Best 5 Best Homemade Meatballs Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

**Meatballs, a delectable dish loved by people worldwide, are a culinary delight that can be prepared in diverse ways. This article presents a collection of the best homemade meatball recipes, catering to various tastes and preferences. From the classic Italian meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce, to the tangy Swedish meatballs coated in a creamy sauce, this culinary journey takes you through a range of flavors and textures. Additionally, unique variations like the Greek keftedes, featuring aromatic herbs and spices, and the Vietnamese meatballs infused with lemongrass and fish sauce, add an exotic touch to the selection. Whether you prefer beef, pork, lamb, or a combination, these recipes offer a meatball experience like no other. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you'll be able to create juicy, flavorful meatballs that will tantalize your taste buds and impress your dinner guests.**

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

THE BEST MEATBALLS



The Best Meatballs image

I never knew how to make good meatballs until I found this recipe. I normally make mine with just ground beef and they still taste great. I've used the combination of pork, beef and veal and they are equally good. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety...it really does make a difference.

Provided by Geanine

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 50m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 ½ tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil

Steps:

  • Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

Nutrition Facts : Calories 613.4 calories, Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Cholesterol 148.6 mg, Fat 53.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 26.6 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Sodium 333.1 mg, Sugar 0.3 g

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Chef John's Italian Meatballs image

Homemade meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. You can substitute water or beef broth for the milk, if preferred.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 2h15m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 14

⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
  • Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
  • Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 81.9 calories, Carbohydrate 1.7 g, Cholesterol 32.3 mg, Fat 5.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 6.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 192.1 mg, Sugar 0.5 g

CHEESY MEATBALL SLIDERS



Cheesy Meatball Sliders image

These sliders are a fun way to serve meatballs at your party without using a slow cooker. Made on mini Hawaiian rolls, they have a hint of sweetness to balance out all the wonderful Italian seasonings. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Appetizers     Lunch

Time 1h30m

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce
1 package (18 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls
12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or shredded Italian cheese blend
Minced fresh basil

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, pesto and egg; mix lightly. Shape into 12 meatballs; place on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until browned and a thermometer reads 160°, about 35 minutes. Toss meatballs with sauce; set aside., Meanwhile, without separating rolls, cut horizontally in half; arrange bottom halves in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Place half of cheese slices over roll bottoms; sprinkle with oregano. Add meatballs and sauce. Top with remaining cheese slices and bun tops., Combine butter, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes; brush over buns. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella., Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 514 calories, Fat 25g fat (12g saturated fat), Cholesterol 120mg cholesterol, Sodium 856mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (15g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 33g protein.

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS



Excellent Meatballs image

Provided by Anne Burrell

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h23m

Yield 18 to 20 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 20

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, 1/4-inch dice
Salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound diced pancetta
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
4 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum San Marzano tomatoes

Steps:

  • Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
  • In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
  • Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
  • Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
  • Yield: 2 quarts

THE BEST MEATBALLS YOU'LL EVER HAVE



The Best Meatballs You'll Ever Have image

Very tasty meatballs full of spice and sauteed to perfection. I usually serve mine with spaghetti, but I've also served them with a BBQ sauce and rice on the side.

Provided by BEARNESTA

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatball Recipes

Time 35m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 pound lean ground beef
¾ cup crushed seasoned croutons
¼ cup chopped sweet onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, croutons, sweet onion, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning. Form the mixture by hand into meatballs.
  • Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the skillet, and cook, turning constantly, 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 335.8 calories, Carbohydrate 9.7 g, Cholesterol 123.1 mg, Fat 22.5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 22.7 g, SaturatedFat 8.9 g, Sodium 481.7 mg, Sugar 2.3 g

Tips:

  • Use a combination of ground beef and ground pork for the best flavor and texture.
  • Soak the bread in milk before adding it to the meatball mixture. This will help to keep the meatballs moist and tender.
  • Season the meatball mixture generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Form the meatballs into small, uniform balls. This will help them to cook evenly.
  • Brown the meatballs in a skillet over medium heat before adding them to the sauce. This will help to seal in the flavor and prevent them from falling apart.
  • Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for at least 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
  • Serve the meatballs with your favorite pasta, rice, or vegetables.

Conclusion:

These homemade meatballs are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. They are perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a meal that your family and friends will love.

Related Topics