How To Make Meatballs From Scratch (With Freezer Instructions)

Do you always buy them in the frozen aisle, but secretly wish you knew how to make meatballs from scratch? Don’t worry, these are the easy instructions you’ve been looking for!

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The mix is made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning. You can either cook them in a skillet on the stovetop or bake them in the oven.

Or freeze them to always have some homemade ones on hand for all the spaghetti sauce (Italian Meatballs, yay!), soups and crock pot/slow cooker recipes your family loves to eat!

Equipment notes

Here’s what you need to make your own meatballs:

• a large bowl
• a hand mixer with hook attachments (OR just use clean hands – it’s just more work)
• OR if you’re making a double or triple batch of meatballs, use your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
• Baking sheet lined with parchment
• Tablespoon-sized measuring spoon OR a small sized cookie scoop (mine is similar to this one on Amazon*)

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredient notes

• Seasoning: feel free to use additional seasoning suited for the recipe you want to use the meatballs in. Italian seasoning is perfect for meatballs in tomato sauce! Ground paprika, garlic powder and dried parsley works perfectly for homestyle dishes!
• Breadcrumbs: I just use regular breadcrumbs here. Panko or ripped up dry white bread work as well. You can also use crushed saltines.
• Meat: You can make meatballs with any ground meat, I often use a mix of pork and beef.

Using a different meat

By the way, this technique is the same for ground pork meatballs and ground turkey meatballs, too! When I make turkey meatballs I often like adding extra flavor and texture to keep them interesting, like in my Greek Turkey Meatballs.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer with the dough hooks attached, mix the ingredients together very well.

Step by step photos

Think of it as if you were making bread: Just like a yeast dough, the meat „dough“ needs to be kneaded thoroughly to stick together. If you don’t knead it until the protein sticks together, your meatballs will be crumbly and not holding their shape later.

For a large batch:

If you’re multiplying the ingredients (you can scale up as much as you like, but I wouldn’t recommend making more than 5 pounds of meat in one go), it’s easier to knead the meat in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.

Once the mix is kneaded thoroughly, scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of meat.

Cup the meat between your palms and roll it into a tight ball.

Place the meatballs in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.

Freezer instructions

How to freeze raw meatballs

Wrap the sheet tightly with foil and freeze the meatballs until they’re solid. This will take a couple of hours, depending on the freezer you have.

Then, pack the meatballs into freezer bags in the portion size you usually need. Make sure to label the bags with „homemade raw beef meatballs“ and today’s date!

The meatballs keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How to cook frozen raw meatballs

Allow the meatballs to thaw in the fridge for 12-24 hours, then cook them as you would freshly made ones.

How to freeze cooked meatballs

Cook the meatballs as instructed below, either in the oven or in a large skillet.

Drain the meatballs on paper towels and place them on clean, freshly lined baking sheets. Allow the meatballs to cool completely.

Once the meatballs are cold, tightly cover the baking sheets with foil. Freeze the meatballs until solid before transferring them to large freezer bags. Make sure to label them with „homemade cooked beef meatballs“ and today’s date!

The meatballs keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To reheat frozen cooked meatballs:

No need to defrost, simply plop the meatballs into a simmering sauce and cook until the meatballs are fully heated through. I usually do at least 15 minutes.

Cooking instructions

Skillet

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and cook until browned from all sides and cooked through, around 6-7 minutes.

If your skillet is not large enough to fit all meatballs in a single layer, cook them in batches.

Read more on cooking meatballs on the stove here.

Oven

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Drizzle the meatballs with oil and bake them for around 10 minutes. Carefully flip them, then finish baking for another 5-10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Read more on baked meatballs here.

Watch the recipe video

Side dishes for meatballs

Find general ideas for sides for meatballs in this post.

Ideas for what to pair with BBQ meatballs are here.

And what goes with spaghetti and meatballs you can find in this post!

Recipes to use your meatballs in

You can also browse all of my meatball recipes, or all of my ground beef recipes.

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

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