Best 5 Secret To Soft Meatballs Recipes

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**An Exploration of Meatball Delights: Discovering Culinary Secrets for Perfectly Tender Spheres of Flavor**

Meatballs, those delectable orbs of seasoned ground meat, have captivated taste buds across cultures and cuisines. From the hearty Italian polpette to the fragrant Swedish köttbullar, these culinary gems offer a versatile canvas for culinary creativity. In this article, we embark on a delectable journey into the world of meatballs, unveiling the secrets to achieving supremely tender and flavorful spheres of meaty goodness. Discover a treasure trove of recipes that showcase the diversity and versatility of this beloved dish, ranging from classic favorites to innovative twists that will tantalize your taste buds.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

LIGHT AND FLUFFY MEATBALLS



Light and Fluffy Meatballs image

Creamy ricotta cheese is the secret to keeping these meatballs tender and moist.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Beef Recipes     Ground Beef Recipes

Yield Makes 30 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
5 slices white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces (about 3 cups)
1 cup whole milk
1 pound ground chuck beef
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
1 pound whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 quarts Basic Italian Tomato Sauce, or other Italian tomato sauce

Steps:

  • Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion, cooking until soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
  • Combine bread and milk in a bowl to soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze excess milk from bread and finely chop. Add chopped bread to the bowl with onions. Add all the remaining ingredients except the tomato sauce. Gently fold with hands to incorporate ingredients, but do not overmix or meatballs will be tough.
  • Bring tomato sauce to a simmer in a large deep-sided skillet. Pinch 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and gently form a ball with wet hands. Drop the meatballs, as they are formed, directly into the sauce. Cover and simmer, stirring carefully a few times until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs with sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

FAMILY SECRET MEATBALLS AND SAUCE



Family Secret Meatballs and Sauce image

My husband would eat this for dinner every night if I would let him. It took his family 10 years of marriage to share this secret recipe with me (apparently, I wasn't family yet), so now I'm sharing it with the world. Hope you like it!

Provided by PrimalMama

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatball Recipes

Time 1h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 pounds ground beef
¾ cup rolled oats
6 tablespoons chopped sweet onion (such as a Walla Walla)
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons white sugar
4 ½ tablespoons chopped sweet onion (such as a Walla Walla)
4 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¾ cup water

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Mix together the ground beef, rolled oats, 6 tablespoons of sweet onion, milk, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, and place meatballs into the prepared baking dish.
  • In a bowl, mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, 4 1/2 tablespoons of sweet onion, apple cider vinegar, and water until the sugar has dissolved, and pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs.
  • Bake the meatballs and sauce in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the meatballs are no longer pink inside, about 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 319.1 calories, Carbohydrate 25.2 g, Cholesterol 71.3 mg, Fat 14.5 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 21.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.7 g, Sodium 1079.8 mg, Sugar 17.7 g

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 JUICIEST MEAT BALLS EVER



The Juiciest Meat Balls Ever image

Provided by George Duran

Categories     appetizer

Time 35m

Yield about 20 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for frying

Steps:

  • Soak the bread crumbs in the milk while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • Put the beef and pork into a large bowl. Add the onion, butter, eggs, and parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Put the soaked bread crumbs into the bowl and mix it all together well with your (clean) hands. Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of ping pong balls.
  • Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

SUPER MOIST ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Super Moist Italian Meatballs image

Craving some tender and juicy meatballs?? Give this recipe a try! The two secrets are the extra eggs, and cooking the meatballs in the sauce, instead of pre-baking or frying them. Ground chuck or a 50/50 mix of chuck and sirloin work best for full flavor and moistness.

Provided by ItalianMan

Categories     Meat

Time 1h5m

Yield 25-30 meatballs, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese or 1/3 cup romano cheese, grated
3 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 -8 cups tomato sauce or 6 -8 cups your favorite spaghetti sauce

Steps:

  • In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic, pepper, salt, and wine. Mix well.
  • Shape mixture into 1-1/2" or 2" meatballs.
  • In a large pot, bring sauce to a boil. Add meatballs one at a time, and simmer over medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes.
  • Serve over pasta, or on hoagie buns for meatball subs.

Tips for Making Soft Meatballs:

  • Use a combination of ground meats: Combining different types of ground meat, such as beef, pork, and veal, can help to create a more flavorful and tender meatball.
  • Soak the bread crumbs in milk: Soaking the bread crumbs in milk helps to keep the meatballs moist and prevent them from becoming dry.
  • Don't overmix the meatball mixture: Overmixing the meatball mixture can make the meatballs tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Use an ice bath to chill the meatballs: Chilling the meatballs in an ice bath before cooking helps to set the shape of the meatballs and prevent them from falling apart.
  • Cook the meatballs gently: Cook the meatballs over low heat, either in a skillet or in the oven, to prevent them from becoming dry.
  • Use a sauce to keep the meatballs moist: Simmering the meatballs in a sauce helps to keep them moist and flavorful.

Conclusion:

Making soft and tender meatballs is easy with the right techniques. By following the tips above, you can create delicious meatballs that will be a hit at your next meal.

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