Meatball

Our 57 Favorite Meatball Recipes

We couldn't pick just one—and you shouldn't have to, either.
Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Meatball
Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and CucumberChristopher Testani
  • One of our best ground chicken recipes is this one for herby chicken Kofta meatballs.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    1/57

    Herby Chicken Kofta Meatballs

    This big batch of meatballs is inspired by kofta, the flavor-packed ground meat patties popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Stash them in your freezer so you always have the building blocks of a great meal.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    2/57

    Vegetarian Buffalo “Meatballs” With Blue Cheese Dip

    Forget about hot wings—these spicy "meatballs" combine white beans and mushrooms for a meatless take on your favorite party snack.

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  • Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    11/57

    Turkey Meatballs With Cranberry Sauce

    These tender, flavor-packed meatballs are the perfect Thanksgiving party snack, but—for what it’s worth—they'd also make an excellent meatball sub.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    12/57

    Freeform Chicken Meatballs With Carrots and Yogurt Sauce

    Shaping meatballs into perfect spheres is too fussy for a weeknight meal. Instead, drop dollops of spiced ground chicken onto a sheet pan and roast with carrots until both are golden brown.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    13/57

    Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Raisin Pesto

    Loving meatballs has never been this rewarding. They're gilded with lots of strong spices and set in a cooling swoosh of yogurt and anointed with the sweet brightness of a mint pesto. Sound fancy? Not really. We use ground lamb, which is naturally fatty and can be baked without sacrificing juiciness or a charred crust.

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  • Photo by David Japy
    14/57

    Asian Chicken and Cilantro Meatballs

    The secret here is to steam the meatballs so they remain tender and succulent. Searing briefly afterward adds a wonderfully caramelized crust without overcooking.

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  • Photo & Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin
    15/57

    Pork Meatballs and Cucumber Salad

    The trick to keeping this salad crisp? Salt, drain, and squeeze excess liquid from the cucumbers before dressing them. Add a swoosh of yogurt and juicy oven-baked meatballs to make it a flavorful, filling meal.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    16/57

    Curried Meatballs

    Serve these tender meatballs and fragrant sauce with rice for a filling and utterly satisfying meal.

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  • David Malosh
    17/57

    Spiced Middle Eastern Lamb Patties with Pita and Yogurt

    The seasoning mixture here is simple, with spices you should already have on your shelf and you can play around, adding fresh or dried mint, grated onion, or a pinch of cinnamon. And if you like a garlicky yogurt sauce, by all means, add a minced clove.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
    18/57

    Ginger Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Broth and Noodles

    With three options for plating, you can enjoy these aromatic meatballs plain, in a rich coconut noodle soup, or with added heat from a bit of red curry paste.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    19/57

    Jidori Tsukune

    The best tsukune, or Japanese chicken meatballs, are nicely caramelized, well seasoned, and juicy—and served straight off the grill.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    20/57

    Sausage Meatball Sandwiches

    We like the combo of spicy and sweet Italian sausage, but use any uncooked sausage you like—merguez or chorizo would work.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    29/57

    Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

    If you have trouble getting the chicken mixture to roll into balls, chill it for up to 30 minutes or add another 1/4 cup of crumbs.

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  • Alex Farnum
    30/57

    Grilled Meatball Sandwich

    On a grilled baguette with gooey provolone and spicy arugula pesto, this just may be the ultimate meatball sandwich.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    37/57

    Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs (Kufteh-Ye Pesteh-o Anar)

    Herby turkey meatballs get flavored with pistachios, tangy pomegranate, and grape molasses. Serve the meatballs as wraps with lavash and crisp lettuce.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Pearl Jones, props by Nicole Louie
    38/57

    Mojo Meatballs

    The fun and flavor of Cuban-style slow-cooked pork in zippy mojo sauce transformed into quick, weeknight-able meatballs. 

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  • 39/57

    Coconut-Harissa Meatballs

    Did someone say weeknight meatballs? Juicy pork meatballs, nestled in a fiery, creamy harissa-coconut sauce, are ready in under an hour.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    40/57

    Lamb Meatballs With Pecan Romesco

    Meatballs filled with gooey cheese and bathed in creamy pecan romesco sauce—what more do you need?

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams
    43/57

    Meatball Soup With Beef Stew Vibes

    All the flavors of classic beef stew in just one hour, with tender meatballs standing in for long-braised, shredded beef.

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  • Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'Myrtrek Brown
    44/57

    Turkey Meatballs With Romesco Sauce

    These healthy turkey meatballs are ready in 30 minutes, with a nutty romesco-inspired sauce you’ll want to keep on hand for future dinners.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Tim Ferro
    45/57

    No-Skewer-Needed Kebabs With Onion Salad

    Tender Turkish Adana-style kebabs are an essential addition to your summer grilling.

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  • Yossy Arefi
    46/57

    Ginger-Chicken Meatballs with Chinese Broccoli

    For this meatball recipe, ground chicken is leaner than other meats, but less fat doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor—these meatballs are loaded with aromatics like scallions, ginger and garlic, and served alongside delicious Chinese broccoli.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    47/57

    Albóndigas in Red Chile Sauce

    In case you were wondering, albóndigas is the Spanish word for meatball. These prove that the Italians aren’t the only players in the game.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    48/57

    Piri-Piri Meatballs

    Fresh piri-piri chiles can be difficult to find, so for our take on a vibrant piri-piri sauce, we subbed in a fresh Fresno chile.

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  • 53/57

    Crispy Sheet-Pan Meatballs With Salsa Verde

    The quickest, most fuss-free and delicious meatball recipe that ever was or will be.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Bowl by Meilen Ceramics 
    54/57

    Chicken Meatballs and Green Beans in Tomato Broth

    My grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. I have updated it to include ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor,  but feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer. Gently poaching the meatballs is not only faster than roasting, but means none of their flavor is lost to a baking sheet.

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  • PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA BILLINGSKOG
    55/57

    Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs With Tomatoes and Chickpeas

    Harissa, a spicy North African paste of chiles, garlic, and spices, is available in many large grocery stores and Middle Eastern markets—some brands come in tubes, others are sold in jars. If you can’t find it, though, substitute by mixing together your favorite hot sauce, tomato paste, a pinch or two of ground cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil. Keep playing with the ratios until you have a medium-spicy paste.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li
    56/57

    Chicken Meatballs in Spring Vegetable Broth

    For this soup recipe, we skipped browning the meatballs and poached them instead. This will keep them very tender and their flavor light, which is ideal for this seasonal dish.

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Sheela Prakash is a food and wine writer and recipe developer, as well as a registered dietitian. A longtime editor at Kitchn, she has also been on staff at Epicurious and Food52. Her writing and recipes can be found in numerous online and print publications, including Serious Eats, Tasting Table, ... Read More
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