These 15 Easy Meatball Recipes perfect for appetizers, snacks, and even a main course, especially during football season or for entertaining! Here’s a roundup of my favorite ground beef, chicken, turkey, and pork meatballs!

collage of meatball recipes

Easy Meatball Recipes

Remember these Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs I made recently? Well, I wanted to keep the meatball fun going and share with you 15 Super Easy Meatball Recipes.

It’s no secret I love meatballs. They are not as hard to make as one would imagine and they can be made in so many ways and with so many variations. They make perfect appetizers or main dishes! Below I am sharing my favorite easy meatball recipes. Most of these recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less! Feel free to substitute either ground chicken, beef, pork or turkey for any of the meatballs. I always use what I have on hand! I have also included my tips for making the best meatballs below!

Tips for Making the Best Meatballs

  • Don’t overwork your ingredients: Just like baked goods the more you work your meatball dough the tougher and chewier the cooked meatball will be. I like to mix the meatballs with my hands just until they are combined.
  • Sear your meatball: I always like to brown my meatballs on all sides over very high heat. This adds so much flavor and helps to lock in the juices.
  • Buy 80 / 20: When possible I like to use 80 / 20 in my meatball recipes to ensure the meatballs stay juicy and don’t dry out.
  • Portion out meatballs: I like to use a cookie scoop to portion out meatballs. This keeps everything uniform and helps all of the meatballs to cook evenly and not dry out.
  • Grease hands: When you are shaping the meatballs by hand I recommend lightly greasing or wetting your hands. This helps the meatball from sticking to your hands and help you to form a perfectly shaped meatball!
  • Appetizer/Entree: I like to make my meatballs a lot smaller if I plan to serve the meatballs as appetizers so they are bite sized. Entree meatballs are a lot bigger and are about the size of a golf ball.
  • Use different meats: I like to use a combination of meats when I am making meatballs. This adds so much flavor and helps add needed fat to leaner cuts of meats.
  • Season your meatballs: Seasoning your meatballs are key! To test the seasoning of your meatballs take a small teaspoon of your meatball mixture and cook it in a hot pan. The mixture will only take 30 seconds or so to cook and you can taste test your meatballs before cooking the full batch.
  • Keep your ingredients cold: This helps keep the fat from breaking down. I keep my eggs, cheeses and meats in the fridge and take them out right before I plan to use them. I also try not to overwork the dough with my hands. This will warm up the mixture as well.

Pork and Beef Meatballs

The majority of these easy meatball recipes are the classic combination of ground beef and ground pork. You can always make them exclusively beef or pork, but the combination results in a super juicy, ultra flavorful meatball every time.

Six browned Italian meatballs sit in a skillet filled with chunky red tomato sauce, with a wooden spoon partially visible on the right side.
Super Tender Italian Meatballs
Super Tender Italian Meatballs. Loaded with Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and garlic. They melt in your mouth and are incredibly tender. Takes less than 30 minutes to make!
4.50 from 8 votes
Easy Italian Meatball Recipe
Meatballs in a glossy brown sauce with chopped green onions and diced red and yellow bell peppers, served in a metal pan—a hearty dish that’s just as satisfying as classic favorites like Curry Chicken Salad.
Teriyaki Beef Meatballs
Super Easy Teriyaki Beef Meatballs. Serve as an appetizer or add rice to make it a meal. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
5 from 9 votes
Teriyaki Beef Meatballs
Close-up of Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs glazed to perfection, topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, arranged in a pan with a wooden spoon.
Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs
These Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs are bold, saucy, and absolutely irresistible! Made with a savory blend of beef and pork and bathed in a sweet and tangy Asian-inspired sauce, they're the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer or an easy weeknight dinner served over rice.
4.67 from 3 votes
Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs
A bowl of egg noodles topped with savory Salisbury Steak Meatballs in rich brown gravy, garnished with chopped parsley. A fork rests inside the bowl.
Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Salisbury Steak Meatballs. Beef meatballs smothered in a delicious homemade gravy! Pure comfort food!
5 from 2 votes
Sainsbury Steak Meatballs
A plate of white rice topped with make-ahead meatballs, colorful bell peppers, onions, sesame seeds, and chopped green onions, with a gold fork on the side.
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs recipe packs a ton of flavor in every bite. The meatballs are smothered in a tangy sweet and sour sauce, then topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onion. They make a great appetizer or main dish for any night of the week!
5 from 1 vote
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatball Recipe
A bowl of white rice topped with glazed Vietnamese meatballs, garnished with chopped green onions. A pair of chopsticks holds one flavorful meatball above the rest.
Vietnamese Meatballs
These Vietnamese Pork Meatballs are loaded with flavor! They are made with fresh mint, cilantro, fish sauce, ginger and garlic then baked until golden brown!
5 from 1 vote
Vietnamese Meatball Recipe
Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs covered in a dark glaze sit in a black pot, topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. A wooden spoon rests among the slow cooker meatballs, partially coated in sauce.
Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
These Slow-Cooker Sriracha Meatballs are the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy! Made with pork, ginger, and garlic, they are baked until golden brown and then slow-cooked in a bold sriracha-ketchup sauce packed with flavor. Let your slow cooker do the work, and you can enjoy every deliciously saucy bite!
3 from 2 votes
Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
A close-up of creamy pasta noodles, sliced mushrooms, and juicy meatballs in a rich Meatball Stroganoff sauce, garnished with fresh herbs and being stirred with a wooden spoon.
One Pan Meatball Stroganoff
One Pan Meatball Stroganoff. A quick and delicious dinner that is ready in less than 30 minutes!
4.49 from 43 votes
One Pan Meatball Stroganoff
Crockpot Meatballs in tomato sauce topped with chopped parsley and grated cheese, with a wooden spoon scooping one meatball from the pot.
Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
Super Tender Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs. Loaded with Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and garlic. They melt in your mouth and are incredibly tender. Simmered low and slow for 4 hours!
4.90 from 88 votes
Crockpot Italian Meatballs

Chicken Meatball Recipes

While homemade meatballs are traditionally made with a combination of beef and pork, you can lighten them up by using ground chicken. This style of easy meatball recipes pair especially well with lighter sauces, but they can also be swapped for red meat-based meatballs found in more standard recipes like spaghetti.

A white bowl filled with several golden-brown meatballs garnished with chopped herbs, accompanied by lime wedges, sits invitingly—reminiscent of the cozy comfort found in a batch of freshly baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. A fork is holding one of the meatballs, ready to enjoy.
Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs A quick weeknight dinner that takes less than 30 minutes to make.
4.84 from 30 votes
Thai Curry Meatball Recipe
A close-up of Asian Chicken Meatballs glazed to perfection, topped with sesame seeds and chopped chives, served in a white bowl.
Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
Asian Style Chicken Meatballs. Baked and tossed in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce. Serve as an appetizer or add rice to make it a meal.
5 from 7 votes
Asian Chicken Meatball Recipe
A close-up of a plate of spicy Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken Meatballs garnished with herbs and chili flakes, with one meatball being picked up by a skewer.
Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
Super Easy Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken Meatballs. The perfect blend of spicy and sweet! They make a great appetizer or main dish!
4.63 from 8 votes
Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

Turkey Meatball Recipes

Ground turkey is a healthier and lighter swap for traditional red meat or pork in meatball recipes. I recommend using either 80/20 or 93/7 ground turkey. I find 99% lean ground turkey will make the meatballs too dry.

Close-up of Baked Turkey Pesto Meatballs garnished with chopped herbs in a rich tomato sauce, with a spoon lifting one flavorful meatball from the pot.
Baked Turkey Pesto Meatballs
Baked Turkey Pesto Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese! These meatballs are amazing and loaded with tons of flavor!
5 from 4 votes
Baked Turkey Pesto Meatballs

Easy Meatball Soup Recipes

Homemade meatballs aren’t just for sub sandwiches and entrées. They are the perfect addition to soup too!

a serving of this Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup in a white bowl with a spoon
Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup
Quick and easy one pot Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup. Loaded with spinach, broccoli and turkey meatballs!
5 from 6 votes
Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup
A bowl of meatball stew with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, a rich broth, herbs, and grated cheese evokes warm comfort food vibes—perfectly complemented by a side of zesty Buffalo Chicken Dip and served with a gold spoon.
Italian Meatball Soup
Italian Meatball Soup loaded with vegetables, beef meatballs and Italian broth. A super satisfying and hearty soup!
4.75 from 4 votes
Italian Meatball Soup Recipe