Our 24 Best Meatball Recipes (2024)

The perfect way to stretch a bit of meat, breadcrumbs, and (optional) cheese — we can't think of anything more satisfying than a meatball. Whether you're looking for a classic oversized beef meatball with marinara sauce to top your pasta or bite-sized shrimp meatballs to add to a pot of soup, we've got recipes to satisfy every craving.

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Beef-Ricotta Meatballs with Braised Beet Greens

The secret to these luscious meatballs is using ground beef that has a fairly high fat content and mixing it with fresh ricotta, milk-soaked bread and aromatic seasonings like fennel and lemon zest.

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02of 24

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These meatballs are served in a bowl, but they are equally delicious with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll.

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The 6 Best Slow Cookers, According to Our Tests

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My Grandmother's Meatballs

Milk-and-cream-soaked breadcrumbs and an egg are the secrets to these supertender meatballs from Swedish star chef Magnus Nilsson. Serve them as he does, with lingonberry jam and mashed potatoes.

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04of 24

Sesame-Ginger Chicken Meatballs

Ground chicken is seasoned with spicy ginger, garlic, and scallions, and a good glug of sesame oil and soy sauce, to make these superquick, juicy little meatballs that are great wrapped in lettuce cups or served with steamed rice.

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05of 24

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

When Jacques Pépin has leftover cooked meat from a roast or a stew, or even leftover steak, he often chops it and uses it to make these boulettes ("small balls")—a staple in every French housewife's cooking repertoire.

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06of 24

Chicken and Sun-Dried-Tomato Meatballs

These moist chicken meatballs from F&W's Grace Parisi are simmered in a rich sun-dried tomato sauce you'll want to sop up with some crusty bread.

Mushroom Barley Soup with Mini Meatballs

F&W's Grace Parisi swaps the classic long-simmered beef with meatballs made from a quick mix of sirloin, egg, breadcrumbs, and cheese in this hearty soup.

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08of 24

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a crowd-pleasing classic Italian-American dish. The mixture of beef, veal and pork makes the meatballs really flavorful.

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09of 24

Swedish Meatballs

In Sweden, making meatballs is a very social family affair. The more kids you can round up the better, since a child's palm makes the perfect-size ball. Here, Fredrika Stjärne uses her father's recipe, with his secret ingredient (celery salt).

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10of 24

Grilled Meatballs with Mint and Za'atar

Pass crisp lettuce leaves and tangy yogurt with these cumin-spiced patties and assemble them at the table.

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11of 24

Joyce's Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps

The secret to Small Bites author Jennifer Joyce's heavenly sticky glaze for her chicken meatballs? Each ball is carefully rolled in sugar before baking.

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12of 24

Lamb Meatballs with Red Pepper and Chickpea Sauce

When these meatballs are almost cooked through, chef Nancy Silverton pushes them to one side of the skillet and adds the chickpeas so everything soaks up the luscious roasted red-pepper sauce.

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Norwegian Meatballs

Cookbook author Signe Johansen serves her warmly spiced lamb and veal meatballs with a surprising and rich gravy seasoned with brandy, crème fraîche, and a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.

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14of 24

Meatball-and-Provolone Subs

These tender, oversize pork-and-beef meatballs are stuffed into a warm hero roll with melted provolone cheese and topped with Matt Neal's own chunky tomato sauce. As a shortcut, feel free to substitute six cups of jarred sauce.

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15of 24

Polpette in Spicy Tomato Sauce

A die-hard Sopranos fan, chef Ruggero Gadaldi says that the TV show inspires many of his hearty Italian dishes, including these polpette (meatballs).

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16of 24

Lamb Meatballs with Mint

This standout tapa, Albóndigas de Cordero a la Hierbabuena, combines two classics: lamb and mint.

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Caesar Salad with Meatballs

This classic Caesar salad is incredibly good with the juicy meatballs chef David Burke serves in place of the usual croutons.

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18of 24

Grilled Meatballs with Scallion and Shaved Cheese Salad

Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson makes his savory meatballs with a mixture of lamb, veal, and bacon, plus a little ricotta cheese, which helps keep everything moist on the grill. He serves them on an unconventional salad of grilled scallions with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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19of 24

Albóndigas with Mushrooms

These Spanish-style meatballs are prepared with a quick béchamel, which makes them wonderfully moist and tender. They're cooked in a deeply flavorful tomato-based sauce made with wine and brandy, then topped with crisp mushrooms.

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20of 24

Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs

The combination of lemongrass, a few dashes of fish sauce and tons of fresh herbs creates a salty brightness to crave year-round.

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21of 24

Spicy Cumin Lamb Meatballs

With a crisp crust and tender interior, these cumin-scented meatballs feel at home in Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Indian recipes.

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Brisket Meatballs in Tomato Passata

At Vic's her New York City restaurant, chef Hillary Sterling does a special Italian-influenced Passover menu that includes this riff on the requisite brisket, which appears as brisket meatballs. "Everyone makes brisket [for Passover], and the Italians make polpette, so why not bring them together?" says Sterling. The meatballs are sauced in Sterling's riff on traditionally uncooked passata, which gets a quick simmer and a flavor update with orange, oregano, and chile flakes.

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23of 24

Square Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce

For a better sear, chef Stefan Bowers presses his meatball mixture into a rectangle and then cuts it into squares, instead of rolling into a ball.

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24of 24

Shrimp-and-Yuca Dumplings Soup

Lil Deb's Oasis' Hannah Black and Carla Perez-Gallardo developed this recipe in the style of Italian wedding soup, with meatballs and cooked greens in a savory broth. Their tropical version, made with collard greens and tender shrimp-and-yuca meatballs, is light but satisfying.

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