Since I published the traditional Chinese Lion’s Head pork meatball recipe, I’ve received so much good feedback. However, that one is a slightly complicated recipe that requires some time and patience to cook. So, we decided to make an easy meatball recipe that takes very little effort to prepare. We used ground chicken for a healthier dish. The sauce is so easy to whip together and creates a super rich and flavorful result that makes these meatballs irresistible!
Why this recipe
It uses ground chicken to make a healthier dish with great flavor.It involves very easy prep and uses ingredients that are easy to find, or already in your pantry.You can create the perfect meatball gravy that is thick and rich by simply mixing a few ingredients together. No extra cooking steps needed!
Prepare the meatballs
These meatballs are very easy to make.
Cooking the meatballs
Isn’t it super simple?
Cooking notes
Browning VS. No-Browning
We’ve tried both methods and found that browning is a MUST. The meatballs that weren’t browned turned out edible, but looked sad and unappealing. On the other hand, the browned meatballs turned out much more robust, with a better taste and appearance, and held together better. It was totally worth the extra 10 minutes of cooking time. TIP: Despite the fact that I usually prefer not to brown meat in the Instant Pot (due to the weak heating element), I found that these meatballs brown easily in the Instant Pot. You might be able to brown all the meatballs in one batch, but it’s easier to brown them in two batches so you have enough space to flip them.
Best brown sauce
Normally, an Instant Pot recipe calls for adding the cornstarch slurry after the pressure cooking is done, to thicken the sauce. However, we found that you can add the cornstarch at the beginning, and it will create a perfectly thickened gravy sauce at the end, without any extra steps. NOTE: Make sure to thoroughly stir the sauce to dissolve all the cornstarch before pouring it into the Instant Pot.
Store and reheat
These meatballs hold up really well. You can either store them in a sealed container in the fridge or in the freezer. To reheat them, thaw the meatballs overnight in the fridge. I simply pop them in the microwave to heat them up.
Other easy Instant Pot recipes
Instant Pot Black Beans (5-Ingredient, Vegan)Instant Pot Braised Beef (Chinese-Style)Instant Pot Chinese Sausage Rice Instant Pot Pork Ribs (Chinese-Style)Instant Pot Bolognese (Hong Kong Style)
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
