Meatballs are always welcome at my dinner table, here are some of my favorite creative meatball recipes to inspire your next mega hit family meal!
Oh, and don’t worry, I get it ~ no one wants to be up to their elbows in ground meat after a long day at work, so the key here is some good meal prep. Make the meatballs ahead of time and refrigerate. You can freeze them if you like. Then the bulk of the work is done and you can throw together the best meatball recipes ever in no time. So let’s get to it ~ here are some of my favorite easy meatball recipes that make perfect weeknight dinners plus the tips you need to knock them out of the park!
prep meatball recipes ahead
Making a big batch of meatballs over the weekend means delicious and easy weekday meals, here are a few options…
- Make your meatball mixture and form the balls on the weekend, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- For longer storage, freeze the meatballs, cooked or uncooked.
- Make sure to freeze them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet first, so they don’t all stick together. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them into a plastic ziplock bag for easy freezer storage.
- Cooking meatballs from frozen ~ you don’t need to thaw your meat, just add them right to your sauce and let them cook slowly. For oven baking, they’ll just take a little longer. (Check that the internal temperature is 165F)
- If you want to brown frozen meatballs thaw them first, overnight in the fridge.
the secrets for tender meatballs
- Choose your meat wisely. I like to buy meat with a minimum of 20% fat.
- Mix your meats for fabulous flavor and texture: try adding ground pork to your beef.
- One of the secrets to tender meatballs is to add in some type of filler or fillers to the meat mixture. That can be egg, breadcrumbs, rice, mashed potato, quinoa, or even zucchini. The fillers loosen the density of the meat, add moisture, and flavor. Fresh breadcrumbs are super easy to make at home if you have some bread laying around!
- Fresh herbs will lighten the texture and add vibrancy to meatballs.
- Add-ins like onion should be very finely minced so you don’t get lumpy meatballs 😉
a stand mixer for perfectly mixed meatballs
I used to mix meatballs and meatloaf with my hands, but now I use my Kitchenaid Mixer and it’s my preferred way to do it. The paddle attachment is ideal for getting everything incorporated without over-mixing, and it saves so much hand washing! I think it does a better job than I do, because I usually can’t wait to get my hands OUT of the bowl and I don’t always get everything thoroughly blended.
A useful technique for perfectly round meatballs
- I like to form the meatballs with a scoop so they’re all evenly sized.
- I refrigerate the meatballs for at least 30 minutes to allow them to firm up.
- Then I arrange them on a baking sheet and bake at 350F until they reach 160F inside. They come out nice and browned, evenly cooked, and perfectly round. Then I can add them to whatever sauce or gravy my recipe calls for.
- If I’ll be cooking them further in a sauce, I’ll pull them out a little bit before they’re done.
Swedish Meatball Noodle Bowls
If you only know Swedish meatballs from your trips to Ikea, it’s time to bring them home. They’re like no other meatball and they’re utterly irresistible. Once you’ve had that creamy gravy spiced with white pepper and allspice you’ll be hooked. This is definitely one of my family’s all time favorite meatball recipes!
more meatball bowls
Meatballs Al Forno
World famous, moist, pillowy, and irresistible. Eat them as is, like the Italians do, in a little bowl, on top of pasta, or laid across a crusty split roll.
more Italian meatball recipes
Salisbury Steak Meatballs
One of my favorite meals, these tender meatballs in a rich garlic gravy over fluffy mashed potatoes is the best thing to come out of my cast iron skillet in a long time!
more beef meatball recipes
Lebanese Meatballs
The first time I had a juicy Lebanese meatball made with fresh herbs and warm spice it was a revelation. This recipe is on regular rotation at my house. We serve them with hummus, tabbouleh, and always with a thick lemony tahini sauce!
more lamb meatball recipes
Zucchini Beef Meatballs
Zucchini adds moisture and lightness to this savory beef meatball recipe. Just add pasta and some tomato sauce for a well rounded dinner. Since the veggies are already included in this dish, I’d just add some great focaccia bread.
More zucchini meatballs!
Apple Butter Brandy Meatballs
I know what you’re thinking, cocktail meatballs for dinner? Well I’m here to give you permission. The idea is a little bit decadent, and a whole lot delicious.
more dinner worthy cocktail meatball recipes
These sound so good! I would like to move beyond Italian style and try new flavors. My husband won’t eat pork, beef or lamb so I make my Italian style meatballs with ground turkey or chicken. Would these recipes adapt well to using poultry? I like the idea of using the Kitchen-Aid mixer too since mine is not getting much use since I’ve had to cut out baked treats. Thanks!
I have a new chicken Parmesan meatball coming out in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for that. I think most of the meatballs can be done with chicken, and from my experience chicken stays surprisingly moist if you definitely use those fillers. I also think chicken meatballs reheat better than red meat, so that’s a bonus; ours stayed nice and soft for a few days of leftovers.
These look great! How do you do all this? You’ve always got something amazing going on. I love to see what you’ve been doing! I’m going to start using my Kitchenaid for meatballs.
Great tips on making these in bulk. My stand mixer could use a new job. Thanks to your wonderful article I think I’m going to give these a try next weekend…might start with that exotic looking Moroccan meatball. Thanks for your wonderful ideas and tips!
You’re so welcome Mo 🙂