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Sharing a new instant pot recipe today, instant pot turkey meatballs and spaghetti squash.

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I’m currently having a moment with the Instant Pot. To be honest, I am still figuring some things out, but so far I have created three recipes that I am head over heals for, this better for you instant pot chicken and spinach ramen, these healthy meatballs you see here, and an upcoming Indian inspired recipe.

Now that I am three full recipes deep into Instant Pot territory, I can officially say I am liking it. Still not sure it’s better than my beloved crockpot or Staub Cocotte, but it’s great for quick, one-pot cooking.

Today’s recipe is truly a super star recipe. You guys all know I love spaghetti squash, but what I don’t love about spaghetti squash? The insanely long cook time. I’ve been wanting to try this recipe out forever now and I am so happy to report that it turned out better than I could have imagined.

Homemade, flavorful turkey meatballs, in a delicious red sauce, over top spaghetti squash. All cooked together in the Instant Pot. Promise, it’s not too good to be true.

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

This recipe all starts with the meatballs. I’m going to be honest, I am not normally a meatball person, but occasionally I get inspired to make some. I’ve never made turkey meatballs before, so these have me greatly excited. To keep the meatballs moist, I used my Nonnie’s trick of crumbling soggy bread into the meat mixture. I also used a bit of ricotta and prosciutto to keep the lean turkey from drying out.

The only non-Instant Pot step in this recipe is broiling the meatballs. I know, I know, you want an all one-pot recipe, but trust me, broiling the meatballs is a million times easier and quicker than browning them in the instant pot. When I attempted browning the meatballs in the instant pot, lets just say it did not end well, and it took thirty minutes as opposed the the four it takes to broil. Trust me, broiling is the way to go!

Once the meatballs are browned, just add everything to the Instant Pot, cover, and cook on high pressure for fifteen minutes. Yup, just fifteen minutes and your spaghetti squash is cooked! I was shocked too, but it worked so well.

What I love most about this recipe, I mean aside from its speedy cook time is that it really does taste amazing. I was worried that the meatballs might be dried out and the squash might be too hard, but both were perfect. Cooking the meatballs in the Instant Pot actually traps in the the moisture and keeps them from becoming dry.

I served the meatballs over the squash with just a little parmesan and fresh basil and it turned out to be the perfect mid-week dinner. My whole family loved this recipe. Even my picky brothers enjoyed this one, but they did boil up some real spaghetti, because…they don’t do squash.

I am working on them.

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Before I say see ya for the day, I just wanted to point out the new HBH site design! I am so exited to have this finally live. We have been working endlessly on this new layout since March and I am hoping that it really improves the reader experience.

Please bear with us over the next few days as we work out any technical kinks. It’s a lot of info to transfer over from the old site’s layout, so there may be a few glitches here and there. Please let me know if you guys notice anything we need to correct, and sorry in advance for any inconvenience. Like I said, hoping in the end this improves your overall experience here on HBH. Plus, isn’t it pretty?!

Over the next few weeks we will be launching a new site feature for the holidays, so keep an eye out for that. Lots of fun things coming your way!

For now, let’s focus on tonight’s dinner and do a spaghetti (squash) and meatball night!

Oh and also? If you don’t own an Instant Pot, this is easily adapted for the slow cooker. Just do all the same steps as directed, but instead of adding everything to the Instant Pot, add them to your slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 443 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the broiler to high and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. Add the ground turkey to a medium bowl. Take the bread and run it under water until dampened, but not soaked. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the the bread and then crumble the bread over the turkey. Add the egg, 2 cloves garlic, ricotta, prosciutto, oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls (will make 10-12 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes or until browned.
    3. To the instant pot, add the tomatoes, remaining 3 cloves garlic, red wine, 1/2 cup water, and a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper. Poke the spaghetti squash all over with a fork. Place the spaghetti squash in the center of the sauce and then arrange the meatballs around the squash. Add the parmesan rind and thyme. Cover and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes or until the squash is easily poked through with a fork, this will depend on the size of your squash. Smaller might only need 15 minutes, while large squash might need 45 minutes.
    4. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Carefully remove the squash from the crockpot and transfer to a cutting board. Wipe away any grease and then carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, then using a fork, scrape the squash into strands.
    5. Divide the spaghetti squash among plates and spoon the meatballs and sauce overtop. Top with parmesan and basil. Enjoy!

Notes

*To make this in the crockpot, broil the meatballs as directed and then add everything to your crockpot, layer the meatballs into the sauce as directed. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve as directed. 
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Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Meatballs today…tomorrow something Halloweeny!

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Comments

  1. 1 star
    This recipe was bland and had multiple issues (similar to many other commenters). I received a burn notice immediately before the instant pot came to full pressure. I removed all items from the pot and instead baked the meatballs in the sauce in the oven. I then pressure cooked the squash for five minutes with a cup of water. Cooking it separately saved the dinner but the meatballs were bland and the sauce not seasoned enough. I definitely won’t make this one again!

    1. Hi Katelyn,
      Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if I can help in any way! xT

    1. Hi Allison,
      Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan

    1. Hi Ruth,
      You would want to follow the recipe as is and then simmer on low for 2-3 hours. Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan

    1. Hi Amy! I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything you did differently? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan

  2. 5 stars
    GREAT recipe! Everyone LOVED. I also got the “burn” notice but I think it was from the parm rind. The meatballs were so light and fluffy. Would def make again. I roasted the squash based solely on the fact that the boys wanted pasta and girls wanted a veg. All around delish as always. Thanks Tiegan!

  3. Hi! Question. Does this turkey meatball with spaghetti squash recipe really require TWO 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or do you mean a TOTAL of 28 oz of crushed tomatoes?! The proportion seems off if it’s a total of 56 oz.
    Please clarify! I’m hoping to make this tonight!
    Thank you.
    Susan Singer

    1. Hey Susan,
      The measurements are correct, you will want to use 2 (28 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  4. What size mfing pressure cooker should I have that will accommodate 12 meatballs AND A FULL 4LB SPAGHETTI SQUASH. Cus the 6qt one I have ain’t cutting the mustard. Plz reply. I’m hungry.

  5. 2 stars
    First HBH fail!
    This recipe is NOT possible in a 6qt IP. We have a 3lb squash (25% smaller than what’s called for) and even made smaller meatballs (assuming half the size because we made 24 vs 12.) The meatballs did NOT fit around the squash…not sure how larger ones would’ve fit in there at all. The squash sat above the “max fill line” and the pot never came to pressure. After adjusting and trying twice, we finally took everything out and it is now cooking in the oven.

    Had we known we’d have this many issues, we would’ve cooked it differently. It is now 8:15pm, and we’re still waiting for dinner that we started hours ago.

    Not throwing in the HBH towel by any means, but definitely are on this recipe. NEVER AGAIN!!!

    1. Hi Chrissy,
      I am so sorry this recipe did not workout for you. Unfortunately, I own an 8 quart instant pot and it fits perfectly in there. Next time I would try the slow cooker:) xTieghan

  6. 1 star
    Just avoid all instant pot recipe’s with tomato based sauces. The burn warning happens immediately and prevents anything from cooking correctly.

    1. Hi Sam! Is there any questions I can help you with? Please let me know, as this does not happen to me. xTieghan

  7. 1 star
    This recipe came out horribly. It was sloppy, inefficient, and tasteless. The whole point of a pressure cooker is convenience.
    1. The balls had almost no flavor. The amount of seasoning must be increased and don’t waste any time with the chili flake in the meatballs it’s a tacky substitute for skilled flavoring of meat.
    2. It is lazy to cook a spaghetti squash in the sauce. There is a level of imbalance when cooking meatballs and an entire raw squash together. You end up with over cooked meatballs. Then you have to sort out the seeds, which takes forever after an already long cooking time. The sauce was runny and flavorless,
    3.There is a total lack of direction here. “One cheese rind”. Not only did this do nothing for the recipe it was a waste of energy and time. Just sprinkle some parm at the end to your liking if you decide to go through with this misleading recipe.
    4. It won’t fit in a 6 qt instant pot.
    5. Cook things the right way your squash separate , bring your sauce to a simmer, don’t over cook and under season your turkey balls. They already have a low fat content so keep mind they will dry out quickly.

    1. I am sorry this did not work too well for you. Are there any questions I could help you with? Thank you!

  8. Hi! I am looking to make just the meatballs in the instant pot without the squash! Would the cook time still be the same?

    1. HI! I would cook the same time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  9. 5 stars
    We made this recipe recently and it was delicious– especially the meatballs!!! We want to make just the meatballs (without the sauce or spaghetti squash) as an appetizer next. Do you have recommendations for how long you would cook the meatballs in the oven to make sure they’re done? (skipping the pressure cooker) Thanks for the great recipe!!

    1. Hi! I would bake the meatballs at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan