15 Best Meatball Recipes (2024)

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When we are looking for a quick, easy, and delicious dinner to make on busy weeknights, meatballs always come to mind. They are typically ready in just 30 minutes, soak up different flavors and seasonings so well so you can completely customize them, and are loved by the whole family — kids and adults alike. So if you are wondering "how to make meatballs", you are in the right place. Today, we are sharing over 15 best meatball recipes including ground beef meatballs, ground turkey meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, saucy meatballs, and more. Serve almost all these meatballs on their own as a bite-sized appetizer ongame day, over a bowl of rice, or wrapped in pita bread.

15 Best Meatball Recipes (1)

Best Ground Beef Meatballs

Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs

Sticky honey garlic meatballs are a delicious and flavourful 30-minute meal to add to your weekly dinner rotation. A total crowd pleaser.

Swedish Meatballs

Delicious, comforting homemade Swedish meatballs are seared and smothered in a creamy gravy sauce and taste so much better than IKEA meatballs.

Italian Meatballs

Meatballs are probably my favorite of all ground beef recipes. These quick, easy homemade Italian meatballs are juicy, flavourful, and delicious, simmered in a rich and savoury tomato sauce. Make them in just 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Meatballs

Teriyaki meatballs are our latest go to weeknight dinner — quick and easy to cook in the air fryer or oven, saucy and flavorful, and freezer-friendly.

Greek Meatballs

Baked Greek meatballs are juicy, tender, flavorful, and delicious. They are quick and easy to make in 30 minutes, and freezer-friendly. Serve with tzatziki.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and sour meatballs are quick, easy, delicious, and flavorful, tossed in a vegetable and pineapple stir fry with homemade sweet and sour sauce.

Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Meatballs are sticky, sweet and tangy. These delicious bites are the perfect holiday appetizer, or a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs is delicious, rich, comforting with tender beef meatballs simmered in a savoury tomato sauce. Make it in 30 minutes.

Lion's Head Chinese Meatballs

Lion's Head Chinese Meatballs are tender and juicy homemade pork meatballs packed with Asian seasonings and tossed in a sweet and sticky sauce.

Best Ground Turkey Meatball Recipes

Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs

Sweet chili turkey meatballs are delicious, tender and juicy, loaded with classic Thai flavors, and quick and easy to make. Savory, sweet, and tangy.

Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Curry

Thai turkey meatballs in coconut curry are the perfect weeknight dinner when you want something delicious, healthy, flavorful, and satisfying.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

When it comes to weeknight menu planning, baked turkey meatballs reign supreme. Say hello to dinner ready in under 20 minutes from prep to table!

Best Vegetarian Meatballs

Falafel

Homemade falafel are delicious, golden brown and crispy on the outside, fluffy tender and soft inside. Plus, they're vegan, loaded with plant-based protein.

Quinoa Cauliflower and Chickpea Vegetarian Meatballs

Vegetarian meatballs are easy to make with a combination of quinoa, cauliflower, chickpeas and an assortment of spices and herbs, drizzled with a homemade tahini sauce.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Meatballs store well, reheat well, and are freezer friendly. Refer to each recipe for full storage instructions, but generally:

  • How to store: Store meatballs in anairtight containerand place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply reheat in ashallow saucepanon the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through (or in the microwave). You may need to add a little water if it has a sauce that has thickened up too much in the refrigerator.
  • How to freeze: You can freeze the meatballs before tossing them into any sauce. Cook and let them cool down, then transfer into a freezer-safe airtight containerorfreezer bagand store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • How to reheat from frozen: Allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.

More Popular Recipes

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Did You Make Any of These Meatball Recipes?

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15 Best Meatball Recipes (16)

15 Best Meatball Recipes

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  • Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 15 minutes
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Description

Over 15 best meatball recipes including quick and easy ground beef meatballs, ground turkey meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, saucy meatballs, and more. One of my favorite lasagna recipes are these sticky honey garlic meatballs.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 lb.ground beef
  • ½ cupbreadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cuponion,finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoongreen onions,finely chopped(plus more for garnish)
  • 1egg
  • 2 tablespoonssoy sauce
  • ½ tablespoonbrown sugar
  • 1 teaspoongarlic powder
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • ½ teaspoonground black pepper
  • sesame seeds(for garnish)

For the honey garlic sauce:

  • ¼ cuprice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoonsbrown sugar
  • 2 tablespoonssoy sauce
  • 2 tablespoonsliquid honey
  • 1 tablespoongarlic,minced
  • ½ tablespooncornstarch(or flour)
  • 2 tablespoonswater

Instructions

Prepare the Meatballs:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. In a largemixing bowl, combine beef with bread crumbs, onion, green onions, egg, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to form into a uniform consistency.
  3. Take 2 spoonfuls of beef mixture at a time and roll into 1.5-inch thick meatballs. Transfer the meatballs into a largehalf sheet baking panlined withparchment paperand lightly coat with some oil to keep them from sticking, if needed.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes until fully cooked, and set aside. The internal temperature should reach 160F, as read on ameat thermometer.

Prepare the Honey Garlic Sauce:

  1. In a mediummixing bowl, add vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, cornstarch and water. Whisk well to combine until cornstarch and sugar dissolves.
  2. In ashallow saucepan, stir in sauce mixture and heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency.

Serve:

  1. Add the meatballs to the saucepan and toss well to coat evenly. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds and serve warm on its own or over a bowl of steamed rice orfried rice.

Notes

How to store: Store meatballs in anairtight containerand place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply reheat in ashallow saucepanon the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through (or in the microwave). You may need to add a little water if it has a sauce that has thickened up too much in the refrigerator.

How to freeze: You can freeze the meatballs before tossing them into any sauce. Cook and let them cool down, then transfer into a freezer-safe airtight containerorfreezer bagand store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat from frozen: Allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Ground Beef
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Asian

15 Best Meatball Recipes (17)

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15 Best Meatball Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

You can bake meatballs at both 350°F and 400°F. Baking at a higher temperature (400°F) will result in a golden brown outside and juicy inside in a shorter amount of time. A 350° F oven will still result in a juicy center too, it will just take longer to cook all the way through.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

What makes meatballs stick together better? ›

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

Are meatballs better the longer you cook them? ›

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

Is it better to cook meatballs in sauce or oven? ›

Letting your meatballs cook on the stove in a simmering sauce is the way to go. You'll end up with the most tender meatballs because as they simmer they soak up so much of that tomato sauce.

Is it better to bake or pan fry meatballs? ›

Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.

Is it better to use milk or water in meatballs? ›

I also love substituting them for crushed saltine crackers like we do for this meatloaf. Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked.

What is the secret to tender meatballs? ›

The Key to Tender Meatballs

One trick to making sure meatballs are totally tender once they're cooked is to use a binder. Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat.

What to use instead of breadcrumbs in meatballs? ›

The Best 10 Breadcrumb Substitutes
  1. Rolled oats. Rolled oats are the perfect gluten-free binding ingredient, replacing breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf and many more recipes when you need to bind meat and eggs. ...
  2. Potato chips. ...
  3. Cornflakes. ...
  4. Almonds. ...
  5. Croutons. ...
  6. Crackers. ...
  7. Seeds.
Oct 18, 2022

Why do my meatballs fall apart in sauce? ›

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

Should meatballs be browned before adding to sauce? ›

But browning the meatballs on the stovetop first creates a crust that creates a more complex flavor and helps the meatballs hold their shape as they simmer. It's an extra step that adds hands-on cook time, but it pays off in flavor dividends.

Why do my meatballs come out tough? ›

Don't overmix. When meatballs are tough, it's often because they've been overworked.

What temperature should meatballs be cooked at? ›

Bake until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and serve.

Do you cover meatballs with foil when baking? ›

Covering them with foil can help when reheating, but you will still want to remove it during the last few minutes of cook time in the oven. How do you keep meatballs moist when baking? The key is in the preparation! Make sure to handle the meat mixture as little as possible and mix the ingredients just until combined.

How do you tell when meatballs are fully cooked? ›

Place the sheet pan with the meatballs into the 350 degree f oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Check the meatballs with a meat thermometer to make sure they are 165 degrees in the middle.

How do you keep meatballs round when baking? ›

Frequently Asked Questions about Oven Meatballs

The easiest method is to use a small ice cream scoop. Not only does this give you equal portions, but it also gets you most of the way to the round shape you're looking for.

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