Meatballs are easy to make and customize to your personal tastes. The most common methods of cooking them include baking and cooking in a pan. Read on to learn different ways to make and cook meatballs.
Ingrediants
For 4 or 6 servings:
- 450 g minced meat (beef or mixed beef)
- 60 ml of breadcrumbs
- 1 beaten egg
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry chopped onion (optional)
- 2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Part One: Making the Meatballs
Step 1. Cover the surface you will be working on with parchment paper
Tear off a sheet of parchment paper about 45 cm in length and spread it over a flat section of the kitchen counter.
- The parchment paper will provide you with a clean, non-stick surface to place the meatballs on before cooking.
- Note that you can use greaseproof paper instead of parchment paper.
- If you plan to cook your meatballs in the oven, you can spread the foil on a baking sheet instead of the kitchen counter. You can also grease the baking sheet and line the meatballs on it without using paper.
Step 2. Combine the mince, breadcrumbs, eggs and spices in a large bowl
Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients well.
- Ground beef is the easiest meat to use, but you can also choose mixed ground beef, half beef and half pork, half beef and half sausage, half beef and half veal. For healthier meatballs, you could skip beef altogether and use ground turkey.
- You can use spiced or non-spiced breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are easier to use, but you can also crumble a slice of fresh bread and use that for fresher, softer meatballs.
- Make sure you lightly beat the egg with a fork or whisk before adding it to the bowl. Otherwise it won't bind well to the meat.
- Salt and pepper are the basic spices to add to your meatballs, but you can also use chopped onions and parsley if you want to get a fuller flavor. Also add various herbs, such as oregano and cilantro, to substitute or add to the parsley.
Step 3. Shape into balls 2, 5 cm in size
Use your hands to make balls with the ground spice. Line the meatballs on the parchment paper until it's time to cook them.
If you have a small ice cream scoop, you could use it instead of your hands to form meatballs. You can also use a teaspoon to help you divide the meat into portions to work with
Part 2 of 4: Part Two: Bake Meatballs in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 175 ° C
If you haven't done so already, prepare a 10 "x 11" pan by coating it with olive oil. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats to get the oil up to temperature.
- Use only the oil you need to grease the pan. If you notice puddles of olive oil, you should wipe them off or spread them with clean paper towels.
- You can use non-stick cooking spray instead of oil.
Step 2. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet
Remove the pan from the oven after it has finished preheating. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet, spacing them about 2.5 cm from each other.
- Keep the meatballs in a single layer and don't allow them to touch as they cook. If the meatballs are cooked while touching, they may stick together.
- Gently press each meatball as you place it on the baking sheet to flatten the bottom slightly. By giving each meatball a flat bottom, you'll reduce the risk of them rolling and coming into contact.
Step 3. Cook them for 15 minutes
Place the pan with the meatballs in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Step 4. Flip the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes
Use pliers to turn them. Return them to the oven and continue to cook them for another five minutes.
When done, the meatballs should be slightly crunchy on the outside. They shouldn't be burned though
Step 5. Serve them however you like
Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. You can eat meatballs alone or with different side dishes.
Part 3 of 4: Part Three: Cooking Meatballs on the Stove
Step 1. Heat some oil in a large skillet
Pour 30ml olive oil into a 12-inch pan and heat the stove to medium-high heat.
- Heat the oil for a minute or two to make sure it reaches the right temperature.
- If you don't have olive oil, you can use regular vegetable oil.
Step 2. Fry the meatballs for 5 minutes
Place the meatballs in the hot oil and cook over medium-high heat for 2-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown on all sides.
The meatballs shouldn't overlap or touch each other when you put them in the pan. If you can't put all the meatballs in the pan at once without this happening, cook them multiple times
Step 3. Lower the heat and continue cooking the meatballs
After they are golden brown, turn the heat down to medium-low and let them cook for 5-7 minutes.
The meatballs are ready when they no longer produce sauce and the inside is no longer pink
Step 4. Serve them however you like
Remove the meatballs from the heat and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving them alone or with different side dishes.
Part 4 of 4: Part Four: Other Ways to Make and Serve Meatballs
Step 1. Experiment with another simple meatball recipe
By combining ground burgers with eggs, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan and onions, you can create mouthwatering and easy-to-make meatballs.
Step 2. Make Italian-style meatballs
Mix ground beef with classic Italian flavors, such as garlic, pecorino and oregano.
Step 3. Make the albondigas meatballs
These Spanish cuisine meatballs are made with ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, oregano and cumin.
You can eat albondigas meatballs on their own or in many other Spanish dishes. Use them in soups or dip them in tomato sauce and serve them as an appetizer
Step 4. Make porcupine meatballs
These distinctive looking meatballs are made by adding rice to the ground.
Step 5. Make sweet and sour meatballs
Just dip regular meatballs in a sauce made with wine vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce.
Serve these meatballs alongside fried or alone with a side of rice or soy noodles
Step 6. Make Swedish Meatballs
They are served with a rich sauce and are made with spices such as nutmeg and allspice. Serve them as an appetizer or main course.
For unique meatballs, serve the Swedish meatballs with a sweet and sour sauce instead of the classic rich, creamy sauce that usually accompanies them
Step 7. Cook meatless meatballs
You can replace meat with structured plant-based proteins to create a healthy vegetarian alternative to traditional meatballs.
Serve these vegetarian meatballs as you would serve regular meatballs
Step 8. Think of different ways of serving meatballs
Most recipes allow you to serve them on their own, but adding them to other dishes can be a good way to add flavor to the dishes and meatballs themselves.
- Try the dumplings, a typical dish of Tyrolean gastronomy.
- Ramen is a typical Japanese dish that is worth trying.
- Also try eating meatballs in a gravy-filled sandwich.
Step 9. Freeze the meatballs for later use
If you can't eat meatballs right after cooking, and you want to keep them for the future, you can freeze them until it's time to eat them.
