What are homemade meatballs made of?

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Mix in cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add bread crumbs and slowly mix in water, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is moist but still holds its shape (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water); shape into meatballs.

Is it better to bake or pan cook 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.

Why are my meatballs falling apart when I fry them?

ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem . Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs.

Do you cover meatballs 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.

Is it OK to cook meatballs in sauce?

The first part of cooking will be done in frying oil but to finish the meatballs the right way, you will need to cook them in a sauce . Check out our Sunday Sauce recipe if you're looking for a recipe to make a homemade sauce. Otherwise, grab your favorite jar of tomato sauce.

Do you cook meatballs in sauce or brown first?

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.

How do you know when meatballs are done baking?

A good rule of thumb is to bake meatballs for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Every oven is different so the cooking time will not be the same for everyone. You will know the meatballs are ready when the internal temperature of the meatballs is 165 degrees .

Why do my meatballs come out tough?

When meatballs are tough, it's often because they've been overworked . Start by thoroughly mixing all of the ingredients except for the ground meat. Once you add the meat, you want to work it only just enough so the ingredients are evenly distributed.

How do you keep meatballs round when baking?

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.

What helps meatballs stay together?

A binder is like the glue that helps hold meatballs together and keep their shape. Breadcrumbs and eggs are the most common binder to use for meatballs. Bread soaked in milk (called a panade) is another traditional type of binder. Without a binder, the meat is likely to fall apart like you're finding.

How do you keep meatballs perfectly round?

Use a small ice cream scoop to make perfectly round meatballs of the same size . Put some of the meatball mixture in one hand and dish up (with your scooper) equal-sized meatballs and drop them on a baking pan. After scooping, smooth them out into round meatballs by gently rolling in your hands.

What is the secret to firm meatballs?

Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked . Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

Do meatballs need a binder?

The Key to Tender Meatballs One trick to making sure meatballs are totally tender once they're cooked is to use a binder .

How to make meatballs (2024)

What are meatballs made from?

To make meatballs, finely chopped or minced meat such as beef will be seasoned and sometimes flavoured with ingredients like chopped onions, herbs and spices then will be shaped into small balls before cooking. Typically, meatballs will be somewhere between the size of a large cherry and a golf ball. Recipes such as Swedish meatballs and Italian-inspired meatballs are often made with a mixture of both beef and pork, but meatballs can be made with any red meat, game, poultry or a mixture.

Advertisem*nt

Meatballs pop up in a wide range of different cuisines, and that’s no surprise as they’re simple to serve, easy to eat and a good way of making a relatively small amount of meat go that bit further.

How to stop meatballs from falling apart

Making them with just meat and seasoning alone can result in the meatball becoming dry or falling apart during cooking. For this reason, many recipes will include a binding ingredient like egg, and a filler like breadcrumbs. You only need a small amount of egg – it’s there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture.

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry. The breadcrumbs absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball. Again quantity is important here; too much and your meatball will be more like stuffing or a dumpling.

How to cook meatballs

How long to cook meatballs on the hob

The best way to cook meatballs is to shallow fry them, preferably in a non-stick pan with a little vegetable or sunflower oil. They’ll take around 10-15 mins over a medium heat, depending on their size. Cook until they are no longer pink in the middle and any juices run clear. You’ll need to turn them regularly to make sure they cook evenly and retain their round shape.

How long to cook meatballs in the oven

Meatballs can also be baked in the oven, for around 25 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6. This can be easier and allows you to cook a bigger batch at once. However, if the meatballs have a high meat content they can easily become dry in the oven, so it's best to try this with recipes that contain a higher proportion of other wetter ingredients such as finely chopped or grated vegetables.

How to make meatballs with sausages

If you want to cheat, the easiest way to make meatballs is to make them from sausages. Simply squeeze the sausage meat out from the sausage and roll into small balls – you should get about 2 or 3 from each sausage. Sausages should already contain a type of breadcrumb called rusk, so they'll stay juicy and flavourful once fried.

Ready-made meatballs are also available and they are just as easy to cook. Most take around 10-15 mins on the hob or under the grill. Just make sure you turn them regularly to make sure they cook evenly.

What to serve with meatballs

A popular Italian-American classic, spaghetti and meatballs is comprised of meatballs drenched in a tomato sauce served with spaghetti and topped with finely grated parmesan cheese.

Meatballs are often served in a sauce like this – if not tomato sauce it could be with a gravy perhaps, or in a curry. But in most cases, it’s better to cook the meatballs separately first before adding them to your chosen sauce at the last stage. This ensures that the meatball is cooked properly, provides deep caramelised flavour to the outside of the meat and stops them breaking up in the sauce.

How to make easy meatballs with spaghetti

FOR THE MEATBALLS

8 good-quality sausages (approx. 450g pack)
500g pack minced beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
plain flour for rolling
3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

FOR THE SAUCE

Here are five more meatball recipes you'll love:

These are some of our favourite meatball dishes. For more inspiration, check out our collection of meatball recipes.

1. Classic Swedish meatballs

Recreate your favourite dish from a certain furniture store! Our quick and easy Swedish meatballs use lean pork and dill for flavouring. You can sub in half of the pork mince for beef mince, if you wish.

2. Red Thai meatball curry

A colourful, zingy curry that the whole family will enjoy. Bursting with flavours of fresh ginger, chilli and red curry paste, it's sure to leave your tastebuds tingling.

3. Three-cheese meatball lasagne

Make this melting meatball lasagne for a comforting dinner party dish. Complete with three different cheeses and punchy flavours from fennel seeds and chilli, this bubbling bake really is worth the effort.

4.

One of our most popular meatball recipes, this simple Italian-style version combines pork sausages with beef mince, parsley and onions, all in a rich tomato sauce. The meatballs and sauce can also be made ahead and then frozen, so you can easily batch cook this recipe.

Take this classic dish up a notch with our .

5. Healthy turkey meatballs

Swap beef mince and breadcrumbs for lean turkey and oats. Serve in a tomato and vegetable sauce with pasta or potatoes for a light dinner.

Find more marvellous meatball recipes...

Our main meatball recipes
Turkey meatball recipes
Spaghetti and meatball recipes
Swedish meatball recipes