Ultra flavorful Whole30, gluten-free and Paleo turkey meatballs and spaghetti squash in marinara sauce. This entire meal cooks together in the instant pot in as little as 7 minutes!
Ground turkey makes for an excellent choice of clean protein, creating some of the most delicious meals like these Turkey Fennel Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. It's easy to incorporate ground turkey into your favorite recipes like this Ground Turkey Butternut Squash Skillet so grab some and let's get cooking!
Hi there amigo(a)! as my promise to you, this year I am focusing on creating complete meals that either cooks together in one pot or separately (but simultaneously), with an end goal of achieving one whole meal complete with protein, fiber, veggies, greens and carbs, in very little time.
But perhaps more importantly than getting you out of the kitchen sooner, is my promise to provide you with meal ideas that are healthy, hearty, wholesome and tasty, using clean and mostly unprocessed ingredients.
To accomplish this we will be doing a lot of instant pot meals, like this Instant Pot Farro Bowl that I posted earlier this week and this Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Vegetables. At times we might have a few pots going on at once, but at the end of a short time a full dinner will be on your table.
I am also planning on widening our options to keep things exciting. We all know of so many foods that are good and nutritious but don't cook very often. Well, I can't think of a better opportunity to freshen things up.
This said, I will be the first to say that I am not a huge fan of spaghetti squash. I know it's good, healthy, low carb and all, and a great way to balance my carb-loving self. What I do LOVE is meatballs in sauce, which is the perfect dressing to give this rather bland vegetable a facelift.
Do you feel the same way about spaghetti squash?
is ground turkey healthier than ground beef?
While there is nothing wrong with ground beef, especially if you opt for a leaner beef that is grass-fed, ground turkey is often the option when you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight.
Turkeys are generally a leaner animal. A 99% fat-free turkey has over 45 fewer calories and much less fat and saturated fat than 95% lean beef per serving.
If you are looking to add more ground turkey to your diet, check out this 27-minute recipe for Ground Turkey Butternut Squash Skillet that has received remarkable reviews.
what you will need to make this Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash recipe?
- an Instant Pot! I have this 6qt instant pot that I use for all my recipes.
- Instant pot trivet to hold the spaghetti squash above the turkey meatballs. I also recommend this accessory bundle so you get the most out of your instant pot.
- 1 lb of ground turkey. I have mentioned in here that I get all my meat from ButcherBox, and right now they are offering up to 10lb of FREE with your first box!
- almond flour because this recipe is whole30. If you are simply gluten-free you may use your GF flour of choice.
- nutritional yeast add flavor and helps with the texture.
- olive oil or ghee. I use these two interchangeably in all my recipes.
- tomato sauce or marinara sauce that is whole30 approved.
check out these other healthy and wholesome easy recipes for your weeknights;
One-Pan Chicken and Rice with potatoes, peas, pearl onions and olives.
Chicken Jambalaya with rice and vegetables.
Braised Green Beans with Sausage.
Baked Fish in Foil with Vegetables
Chicken Sausage Vegetables Pasta Skillet
If you make this Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating! I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to all your comments. Also, don’t forget to tag #gardeninthekitchen on Instagram for a special shutout and/or a chance of being featured in my newsletter!
Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon almond flour
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon each, salt, pepper, paprika, onion + garlic powder
- handful fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 15 oz whole30 approved tomato sauce
- 1 whole spaghetti squash, halved
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add ground turkey, egg, almond flour, nutritional yeast, seasonings and parsley or cilantro. Mix until well incorporated.
- Using an ice cream scooper grab a scoop full of turkey meat and roll into a ball in the palm of your hands. It will be sticky and that's okay. If you were to make them less sticky, they would turn out dry.
- Turn IP on sauté mode. Add oil or ghee until melted and hot. Add turkey meatballs one by one. You may have to work in batches. Cook until browned on both sides (about 8-10 minutes)
- Meanwhile work on the spaghetti squash. Wash the skin and cut in half. Clean the cavity. Season with oil, salt and pepper. Set aside
- When the turkey meatballs are browned, add tomato sauce to the pot but do not mix. You can rince the tomato sauce bottle with about ¼ cup of water to make sure you use every bit of sauce if you like but you don't have to.
- Cancel sauté mode. Place the trivet on top of the turkey meatballs. Add spaghetti squash to the trivet and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. When done quick release all pressure QPR.
- Carefully remove the spaghetti squash and trivet. Using a fork, pull the strands of spaghetti squash and transfer to a serving platter. Top with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce and serve.
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Linda says
Made this last night. It was perfect!
Kinsey says
Delicious!
Michelle says
Amazing! Me and my toddler loved it! It even worked great as leftovers and I will eat almost nothing as leftovers! Can’t wait to make again!
Silvia Ribas says
This made my heart happy! xoxo
Jan says
I did not have the yeast and almond flour and researched substitutes as Parmesan cheese and regular flour. I was still not able to form the meat so I added some bread crumbs. After browning the meatballs in oil, I had a lot of browned meat stuck to the bottom of the instant pot, so I chose to deglaze. Next the spaghetti squash halves would not fit in the pot. So I had to keep cutting them until they fit. I was concerned since they were right against the lid. I turned on the instant pot and it steamed for a long time and never counted down the time. I thought the squash against the lid was playing a role in this. I turned the pot off and left it sit for about 15 minutes. Finally, I opened it up! It was perfect and delicious!
Silvia Ribas says
The regular flour is too fine to hold up the consistency but I am glad you added the bread crumbs. In a recipe like this you need the coarse texture like yeast, bread crumbs, almond flour has more moisture than regular flour so it won't dry out as much. I am glad that in the end you were able to get a delicious meal!
Joy says
So you don’t have to add water before turning on the pressure cook setting?
Silvia Ribas says
No, only the sauce 🙂 but you could always add 1/4 cup of water to the sauce if it makes you feel more comfortable