The Last Meatball Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Makes roughly 2 dozen
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 10-15 minutes

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground breakfast sausage, or sausage of choice 
1 egg
1/3 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 clove finely minced, fresh garlic 
2 Tbsp. olive oil for frying the meatballs 
1-2 cups chicken stock, as needed

Using two forks, or your hand shaped into a stiff claw, mix all ingredients. Mix well, but do not squeeze meat through your fingers or over mix. Mixture should appear aerated. Form meatballs gently by hand or by using a self-release ice cream scoop, keeping the size to just under 1 oz. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or cast iron over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, begin adding meatballs. Fry 10-12 at a time. Rotate meatballs to promote even browning on all sides, every 2 minutes. While meatballs cook, add chicken stock and turn heat up to medium-high. Gently shake the pan to keep meatballs moving. Meatballs are ready once chicken stock has evaporated. The liquid will be gone and meat will be glossy and cooked through.

Tips: 

·  Don’t squeeze meatballs or roll them for too long. Meat mixture should retain the fat.

·         Use sausage for extra flavor. Ground pork is fine, just bump up your salt and seasonings.

·         Feel free to add ANYTHING to tailor these meatballs to your liking: ricotta, fresh parm, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, or white wine. These are all excellent additions. The pesto recipe from our last post is an AMAZING accompaniment to these little guys! This will be your holy grail meatball recipe to work from!