How to Make the Best Meatballs

How to Make the Best Meatballs

from inspiredtaste.net
40 min
1 about 35 meatballs

This is our go-to meatball recipe. It’s quick to make, calls on ingredients we always have on hand and the recipe guarantees juicy, tender and flavorful meatballs. The recipe calls for one pound of ground meat. The meat you choose is up to you. We love using a combination of ground pork and ground turkey.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (35 grams) bread crumbs, we prefer panko or homemade bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 ounce) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ground meat, use beef, pork, chicken, turkey or a combination; we prefer a 50-50 blend of pork and turkey
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, for cooking; try avocado oil, grape seed oil and vegetable oil

Directions

  1. 1

    Stir breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl, and then let sit for 5 minutes. Add the egg, cheese, oregano, salt and the pepper. Stir until well blended.

  2. 2

    Add the ground meat and use a fork or your fingers to gently mix everything until combined. For the most tender meatballs, try your best not to over mix.

  3. 3

    Wet your hands, and then form the mixture into small balls (1-inch to 1 ¼-inch balls). You should get about 35 meatballs. A small cookie scoop is useful for portioning out the meatballs. Raw meatballs can be refrigerated overnight and baked the next day. You can also freeze the raw meatballs and store up to three months. To freeze them, form the meatballs, and then place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until the meatballs are firm. Transfer frozen meatballs to an air-tight, freezer friendly container and freeze up to three months.

  4. 4

    Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil or a silicone baking mat.

  5. 5

    Place formed meatballs onto the baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each meatball.

  6. 6

    Lightly spray the top of the meatballs with cooking spray or brush with oil.

  7. 7

    Bake until they are cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer; about 20 minutes.

  8. 8

    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a wide Dutch oven or nonstick pan over medium heat.

  9. 9

    Place the meatballs down into the hot oil and cook until they are cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer; about 15 minutes. Depending on the shape or size of the pot, this might need to be done in two batches.

  10. 10

    Cooked meatballs will last up to three days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container or frozen for up to three months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.