Meatballs are homey and comforting. They’re easy to make and freeze very well — perfect for quick meal preps. They’re a classic and featured in a variety of dishes including soups, sauces, casseroles, and sandwiches. Whether you bake them, cook them on the stovetop, slow-cook them, or simmer them in sauce, the best ones always turn out juicy and deliciously tender.
Coming up with this list, let’s think beyond the usual spaghetti and meatballs, a staple in every American household. Every one of these meatball recipes is bound to have your family asking for seconds and even thirds.
#1. Rosemary Lamb Meatballs and Mint Sauce
Minced lamb flavored with aromatic spices, garlic, and herbs — it’s tough to top the taste. Serve your meatballs with carrot sticks and greens boiled in honey and butter. This dish features a superb mint sauce that you’ll make with the help of your trusty pestle and mortar.
Here’s a tip: chilling your meatballs beforehand will help retain their shape when cooking.
#2. Vietnamese Pork Meatballs With Vermicelli Noodle Salad
If you haven’t tried bun cha before, you’re in for a real treat. This Vietnamese recipe highlights caramelized pork meatballs served over vermicelli noodles, raw vegetables, and nuoc cham sauce.
The one essential seasoning in this dish is the fish sauce, and there’s no substitute for that. While the ingredient list may seem a little extensive, every element comes together brilliantly to create this healthy, flavorful meal.
#3. Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Here’s a Thai take on meatballs packed with mouthwatering Asian flavors. The ground meat is mixed with aromatic herbs and spices along with the fish sauce, soy sauce sauces, and sweet Thai chili sauce. Once the meatballs are baked, assemble them on a bed of lettuce with a tangy cabbage slaw and exotic garnishes like lime juice, cilantro, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts!
#4. Meatball and Tortellini Soup
Cooking this easy dish means the family will only have to wait half an hour for dinner, so it’s perfect for weeknights. All you have to do is prepare your meatballs, cook them until they’re golden, make a vegetable broth, and simmer everything until the meat is cooked. The addition of cheesy tortellini provides fantastic Italian flavors to this meal.
#5. Slow-Cooked Meatball Stew
Here’s one way to be efficient and have dinner ready by the time you’re home from a tiring day at work. Use a slow cooker to cook the meatballs with veggies, potatoes, beef gravy, tomato soup, and onion soup. Leave your meal to cook on low for eight hours, and voila! You have a comforting meal that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
#6. Spaghetti and Meatball Skillet Supper
Meatballs and spaghetti go hand in hand, and this simple 20-minute meal is a godsend for busy families and requires only five ingredients. Sure, you’re using prepared sauce and frozen meatballs, but no one’s going to judge you here. After cooking, let the cheese melt over the dish and work its magic. If you’re looking for something quick and easy, bookmark this recipe!
#7. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
While these cabbage rolls might take some effort, you’re treated to a tasty, pretty, economical meal — so worth the effort! First, form your meatballs with a mix of ground beef, rice, onion, cheese, and spices. Then, wrap them in parboiled cabbage leaves — you’ll get the hang of this pretty quickly. Finally, pour your tomato sauce over and bake everything for 90 minutes.
#8. Hawaiian BBQ Meatballs
Hawaiian meatballs are an undeniable hit, whether you’re serving them as an appetizer or a main over rice. Cook the pineapple, BBQ sauce, and meatballs in a slow cooker or on the stove. The result is a beautiful tropical dish with a tangy-sweet taste, best eaten warm and garnished with chopped green onions.
#9. Mini Chicken Meatballs With Crispy Potatoes and Romesco
If you find traditional meatballs a mouthful, these mini ones are going to blow your mind. They’re tiny, bite-sized chicken balls of perfection, loaded with Parmesan cheese. Because they’re small, sauce coverage is excellent, and they take less time to cook. Top your dish off with parsley and Romesco sauce, a Catalan creation made with tomatoes and roasted red peppers.
#10. Mini Meatball Mac and Cheese Stuffed Peppers
Everyone loves mac and cheese, and everyone loves spicy Italian meatballs. When you stuff those two favorites into some sweet bell peppers, you get a rich, sophisticated dish that looks and tastes incredible. Throw in some marinara sauce, lots of basil, even more cheese, as well as a buttery Ritz Cracker topping. This recipe has a healthy dose of carbs, protein, and vegetables.
#11. French Onion Soup Meatballs
Owing to the deliciously hot bubbly cheese spread over a flavorful French onion soup and meatballs, this dish is a beauty to behold. Take care when caramelizing your onions, as this takes patience and constant stirring. While that’s going on, prepare your meatballs. Then, combine your onion soup and meatballs in a dish, top it all off with a generous amount of cheese, and bake in the oven.
#12. Mediterranean Meatballs With Tzatziki
These meatballs are generously flavored with ingredients usually found in Greek cuisine, like onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and parsley. While they’re in the oven, prepare your tzatziki sauce, which doesn’t take much effort, so skip the store-bought version if you can. This dish makes a comforting dinner or even an appetizer at your next potluck. Serve it over a Mediterranean salad or wrapped in pita bread.
#13. Baked Hoisin Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wraps
While chicken meatballs run the risk of becoming dry and bland, the right condiments — think ginger and garlic — and a stunning glaze will ensure they turn out juicy and tender. Make sure not to overmix because that’s how you get tough meatballs, so stop once everything is combined well. Hoisin sauce and blackberry jam are going to give you a delightful glaze that you’ll fall in love with!
#14. Grilled Sriracha Meatball Skewers With Coconut Rice
With some organization, you’ll be able to roll this impressive meal out in 40 minutes! First, you’ll cook rice in coconut milk to give it a beautiful fragrance. Next, form balls from a mix of beef, bacon, onions, breadcrumbs, garlic, and spices (Sriracha!), and slide them onto skewers. Lastly, you’ll grill your sticks with asparagus stalks. Serve this scrumptious on a platter with a dipping sauce!
#15. Breakfast Meatballs
Meatballs are a great alternative to your regular old sausage and bacon for breakfast or brunch. They don’t take long to cook, and you can prepare them the night before and bake them in the morning. This recipe combines the savory taste of meat with delicious sweet maple syrup. Enjoy your meatballs on their own, or pair them with your favorite pancakes.
#16. Mama Mia Meatball Taquitos
Instead of slaving over lasagna for a weeknight dinner, consider preparing these quick and straightforward meatball taquitos. This 30-minute meal makes use of turkey meatballs that are pulsed and then mixed with cheese and seasoning. After that, you’ll roll each tortilla tightly and bake, seam side down. Your golden brown taquitos are best with some warm marinara sauce for dipping!
#17. Leftover Stuffing Meatballs and Marinara
Tired of having leftover stuffing post-Thanksgiving yet again? Use it to put a twist on traditional meatballs. Since the ingredients for stuffing are in line with most meatball recipes, no one will guess they’re eating leftovers. Simply mix your stuffing with ground beef and seasonings, form your balls, and bake. Serve the meatballs with marinara sauce over a healthy serving of pasta.
#18. Meatball Flatbread With Parmesan Peppercorn Crust
In this recipe, juicy meatballs form your latest favorite flatbread pizza topping. Your dough is made with a sprinkling of peppercorn for a nice spicy bite. Spread a generous amount of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and kale (to green it up) on it. It’s important to note that your flatbread dough will take two hours to rise, so make sure to plan ahead.
#19. Slow Cooker Meatballs
These slow-cooked meatballs make a tasty family meal that freezes well for minimal-prep weeknight dinners. To start, gently sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, then pour in your tomato paste. After that, prepare your meatballs and fry them until they’re golden brown. Combine everything in your slow cooker and cook on low for five hours.
#20. Cheesy Meatball Casserole
This casserole featuring moist and crispy meatballs is full of cheesy goodness. You’ll want to be generous with your cheese because they’ll top the meatballs and surround them on the sides as well.
As for the marinara sauce, you can use store-bought but a homemade one will deliver such outstanding flavors — you’ll find it’s easy and cost-effective, too. Feel free to add in broccoli, carrots, or any other favorite vegetable.
#21. Peppered Meatballs
If you love the taste of pepper, you simply must give this saucy recipe a try. The meatballs feature sour cream, breadcrumbs, cheese, and a very big dose of pepper. The sauce is an effortless combination of sour cream, condensed mushroom soup, dill, and condiments, which you’ll pour over the baked meatballs. Leave everything to cook in your slow cooker for two hours on high.
#22. Chicken Parmesan Meatball Crostini
These bite-sized meatball crostinis make the perfect snack and are so impressive that they’ll wow your guests. The chicken parmesan meatballs are served on oven-toasted bread, topped with fresh basil, gooey parmesan, and marinara sauce. Feel free to prepare and assemble everything in advance, then bake to melt the cheese when you’re ready to serve.
#23. Italian Style Meatball Kabobs
In this recipe, you’ll use Rosina Italian Style meatballs, which you’ll find in the frozen section of your supermarket. Leave your meatballs, peppers, and red onion to marinade in a garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pesto mix for about two hours. Then, thread your meat and veggies on skewers and grill for three to four minutes on each side. Flavorful meatballs with half the effort!
#24. The Best Swedish Meatballs
Skip a trip to Ikea and make yourself a meal of the best Swedish meatballs ever. They’re packed with the delicious flavors of nutmeg and allspice and smothered in a creamy gravy seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard that melts in your mouth. Enjoy your meatballs over noodles or rice with a salad on the side, or simply on their own.
#25. Meaty Hash Brown Potato Casserole
It’s pretty hard to beat a recipe that takes five minutes to prep and six ingredients to pull together. Simply combine the sour cream, cheese sauce, and Colby cheese with the hash browns, and then top your mix on the meatballs. Bake everything until it’s bubbly, and serve alongside a salad and bread. This casserole is perfect for a comforting dinner when the weather is on the cooler side.
#26. Cheesy Meatball Pull-Apart Pizza Ring
There are so many ways to make pizza rings your own, but you cannot go wrong with meatballs, ricotta, and mozzarella. Another variation you’ll love is with butternut squash, sausage, mozzarella, rosemary, and garlic. Simply fold everything in your dough and bake till golden. Enjoy with a bowl of homemade marinara sauce for dipping.
