Meatballs are an important staple for a Sunday night dinner that all home cooks should know how to prepare. One of the best parts about meatballs is that every person has a different variation of how to prepare the classically Italian dish. You might be a stickler for fresh basil, rosemary, and oregano, or can appreciate the utility of dried herbs in your recipe instead. Or, you may believe pork-and-beef mixes rein supreme — while others are more adventurous with ingredients like minced lamb or mutton.
Besides making sure you have the perfect set-up to make meatballs, you should also consider what kinds of ingredients you add to them to amp up the flavor. Like other dishes, you should always try to play with the main five main flavors — sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami — to engineer the perfect flavorful meatball. Experimenting with flavors, techniques, and ingredients may bring you into uncharted territory, but we can assure you that the adventure will be worth it.
As for me, I generally mash old meatballs up, just like you did with the sloppy joes. Then I treat them as I would fresh meat, and add whatever seasonings I’m in the mood for. I don’t have a very adventurous palate, so my go-to choices are usually mild, like onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, parsley and basil.
Improve the texture with chopped fresh vegetables
Chopped garlic and onions dont have to be relegated to the hearty gravy youre simmering on meatball night. These are two special ingredients that can add an organic undertone to your meatball blend. Youll need to cook these ingredients down before you add them to your meatballs; this step will even out the texture of your meatballs and ensure that they do not release too much water to cause them to fall apart.
If you notice your meatballs falling apart, you should also examine the size of your non-meat ingredients. Leaving large chunks of onion or pepper in your meatballs means that the binder and the meat wont stick together and keep the shape of the meatball. Besides finely dicing, you should also avoid the meatball mistake of including too many vegetables in your meatball — it is a “meat” ball after all.
Swap in infused olive oil
Olive oil is an important ingredient for sautéing vegetables in a classic Italian meatball recipe. And one way to take olive oil a step up is by using an infused olive oil instead of a plain one. Chef George Zakarian uses rosemary-infused olive oil to sear his meatballs; he believes the meaty flavor contrasts the organic flavor of the herb well (via TikTok).
There are several methods to infuse olive oil at home. Simmer your oil and aromatics on a stove for up to 15 minutes — just be sure not to let the oil boil to disrupt the flavor of the infusion. Once the oil is completely cooled, you can strain it and store it in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can leave your fresh herbs and oil in a bottle in the fridge for about a week. For herb-infused olive oil, you should leave it in a cool, dry place for about a month. If you use fresh herbs to infuse your olive oil, you should use the infusion within a week.
Creating Homemade Flavor: Elevating Frozen Meatballs
FAQ
Why do my meatballs taste bland?
How do you fix dry cooked meatballs?
How do you reheat fully cooked meatballs?
How do you make spicy meatballs taste better?
For a stronger flavor profile, you could incorporate the seasoning into the sauce as well. We recommend adding a hint of brown sugar to the sauce to help curb some of the acidity from the tomatoes and heat from the spices. You can pair your spicy meatballs with a delicious crusty piece of bread or a starchy side of quinoa, pasta, or rice.
How do you add spices to meatballs?
All of these spices are added to the meatballs with ground beef, fried onion pieces, and binders. For a stronger flavor profile, you could incorporate the seasoning into the sauce as well. We recommend adding a hint of brown sugar to the sauce to help curb some of the acidity from the tomatoes and heat from the spices.
How do you make chicken meatballs taste good?
Grated Parmesan Cheese: More delicious flavor! Feel free to omit. Garlic: Mince 4–5 cloves; you’ll use some in the meatballs and some in the garlicky herb butter sauce. Seasonings: Salt, pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, and fresh parsley flavor these chicken meatballs from the inside out.
How do you make a meatball sauce?
Add the tomatoes, honey, salt, and pepper and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Lower the heat if the sauce begins to splatter. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to mix everything together.