A better baked meatball

I rolled hundreds so you don’t have to.

Here at 40 Ingredients Forever, recipes are abundant in flavor and joy yet streamlined in process—because they’re all made of the same 40 ingredients.

The before

Any meatball I’ve made in the oven has either been gorgeously browned but dry, or blissfully juicy but gray. Broiling the meatballs the whole time was the closest I’d gotten to a browned-and-juicy meatball, but broilers are too fiddly and unpredictable to be the primary method for an oven meatball, which should be reliable, there for you anytime you need one.

But anytime I publish a recipe for meatballs cooked on the stove, commenters let me know: You know, baking them is easier. Fewer splatters, less clean-up, hands-off. I do know, but a stovetop meatball is profoundly more delicious. And if you’re going to go through all the work of rolling all those meatballs, they better be good.

That was the before. Before I spent days of my life baking meatballs for a cookbook I am ghost recipe-developing (this is like ghost writing but the recipes). In search of a better baked meatball, I tried all the ways, read all the tricks, and rolled all the meatballs (hundreds). The answer is a method from Dawn Perry:

• Cook the meatballs on an ungreased sheet pan (foil-lined for easier clean-up).

• Bake at 425°F for a short amount of time, until they start to cook through.

• Broil at the end for golden tops.

Are these perfectly round meatballs with 360 degrees of browning? No, but no baked meatball ever was. And their taste makes up for appearances big time. The tops are lightly browned and when you bite in, you’ll break through the deeply crispy crust on the bottom. The interior is juicy, so juicy.

I’ve tried the method with all the ground meats, various binders, and various liquids. The method does work, even with very lean turkey or beef (and meatless meat). It just works! Below is my go-to ratio for meatballs, but any meatball recipe you like can be cooked this way. 

Now

Baked Meatballs 

Serves 4 (12 meatballs)

• 1 garlic clove 

• 1 cup fresh or panko bread crumbs, or crushed crackers

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 large egg

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 pound ground meat (lamb, chicken, pork, beef, turkey, or a combination, or meatless ground)

• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons (or more!) chopped soft herb leaves, such as basil, parsley, dill, or cilantro

• Olive oil, for greasing

1. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Peel and finely grate 1 garlic clove into a large bowl. Add 1 cup fresh or panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup water, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add 1 pound ground meat (lamb, chicken, pork, beef, turkey, or a combination, or meatless ground), 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons (or more!) chopped soft herb leaves, such as basil, parsley, dill, or cilantro. Stir with your hands until combined, avoiding overmixing. Using olive-oiled hands, roll into 12 balls (about 3 tablespoons/2 ½ ounces each) and place on an ungreased sheet pan as you go. If the meat is soft and not holding its shape, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to firm before rolling (you can also store the mixture covered for up to 2 days).

3. Roast until sizzling and no longer pink, 11 to 14 minutes. Switch heat to broil and broil until beginning to brown on top, 2 to 4 minutes. Move the pan around as needed for even browning. Let rest for 3 to 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the meatballs to their next destination (marvel at their golden undersides).

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• Fresh or panko bread crumbs, or crushed crackers: By fresh bread crumbs, I mean picking out fine crumbs from bread, whether a loaf, slice, burger buns, hero rolls—whatever you have. Fresher crumbs will make softer meatballs than  toasted or stale crumbs, in which case you might just need to refrigerate the meatballs to firm before baking.

• Water: Trade out up to ¼ cup of the water for other liquids, like ricotta, yogurt, cream, teriyaki sauce, tahini, or pesto. 

• Garlic and Parmesan: These flavoring don’t impact the structure of the meatballs, so feel free to play with them (see below).

• Ground meat: Also works with meatless meat. Didn’t try, but imagine they’re also work with tinned fish and finely chopped shrimp or fish.

Freezing meatballs 

Cook the meatballs, then let them cool completely. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook directly from frozen by simmering in sauce for 10 to 15 minutes or heating in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

More meatball inspiration

• Green chimichurri

• Spiced lamb

• Ginger-cilantro

• Scallion-mozzarella

• Hot sauce tahini

Recipe testing by Eliza Winograd