These frozen meatballs are a convenient, healthy, and delicious way to meal prep! Cook a bunch of these homemade meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. Reheat in a favorite sauce, in an air fryer, oven, or even crock pot! These are definitely a must-make.
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Why You'll ❤️ Freezer Meatballs
"Easy grab-and-go meals are my favorite! Eat these fresh the day of and then freeze the rest for a different meal later on. Make different sauces, use them in different recipes; the options are endless!"
There are so may ways to make meatballs, try these baked Danish Meatballs, or these cheese stuffed ones!
Convenient
This recipe is so delicious on its own, and I love any recipe that I can freeze and pull at a later date. Bonus - these reheat super well and hold together as if fresh from day one! Leftover meatballs make a great sandwich!
Versatile
Frozen Italian meatballs are one of our family's favorite things I make because they are delicious on day one, but our favorite is the next day when we make meatball grilled cheese sandwiches! Make Swedish meatballs with gravy, spaghetti with meatballs, or even meatball subs.
Healthy
Healthy meatballs you can feel good about serving your family!
- These meatballs are baked instead of fried.
- You can easily make these meatballs low-carb and keto-friendly by using keto bread.
- Lower the fat in this recipe by using lean ground beef.
- Use gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten-free.
- No sugar is added.
🥘 What You'll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need to make Frozen Meatballs:
- 80/20 Ground Beef - or, use any preferred blend.
- Ground Pork
- Fresh White Bread Crumbs - crusts are removed and processed in a food processor. Substitute low-carb keto bread or gluten-free bread if desired.
- Parmesan Cheese - finely grated.
- Egg
- Onion Soup Mix - use my recipe for this or substitute it with a store-bought packet.
- Dried Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
🔪 How To Make It
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this frozen meatball recipe:
Make Meatballs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.
Form into one-and-a-half-inch meatballs and place on baking sheet.
Bake or Freeze Raw Meatballs
Baked Meatballs
Cook the meatballs for 18 to 22 minutes or until heated through.
Frozen Uncooked Meatballs
You can also freeze uncooked meatballs then cook them at a later time in the oven, thawed, at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes cooking time.
I have found it easier to cook them before freezing, then you can easily get them out of the freezer use them for any purpose.
Prepare to Freeze
Remove the meatballs from baking sheet and wipe off any fats or juices that have accumulated. Place the meatballs on a clean parchment-lined baking sheet, in a single layer separated.
Place the tray into the freezer for one to two hours or until frozen. Transfer the frozen meatballs into an air-tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat
Here's how to reheat cooked frozen meatballs:
Add frozen meatballs to sauce: Simmer the meatballs in a sauce of choice until they have thawed and warmed through.
Oven: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Cook meatballs on a baking sheet and bake until they have heated through.
Air Fryer Meatballs: Reheat the meatballs in a preheated 350 degree F air-fryer until heated through. Toss about halfway through. Air fryer frozen meatballs are a super quick and easy recipe!
Slow Cooker: Reheat cooked frozen meatballs in pasta sauce, gravy, condensed cream of mushroom soup, in a slow cooker in low heat.
🥗 How To Use
Here are a few ways to use frozen meatballs:
Cook frozen meatballs by simmering them in marinara sauce, or another sauce of choice, until they have thawed and warmed through. Serve over cooked pasta.
Serve these as an appetizer or snack and dip in barbecue sauce, marinara, or a sweet and sour sauce. Or, reheat in a crockpot with a small jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili sauce!
Use these meatballs to make a meatball sub, and cut them to make a meatball grilled cheese!
Serve alongside these buttery cauliflower mashed potatoes or mashed potatoes with a side of super easy air fryer green beans.
Make Swedish gravy for Swedish meatballs.
📖 Variations
Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to this recipe:
- Add some crushed red pepper or chipotle powder if you're looking to add some spice.
- Substitute with your preferred ground meats such as turkey, chicken, or lamb instead of ground beef and pork.
💭 Top Tips
- When shaping the meatballs, use a heaping tablespoon to get the approximate size.
- Make sure your meatballs are separated on the baking sheet and not touching each other during the freezing process.
- After mixing your meatball mixture, set it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow it to seize up a bit. This will help the portioning process move quickly.
❓FAQs
Yes, of course, you can! From the freezer, cook the frozen meatballs directly into your favorite pasta sauce until they are heated through. You can also reheat them in an oven or air fryer at 325 degrees F until they are warmed through
You do not have to thaw meatballs. Cook meatballs (frozen) in your favorite sauce or reheat in oven or air fryer.
From frozen, the best way to add flavor to your meatballs is to heat them in a sauce of your choice. Some of the most popular sauces are marinara, cream based pasta sauces, wing, and bbq sauce!
✔️ More Meatball Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious meatballs, check these out:
- Danish Meatballs (Frikadeller)
- Hearty Lamb Meatball Soup Recipe
- Lamb Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
- Reuben Bake With Meatballs (Low Carb and Keto)
- Cheese Stuffed Baked Meatball Recipe
📋 Recipe
Frozen Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (Process in food processor). Low carb Keto bread can be used.
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 1 recipe onion soup mix (or 1 store-bought packet)
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Form into 1½" meatballs and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 18 to 22 minutes, or until done inside.
- Remove the meatballs from the baking sheet and wipe off any fats or juices that accumulated. Place the meatballs on a clean parchment lined baking, in a single-layer separated.
- Place the tray into the freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until frozen. Transfer the frozen meatballs into an air-right container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To use, place the desired quantity of frozen meatballs directly into your favorite marinara sauce and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
Nutrition
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