Beef and pork meatballs are a delicious and versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways, from Italian wedding soup, spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs or even served as an appetizer.
It’s officially soup season, although it’s always soup season in my home. Today, I’m sharing my recipe for my mini beef and pork meatballs. You might be wondering, what does this have to do with soup? Well these mini meatballs make for a hearty Italian Wedding Soup. They are the base to the soup. So if you love Italian Wedding Soup you’ll want to visit again next week when I share my recipe. Now, if your not into soup, or Italian Wedding soup, no biggie–you can make these meatballs, freeze them and use them with sauce or in any other dish your heart might desire.
Ingredients
- Meat – I use a mix of ground beef and ground mild Italian sausage.
- Breadcrumbs – I like to use Italian breadcrumbs as they have more flavor.
- Spices – A mix of dried onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Egg – One egg is all you need to help bind the meat and breadcrumbs together all while keeping the meat moist.
How to Make Meatballs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine in a large mixing bowl the lean ground beef, ground pork, Italian bread crumbs, onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and beaten egg. Using your hands mix the meat mixture together until thoroughly combined.
NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of mini meatballs, so be prepared to spend some time mixing and forming little tiny meatballs.
TIP: I’ll tell you a secret on how to make round meatballs, I use the OXO small cookie scoop. I spray it with a little cooking spray, then I scoop the meat mixture. I begin to round it and then release the handle, move the meat just half way and round out the other side. It’s a little difficult to explain in writing but it’s definitely a two handed process. One hand on the scoop lever, and the other hand on the meat, rounding out the meat. This might take 2-3 times of rounding before it’s perfectly round. Then I place it on the baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat (although you can use foil just make sure you spray it with cooking spray first). And start all over again. I like baking the meatballs but you can certainly fry them if your heart desires.
Scoop the meat using a cookie scoop then roll by hand to form mini meatballs. Place rolled meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet (do not over crowd the baking sheet).
Baked Meatballs
Bake the mini meatballs in batches for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or cool to room temperature and freeze. Repeat the baking steps until all the meat has been cooked.
FAQs
Yes, you can use just one type of meat if you prefer, but a mixture of beef and pork will give you the best flavor and texture.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meatballs are cooked through. They should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
You can omit the egg from the recipe; however, the meatballs may be a bit less tender and may not hold together as well. The egg works as a binder.
You can use plain breadcrumbs or seasoned breadcrumbs like Italian, depending on your preference. If you are looking for a lighter textured meatball you can also use panko breadcrumbs.
You can form the meatballs ahead of time and place on a parchment lined tray. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also freeze the meatballs raw for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can make meatballs in a slow cooker. Brown the meatballs first in a skillet OR bake for half the amount of time, then place the semi-cooked meatballs in the slow cooker with your favorite sauce and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
If you can buy ground “chuck” beef — that is the best for meatballs as it contains more fat which will add flavor and also hold together better.
The difference between the two is that Italian style meatballs call for seasonings like grated Parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. The spices give a completely different taste of the two.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks you might need when making homemade meatballs.
- Pre-Make Raw – Scoop these out onto a parchment lined baking sheet, then pop in the freezer. This way they will freeze individually for you to place in a bag. You’ll be able to remove exactly the amount you need in the future.
- Freeze – You can freeze raw or cooked. I prefer to cook then freeze in a ziplock baggie.
- Meat – You can use all ground beef or all ground pork if you prefer.
- Even Size Meatballs – Use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to make evenly sized meatballs.
- Large Size Meatballs – If you want larger meatballs use a full size cookie scoop. If using this size scoop this recipe will yield you about 15 meatballs.
- Smaller Meatballs – Use the smallest OXO cookie scoop for small meatballs perfect for Italian wedding soup. This recipe will yield you around 30 mini meatballs.
- Chilling Meatballs – If you have the time you can chill the meat mixture for at least 30 minutes before forming into balls. This helps the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up, making it easier to form into balls.
- Gluten Free Meatballs – Use gluten free breadcrumbs to make these meatballs gluten free.
- Frozen meatballs in Air Fryer – You can cook the frozen cooked meatballs in the air fryer.
- Over mix – Make sure to not mix the meat mixture, as this can result in tough meatballs. Mix the ingredients just until combined.
- Resting – Let the meatballs rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute and prevent them from falling apart.
What to Serve with Meatballs
Wonder what to serve with meatballs? Here are a few dishes you can serve meatballs with.
If you make this beef and pork meatballs recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Beef and Pork Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Cookie Small Cookie Scoop
- 2 Baking Sheets
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 1.30 pounds lean ground beef
- 1.30 pounds ground pork
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine in a large mixing bowl the lean ground beef, ground pork, Italian bread crumbs, onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and beaten egg. Using your hands mix the meat mixture together until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop the meat using a cookie scoop then roll by hand to form mini meatballs. Place rolled meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet (do not over crowd the baking sheet).
- Bake in batches for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or cool to room temperature and freeze. Repeat the baking steps until all the meat has been cooked.
Notes
- Pre-Make – Scoop these out onto a parchment lined baking sheet, then pop in the freezer. This way they will freeze individually for you to place in a bag. You’ll be able to remove exactly the amount you need in the future.
- Freeze – You can freeze raw or cooked. I prefer to cook then freeze in a ziplock baggie.
- Meat – You can use all ground beef or all ground pork if you prefer.
- Large Size Meatballs – If you want larger meatballs use a full size cookie scoop. If using this size scoop this recipe will yield you about 15 meatballs.
- Smaller Meatballs – Use the smallest OXO cookie scoop for small meatballs perfect for Italian wedding soup. This recipe will yield you around 30 mini meatballs.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!