Meatballs might be one of my favorite things to eat. My obsession started young. Initially with Italian and then evolving to other cuisines. Meatballs in themselves, (when done correctly) are perfectly succulent, meaty, and earthy. They require herbs & acid to balance the fat and a hearty sauce to pair.
There's nothing fancy about it, but that's the point. A meatball is about as unassuming as food can get, but when done well, it packs more flavor and soul per square inch than anything that humble has a right to. Pass the naan or bread to sop up the juices and be sure to make extra for leftovers.
Lamb meatballs & pesto
Beef meatballs & curry sauce
Italian meatballs & marinara
No substitutions. These recipes are designed based on listed ingredients.
Succulent spiced lamb meatballs with refreshing herb pesto & yogurt.
LAMB MEATBALLS WITH MINT & RAISIN PESTO
Ingredients:
MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground lamb
1 large egg
½ cup panko
½ tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 minced garlic clove
2 tbs. evoo
1 1/2 tsp. salt
PESTO
1 cup parsley
1 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup evoo
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbs. golden raisins
1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (for serving)
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine egg, panko, cumin, red pepper flakes, turmeric, finely chopped parsley, 2 tbs evoo, and 1½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into bowl. Add lamb and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.
Gently roll lamb mixture into 1½"-diameter meatballs (you should have about 20). Place on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake meatballs until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway for even browning.
To make the pesto - purée mint, parsley, raisins, remaining garlic clove, lemon juice, remaining ½ cup evoo, and a big pinch of salt in a blender until smooth. Taste pesto; season with more salt if needed.
Spread yogurt over plates and drizzle pesto over meatballs.
Spiced beef meatballs in rich curry sauce.
BEEF MEATBALLS IN CURRY SAUCE
Ingredients:
MEATBALLS
2 lbs. ground beef (20% fat)
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 jalapeños, seeds removed
6 garlic cloves
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped
1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs. garam masala
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbs. greek plain yogurt
2 tsp kosher salt
evoo for drizzling
CURRY SAUCE
¼ cup evoo
3 medium onions, chopped
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1½-inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped
3 dried chiles de árbol
4 tsp. curry powder
4 tsp. ground cumin
4 tsp. ground turmeric
3 tbs. ground coriander
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. tomato paste
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbs. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Cilantro leaves with tender stems (for serving)
Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Purée scallions, jalapeños, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and cayenne in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add beef, egg, yogurt, and salt. Mix with your hands well. Roll beef mixture into 2"-diameter meatballs and place on baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (you should have about 24). Drizzle meatballs with more oil and bake until browned on top and cooked through, 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway for even browning.
To make the curry sauce, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add onions first, sauté for 4-5 mins, then add garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, another 5 minutes or so. Stir in chiles, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, black pepper and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is very fragrant and tomato paste has browned, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring and scraping fond from bottom of pot, and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, 1 tbs. salt, and 2 cups water; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have melded, 30 minutes.
Let curry sauce cool slightly, then transfer to a blender; blend until very smooth. Wipe out any bits remaining in pot and transfer curry sauce back to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne; taste sauce and season with more salt if needed.
Gently nestle cooked meatballs into sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are heated all the way through, 10–15 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro.
Hearty Italian meatballs with beef, pork & veal. Zesty marinara to pair.
ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA
Ingredients:
MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground beef (20% fat)
1/2 lb. Italian sweet sausage
1/4 lb. ground veal
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
evoo, for drizzling
MARINARA
2 sweet yellow onions
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs. dried oregano
1/4 cup evoo
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
(sauté first 5 ingredients, reserve half of onion mixture for meatballs)
2 tbs. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut chiffonade
Generous salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano
1/2 cup pasta water
For the onion mixture: Heat evoo in large heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl and set aside.
For the marinara: Add tomato paste to remaining onion mixture in pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and tomatoes and simmer over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in parmesan and basil and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and sugar. While the marinara simmers assemble the meatballs.
Preheat oven to 475°. Mash bread and milk in bowl with reserved onion mixture until smooth. (This is called a panade.) Add remaining ingredients, except ground beef, to bowl and mash to combine. Add beef and knead with hands until well combined. Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch meatballs (you should have about 16 meatballs), place on rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with evoo, and bake until well browned, about 20 minutes. Flip halfway for even browning.
Transfer meatballs to pot with sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta with parmesan.