41 meatballs recipes (2024)

Scandi meatball bake with cucumber salad

This Swedish meatball bake is perfect for sharing with family and friends. Drizzle with soured cream and serve with a homemade cucumber salad and some crusty bread.

Baked meatball recipes

Meatball chilli con carne

Take the classic chilli up a notch with beef meatballs for a comforting family meal packed with plenty of spices and peppers.

Meatball, sage and squash lasagne

Cooking for a crowd? Make our easy meatball lasagne recipe with sage and squash. This generous family recipe makes for a comforting midweek meal during the winter season. Being a baked meatball recipe it can be made in bulk and feeds plentifully, making it perfect for freezing and giving yourself something to look forward to on lazy nights in. After you've tried this, make one of our other easy lasagne recipes.

More like this

Meatball and mozzarella pan bake

This easy meatball and mozzarella pan bake is a one-pot that will please everyone. You can't plate this up politely, so just put it in the middle of the table and let everyone enjoy.

Meatball pasta bake

This freezable weekday hero is packed with flavour from homemade sage and nutmeg seasoned meatballs, plus stringy baked mozzarella on top.

Italian baked meatballs

Try our easy baked meatball recipe. Think meatballs baked in rich tomato sauce with a melting mozzarella topping, this recipe is all about comfort food. It's also perfect for freezing, making it a great option for when you don't want to cook mid-week.

Sloppy Joe meatball bake

Check out our easy sloppy joe meatball bake. This indulgent recipe is one for all the family to dive into, serve with buttered crusty bread to tuck into that cheesy goodness.

Baked pecorino and white pepper meatballs

Try our baked pecorino and white pepper pork meatballs. This baked meatball recipe comes served with chunky sweet potatoes, a quick and flavoursome midweek meal that looks colourful and impressive. White pepper gives a lovely fiery heat to these juicy meatballs. Use whole white peppercorns rather than the ready-ground white pepper, as the flavour is far superior. Step this way for more traybake recipes.

Giant cheese-stuffed Mexican meatballs

Dark chocolate and dried ancho chillies add richness and heat to this indulgent meatball bake. Serve with a fresh coriander salad for a crowd-pleasing winter warmer.

Harissa meatballs

Inspired by classic Middle Eastern flavours, these sweet and spiced lamb meatballs feature harissa, pomegranate molasses, dried apricots and fragrant spices.

Meatball and chickpea traybake

Make meatballs a healthy midweek dinner by pairing them with chickpeas, beetroot and toasted pittas to serve. This recipe is low in calories and salt, but high in protein.

Chorizo meatball and feta traybake

Add some punchy flavour to your pork meatballs with chorizo and paprika. Serve as an all-in-one traybake with new potatoes, crumbly feta and baby plum tomatoes for a family midweek meal.

Healthy meatballs

Try this healthy twist on a family favourite with homemade lamb meatballs on herb-flecked bulgur wheat. It’s healthy but comforting, just as it should be.

Baked greek lamb meatballs with feta and tomato

Check out this rich, indulgent baked meatball recipe for lamb meatballs. This simple traybake is a super easy, all in one family recipe. It is one of our best meatball recipes as it's the perfect comfort food.

Spaghetti meatballs recipes

Spaghetti and meatballs

Check out this recipe for the classic Italian dish, spaghetti and meatballs. Packed with plenty of flavour and topped with nutty parmesan, this easy recipe is a great weekend dish for the family. Here are more easy spaghetti recipes to try.

Spaghetti and turkey meatballs

Change up classic beef for turkey in this comforting midweek meal ready in under an hour.

Italian spaghetti and meatballs

Who doesn't love a spaghetti meatball recipe? This is a classic Italian staple that you can cook and eat now, or freeze for later. Just serve them simply with pasta for a delicious quick dinner during the week.

Melting-middle meatballs

These melting-middle meatballs are a great twist on a classic Italian meatball recipe to make for the family midweek. It's bound to be a new favourite.

Lamb meatball recipes

Smoked lamb meatballs with sweet-sour harissa sauce

These lamb meatballs have all the flavour dimensions – smoky meat is paired with sweet and sour harissa sauce, making this a wonderful mid-week supper. Using ready-made meatballs means it can be on the table in under 30 minutes without compromising at all on flavour.

Lamb meatballs with labneh and flatbreads

Combine gently spiced lamb, date and pine nut meatballs with thick, creamy fresh cheese (known as labneh) and plenty of herbs to make a great plated starter or canapés.

Lamb meatballs with dill and horitaki salad

Upgrade a standard Greek salad (horitaki salad) with delicious lamb meatballs. It is quick and easy to make, gluten-free and still under 500 calories. What more could you want?

Moroccan meatballs with herb couscous

Gorgeous little lamb meatballs, sitting in a rich tomato sauce and served with buttery coriander and parsley couscous. One of our favourite meatball recipes.

Other meatball recipes

Veggie meatballs with tomatoes, olives and caper sauce

These meat-free meatballs are made with quinoa, black beans, breadcrumbs and smoked paprika. Serve them in a roasted red pepper and tomato sauce for a healthy but hearty veggie meal.

Vegan meatballs

Lentils are a great way to make a meal vegetarian. Swap these for your usual meatballs and your family will hardly notice the difference. Plus, they're low-cal and ready in just 40 minutes - perfect midweek. Check out all our vegan recipes.

Meatball stew with coriander chutney

Try this versatile one-pot dinner, made rich with homemade meatballs and vibrant with coriander chutney. Use lamb, beef or pork – whichever you prefer.

Penne pasta with broccoli and mustardy sausage meatballs

A creamy mustard sauce livens up this meatball and broccoli pasta dish, make it for a comforting midweek meal for the whole family.

Bun cha with sizzling meatballs

Check out our easy Vietnamese-inspired dish with fiery pork meatballs. This low-calorie recipe is quick to make and packed with plenty of fresh flavour.

Meatball sub melts

Check out these indulgent meaty sandwich subs with gooey mozzarella and nutty parmesan. This easy recipe serves a family of four and is ready in less than an hour. Plus, it's low calorie, too.

Chicken meatball tom kha gai

Check out this quick and easy Thai coconut soup recipe topped with chicken meatballs. This tom kha gai is packed with plenty of flavour and ready in just 20 minutes.

Fennel and pork meatballs with gremolata

Make your meatballs that little bit more special with a gremolata topping, made from parsley, lemon and garlic. We love the creamy white wine sauce these porky balls come with, make sure you have some crusty bread to mop it up.

Honey-siracha glazed meatballs and smashed cucumber

Try our Asian inspired honey-sriracha meatballs. These punchy pork meatballs make for a quick and easy midweek fix, plus they're low in calories too! This easy meatball recipe will be impressing your guests in under 30 minutes.

Spicy pork meatballs with tzatziki

Cook these spicy pork meatballs for an easy midweek meal. This easy meatball recipe is simple yet punchy. Serve it with orzo making it low in calories and low in fat. A winner all round.

Pork and sage meatballs

Our easy meatball recipe flavoured with sage will make you really popular. Serve with orzo, the rice-shaped pasta and let everyone dig in.

Turkey meatball subs with quick wedges

Fill bread rolls with meatballs for a speedy midweek meal. This easy meatball sub recipe, made healthier with turkey mince, is served with quick sweet potato wedges.

Smoky albondigas

The best Spanish meatballs recipe: these albondigas are made with beef and pork mince and served in a quick, rich tomato sauce. Make for easy tapas, or part of a dinner party menu.

Smoky chipotle meatballs

These meatballs are a firm favourite with us thanks to their smoky, spicy flavour. We like them served with avocado, warm orzo and soured cream but they also make a great tortilla filling.

Tamarind pork meatballs with papaya salsa

Check out our easy tamarind pork meatballs with a fresh papaya salsa. This simple, gluten-free recipe is packed with plenty of flavour, plus it's low in calories.

Harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar

This recipe for harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar is quick, easy and healthy, but packs a flavour punch. It is delicious cold the next day - prepare for packed lunch envy. Here are more of our favourite bowl food recipes.

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Italian meatball melt

This Italian classic pairs homemade meatballs (made with pork and beef mince, sausages and parmesan) with a chilli tomato sauce.

41 meatballs recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many meatballs to feed 40 people? ›

If you are making 1-ounce meatballs for a main course you should make 6 meatballs per person. If you have some big eaters at the party I suggest making 6-10 bite sized meatballs per person.

What is the secret to firm meatballs? ›

Massage your meat

Get your hands into your mixing bowl and combine the ingredients for your meatballs using your fingers. The heat from your hands will help release the proteins in the meat which will in turn help the mixture stick together when it cooks. Don't overmix, just a few minutes will do.

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

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:
  • 350°F wall oven:
  • 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 400°F wall oven:
  • 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 425°F wall oven:
Aug 16, 2023

What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

Breadcrumbs: I add breadcrumbs for texture. 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. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked.

How much ground meat do I need for 40 people? ›

Try serving 3/4 of a pound per person to factor in the extra weight. If you're dishing up some ground beef for taco night, ¼ of a pound per person should be sufficient. You might want to consider ¾ of a pound for those with heartier appetites. A half a pound might not be enough.

How much meat do I need for a party of 40? ›

Use calculator to help determine how much meat to buy.

Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children. Bone-In Meat: 1 lb.

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 does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

The Key to Tender Meatballs

Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough.

Why do my meatballs fall apart when I cook them? ›

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.

Is it better to cook meatballs in a skillet or oven? ›

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 do you chill meatballs before baking? ›

Chill your meatballs: refrigerating your meatballs an hour before cooking helps them hold their shape throughout the cooking process. They can chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking, making meatballs a great make-ahead dish, too.

Why are my homemade meatballs 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 to make meatballs that don t fall apart in sauce? ›

You can do a few things while preparing the meatballs to ensure they don't fall apart once they go into the tomato sauce.
  1. Don't add too much moisture: ...
  2. Keep the meat as cold as possible: ...
  3. Don't overwork the meat: ...
  4. Add meatballs to a simmering sauce, and don't over-stir:
Mar 15, 2019

What is the best binder for meatballs? ›

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook? ›

Tenderizing the Meat:

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.

How much food do you need for 40 people? ›

Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet.

How much ground beef for 50 meatballs? ›

Meatballs
  1. 30 meatballs = 10 to 15 ounces = ⅔ to about 1 pound ground beef.
  2. 40 meatballs = 13 to 20 ounces = ⅞ to 1¼ pounds ground beef.
  3. 50 meatballs = 16½ to 25 ounces = 1 to 1½ pounds ground beef.
  4. 60 meatballs = 20 to 30 ounces = 1¼ to 2 pounds ground beef.
  5. 70 meatballs = 23 to 35 ounces = 1½ to 2¼ pounds ground beef.
May 21, 2024

How many pounds of ground beef for 50 people? ›

I would suggest a quarter-pound ground beef/pork per person. That works out to about 12–1/2 - 13 pounds. You might have some leftover, but better that than having too little.

How many pounds of meat for 50 guests? ›

How Much Food to Serve at a Party
FOODSERVE 25SERVE 50
Meats
Fish (fillets or steaks)7-1/2 pounds15 pounds
Hamburgers6-1/2–9-1/2 pounds13–15 pounds
Ham or roast beef10 pounds20 pounds
35 more rows
May 23, 2024

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