Mini Meatballs with Pasta
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These Mini Meatballs are baked, not fried and loaded with classic Italian flavors. Perfect for serving in pastas, soups, and are freezer-friendly since this recipe makes an extra big batch!
If you love this mini meatball recipe, be sure to try my Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs!
PIN this Homemade Meatballs recipe to try later!
Mini Meatball RECIPE
This Mini Meatball recipe is juicy, tender, and Italian flavor-packed! These perfectly bite-sized, round meatballs taste better than any store bought or restaurant made meatball. Plus, these are miniature sized so they are easier to eat!
Made with lean ground meat, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, fresh parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and other simple ingredients. These are the best meatballs to serve on top of pasta or spaghetti with your favorite type of sauce or as an appetizer.
Since these meatballs freeze well, I always recommend having a bag full stored at all times. This makes an easy weeknight meal or low-carb snack!
Why You’ll Love This mini meatball Recipe
mini Meatball recipe ingredients
- Beef: I use a 80/20 lean ground beef and fat ratio blend but you could go even leaner if you prefer. You’ll need 1 pound ground beef total.
- Sausage: Italian sausage adds the best flavor. You can purchase it ground or you could use sausage links and remove the sausage from the casings. You could also use regular ground pork but I love the flavor of the sausage.
- Egg: Helps binds the ingredients together.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated if possible.
- Bread crumbs: I love using the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs because it adds more flavor. You could also use plain or Panko breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings: We use garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper to add flavor.
How to make this Mini meatball recipe
Prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then top with a wire wrack and spray with nonstick cooking spray or lightly drizzle with olive oil.
Mix together all ingredients: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients with your hand or a spoon until well combined. The meat mixture will seem moist but it will still hold its shape once rolled into balls.
Form meatballs: To form the balls, use a tablespoon to scoop mixture and then roll into small balls. It’s best if you do this with wet hands so the mixture doesn’t stick. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until you’ve used up all the mixture.
Bake: Bake the meatballs for about 15-20 minutes or until browned and evenly cooked through. The meatballs will be firm. Place the meatballs in your favorite marinara sauce and serve with pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or you can also enjoy them plain as they are! Enjoy!
recipe Tips & variations
- Turkey Meatballs or Chicken Meatballs: Looking for a healthier alternative? Swap the beef for ground turkey meat or ground chicken meat for a leaner option. You could also use leaner beef.
- Add spice: Add red chili flakes or your favorite hot sauce to the mixture before baking.
- Cheesy meatballs: Add a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese for a cheesy meatball.
- Large meatballs: Instead of making these into Mini Meatballs, you can make them into regular sized meatballs. Just note that you will have to cook them longer depending on the size.
- The best way to serve these meatballs when they are warm.
- Extra tiny meatballs: You can make these even smaller if you prefer, just be sure to reduce the cooking time.
- Garlic and onions: I use garlic powder and onion powder but you could use freshly chopped garlic cloves and minced garlic and onions if you prefer a stronger flavor.
Dipping sauce ideas
If you wanted to serve this Mini Meatballs recipe as an appetizer, some dipping sauce ideas are:
- Marinara or pasta sauce
- Honey mustard
- BBQ sauce
- Pesto
- Cranberry sauce (perfect for the holidays)
- Cheese sauce
- Teriyaki glaze
- Swedish meatball sauce
- Buffalo sauce
- Grape jelly
how to serve these mini meatballs
Pasta: My favorite way to serve these Mini Meatballs is on top of a bowl or dish of your favorite pasta (hello, spaghetti and meatballs!). This makes the meal extra hearty and delicious. Don’t forget to add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the tops for even more flavor.
Meatball subs: Add these to a hoagie roll or your favorite sandwich roll with marina sauce, sliced mozzarella cheese and a few meatballs.
Cocktail meatballs: Serve these for a party by placing the meatballs on a serving platter with a toothpick inserted in the center.
Soup: Make any soup more hearty by adding some mini meatballs. They are the perfect size for soups, especially in Italian Wedding Soup!
Zoodles: Looking for a low-carb, high protein meal idea? Serve a hearty serving of meatballs on top of zoodles with your choice of sauce.
leftovers & Storage
To Store: Place meatballs in an airtight container or tightly sealed ziplock bag and place them in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 days.
To Freeze: These are perfect for freezing because they can be used for a wide variety of meals. Simply flash freeze the cooked meatballs by placing them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once the meatballs are frozen, place them in a gallon sized ziplock freezer bag and remove as much air as you can. They will freeze well for up to 4-5 months.
how to cooke frozen meatballs
Thaw the meatballs by letting them sit out on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed out, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven for up to 10 minutes or until warmed.
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Mini Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 whole egg at room temperature
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and linen a baking sheet with parchment paper, then top with a wire wrack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients with your hand or a spoon until well combined. The mixture will seem moist but it will still hold its shape once rolled into balls.
- To form the balls, use a tablespoon to scoop mixture and then roll into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until you've used up all the mixture.
- Bake the meatballs for about 15-20 minutes or until browned and evenly cooked through. The meatballs will be firm. Place the meatballs in your favorite marinara sauce and serve with pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or you can also enjoy them plain as they are. Enjoy!
