You can make meatballs with almost any ingredient. Just chop or dice your choice ingredient with a knife, add something to help bind everything together like egg, spice, a pinch of salt and some breadcrumbs. Simple, right?
If meatballs with sauce are your favorite dish from childhood or you have a fetish for Swedish meatballs… these ten recipes are for you! Categorized by occasion, we thought of a meatball for every situation: dinner with vegan and vegetarian friends, lunch with the kids, a fish-based recipe and even making them with leftovers in a creative way.
Ready to choose your ideal meatball recipe?
Tofu meatballs
These are vegan meatballs because they contain no animal derivatives. They are prepared by chopping two fresh tofu rolls, 5 oz pitted black olives, three cloves of garlic, parsley, curry powder, a pinch of salt and some breadcrumbs. If the consistency is too loose, add more breadcrumbs and oil. Bake the meatballs in the oven at 400° F for about 15 minutes.
Vegetable meatballs
These are vegetarian meatballs (not vegan, though, because they contain eggs and Parmigiano cheese). They are prepared by mixing two boiled and mashed potatoes with half a kg of mixed steamed vegetables (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, peas, etc.). It is better not to blend everything together – instead, simply break the vegetables with a fork creating a fairly homogeneous mixture. Then add two eggs, a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Again, add the breadcrumbs a little at a time. You can bread them with eggs and breadcrumbs then cook the meatballs in boiling oil or in the oven at 400° F for about 20 minutes. They can also be cooked in a pan without breadcrumbs.
Low-cost meatballs
These meatballs are a great idea to avoid throwing away any stale bread. To prepare them, you need 1 lb plus 7 oz of dry bread to soak in 1 ½ cups milk. Next, add 4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano, an egg, chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. You can also add a clove of chopped garlic for some more flavor. Form the meatballs and then dip them in a beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs, making sure to cover the surface of each meatball with both. Fry meatballs in boiling oil or cook them in the oven at 400° F for 20 minutes.
Boiled meatballs recipe
Another recipe to save for later. This time we are recycling boiled meat. Chop 1 lb of boiled beef with a handful of Grana Padano cheese, two eggs, breadcrumbs from sandwich bread soaked in milk and extracted of excess liquid. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper, parsley and lemon zest. Form the meatballs and dip them in breadcrumbs before cooking them in the oven at 400° F for 15-20 minutes or cook them in a pan with a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil.
Meatballs with Anchovies recipe
A very easy and cheap recipe with fish – made an original way. Chop the anchovies with a knife and mix them with 2 oz of flour, 2 oz of Parmigiano Reggiano, three eggs and two tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Add oregano, salt and pepper, and if necessary, more breadcrumbs. Fry the meatballs in plenty of boiling oil.
Salmon meatballs recipe
These meatballs are a very chic finger food to serve before a fish dinner. They are prepared by chopping 1 lb of fresh salmon with four tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano, two eggs, parsley, the grated rind of a lemon, a handful of breadcrumbs and two boiled potatoes. Once composed, the meatballs can be baked as they are or breaded with egg and breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
Ricotta meatballs recipe
Prepared by mixing 9 oz of sheep’s milk ricotta cheese with one egg yolk, three tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, salt and pepper. You can then cook these meatballs in a pan with some tomato purée and a drizzle of oil, or you can dip them in flour then eggs and finally, breadcrumbs before frying.
Chicken meatballs recipe
These are the world's favorite crunchy version of chicken nuggets. They are prepared by chopping 1 lb of chicken with half an onion, a clove of garlic, 3 oz of bread, 1 tablespoon of mustard and one tablespoon of soy sauce plus a pinch of salt. Once prepared, the meatballs are dipped in a batter prepared with 3 oz of flour, one egg, half a teaspoon of baking powder and 3 oz of milk. Then they are dipped in breadcrumbs and fried.
Aloo TIkki recipe
These are very spicy Indian-style meatballs – perfectly accompanied by a yogurt sauce. They are prepared by chopping eight boiled potatoes with 4 oz steamed peas, a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, coriander, two tablespoons paprika, five tablespoons breadcrumbs and two tablespoons curry. Add some crushed red pepper as well if you like spice. Once assembled, the meatballs should be fried in hot oil.
Felafel recipe
These chickpea meatballs have become very famous all over the world and they are especially loved by vegetarians. They are prepared by chopping 11 oz pre-cooked chickpeas with a pinch of salt, a bunch of coriander (or parsley), an onion, a clove of garlic, a teaspoon of ground cumin and a teaspoon of baking soda. Fry them in boiling oil and accompany them with spicy sauces or pita bread.