Beef Appetizer Meatballs (Printable)
Tender, flavorful mini beef meatballs perfect for parties.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meatballs
01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 large egg
03 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
09 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
→ Sauce
10 - 1 cup tomato sauce
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil
12 - 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
13 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1 tsp dried oregano
15 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix until just combined; do not overwork.
03 - Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake for 15 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato sauce, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and garlic powder. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Transfer baked meatballs to the saucepan. Toss gently to coat and simmer together for 3–5 minutes.
07 - Serve warm, garnished with extra parsley if desired. Provide toothpicks for easy serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- They taste homemade and indulgent but come together in under an hour, no stress required.
- The sweet-savory sauce is addictive, and guests always eat more than they planned.
- You can make them ahead and reheat, which means less scrambling when people arrive.
02 -
- Don't overwork the meat mixture—it's tempting to really knead it like dough, but that creates dense, rubbery meatballs instead of tender ones.
- Baking instead of pan-frying means less oil and a cleaner kitchen, plus it's nearly impossible to mess up the cooking.
- The sauce brings everything together, so don't skip simmering the meatballs in it at the end; that's when the magic happens.
03 -
- If your meatballs are falling apart when you handle them, refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes before rolling—cold meat holds together much better.
- Don't crowd the baking sheet; give each meatball a little space so heat can circulate and brown them evenly on all sides.
- Taste the sauce while it simmers and adjust the honey and salt to your preference—some tomato sauces are more acidic than others, so trust your palate.