The easiest meatball recipes keep the method really quick and simple, while making sure the meatball remains juicy and full of flavour. For me, that's either searing them in a skillet and letting them finish cooking in the sauce, or air frying them for about 10 minutes.
In this post I'll be sharing my 10 most popular easy meatball recipes, from one-pot Thai chicken meatballs with coconut rice to creamy one-pan pastas with meatballs. Most of them are made in just one pan and the majority come together in 30 minutes or less.
After a recent trip to Sweden, I've become obsessed with meatballs (they're practically the national dish, after all), so I've gathered all of my easy meatball recipes in one place. My favorite trick, which you'll spot in a few of these, is searing the meatballs until they're golden outside but still raw in the middle, then letting them finish cooking in the sauce. They stay juicy because they never overcook while everything else simmers, and it saves on washing up!
Every single recipe in this guide is one I've made myself, tested multiple times, and absolutely love. I hope you find something that becomes a new favorite!
And, if you scroll to the bottom you'll get the links to all of my easy meatball recipes in one place.
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Easy meatball pasta recipes
If meatball pasta is what you're craving, start here. Two of these also cook the pasta right in the sauce, so there's no separate pot of boiling water to juggle. My lemon Boursin pasta and creamy chorizo pasta use the same one-pan method if you're looking for more pasta inspiration!
1. Zucchini Meatballs (with Creamy Boursin Pasta)
This is my most popular meatball recipe, and everything happens in one pot.
Ground chicken meatballs with grated zucchini are browned in a skillet, then spaghetti simmers in the same pan in a creamy sauce made from Boursin and chicken stock. I created it after visiting Henry's parents, who were growing zucchini in abundance and asking me for recipe ideas. Make sure you don't skip salting and squeezing the zucchini, because the extra water makes the meatballs soft and hard to brown.
This recipe takes 40 minutes, and serves four. Oh, and, one reader said the squeeze of lemon at the end is a must, and I naturally completely agree!!
2. Creamy Mushroom Meatball Pasta
This is the recipe my Sweden trip inspired and it'll be one i'll be making on repeat.
The thing with Swedish meatballs is that they normally come smothered in a creamy sauce, so I turned that idea into a one-pan pasta with seared pork meatballs, torn mushrooms and pasta simmered in vegetable stock and cream cheese. The pasta releases its starch as it cooks, which makes the sauce silky without any heavy cream. There's no egg in the meatballs either, just panko, parsley, garlic and a tablespoon of soy sauce that seasons them from the inside.
It's ready in about 40 minutes and serves four. Enjoy!
3. Creamy Pesto Pasta and Meatballs
This is my take on spaghetti and meatballs, with a creamy homemade pesto in place of tomato sauce. The meatballs are a 50/50 mix of ground pork and beef, which makes them the juiciest and most flavorful, and they're tossed with spaghetti, basil pesto, a little light cream and starchy pasta water. I like my pesto smooth with a few little chunks, but store-bought meatballs and pesto both work when you're short on time.
It serves four in 40 minutes, freezes for up to 3 months, and one reader called it creamy, filling and very delicious. Let's see what you think!
Meatball recipes with rice and noodles
These three easy meatball recipes lean on Thai and Japanese flavors, with red curry paste, lemongrass, fish sauce and a homemade teriyaki glaze doing the heavy lifting. All of them are ready in 30 minutes or less.
4. The BEST Thai Chicken Meatballs
I made these at the end of a really long week, when I wanted something quick that still packed a ton of flavor, and they're probably one of the best things I've made in a while.
You season the ground chicken meatballs with cilantro and fish sauce and then sear them, before nestling them on jasmine rice that cooks in coconut milk and red Thai curry paste, all in one pot. My most important tip for this recipe is don’t overwork the chicken meatball mixture. Also, ground chicken can be quite lean, so over-mixing can quickly make the meatballs dense or rubbery. So, gently combine everything with your hands until the ingredients are just about incorporated and then stop.
I finish the recipe with a generous squeeze of lime. It makes four portions in 30 minutes, enjoy!!
5. Teriyaki Meatballs with Spicy Miso Sauce
These are really fun to make! You brown the pork and beef meatballs first, then simmer them with the lid on in a homemade teriyaki sauce of light soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar. I make my own teriyaki because store-bought versions are often way too sweet for me. The finishing touch is a creamy spicy miso sauce with white miso, cream and sriracha. I serve them over Thai jasmine rice with chives and black sesame seeds.
They're ready in 30 minutes, serve two and are perfect for a night in.
6. Thai-Style Pork Meatball Noodle Soup
This is one of my go-to weeknight dinners, and it's so comforting when you're feeling a bit under the weather. The pork meatballs are packed with lemongrass, ginger, garlic and lime zest (grating lime always brings back memories of my travels in Southeast Asia), and simmer in a red Thai curry broth with shiitake mushrooms. Serve it over vermicelli rice noodles and pile on fresh mint, cilantro, scallions and chili oil.
At only 25 minutes for two bowls, it's one of the quickest recipes on this list.
15-minute air fryer meatballs
I'm obsessed with making meatballs in the air fryer. Both of these take 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook at 355°F (180°C), and I find they hold their shape better than meatballs cooked in a pan.
If you have a Ninja like me, my Ninja air fryer recipes guide has lots more ideas.
7. The BEST Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
I love prepping a batch of these in advance and eating them through the week with pasta, in a sandwich or in a curry.
Lean ground turkey is mixed with parsley, garlic, paprika and panko, rolled to about the size of a golf ball, and air fried for just 10 minutes until golden. I combine the mixture with a fork rather than kneading it, because kneading pushes out the air and makes the meatballs dense. They keep for up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.
8. Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs (10 Minutes)
Henry said these were some of the best things I've ever made, and they're one of my all-time favorite recipes.
The ground chicken meatballs are really easy to make and need only ground chicken, finely chopped carrot, celery, red onion and garlic. You then air fry them for about 10 minutes, before tossing them in buffalo sauce and piling them onto a homemade blue cheese sauce with jalapeños, chives and lime wedges. The whole plate takes 15 minutes.
I tend to either serve them as a side, tuck them into a pita, or add some homemade fries or herby rice to make it a bigger dinner.
Meatballs for sharing platters and sandwiches
These two easy meatball recipes are made for feeding people. One is a fresh Greek platter that's perfect for summer barbecues, and the other is an Italian-American meatball sandwich for when you have a little more time.
9. Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Keftedes are Greek meatballs, and mine are a real crowd-pleaser.
Ground pork is mixed with crumbled feta, fresh mint, parsley and garlic, pan-fried until golden, then piled onto my feta tzatziki with dill, mint and lemon wedges. Adding feta to tzatziki isn't traditional, but I love the extra flavor. The recipe takes 30 minutes and doubles easily for 6 to 8 people, so just set the platter on the table with some pita.
You can also air fry the meatballs for 15 minutes at 360°F (180°C).
10. Meatball Sandwich
I really do love a good sandwich. And this recipe is a fun fusion of Italian and American cooking with little beef meatballs spiced with nutmeg and chili flakes, a simple homemade marinara, and a baguette loaded with mozzarella and cheddar that goes under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden. My tip for the marinara is to let it simmer for as long as you can, because the longer it cooks, the tastier it gets.
My top tips for easy meatballs
Making good meatballs isn't an exact science and there are a few ways they can turn out not as planned... These five tips come from developing and testing every recipe on this list and should have you covered.
- Roll with damp hands. Ground chicken in particular can be quite sticky. Lightly wetting your hands stops the mixture clinging to your palms, so you get smooth, even meatballs without needing to add extra breadcrumbs.
- Keep them the same size. Most of my recipes make about 16 meatballs. Dividing the mixture evenly means they all cook at the same rate, so you don't end up with some overcooked and others raw in the middle.
- Leave them alone while they brown. Give the meatballs a couple of minutes before turning them. If you move them too early they stick and tear, and if they're still sticking, they usually need another minute.
- Don't wash the pan after searing. The golden bits left behind are packed with flavor, which is why my Thai chicken meatballs and mushroom pasta build their sauce in the same pan.
- Taste before adding more salt. Curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, stock and parmesan all bring salt, so season the meatball mixture lightly and taste the finished sauce before adding any more.
What to serve with meatballs
Most of these are a full dinner on their own, but the platter and air fryer need something yummy alongside. For the Greek keftedes I'd add a warm pita and my Greek pearl couscous salad, which covers the same fresh, lemony ground.
The buffalo and turkey meatballs are brilliant with my 2-ingredient bread bites for mopping up sauce, or alongside an easy jacket potato with cheesy beans if you want it properly filling. For the Thai and teriyaki ones, my sticky ginger eggplant is the side I make most often, and a Vietnamese-inspired summer salad cuts through the richer sauces.
My easy meatball recipes at a glance
Here's my quick cheat sheet for how all 10 meatball recipes compare, so you can pick the right one for tonight.
| Recipe | Meatballs | Method | Ready in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zucchini meatballs with Boursin pasta | Ground chicken and zucchini | One pot | 40 minutes |
| Creamy mushroom meatball pasta | Ground pork | One pan | 40 minutes |
| Creamy pesto pasta and meatballs | Ground pork and beef | Skillet, plus a pot for the pasta | 40 minutes |
| Thai chicken meatballs | Ground chicken | One pot with rice | 30 minutes |
| Teriyaki meatballs with spicy miso sauce | Ground pork and beef | Skillet and saucepan | 30 minutes |
| Thai-style pork meatball noodle soup | Ground pork | One pan, plus noodles | 25 minutes |
| Air fryer turkey meatballs | Ground turkey | Air fryer | 15 minutes |
| Air fryer chicken meatballs | Ground chicken | Air fryer | 15 minutes |
| Greek meatballs (keftedes) | Ground pork and feta | Skillet | 30 minutes |
| Meatball sandwich | Ground beef | Stovetop and broiler | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Easy meatball recipe FAQs
For me, the air fryer is the easiest way. Golf ball-sized meatballs cook in about 10 minutes at 355°F (180°C), with no pan to watch. For saucy dinners, sear them in a skillet until golden and let them finish cooking in the sauce, like my Thai chicken meatballs, so there's only one pan to wash.
Mix the meat gently and only until it comes together, because overworking it makes meatballs dense. Use regular ground pork rather than extra-lean where you can, since the fat keeps them juicy, and add panko or breadcrumbs to soak up the juices. Lean ground turkey won't be quite as juicy, so season it well for flavor. And don't overcook them.
No. Seven of the 10 recipes in this roundup don't use egg at all, including my creamy mushroom meatball pasta, where panko soaks up the meat juices and binds the mixture. My Greek, pesto and teriyaki meatballs do use one egg, and in the pesto recipe you can swap it for a tablespoon of olive oil.
Cut one in half and check there's no pink or raw meat in the center. For certainty, use an instant-read thermometer: chicken and turkey meatballs are cooked at 165°F (74°C), and pork meatballs at 160°F (71°C). If they're not quite there, give them another couple of minutes and check again.
Yes. Cooked air fryer turkey and chicken meatballs freeze for up to 4 months, and cooked Greek meatballs for up to 6 months. For the mushroom pasta, I freeze the meatballs raw on a tray until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, and make sauces like tzatziki fresh.
Yes, especially in the pasta recipes. Raw store-bought meatballs can be seared and added exactly like homemade ones. If yours are precooked or frozen, skip the searing and follow the package directions so they're piping hot all the way through. My creamy pesto pasta and meatballs works well with store-bought meatballs and pesto too.
Save these easy meatball recipes
I'll keep adding new meatball recipes to this list as I develop them, so pin the image below or bookmark it for your next meatball night 👇🏻
If you tried any of the recipes on this list, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
More easy dinner roundups
If you still can't decide what to make for tonight, then take a look at some of my other easy dinner roundups.
- 25 creamy pasta sauce recipes: rich cream sauces, lighter blended ones and 5-minute no-cook sauces.
- 15 ramen noodle recipes: creamy, brothy and quick noodle bowls for every mood.
- Ninja air fryer recipes: every air fryer recipe I've tested, plus a cooking times table.
Always see my recipes in Google
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