Looking for an amazing meatball recipe

[Jennasis]

we are doing meatballs and sausage for our Super Bowl party this weekend, and while my meatballs are passable, I want AMAZING ones to serve our friends. Not the little ones you pick up with a toothpick...nice big ones you have to eat with a fork or shove on a roll with some parmigiana and mozzarella! Looking for juicy, flavorful and absolutely no raisins, pine nuts or chunks of soggy bread. Ok, point me in the right direction! Thanks.

 

[Minnesota!]

I just do 2:1 ratio of GOOD Italian sausage and lean hamburger. I get them both from our local butcher. Mix them, and some parm cheese. Then I roll them into big meatballs, freeze on a baking tray, and then cook all day, in crockpot, with homemade sauce. Serve with sliced pepperoncini. I love them. I crave them. I will have to make some this weekend..

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, if you are up to a complex recipe and a little work,
I haven't actually done these, but they looked and sound amazing!
Aunt Helga's Meatballs
Chef Marcus Samelsson's recipe he would use to wow the judges with 'One Bite'.

If anybody does these, let me know how they are!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/marcus-samuelssons-helgas-meatballs-15207560

 

[Tinijocaro]

Meatball Nirvana. My entire family raves about these. I found them on Allrecipes several years back and they beat out all other meatballs I've made. Sometimes I stuff them with a bit of mozzerella cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/213742...ContentType=search results&clickId=cardslot 2

"These meatballs are a compilation of many, many meatball recipes to finally achieve what I was looking for... Meatball Nirvana! Cover with your favorite red sauce and serve with pasta or in crusty garlic bread rolls."
Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot(R)), or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

Meatball Nirvana. My entire family raves about these. I found them on Allrecipes several years back and they beat out all other meatballs I've made. Sometimes I stuff them with a bit of mozzerella cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/213742/meatball-nirvana/?internalSource=hub recipe&referringContentType=search results&clickId=cardslot 2

I second these! I was just looking for meatball recipes last weekend to have with spaghetti (something different from our usual meat sauce) and came across this one on Allrecipes. Made them on Tuesday. They are fabulous! My dh, dd and ds loved them. DS was even eating them with a toothpick out of the sauce. I've added this one to my favorite recipe list!

 

[Kellydelly]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/excellent-meatballs-recipe.html

I love this recipe. I don't get fancy and use three different meats, just use lean ground beef. I think the key is to season them well and make a test mini burger to taste before you form into all the balls. I used to make really bland meatballs before I found this recipe.

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, 1/4-inch dice
• Salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup water
• Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
• Marinara Sauce:
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound diced pancetta
• 2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• Kosher salt
• 4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 4 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum San Marzano tomatoes

Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.

• 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!
  

Marinara Sauce:

• 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
  

 

[mamamary]

Meatball Nirvana. My entire family raves about these. I found them on Allrecipes several years back and they beat out all other meatballs I've made. Sometimes I stuff them with a bit of mozzerella cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/213742/meatball-nirvana/?internalSource=hub recipe&referringContentType=search results&clickId=cardslot 2

"These meatballs are a compilation of many, many meatball recipes to finally achieve what I was looking for... Meatball Nirvana! Cover with your favorite red sauce and serve with pasta or in crusty garlic bread rolls."
Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot(R)), or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

I'm gonna try these when I get a chance. My meatballs are always kinda blah.

 

[Kellydelly]

The recipe I posted looks really extreme, lol, but it's really not. I think cooking the onion and garlic before adding it to the meat makes a good difference, also I like the red pepper flakes, it gives the meatballs some kick. I never made the marinara, I just use the meatballs with my own sauce.

 

[morgan98]

My first reaction is that the key to good meatballs, in my opinion, in mixing of pork, beef and veal and I see that the recommended recipe does just that. Those are the meats my grandmother and now my mother use in their filling for ravioli etc.

Although my mother was born in Italy and lived there through elementary school, we never really ate meatballs growing up. But my relatives in Italy always mention the mixing of the ground meats and the herbs is what gives the flavor.

 

[jt'smom]

I was going to recommend the Anne Burrell meatballs too. Once I tried those, I didn't look back. I make them really big, like baseball size, and sometimes stuff them with chunks of mozzarella or a combination of mozz and pancetta.

 

[Jennasis]

This is great stuff guys! I mentioned to DH and he was like "what's wrong with my meatballs??" (the ones he makes are also passable, but he tends not to measure anything so there is no consistency in his recipe).

 

[bcla]

A friend taught me how to make Asian style pork meatballs. Beef can be added for a slightly different version.

The idea is to add green onions that are cut into small pieces (none round) along with finely chopped ginger. Then salt and/or soy sauce is mixed in. It also needs a starch (cornstarch or tapioca flour) to help with texture and so it binds together better. I don't have a specific recipe. This is something that's just sort of done by feel. The ones I've made look similar to the ones on the bottom, but with green onions visible.

These should be boiled.

 

[DLgal]

My favorite is a tried and true recipe from a 1963 Good Housekeeping cookbook.


1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 TSP pepper

Combine all ingredients. Roll into balls. Fry in small amount of vegetable oil. Optionally, you can dust with flour before frying.

They are So good. Simple, but good.

I often add half a finely minced onion as well.

 

[Kimberle]

The cooking method makes a big difference! I don't fry or cook in a sauce. I put them on a broiling pan, and bake at 400. (I put a cookie cooling rack inside a cookie sheet with sides.) My balls are bite size, so 20 minutes baking time is generally enough.

 

[Parker Clan]

Best ones we've ever had and make them all the time. Google Epicurious - the meatball shop recipe

The ricotta in them makes them very moist and you put like a 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes gives it nice flavor

 

[Poohlove]

I just made meatballs tonight and was thinking of posting a similar thread asking about cooking methods.

I get rave reviews on my meatballs every time I make them. I start by mixing together fresh grated parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup with 1tsp Garlic powder, 1 tsp parsley and 1 tsp basil 1/2 tsp of salt and a sprinkle of black pepper. Then mix in 2 eggs, about 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs and about a half a cup of milk. I make sure it is well combined before adding the milk because working the ground meat too much makes it tough. I mix in by hand ground beef pork and veal, 1 lb of each. This will make about 4 dozen small meatballs which I bake on a cooling rack on a foil lined cookie sheet for easy cleanup. 350 for about 20 minutes does the trick. Sometimes I make my own sauce but usually just pour some Ragu over them and voila, dinner is done.

 

[klacey1]

I do 2 pounds of 90/10 ground beef, two eggs, 2-4 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 1 cup freshly grated parm cheese. (I prefer the onion and garlic raw since they'll get soft and flavorful as they bake, but I know others like to sautée them before adding up the meat mixture.) I'll usually add a little fresh parsley or dried Italian seasoning too. I just sort of gently mix it with my hands (over mixing makes them too tough) and form 1 inch balls. Then I either pan fry just to get a nice sear before popping them into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or stick straight in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

 

[waltonmkb]

Meatball Nirvana. My entire family raves about these. I found them on Allrecipes several years back and they beat out all other meatballs I've made. Sometimes I stuff them with a bit of mozzerella cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/213742/meatball-nirvana/?internalSource=hub recipe&referringContentType=search results&clickId=cardslot 2

"These meatballs are a compilation of many, many meatball recipes to finally achieve what I was looking for... Meatball Nirvana! Cover with your favorite red sauce and serve with pasta or in crusty garlic bread rolls."
Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot(R)), or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

I've used this recipe for the last year and these are the best meatballs I've ever made! I use half ground beef and half ground pork.

 

[little tess]

Not a recipe as much as a cooking method. My sister mashes her meat mixture flat on a cookie sheet about 1'' thick. She cuts like you might cut a pan of brownies. It's a great way to be consistent with size of the finished meat "ball".

 

[minnie1012]

I make these:
http://www.food.com/recipe/frankies-meatballs-from-the-famous-raos-restaurant-in-nyc-127336