Sure there are tons of great meatball recipes, but how you cook em is important too. In your experience, how would you cook meatballs if you had a choice using the same recipe? (oven baked, simmered, broiled, etc)
I'm not the best restaurant pioneer, so I couldn't tell a masterpiece from a great one. I use a decent over-baked recipe, but I feel I'm missing out using it over and over again. Share any great recipes if you like as well.

deep fried

sear in oven, finish in sauce.

pan sear them on the stove in olive oil on high heat, then finish them in the oven. Gives them a nice outside texture and helps them to not dry out.

I would imagine the ingredients in the meatball (the meats mainly) would matter for something like this.


Interesting, seems like it would add a nice texture. Mine do come out lacking that crisp, brown, outer shell. I'll give this a try next time.


Anyone use any special meats in their meatballs? I sometimes use ground turkey for some very moist, and not so heavy meatballs. I have yet to try a nice spicy meatball though.

I always use a mix of ground chuck and ground pork shoulder. Perfect amount of fat to keep them nice and juicy, and very flavorful. If you want to add different meats you for sure can. I would still do ground chuck and pork shoulder as the base, and then add the other meats on top of that, unless you're cooking for people that don't eat pork/beef or are going the healthier route. I sear them as well then finish at a lower heat. I don't really see a big difference between pan searing and oven searing since they both achieve the same results. My method depends on how many meatballs I'm making. If I'm making a LOT, I'll use the oven, if not, I'll pan sear them. I always finish them in the sauce however.

My mom uses something like ground sausage, half ground beef and oven cooks them. They turn out amazing but obviously there are better ways to cook them.

Took me about 5 different recipes and some trial and error to perfect my meatballs.

Please, do share.

this is correct.