Craving light and fluffy meatballs that melt in your mouth? Look no further! Whether you prefer classic Italian fare or modern fusion dishes, this article has something for every palate. We'll guide you through the secrets of creating perfectly tender and flavorful meatballs that will be the star of your next meal. From selecting the right ingredients and mastering the art of mixing and shaping to cooking techniques that ensure a juicy interior and a crispy exterior, we've got you covered. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with our expert tips and curated recipes that will elevate your meatball game to new heights.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
LIGHT AND FLUFFY MEATBALLS
Creamy ricotta cheese is the secret to keeping these meatballs tender and moist.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes
Yield Makes 30 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion, cooking until soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
- Combine bread and milk in a bowl to soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze excess milk from bread and finely chop. Add chopped bread to the bowl with onions. Add all the remaining ingredients except the tomato sauce. Gently fold with hands to incorporate ingredients, but do not overmix or meatballs will be tough.
- Bring tomato sauce to a simmer in a large deep-sided skillet. Pinch 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and gently form a ball with wet hands. Drop the meatballs, as they are formed, directly into the sauce. Cover and simmer, stirring carefully a few times until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs with sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
EXCELLENT MEATBALLS
Provided by Anne Burrell
Categories main-dish
Time 1h23m
Yield 18 to 20 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
- Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
- Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
- Yield: 2 quarts
THE BEST MEATBALLS
I never knew how to make good meatballs until I found this recipe. I normally make mine with just ground beef and they still taste great. I've used the combination of pork, beef and veal and they are equally good. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety...it really does make a difference.
Provided by Geanine
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 50m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 613.4 calories, Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Cholesterol 148.6 mg, Fat 53.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 26.6 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Sodium 333.1 mg, Sugar 0.3 g
LENTIL "MEATBALLS" RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: olive oil, garlic, shallot, green lentil, egg, tomato paste, fresh italian parsley, grated parmesan cheese, whole wheat breadcrumbs, italian seasoning, salt, pepper
Provided by Kahnita Wilkerson
Categories Dinner
Time 30m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, shallot and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly golden brown then remove from heat.
- To a food processor, add the garlic and shallot, lentils, egg, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, tomato paste, parsley, Parmesan, bread crumbs, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper and pulse, mixing until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out balls of mixture then carefully form into balls.
- Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove meatballs from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with spaghetti.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 97 calories, Carbohydrate 11 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 5 grams, Sugar 0 grams
MAMA MANCINI'S MEATBALLS
This classic Italian recipe from chef Daniel Mancini is sure to become a favorite in your home.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes
Yield Makes about 1 1/2 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent. Using your hands, crush tomatoes and add to saucepan, along with their juices; stir to combine. Add bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce to a simmer.
- Make the meatballs: Place beef, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix together by hand to combine. Wet hands with cold water and roll meat mixture into 1 3/4-inch balls.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, place meatballs in skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, but not cooked through. Transfer meatballs to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
- Transfer meatballs to sauce and gently stir from the bottom up to coat with sauce. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and reduce heat. Continue cooking, stirring every 15 minutes, for 3 hours more. Serve with spaghetti, sprinkled with more cheese, if desired.
KITTENCAL'S ITALIAN MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH MEATBALLS
Cooking the meatballs in simmering pasta sauce will not only add so much extra flavor to the sauce the meatballs will be melt-in-your-mouth tender, you may of course oven-bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes, --- don't be afraid to add in more Parmesan cheese and a little more milk, there is no need to measure exactly, this recipe is pretty much foolproof, leftover cooked meatballs make a wonderful pizza topping just slice thinly and freeze until ready to use ----- these also make wonderful juicy burgers shaped into patties-- for more of my tried and true recipes check out my food blog at www.kittencalskitchen.com
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Meat
Time 50m
Yield 1 1/2 pounds
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Shape into small meatballs (at this point you can place on a jelly-roll/baking sheet and freeze to use later, or cover with plastic wrap refrigerate up to 24 hours before using).
- Drop the meatballs into simmering pasta sauce, do not stir for at least 20 minutes or you will risk breaking the meatballs.
- Continue cooking in the simmering sauce for another 20 minutes (depending on how fast your sauce is simmering 40 minutes total should fully cook the meatballs).
- After the 40 minutes cooking time continue cooking your sauce with the meatballs in for as long as desired.
- **note** you may also bake the meatballs at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1312.6, Fat 84.2, SaturatedFat 35, Cholesterol 469.4, Sodium 2615.7, Carbohydrate 25.1, Fiber 2.1, Sugar 2.1, Protein 107.2
Tips:
- Use a combination of ground meats. This will give your meatballs a more complex flavor and texture. Try using a mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal, or ground turkey and chicken.
- Soak your bread in milk before adding it to the meatball mixture. This will help to keep the meatballs moist and tender.
- Add an egg to the meatball mixture. This will help to bind the ingredients together and keep the meatballs from falling apart.
- Season the meatball mixture liberally. Use a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Shape the meatballs into small, round balls. Make sure they are all about the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Brown the meatballs in a skillet before baking them. This will help to seal in the flavor and prevent the meatballs from drying out.
- Bake the meatballs in a sauce. This will help to keep them moist and flavorful. You can use a simple tomato sauce or a more complex sauce, such as a marinara sauce or a creamy Alfredo sauce.
- Serve the meatballs over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. You can also serve them as an appetizer or main course.
Conclusion:
Light and fluffy meatballs are a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. With a few simple tips, you can make light and fluffy meatballs that are sure to impress your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give these light and fluffy meatballs a try!
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