Meatball Recipes & Ideas

Make them (and the yogurt-tahini sauce!) ASAP.

These subs are filled with stuffed cheesy meatballs swimming in marinara sauce, piled high with mozzarella, and baked to perfection.

The proof: These baked turkey and ricotta meatballs.

You're going to need A LOT of garlic.

Jellied cranberry + chili sauce = match made in heaven.

Flavorful marinara, tender meatballs, and a blanket of melted mozzarella cheese bake up into a comforting casserole everyone will love.

Sweet, smoky, and tangy all at once.

Serve them in a sub with gooey, melted cheese, or plop them on top of creamy mashed potatoes — there's no wrong way to enjoy this comfort food classic.

Garlic bread highly recommended.

It's everything you love about the childhood favorite, transformed into a luxurious dinner.

It's packed with fresh herbs, bright spring vegetables, and cheesy mini meatballs.

Braised lion's head meatballs are steamy comfort in a pot.

It's the only meatball recipe I use.

It's the quick and cozy dinner you crave.

No one will even know they're eating leftovers.

Trust us, this is a good one.

Prep and freeze now for easy eating later.

Master classic meatballs with our step-by-step cooking lesson.

The first thing I ever cooked for my wife, Grace, were these meatballs

Mediterranean meatball sandwich? Yes, please!

These old-school meatballs definitely deserve a comeback.

The winner ruined all other meatballs for me — that’s how phenomenal it was.

These meatballs have ruined all other meatballs for me.

When we picture spaghetti and meatballs, this is what we imagine it to taste like.

I was not expecting these results.

They're as easy as it gets — which may also be their downfall.

Oh hello, GARLIC SAUCE.

When it comes to pairing wine with food, I don’t know that there’s a pair I like much better than a big plate of pasta with red wine sauce and tender, aromatic homemade meatballs — paired with a bold and delicious Chianti, of course. It’s a classic setup, a staple of Italian-American restaurants, and comfort food extraordinaire.

Want the cheesy, tomato-y goodness of chicken Parmesan without all the breading and frying? With the help of ground chicken and the slow cooker, you can make these juicy meatballs instead. You’ll end up with all the comforting flavors of chicken Parm, in cute meatball form — ready to be stuffed into rolls as subs or ladled onto pasta or soft, creamy polenta.

Add a slow cooker full of glossy, sweet-and-savory meatballs to your appetizer spread (or serve them up for dinner), and it’s all but guaranteed they’ll be gone in seconds. It’s just one of the reasons I keep meatballs stashed in the freezer at all times. Combined with a few pantry staples and plenty of pungent garlic, the whole thing cooks up with a full-flavored sticky sauce — and, best of all, the slow cooker does most of the work.

Channel your inner nonna.

"Raisins and meat together?" they would always ask. "What are you making?"

It's ready in 30 minutes!

These Whole30 meals, which range from chicken-stuffed sweet potatoes to a hearty sausage and kale soup, are sure to satisfy.

An easy dinner that does double duty as an app.

Make a big pot tonight — you’ll be very glad you did.

Raise your hand if you're also making this tonight!

Here are all of our meatball recipes together in one place.

From-scratch weeknight meatballs just became possible.

Hello, gorgeous. (And it's all thanks to one secret ingredient.)

Ken Concepcion and Michelle Mungcal, owners of L.A.’s Now Serving cookbook and culinary shop love this recipe because it lets them use all the bounty from California farmers markets.

There’s so much to love about the classic Italian-American combination of pasta and meatballs — the simplicity, the ease of customization, and the absolutely delicious way it perfumes your house with cozy smells. This time around, double down on everything you love about this combo in the form of a baked casserole to serve the hungriest of crowds. To keep things interesting we’re introducing a smoky element with the addition of canned, fire-roasted tomatoes.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.General Tso’s chicken can satisfy virtually any craving. It’s sweet, sour, tangy, salty, spicy, and savory all at the same time. It’s one of my favorite things to order, because I know how much I’m going to enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s also surprisingly easy to make at home.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites. Here’s one for all you folks out there trying to cut down on carbs and eat more plant-based meals without sacrificing flavor: Kung Pao cauliflower meatballs, a creative (and vegetarian!) twist on a classic. If you love Chinese takeout, then you’ll be on board with this healthyish upgrade.

Welcome to Snapshot Cooking, the home of Kitchn’s easiest recipes. These mini recipes are so simple you can practically cook from the before-and-after snapshot itself. Meatballs are the ultimate family meal. You can make them with any type of protein, add noodles or veggies, and know that everyone (even the fussy toddler) enjoys them.

Swedish meatballs are one of the easiest, most delicious ways to switch up your weeknight meatball routine. Unlike their Italian counterpart, Swedish meatballs are warmly spiced (think: nutmeg and allspice) and simmered in a creamy gravy, perfect for ladling over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. These meatballs are too good to only be enjoyed inside the IKEA food court. Here’s how you can make an even better version any night of the week.

One of the most valuable things I learned during a round of Whole30 is to seek out the foods and recipes you want to eat, and then find a way to make them Whole30-compliant. For me, herb-flecked Italian meatballs were at the top of the list. As it turns out, making a grain-free, dairy-free version is surprisingly easy, and they’re just as irresistibly tender and delicious as the classic.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites. I always get excited whenever I see a slow cooker full of miniature meatballs at a party. Next to deviled eggs, they’re some of the most versatile party hors d’oeuvres you can serve.

You’ll want to have the pasta or Italian bread ready for this one. That’s because this super-easy slow cooker dinner begs for something to sop up all its ridiculously saucy goodness. This meal is as lazy as it gets, thanks to a couple of Trader Joe’s shortcuts and your trusty slow cooker. This simple recipe is proof that precooked meatballs are worth keeping in your freezer.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites. It’s always useful to have meatballs around. They freeze easily and work in any number of dinners, make-ahead lunches, and quick snacks. Plus, kids love them. And meatballs shine in any kind of preparation, from classic red sauce and spaghetti to this clever Dijon mustard gravy.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites. Meatballs do not get nearly enough recognition as a make-at-home meal. I grew up eating meatballs at practically every big family gathering, but now that I’m an adult with a house and stove of my own, I almost never make meatballs. My Italian grandmother would be horrified.