Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs (Dr. Pepper Meatballs)

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Wow your friends and family with this flavorful instant pot cocktail meatballs recipe! You are going to love how easy it is to make these tasty Dr. Pepper meatballs in your instant pot. Serve them on toothpicks for a fun finger food.

A white bowl fowl of cocktail meatballs in front of two cans of Dr. Pepper.

I love tasty appetizers that feed a crowd. Some of our other favorites are Slow Cooker Grape Jelly MeatballsInstant Pot Meatballs with BBQ SauceInstant Pot Artichoke DipPulled Pork Nachos, and Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings.

A picture showing the cover images for all three cookbooks written by Aileen Clark.

These instant pot cocktail meatballs are great because they feature a from-scratch sauce with the added flavor of dr. pepper that takes them from ordinary cocktail meatballs to amazing cocktail meatballs. If you are looking for even more instant pot recipes, make sure you order our cookbook: The “I Love My Instant Pot” Affordable Meals Recipe Book.

An instant pot with a bowl of meatballs and two cans of dr. pepper in front of it.

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This is a recipe that people will ask you for. They may also request you to make “those meatballs in your instant pot” again and again. Lucky for you, they really only take about 15 minutes of prep work and can be kept warm in the instant pot until ready to serve. 

I like to either serve them directly from the instant pot or on a platter with toothpicks. Whatever way you serve them, they are sure to be a hit!

A red striped towel under a bowl filed with dr. pepper meatballs.

What to serve with instant pot dr. pepper cocktail meatballs?

If you are hosting a party, we recommend serving beef chili, pulled pork, or meatball subs (with the best meatballs) along side these cocktail meatballs and a few other tasty sides like a yummy fruit salad just like this Triple Berry Fruit Salad recipe.

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Overhead shot of cocktail meatballs in a white bowl next to a red and white striped towel.

Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Aileen Clark
Wow your friends and family with this flavorful instant pot cocktail meatballs recipe! You are going to love how easy it is to make these tasty meatballs in your instant pot. Serve them on toothpicks for a fun finger food.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 154 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can Dr. Pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups water divided
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 3 pounds ready made meatballs

Instructions
 

  • Press saute button on instant pot.
  • Combine dr. pepper, 1/4 cup water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, corn starch, Worcestershire, salt, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes inside instant pot. Whisk to combine.
  • Bring sauce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, whisking often.
  • Remove Dr. pepper bbq sauce from Instant pot and set aside.
  • Clean and dry the Instant pot insert and place back in instant pot.
  • Pour 1 cup of water into Instant Pot.
  • Place steamer rack inside Instant Pot and fill it with the meatballs.
  • Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing.
  • Press the manual or pressure cook button and set to 5 minutes on high pressure.
  • Natural pressure release.
  • Remove meatballs and drain water.
  • Add Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce back to pot and add meatballs.
  • Press sauté button and let cook about 2 minutes, until heated thoroughly.
  • Serve warm, on toohpicks, or directly from the instant pot on the keep warm setting.

Notes

Leftover meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 33gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 1731mgFiber: 6gSugar: 19g
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Collage photo of close-up of dr. pepper meatballs above picture of bowl of meatballs.

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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