Recipes

Cozy Up to These 17 Saucy Meatball Recipes

Meatballs ease the transition from grilling burgers in the hot summer sun to heavy sweaters and meatloaf. So get the ground meat ready, get those burners going, and get cozy with these 16 recipes.
Image may contain Food Dish Meal Meatball and Platter
Alex Lau

Is it even possible to tire of meatballs? Because, as far as we're concerned, there's no soup, sandwich, or luscious sauce that wouldn't be infinitely better with one or two or five. So, whether you're into chicken, pork, veal, lamb, or beef, get the ground meat ready, get your burners going, and get cozy with these 16 of our best meatball recipes.

  • Meatballs on a silver on a checkered background
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro
    1/17

    Easiest Meatballs

    We stripped these Italian-style meatballs down to the most essential elements for weeknight realness.

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  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal Platter Lunch and Plant
    Christopher Testani
    2/17

    Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumber

    Chef Seamus Mullen serves these robustly flavored meatballs as a shared plate at El Colmado, his New York City tapas bar, but they’re also a great main.

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  • Curried meatball recipe
    Marcus Nilsson
    5/17

    Curried Meatballs

    The texture of the raw meatballs is very soft. Don’t worry; it’s the reason they’re so tender when cooked. This dish comes from Mr. Curry, a Brooklyn pop-up from chef Rebecca Collerton that celebrates the rich Indian food scene of England, where she grew up.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Seasoning and Sesame
    Alex Lau
    6/17

    Toasted Orecchiette With Veal Meatballs

    If you prefer all-pork (or all-veal) meatballs, go ahead and make that change.

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  • Image may contain Food and Meatball
    Christopher Testani
    9/17

    Swedish Meatballs

    Though swanky cocktail parties and Ikea initially made them popular in the States, beef-pork Swedish meatballs are the real deal. Hearty and warming, thanks to nutmeg and allspice, these are the kind of meatballs you'll eat huddled around a fire come holiday time.

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  • Image may contain Food Bbq Human Person Animal Seafood Lobster and Sea Life
    10/17

    Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs)

    Eating yakitori at a restaurant is cool, but doing it in your pajamas at home is even cooler. This recipe for Japanese-style meatballs clings ground chicken to skewers before getting them fired up on a yakitori-style grill before acquainting them with Tare, a Japanese, soy-based dipping sauce.

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  • Image may contain Food and Meatball
    Alex Lau
    15/17

    Cheesy Chicken Meatball Sliders

    Leftovers are the key to packing lunches easily. All of these hot lunches freeze well, too; if you freeze in small portioned containers, all you have to do is reheat and go.

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  • Image may contain Food Meatball Human and Person
    16/17

    Spaghetti and Meatballs

    For the best texture, don't overwork the meat mixture and use Parmesan that's ground to a fine powder (use the processor or the rasp side of a box grater). For more heat, add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed pepper to the sauce.

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