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Easy Paleo Italian Meatballs In The Instant Pot

These low carb Easy Paleo Italian Meatballs In The Instant Pot are made with chicken and taste like pasta primavera! A healthy, gluten free and whole30!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 303kcal
Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 Lb Lean ground chicken (don't use turkey)
  • 1 Large egg
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh basil, minced
  • 6-7 tsp Coconut flour *
  • 1 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Avocado oil

For the veggies:

  • 1/2 Tbsp Avocado oil
  • 1 Large red pepper, sliced
  • 1 Bunch Asparagus, chopped
  • 2 Cups Snow peas
  • 1 Cup Reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Cup Cherry tomatoes, halved

For serving:

  • Zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice
  • Fresh basil, sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together all of the meatballs ingredient (except the oil) until well combined. Form into 16 large meatball and set aside.
  • Turn your Instant Pot onto the "sauté" setting and add in 1/2 Tbsp of the avocado oil. Once the oil is heated, add in the sliced pepper, asparagus and snow peas. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies just begin to color, about 3 minutes. They cook a lot under pressure, so don't over-cook them here!
  • Remove the veggies from the Instant Pot and add in 2 tsp of the remaining Avocado Oil.  Add half of the meatballs in, on the outside of the pot where the oil pools, and cook until golden brown, flipping once, or about 2 minutes per side.  I find that using a fork to loosen them off the pot and to flip is the easiest. Transfer to a plate and add in the remaining 1 tsp of oil. Add in the rest of the meatballs and cook the same way.
  • Once cooked, add the rest of the meatballs back in and pour the vegetables into the pot, over top of the meatballs. Pour in the chicken broth.
  • Cover the Instant Pot, making sure the lid is locked and the vent is set to "sealed." Turn the Instant Pot onto manual mode and cook, using high pressure, for 10 minutes.  Once cooked, allow the instant pot to steam release naturally, opening the lid only when the little button drops down.
  • Once cooked, stir in the halved cherry tomatoes.
  • Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles, garnish with basil and DEVOUR. ***

Notes

*You should only need 6 tsp of coconut flour, but I tested this a few times and sometimes needed an extra tsp.
**I have the 6 quart Instant Pot, and I found it was easier to brown the meatballs in 1 large batch and one smaller batch. If you cram them in too tight, they can be hard to flip.
***The chicken broth doesn't thicken, this is normal. If you serve over zucchini noodles, you may not need to pour over all the broth - make it as "liquidy" as you like!

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.4g | Protein: 25.2g | Fat: 18.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 103.5mg | Sodium: 562.3mg | Potassium: 332.3mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 4020IU | Vitamin C: 133.8mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 0.8mg