Low FODMAP Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (Whole30, Low Carb Option)

overhead shot of low fodmap turkey meatballs on mashed potatoes covered in gravy on a blue and white plate

These Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy all made in the Instant Pot brings Thanksgiving flavors to your table in one pot - any time of year! Moist and tender turkey meatballs served on top of mashed potatoes and covered in devious gravy is a different twist on traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner. A cozy, comforting one-pot meal or appetizer (with just the meatballs and gravy) ideal for the Thanksgiving season or any time of year, this low FODMAP Turkey Meatball recipe is Paleo and Whole30 compliant, lactose-free, grain-free, and gluten-free. Make these low FODMAP turkey meatballs and gravy Keto / low carb by omitting the potatoes and serving them over my Low FODMAP Low FODMAP Mashed Hearts of Palm "Fauxtatoes" instead!

Jump to:

Simplifying the Idea of Thanksgiving Turkey
Special Diets this Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs Recipe Works For
A One-Pot Meal (Sort of)
Necessary Equipment
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs: Ingredients & Instructions
Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (Whole30, Low Carb Option)
Related Recipes

Simplifying the Idea of Thanksgiving Turkey

For years, I've been on this quest to simplify the idea of a turkey dinner. While it makes sense to cook a great, big traditional Thanksgiving turkey for a crowd, it doesn't make a lot of sense to make it for just a few people. Some people may like to have turkey leftovers for days upon days, but I'm not really that person. We live far away from family and don't often have a crowd of people to cook for, so I developed this recipe to enjoy some Thanksgiving turkey dinner flavors while keeping the leftovers at a minimum. Plus, it's a way to enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy year-round without the financial and time investment that goes into cooking a large, whole bird.

low fodmap meatballs and mashed potatoes covered in gravy on a blue and white plate with a fork

Special Diets this Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs Recipe Works For

In addition to being low FODMAP, this turkey meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy recipe is Paleo (if you believe white potatoes are Paleo), Whole30, grain-free, gluten-free, and lactose-free. You can make this recipe Keto / low carb simply by leaving out the potatoes (and all of the ingredients that go with them, obviously) as the recipes for the meatballs and gravy are written to be Keto / low carb. This allows me (with my blood sugar issues) to enjoy turkey meatballs over my Low FODMAP Low Carb Mashed Hearts of Palm "Fauxtatoes" while my husband and son enjoy the "real" mashed potatoes made in the same pot as the meatballs. If you're like us have some people in your house who eat low carb while others don't, this might come in handy for you, too.

A One-Pot Meal (Sort of)

I personally put this in my One-Pot Meal category on the blog as more than one component (the main and two side dishes) are being created in one pot. Such is the magic of Instant Pot cooking, that all of these components can be cooked at the same time but still maintain their own integrity. While you might want to add a green salad or something to make it more of a well-rounded meal, this recipe makes a fairly filling meal on its own.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make these low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs in the Instant Pot includes:

6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
Measuring cups and spoons
Chopping board and knife
Large mixing bowls (2)
Large plates or platters
Whisks (2)
Slotted spoon
Vegetable steamer basket (essential)
Potato masher
Large stirring spoon
Measuring cup or gravy boat

a fork cutting open a low fodmap turkey meatball on a plate with turkey meatballs, mashed potatoes, and gravy

Low FODMAP Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs: Ingredients & Instructions

Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs

process shot of low fodmap turkey meatball ingredients, including ground turkey, minced scallion greens, almond flour, garlic-infused olive oil, an egg, poultry seasoning, salt, and coconut aminos

To make the low FODMAP turkey meatballs, I add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl (the larger, the better):

Ground turkey
Blanched almond flour
Scallions, dark green parts only, minced
Garlic-infused olive oil
Egg
Coconut aminos - if not eating Paleo/Whole30, soy sauce or tamari sauce (if needing gluten-free) can substituted
Poultry seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
Salt

process shot of the raw low fodmap turkey meatballs mixture after all of the ingredients are mixed together

Mix with your hands until combined.

process shot of raw low fodmap turkey meatballs after they are formed into 2-tablespoon sized balls

Form into 2-tablespoon sized meatballs.

process shot of low fodmap turkey meatballs on a platter after all of the meatballs have been formed prior to cooking

Place meatballs on a few large plates or a platter.

Low FODMAP Gravy

Before you follow the steps to make the gravy, read the "Sautéing vs Not Sautéing the Meatballs" paragraph under the Variations section below.

process shot of gravy ingredients for low fodmap turkey meatballs, including chicken bone broth, ghee or butter, poultry seasoning, and salt

To make the gravy for these low FODMAP turkey meatballs, I use the following ingredients:

Ghee or butter
Low FODMAP chicken bone broth
Poultry seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
Salt

process shot of ghee melting in the instant pot to make gravy

Hit "Sauté" on the Instant pot, add ghee or butter. Once melted, hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot.

process shot of whisking low fodmap turkey meatball gravy ingredients together in an instant pot

Slowly pour in chicken broth and add poultry seasoning and salt. Whisk to combine.

Low FODMAP Mashed Potatoes

The ingredients I use to make the mashed potatoes include:

Red potatoes, chopped into quarters or eighths (depending on size), peeled or unpeeled - I typically leave my potatoes unpeeled for mashed potatoes
Unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice, lactose-free if needed)
Ghee or butter
Garlic-infused olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper

process shot of after chopped red potatoes have been added to the instant pot evenly in the gravy broth

Add the chopped potatoes to the pot directly in the broth, reserving the remaining mashed potato ingredients for after cooking.

Add Meatballs and Pressure Cook

process shot of adding a vegetable steamer over the potatoes and gravy in the instant pot to hold the low fodmap meatballs

Place a vegetable steamer basket over the potatoes and gravy in the Instant Pot.

process shot of after raw low fodmap turkey meatballs have been placed on the vegetable steamer in the instant pot

Place turkey meatballs on top of the veggie steamer in a single layer (you may need to stack a few).

Close Instant Pot lid and set pressure release valve to "Sealing." Press the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button, and set timer for 8 minutes.

process shot of after low fodmap turkey meatballs are cooked in the Instant Pot

During the cooking cycle, add remaining mashed potato ingredients to a large mixing bowl. This is where you will mash the potatoes after they are cooked.

Once the cooking cycle has completed, release remaining pressure. Open lid. Remove veggie steamer containing the meatballs to a fresh plate or platter.

Using an instant read thermometer, check the temperature of the biggest meatball. Ground turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 165ºF to be safely consumed.

Mash Potatoes

process shot of using a slotted spoon to remove the cooked potatoes from the Instant Pot after cooking, leaving the gravy juices behind

Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked potatoes from the pot to the prepared bowl, leaving the gravy drippings behind in the Instant Pot.

process shot of mashing potatoes in a mixing bowl containing the remaining mashed potatoes ingredients

Using potato masher, mash the potatoes and stir ingredients together until combined.

Thicken Gravy

Once the potatoes have been removed, hit "Sauté" on the Instant Pot. Once the juices in the pot start to bubble, slowly sprinkle xanthan gum over the bubbling broth, whisking constantly until broth thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

process shot of whisking gravy while it thickens in the instant pot after xanthan gum is added

If you prefer not to use xanthan gum as a thickener, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons tapioca flour or cornstarch (if not eating Paleo/Whole30) with 1 ½ tablespoons almond milk to make a slurry. Pour slurry into bubbling broth, whisking constantly until broth thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

Once gravy is to your desired thickness, hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot. Remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot to a hot pad or pour gravy directly into a gravy boat or measuring cup so that the gravy doesn't burn.

Serve Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Remove turkey meatballs from the veggie steamer to the platter or put directly into the gravy in the inner pot and stir. Serve meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes and enjoy.

gravy pouring over low fodmap instant pot turkey meatballs and mashed potatoes on a white plate

Variations

Sautéing vs Not Sautéing the Meatballs

I prefer not to sauté the meatballs prior to pressure cooking and have written this recipe accordingly. The drawback is that they tend to stick together and somewhat lose their shape while pressure cooking (see photo of cooked meatballs in the Instant Pot above). Once they come out of the Instant Pot, you may have to pry them apart individually.

To avoid this, you can sauté the meatballs directly in the Instant pot (which I find to be an epic pain as they stick to the pot, take multiple batches, and my arms tend to fall off by the end) or in a large, non-stick skillet using the ghee from the gravy to sauté them in and then transferring the liquid from the skillet into the Instant Pot before adding the other gravy ingredients (minus the xanthan gum or other thickener). If you sauté the meatballs for 3-4 minutes prior to pressure cooking, you need only pressure cook them for 7 minutes instead of 8.

Keto / Low Carb Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs

As mentioned, to make this low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs recipe Keto / low carb, omit the mashed potatoes and corresponding ingredients. Place the vegetable steamer basket into the pot over the broth as described and cook for the same amount of time. The meatballs and gravy by themselves without the potatoes are only 3.1 net carbs per serving. Serve the meatballs on their own or over your Keto / low carb "starch" of choice, such as my Low FODMAP Mashed Hearts of Palm "Fauxtatoes."

Low FODMAP Turkey Meatball Appetizer

If you want, you can also skip the potatoes and easily turn this meal into a low FODMAP turkey meatball appetizer for parties or holiday gatherings. Omit the potatoes and their ingredients as described in the Keto / Low Carb section. Serve low FODMAP turkey meatballs in gravy (or with gravy as a dip on the side) with toothpicks if desired.

close up of a fork cutting into low fodmap turkey meatballs on top of mashed potatoes covered in gravy

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

While I believe it is possible, I have never made meatballs in the slow cooker in combination with mashed potatoes, so I can't say for sure if it would work. I typically do not covert my one-pot meal recipes to the slow cooker in which the ingredients are cooked at the same time in the same pot but are served as separate dishes, if that makes sense. If you end up trying it in the slow cooker, please let me know how it turns out!

Can I use gluten-free flour instead of almond flour for the meatballs?

I have not tested any other types of flour with the meatballs of this recipe, so I can't say with certainty how it would turn out, but would recommend trying gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko in the same quantity as a substitute for the almond flour. I use almond flour to keep the meatballs low carb.

Can I use something other than xanthan gum to thicken the gravy?

Yes - I included in the recipe card instructions that you can make a slurry with tapioca flour or cornstarch (if not eating Paleo/Whole30) mixed with almond milk or cold water instead of xanthan gum. I just find xanthan gum so easy to throw in, and it's lower in carbs.