How to Make Meatballs in Oven [4 Delicious Recipes]

Are you ready to learn how to make meatballs in oven? Ok, let’s dive in…

Some variety of food aims for man’s utmost culinary creativity. Meatballs are one of such foods. Created in Italy as beefy balls with soft, fluffy feel, meatballs have come to mean much more. A fusion of cultural definitions has caused this food to cultivate new meaning.

Meatballs mean different things to different cultures. A journey through these worlds will help us create the most appetizing meatballs. As is our culture at Zimovens, we’ll explore the cultures that surround various meatball recipes then we’ll get into the kitchen for some good meatballs in the oven.

First, we’ll talk about the meatballs that traveled to America from Italy. When Italians first came to America, they found that they could spend less on feeding than they did back home. As a result, meatballs became a staple meal. Filling meat with other foods like bread to multiply it. Meatballs from Italy are called polpettes. Traditionally, they are smaller than the regular meatballs found in today’s America. They are made from ground veal, beef, or pork. Sometimes, a combination of meats. Different parts of Italy will choose what to make into polpettes.

However, the meatballs that are found in the American Spaghetti dish is a bit different from polpettes. That’s because Italian meatballs are not usually paired with spaghetti. You’re more likely to find it in soup or eaten by itself. American Italian meatballs are also a bit bigger than polpettes. Whatever the case, one of the earlier ideas associated with meatballs is the need to make the meat available in the home serve everyone.

Kofta Meatballs

Kofta is a variety that is widely spread among many cultures, believed to have originated from Persia. As far as it goes, the recipes continue to broaden. Meatballs are made across the world with pork, lamb, beef, and fish. The dish they are paired with varies just as much.

In Morocco, meatballs (called kefta) are made from ground lamb and spiced with cumin, herbs, and paprika. The cook will brown the kefta first, then add it to a cooking stew of eggs and tomato sauce. Kefta is the most popular type of meatball in Morocco. Traditionally, Moroccans cook this dish of meatballs, eggs, and spicy tomato sauce in a special clay pot.

Greece’s meatballs (called keftedes) is one of the many kinds that are made in the Greek kitchen. Keftedes is made from ground lamb or beef, soaked bread, oregano, and garlic. The resulting balls are fried to make crispy, juicy balls. Greeks often eat keftedes as appetizers, but they can be served with tomato sauce or with rice.

Bangladesh makes the most fish meatballs. Maybe it’s because of the vast coastlines that travel through the country. These fish meatballs (called chitol macher kofta) are made with minced fish, cumin, chilies, and garlic. Chitol macher kofta is fried first before adding it into a thick gravy. The seasoning may be varied with coriander, onion, or turmeric.

Spanish Meatballs

Meatballs in Spain (called albondigas) is made from pork and veal mixed. The meatballs are poached in tomato sauce or almond sauce. This is different from the Mexican albondigas which are made from pork and often stuffed with egg.  Mexican chefs serve these meatballs in smoky chipotle or a light broth. Mexicans and the Philippines share culinary meatball ideas. However, the Philippines choose to call it almondigas while pairing it with rice noodles and broth.

English Meatballs

Faggots

Served along with gravy, buttered peas, or mashed potatoes in most places, this meatball type is familiar among people from Yorkshire or Wales. The recipe incorporates part of the meat that is not commonly considered in meatballs. Examples are heart and liver. Mix the liver or heart and mashed pork, wrap the mixture in caul fat, then roast it. Faggots are a good step-away from regular meatballs made only from muscle meat.

A variant of the English faggot is South Africa’s Skilpadjies. This type of meatball is prepared with beef, ostrich, or venison. Any of these is mixed with bacon and spiced currants plus nutmeg. Typically, skilpadjies can be made from ground ostrich meat, bacon, nutmeg, and currant.

Frikadeller

Unlike other meatballs that are entirely spherical, frikadeller are slyly flat and small. They are also made from minced pork as opposed to mashed pork. Denmark’s frikadeller is pan-fried and served mostly with gravy, potatoes, or cabbage.

Konigsbeger Klopse

Experience the distinct culture of Germany with these boiled meatballs. Konigsbeger Klopse is made from tender, minced veal and spiced with anchovies, lemon, egg, and cream. Stock is used to simmer the balls made from this mixture till they are well cooked. Serve German meatballs in a wine and butter-based sauce for the traditional feel.

Pulpety

Bring Poland alive in your kitchen with this meatball type that combines veal with other ingredients. Poach them balls in a stock of vegetables before serving with dill, sour cream, or mushroom.

Bitterballen

You’d think they’re bitter, but they are not. Bitterballen is small and made from ground meat and bread mixture. It’s made small enough for anyone to toss one into his mouth at a time. This gravy is made from shredded beef, stock, and seasoning. They are deep-fried, giving a creamy interior and crispy exterior. Most Dutch homes serve this as an appetizer.

Chiftele

Make potato and meatballs come together as one rich meal. No need to serve a potato side dish with this recipe. Incorporate mashed potatoes into your ground pork and fry. Serve with sour cream or tomato sauce. Romania’s meatballs can be served alone as well or in sandwiches.

Asian Meatballs

Lion’s Head

Chinese meatballs, lion’s head is a mixture of water chestnuts and fatty pork that is minced. They are traditionally large and soft, seasoned with sesame oil, ginger, and rice wine. Cabbage is used in serving these meatballs. Lion’s head can be simmered in soup or braised among other methods of cooking.

Bakso

Bakso is an Indonesian meatball type that they borrowed from emigrants of China. This recipe cultivates different kinds of meat to create an appetizing meatball dish that is served with noodles and bean sprouts. Bakso is made from chicken, pork, beef, or lamb and is very small, springy mouthfuls.

Tsukune

Remake the Chinese meatballs over grill fire to get Japan’s tsukune. They are made chicken, starch, and seasoning. The ideal traditional tsukune is grilled on charcoal and glazed with tare for the perfect Japanese meatballs.

Good history, right? Now we can explore various meatball recipes in our kitchen. If cultures vary the ingredients in their meatballs to make it peculiar to them, it means that we can vary our ingredients too. What will you tweak in the recipes that will follow? Go ahead and create your own culture. [See how to cook ham steak in the oven]

Baked Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe

This recipe closely imitates traditional Italian meatballs with a mixture of ground veal, beef, and pork. Serve with potatoes and any choice sauce. Or make these into the American much-loved spaghetti and tomato sauce. These Italian meatballs taste like grandma’s meatballs because that’s, in fact, what it is.

What You Need

Time Estimate

What to Do

Begin with mixing the ground meats together in a big dish. Put your veal, beef, and pork in the dish and combine thoroughly.

Now, it’s time to add the ingredients to the meats. Add the minced garlic, olive oil (2 tbsp), parsley, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Use your fingers to incorporate the spices and seasoning into the meat mixture for an even spread. You want to get a consistency that stays in shape when you roll it into a ball while remaining moist.

You need the tsp of oil now to grease your hands when rolling the meatballs. The size of your balls depends on your choice, but you should be sure they are consistent. The bigger the balls, the more time it takes to cook them.

Turn on your oven broiler at this point. Line your lipped baking pan with a parchment paper and arrange your meatballs on it. Put the pan in your oven to broil. Broil one side for 10 mins (or till it’s brown), then flip to the other side for another 10 mins (or till browned). Remove the browned meat from the oven.

Keep your tomato (or other) sauce to simmer on the stove. Put the broiled meatballs in the sauce and let them simmer together for an hour. Your meatballs and sauce are ready for a good meal of spaghetti or baked potatoes.

You can store some of this sauce in the freezer. First, let the sauce cool to room temperature. Then put it in an airtight container and put in the freezer for 3 days.

Check out these articles…

How to Cook Italian Sausage in Oven – 3 Super Easy Recipes

How to Cook Kielbasa in the Oven: 6 Amazing Recipes

How to Cook Halibut in Oven: 4 Easy Recipes

How to Make French Toast in the Oven: 2 Delightful Recipes

How to Cook A Brisket in the Oven: 2 Delightful Recipes

How to Bake Pork Chops in the Oven [Detailed Guide]

How to Cook Beef Ribs in the Oven Easily

Video: How to make meatballs in oven

Watch this video to see how to bake meatballs in the oven

Baked Turkey Meatballs with Cream Sauce Recipe

When you’re stepping away from the traditional Italian beef and pork meatballs, turkey meatballs are a safe option to try out. You have a meatball dish that creamy, moist, and refreshing. You can make them with tender or lean turkey.

What You Need

Time Estimate

What to Do

You need a large dish to combine the meat and ingredients smoothly. Put your ground turkey, one-third of the milk, egg, thyme, breadcrumbs, paprika, parsley, onions, pepper, and salt. Combine them very well with your fingers. Then it’s time to mold.

Get a portion of water or oil to lubricate your hands when you mold. Your meatballs should be about 1 inch, each. You can make them bigger if you prefer but remember that those will take longer to cook.

Set your oven to heat at 350 degrees F. Line your baking pan with parchment paper and place those meatballs on them. Now, put the meatballs in the oven and let it bake for 10 mins on each until the sides are properly browned. This should take 20 mins.

Get an appropriate oven-friendly dish. The dish should be able to take the meatballs and cream at once. In another glass dish, mix the quarter part of milk that is left with the mushroom soup cream. Put the baked meatballs in the oven dish and spread the mushroom soup mixture over them.

Use aluminum foil to seal the top of the baking dish before baking in the oven. Your oven should be set at 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes until the sauce is ready.

Cook some rice or potatoes to serve with this sauce. Sprinkle some parsley over the rice and sauce. Food is set!

You can store the extra in the freezer. Put it in an airtight dish and be sure to finish it in 5 days.

Baked Meatballs, Sweet-and-Sour Recipe

Here’s your shot at making really great meatballs spiced with Worcestershire sauce and milk to create an irresistible sweet-sour taste. Substitute bread for oats and include vinegar in the sauce. Serve this with mashed potatoes or noodles. Everyone at the dinner table will love it.

What You Need

Time Estimate

What to Do

Get a big dish that will take the ground beef comfortably. Put the ground beef, 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, pepper, salt, and onions into the dish and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Your eggs should be lightly whisked before you add them to the mix.

Roll out 12 equal-sized meatballs from this mixture. Use water or little oil to lubricate your hands if it feels too sticky. Put the meatballs in your Dutch oven and set your oven to heat at 350 degrees F.

Set your saucepan on the cooktop at medium-low heat. Add the remaining Worcestershire sauce, barbeque sauce, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar in the saucepan. Stir till the sugar is properly dissolved then throw the sauce over the meatballs. Put your Dutch oven in the oven and let it bake for about 30 mins. The meatballs have cooked well when they are totally browned.

Now your meatballs sauce is ready. Serve with your noodles or mashed potatoes.

Baked Meatloaf Meatballs Recipe

Meatloaf is a combination of different ground meats. Okay, the idea is to get a ready-mixed one from the meat store or your butcher. If you can’t, make your own mixture. Combining veal and lamb or veal and pork will work just fine. You can combine the meatballs with pasta, add them to pizza, or just serve them with barbeque sauce.

Feel free to cut down on the quantity of the ingredients if they are too much for your household needs.

What You Need

Time Estimate

What to Do

Combine your meatloaf with the ingredients before you line your baking sheet. Put them in a big bowl. The meatloaf, eggs (after you’ve whisked it lightly), onion, parmesan cheese, seasoned breadcrumbs, parsley, red pepper, and milk. Combine them with your fingers, enough to get them equally mixed. Over-mixing will cause the balls to become dense.

Set your oven to heat at 450 degrees F then line your baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spritz with some nonstick spray. You’ll need 2 baking pans for this quantity of meatballs mix. You should have about 30 meatballs of 2 tbsp scoop each. Put each shaped ball in a baking pan.

Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 mins. The meatballs should be totally brown when it’s well-cooked.

Serve the way you prefer to. If you have any leftovers, store it in a sealed dish.

Baking Meatballs in the Oven

When you bake meatballs by themselves without a sauce, it’s possible to end up with balls that are not as tasty as fried meatballs. Make up for this by spicing the meat mixture a bit more. Baking is always a better option than frying so if a little extra spice is all that’s needed, why not!

Have a perfect meatball dinner.