Crispy Oven-Roasted Beef and Pork Meatballs

I don’t make these all that often, but when I do, I remember exactly why I love them. Oven meatballs are just something special, that little bit of golden crust on the outside with a tender, juicy center is honestly hard to beat. Now, if you’re planning to make a big batch and store them for later, I’d actually say go with a pan and a sauce, they hold up way better that way. But if you’re making them to eat the same day? The oven is your best friend.

The thing about roasting meatballs is that they do dry out faster than pan-fried ones, so they’re best enjoyed right out of the oven, still warm, still slightly crispy on the outside. Trust me, they won’t last long on the table anyway.

This recipe is pretty much one of my classic meatball formulas, the only twist here is using a mix of beef and pork just to shake things up a bit. Quick tip from experience though, when you’re at the butcher, ask them to grind the meat only once. A lot of butchers will grind it twice or more without thinking, and while that’s fine for some things, for meatballs it takes you from ground meat to something closer to a paste, and that’s not what we’re going for here. A coarser grind will give you a meatier meatball. Let’s get into it!

Crispy Oven-Roasted Beef and Pork Meatballs

Servings: 16
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
Print

Nothing better than a big pile of roasted meatballs, perfect for any party 🙂

Ingredients

Beef – 400g (Ground)
Pork – 200g (Ground)
Onion – 1
Garlic – 4 cloves
Egg – 1
Breadcrumbs – 3 tablespoons (adjust as needed)
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch
Cilantro – A pinch (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Roughly chop the onion and garlic and place them in a bowl, followed by the meats, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything until a dough forms.

Then add about 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, mix a little more, try to form a ball. If it’s too liquid or sticky, add a little more breadcrumbs, adjusting until you obtain a dough with the perfect consistency. Don’t add too much bread, just enough to dry the dough and give it consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Then shape the dough into balls and place them on the baking sheet. You can make them large or small, as long as they are all the same size. If you need help, measure the entire dough and then divide it and weigh each piece with a scale.
Then bake in the oven. They don’t need much time as normal meatballs, about 20 minutes, and they are ready when they are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and they are ready to serve, enjoy your meal.

Notes & Tips: I didn’t have cilantro on hand when I made these, not even frozen, but if you do, a little pinch mixed in or sprinkled on top adds a really fresh touch. Not a cilantro fan? A bit of parsley works just as well.

If the meatballs feel a little under-seasoned once they’re out of the oven, a light sprinkle of Parmesan or even just a bit of flaky salt over each one does wonders. Also, don’t be shy about using a meat thermometer if you’re unsure, internal temp should reach 74ºC (165ºF) to be safe.

One more thing and this is a big one, the oven is absolutely perfect if you need to make a massive pile of meatballs. On a stovetop, you’re limited by the size of your pan and you end up doing batch after batch. In the oven, you can load up two or more racks at the same time and roast them all at once. That makes this recipe ideal for parties, game nights, or any situation where you need to feed a crowd without losing your mind.

This recipe for Crispy Oven-Roasted Beef and Pork Meatballs was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Almôndegas de Vaca e Porco no Forno foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.