Meatball Appetizer Recipes For A Party

🎉 Why Make Meatballs For A Party?

When it comes to planning parties, I've discovered quick and easy tips that will be helpful to you. If appetizers are the only thing being served at a party, such as a baby shower, engagement party, or birthday celebration, I like to include meatballs as a hearty appetizer.

• Meatball appetizers are easy to keep hot and serve no matter what size of party you are having.
• Family-friendly appetizer that both kids and adults enjoy.
• Meatballs are a freezer-friendly party food to keep on hand for last minute gatherings!

Meatballs are also great for Game Day Party food. You can stuff them into hoagies or serve them as bite-sized treats tossed in my bacon BBQ Sauce. They also work for holiday parties or any time you expect a crowd.

💰Budget-Friendly Tip: Because meatballs are made with ground meat, you can add them to a selection of other Budget-friendly Appetizer Ideas for a party that's easy on the wallet. You can even serve them up for delicious budget-friendly meat for your weeknight dinner's main course dish.

Here is one more fun idea for serving meatballs. Make your meatballs with lean ground meat and use a low in sugar sauce such as marinara. Severe them with raw veggies, olives and pickled veggies. For more ideas, be sure to tap over to my Healthy Charcuterie Board Suggestions.

Tips For Making The Best Meatballs

With a few basic tips, you can cook delicious meatballs for your next party or dinner.

🤫 What's the secret to tender meatballs?

• Add day-old bread soaked in milk or water into your meatball ingredients. Mix this into your meat mixture for a light, tender meatball.
• Do not overcook your meatballs. Cooking ground beef, ground chicken, or ground pork too long makes it tough.
• Start with chilled meat and then add one-third cup of ice-cold water a little at a time. This is a secret to keeping meatballs tender without adding calories.
• Serve meatballs in a sauce after cooking so they do not dry out.

💡 What's the trick to meatballs that don't fall apart?

The number one thing to do is make sure you use a binder when making your meatballs. There are quite a few ways to do this including:

• Add bread pieces soaked in milk or mix in dried bread crumbs and eggs.
• Use crumbled Ritz crackers and egg mixture with the raw meat.
• I've seen some recipes use flour mixed into the meat mixture.

🏆 TOP TIP: Use a cookie scoop when forming the meatballs. This helps pack them together without overhandling the meatball mixture, which makes them tough.

Should meatballs be cooked before putting in sauce?

Yes, most definitely. Browning meatballs until a golden brown in a frying pan is best to add color to the outside of the meat, seals the juices, and also helps them keep their shape. After they're browned, finish cooking them in the sauce.

This method gives the meatballs a light, crunchy outside and a juicy, tender inside. It also infuses a flavor from the meatballs into the sauce.

How do I keep meatballs soft after cooking?

There's no one way to achieve tender meatballs, but here are some tricks I've used especially when they will be kept hot for an extended period of time.

• Add moisture when making the meatballs. This could be from veggies, barbecue sauces, or a little bit of ice water.
• Don't over-mix or pack them into balls too tightly.
• Keep the meatballs larger than an inch in diameter. Smaller than an inch tends to dry out when cooking.
• Pan-fry the outside of your meatballs first before adding to the sauce. This seals in the juices and keeps the inside tender.
• Use a timer to prevent overcooking overcook the meatballs.
• Use a mixture of meat with some fat. I like to use 30% high-fat meat to 70% lean ground beef for a soft meatball.

🧊 Can I cook frozen meatballs?

Yes, you can! The big advantage of frozen meatballs is most are already cooked so they just need to be heated.

Cook them in a preheated oven at 350° F. Place the number of frozen meatballs you want in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and toss them into your sauce.

🏆 TOP TIP: Be sure not to have the meatballs too close together; there should be an inch or more space between them to allow air to circulate around them which heats and browns them at the same time.

Should I thaw meatballs before going in a crockpot?

No, it's not necessary. You can put frozen meatballs directly into your crockpot. It's best to have them on the bottom so they will get the most heat.

Add the rest of your ingredients on top and follow the cooking time in the recipe.

🔥 What's the best way to keep meatballs hot for a party?

• Stovetop: keep them warm over very low heat for up to 1 hour
• Crockpot: After you have cooked the meatballs in sauce, transfer to a crockpot and set the temperature to a warm setting. They will keep for several hours. It is good to stir every hour to keep the sauce from sticking to the slow cooker.
• Chafing dish: An affordable option for large parties to keep food warm is a chafing dish. Another perk is they make cleaning up after the party a breeze.

Traditional Meatball Appetizers

If you're looking for classic flavors that appeal to a wide-variety of people then look no further. These meatballs make the perfect appetizer to serve for large groups. They're guaranteed to be a hit!

Here you will find meatballs in barbecue sauce, marinara sauce, buffalo sauce, and the famous grape jelly meatballs!

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Buffalo Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are the perfect quick snack or appetizer that you can make ahead and freeze in large batches. Then when you need a quick party snack just place them in your air fryer and bake. Sauce them up mild, medium, or extra hot.

Recipe

Crockpot Meatballs + More Ways to Make Meatballs Easily

Let's face it, sometimes we get pressed for time but that's when it's time to reach for kitchen tools that make life easier! The slow cooker meatballs are great because you can set them up and let them cook for hours with very little attention.

The Instant Pot is great for cooking your favorite homemade meatballs recipe quickly and much easier than other methods! Or reach for the air fryer for smaller groups or to use when the oven is full of other appetizers.

Discover old favorites but also some exciting new ways to serve meatballs for any special occasion.

International Flavors

Give your easy cocktail meatballs a makeover by making them with an international flair! In many instances, it's just a simple swap of a meatball sauce recipe that's needed to change it up.

There are lots of ways to incorporate more diverse flavors into your party menu! Let's look at a few ways that are some of my favorites!

Party Cocktail Meatballs

If you're looking for unique ways to serve up meatballs, then stop here! These are a little extra special, which makes them perfect for a fancier gathering. They'll still work for football parties, too but they may involve a bit more work than some of the other meatball recipes!

Mini Spaghetti Nests and Italian Meatballs Appetizer

These Mini Spaghetti Nests and Italian Meatball Appetizers are made with creamy Alfredo angel hair pasta & Italian-style meatballs.

Recipe

Meatballs Made Without Beef

While beef or a combination of meats are most commonly used for meatballs, there are other meats you can shape into meatballs! In many cases, this is one step to take when you're looking for a healthier cocktail meatball recipe!

Eggplant and Beef Meatballs Recipe

Your family will applaud your dinner when you make this healthy and delicious Eggplant and Beef Meatballs Recipe.

Recipe

Vegan Cocktail Meatballs

These vegan meatballs make the perfect party food when you're expecting vegan or vegetarians at a party! They're tasty enough to appeal to everyone attending, but a great way to cater to friends and family who don't eat meat.

Vegan meatballs will also appeal to guests who are looking for healthier food options at parties.

Meaty Vegan TVP Meatballs

Vegan tvp meatballs that are meaty, flavorful & meat eaters approved, yet also healthy at the same time ! They are also quick & easy to make.

Recipe