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Foolproof Easy Meatballs Recipe for Busy Cooks

Looking for an easy meatballs recipe? I’ve got you covered!
You’ve got to try these homemade meat balls! They’re savoury in flavour, moist, delicious and easy to make.

This recipe is very simple and uses just a few ingredients to create classic homemade meatballs.
They’re perfect for all of your favourite recipes, including spaghetti and meatballs, sandwiches, subs, soups, and game-day Finger Foods.

Plated easy meatballs

Easy Meatballs Recipe

This recipe for cocktail meatballs creates meat balls that are made from scratch and they're so good, you'll never go back to store bought again!<p>They are great as an appetiser, perfect on the table for a main meal, used as nibbles before the meal or as a party finger food. These are delicious served hot or cold.</p>
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetiser, Lunch, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine New Zealand
Servings 40 + meatballs
Calories 59 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Sharp knife
  • Whisk
  • Stainless steel bowl
  • Large bowl
  • Baking tray
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g beef mince
  • 250 g sausage meat
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbs chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbs chopped coriander
  • 1 large onion

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180℃
  • Finely chop the 1 large onion
  • Lightly whisk the 1 egg in a small stainless steel bowl
  • Place 500 g beef mince, 250 g sausage meat, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 2 tsp curry powder, 1 Tbs chopped parsley, 1 Tbs chopped corianderin a large bowl.
  • Using your hands, combine all the ingredients together.
  • Form into 2½ cm (1 inch) small balls by rolling a small amount between your hands
  • Put the meatballs into a lightly greased roasting dish with small gaps in between.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until becoming golden brown.
  • Remove from oven .
  • Place meatballs on biscuit/cookie cooling racks to cool and drain

Video

Notes

Tips
Do not overcook:
If overcooked the meatballs will dry out and or will form a hard crust on the outside.
Do Not Overmix:
The trick to keeping meatballs extra tender and juicy is not over mixing when you combine the ingredients.
Overmixing makes them tough so when making this meatball recipe, mix just until combined!
Size Matters:
Ensuring the meatballs are the same size will ensure they cook at the same rate.
Don’t be Lean:
Making sure your meat has a bit of fat helps keep them tender.
If you’re using extra lean meat, a dash of olive oil or fat can be added.
How to freeze homemade meatballs:
You can freeze the meatballs either cooked or uncooked.
I prefer freezing them already cooked so they can go straight from the freezer into a pot of red sauce and then just simmer until heated through.
Cooked meatballs should be completely cooled before placing in a bag and transferred to the freezer.
To freeze uncooked meatballs, place the raw meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze on the baking sheet until solid (1-2 hours) before transferring to freezer bags for longer storage.
Thaw completely before cooking.

Easy Meatballs Recipe Variations

Swap the beef mince:
Mix things up by substituting turkey, lamb, chicken or pork mince for the beef mince.
Bake until no longer pink in centre.
Italian Style Meatballs:
Substitute curry powder and coriander for ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp Italian herbs.
Add ¼ cup shredded parmesan.
Mexican Style Meatballs:
Substitute curry powder for taco seasoning and the coriander and parsley for cilantro.
Add ¼ cup shredded parmesan.

Dipping Sauces For Meatballs

There's nothing wrong with taking shortcuts and a jar of store-bought pasta sauce is a good one.
But, if you have some time to spare or you're looking for homemade sauce, we think you might like our easy make ahead dipping sauces for cocktail meatballs.
.
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
The intense tomato flavour of Spicy Tomato Sauce complements the savoury meat in the meatballs. It adds an exciting kick that cuts through the richness of the meat.
Simple BBQ Sauce:
Sweet and tangy flavours create a delicious balance with the savoury meatballs. The smoky notes add depth and complexity to the dish.
Simple versions of simple BBQ sauce tend to be less overpowering, allowing the meatball flavour to shine.
Classic BBQ Sauce:
Similar to simple BBQ sauce but with a more robust flavour profile.
The combination of sweet, tangy, smoky, and sometimes spicy notes of classic BBQ sauce creates a well-rounded flavour experience that complements the meatballs.

What Goes Well With Meatballs?

Spaghetti Bolognese:
Bolognese is a “meat sauce”, so makes a perfect pairing for your meat balls. While ingredients in Bolognese consist of carrots, zuchini, brown onion, mushrooms and minced meat, imagine adding meatballs Use this Spaghetti Bolognese.
Cauliflower Cheese:
Wow, what a pairing this is, the cheesy sauce in this is perfect with meat balls.
Here's the best Cauliflower Cheese recipe to use.
Party Finger food:
Place meatballs on a serving platter and insert toothpicks in each. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Big Breakfast:
Substitute the sausages with meat balls in this big breakfast recipe.
Meatball Subs:
Place meatballs in fresh hot dog rolls or tortillas, add sauce, salad and grated cheese.
Roll up and serve.
Rice:
Make favourite sauce and serve on a plate with steamed rice or potato salad with tossed salad.
Keyword Easy Meatballs

2 thoughts on “Foolproof Easy Meatballs Recipe for Busy Cooks

  1. 5 stars
    These meatballs are fabulous. I didn’t have enough beef so I used 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork. The rest of the recipe I followed to a “t” and we loved them!!! Will be making them quite often

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