe wonderfully low in fat because we are using ground chicken, which is naturally much leaner than ground beef or pork. Plus, we are using just two tablespoons of olive oil total for browning the whole batch. The oat flour keeps the texture great without adding extra fat, so you can feel good about serving these satisfying garlic chicken meatballs often!

Nutritional Estimates for Instant Pot Mushroom Garlic Chicken Meatballs

I always like to remind everyone that these numbers are just estimates based on the ingredients listed, so they can vary a little based on your specific chicken brand or how much broth is absorbed. But this gives you a great idea of what you’re getting in each serving!

Nutrient	Amount (Per Serving)
Calories	350
Protein	38g
Fat	18g
Carbohydrates	10g
Sugar	2g

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