Meatballs are a staple meal in our house. They are something everyone will eat every time & the thing I love most about this recipe is that with just the swap of a few seasonings they can be served with pasta sauce or with gravy for Swedish meatballs. They even work great for bbq meatballs when you are having a party!
To make these meatballs you’ll need a large bowl to combine all of the ingredients. For the base of the recipe, you’ll need ground beef or other ground meat, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper & eggs.
If you’re making Italian-style meatballs you will want to add basil & oregano (or Italian seasoning) & serve over pasta.
If you are craving Swedish meatballs as you’d find at Ikea you’ll add allspice & nutmeg. These are great served with gravy over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
As a kid, every potluck & family gathering had BBQ meatballs, you know the ones made with grape jelly? If it’s BBQ meatballs, you are after add mustard & chili powder to your mix. These are best eaten straight from the crock pot with a toothpick. Yum!
I learned how to make meatballs from my Grandma. She never used measurements & often used what she had on hand (ie. crushed crackers or rice as a substitute for the bread crumbs). I fear this recipe will never quite be Grandma’s meatballs but it gets pretty damn close & everyone loves them!
Once you have your ingredients well incorporated you will want to start rolling your balls. I prefer mine on the smaller more bite-sized side but everyone else in my house tends to roll BIG! You should be trying for about 1-2 inch balls.
Place your balls in a large skillet heated over medium-high heat & brown on all sides, being sure the meatballs are completely cooked through. That’s it. Now you have delicious meatballs for any occasion!
This is the recipe for our Swedish Meatball Gravy
This is the recipe for our Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
The Last Meatball Recipe You'll Ever Need
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 Lbs Ground Beef or other ground meat
- 3/4 Cup Bread crumbs or crushed crackers or leftover rice
- 2 Eggs 6-8 quail eggs
- 1 Small Onion chopped very fine
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Pepper
Italian-Style
- 1/2 Tbsp Basil or substitute Italian seasoning for both
- 1/2 Tbsp Thyme
Swedish Style
- 1/2 Tbsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 Tbsp Allspice
BBQ Style
- 1/2 Tbsp Mustard ground or actual mustard
- 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl add all of the ingredients & knead everything together until well incorporated. Roll your meat blend into 1-2 inch balls. *See Notes
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If I am using ground beef I do not add oil to the pan however if I am using leaner meat I recommend adding some oil, butter, or tallow.
- Brown the meatballs on the sides & ensure they are cooked through. *See Notes
