Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
You'll love these juicy meatballs with a melty mozzarella cheese center! Cook them in marinara sauce or a simple dinner over spaghetti, or alongside a crisp salad. I went with ground chicken for these meatballs which lightens them up nicely, but ground turkey, lean ground beef, or lean ground pork would work as well.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs, plus more as needed (gluten free is okay)
- 1 pound ground chicken, ground turkey, or lean ground beef
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 raw egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 20 baby mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pasta sauce, homemade or 1 (25 ounce) jar store-bought marinara
Instructions
- Get ready. Heat the oven to 400°F. Prepare half of the breadcrumbs on a large plate.
- Make the meatball mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat (I used ground chicken), garlic, parsley, egg, parmesan cheese, and the remaining breadcrumbs. Season with the oregano, paprika, parsley, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Form and stuff the meatballs. Take a heaping 1-tablespoon of the meatball mixture and form into a ball. Make an indentation in the middle and insert a mozzarella ball in the center. Reform the meatball, making sure the cheese is covered with the meat mixture. Repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, setting the formed metaballs aside on a large plate or sheet tray without touching.
- Coat the meatballs in breadcrumbs. Roll the meatballs in the breadcrumbs so that each meatball is covered all over, replenishing the breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Brown the meatballs in olive oil. Set a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is shimmering, add the meatballs and cook, turning until a golden brown crust forms, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do this in batches if you don’t have a large enough skillet to avoid overcrowding.
- Add the sauce. If you worked in batches, return the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat off and pour the sauce all over the meatballs. (If you have a few extra mozzarella balls to use up, you can nestle them in the sauce.)
- Cover and bake. Cover the pan (use foil if the pan does not have a lid). Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil, oregano, and paprika used in this recipe.
- Storage:
- To refrigerate uncooked meatballs: Shape the meatballs a day in advance, and store them (uncooked) on a tightly covered baking sheet in the refrigerator overnight.
- To freeze the uncooked meatballs: I use a long, slightly deep freezer-safe container and freeze the meatballs in layers, with sheets of parchment paper between them so they don’t stick together. They will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months (but I like eating them within 2). You can cook them directly from frozen.
- To store leftover cooked meatballs: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply reheat the meatballs and sauce in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 222.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.5g | Protein: 20.1g | Fat: 10.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 101.7mg | Sodium: 929.1mg | Potassium: 859.1mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 4.8g | Vitamin A: 1575.2IU | Vitamin C: 22.1mg | Calcium: 163.5mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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