These Mini Meatballs are homemade, pan fried to perfection, then tossed into a delicious sauce of your choice. My friends and family beg me to bring these small meatballs coated in a sweet and sour cocktail meatball sauce to every Holiday event, especially for Christmas Eve!
These Mini Meatballs are one of the best Holiday Appetizers. They're easy to make and great to store in the crockpot during parties to keep them warm. However, I'm not going to lie, once people know they're in the crockpot, those meatballs will be gone!
This recipe includes my homemade cocktail sauce, which is the most popular during the Winter holidays, like Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Below you will find more sauce options, that are suitable year round, like this Quick Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti Alfredo Sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- These meatballs are mini, but big in flavor.
- Super easy to make and they cook quickly in the pan.
- Serve these as a Holiday Appetizer or for dinner.
- The recipe makes over 50 mini meatballs and it's great for a crowd.
For more Holiday appetizer ideas, try this Garlic Butter Baked Brie, Charcuterie Skewers, Turkey and Cheese Roll Ups, Christmas Cheese Ball, and Burrata Bruschetta.
Ingredients:
Ground Beef and Ground Pork- Come together for the best base for meatballs. The combination of the two creates the most tender, juicy meatballs. I recommend 85/15 for the ground beef. This means 85% lean meat to 15% fat. A 93/7 is going to be much drier and an 80/20 ratio is going to give off a lot of fat. An 85/15 ratio is really that sweet spot.
Bread and Milk: This is one of my best kept secrets for meatballs. You soak a slice of Italian or white bread with milk, then combine it with the meatball ingredients for another level of juicy.
Onion & Garlic: Added for flavor. The onion is best grated in this recipe because we're working with small meatballs and don't want large chunks of onions falling out or any crunch if they don't soften enough while pan frying.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations:
- If you don't like garlic or onion, you can leave either out of the meatballs. I don't recommend leaving out any of the other ingredients in the mini meatballs, as they really all serve an important purpose.
- Like fresh herbs in meatballs? Add in 1 tablespoon of finely chopped basil or parsley.
Other Sauce Choices:
- Alfredo Sauce Recipe: A simple white sauce served with Spaghetti and ready in 15 minutes.
- Homemade Pasta Sauce: Quick and easy marinara sauce that pairs exceptionally well with meatballs and only takes 10 minutes of prep time.
- Rose Sauce Recipe: Alfredo sauce meets marinara in this easy pink sauce recipe.
- Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice: For a serious holiday vibe, serve these meatballs plain with a side of this cranberry sauce for dipping. It screams Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Check out my Sweet Chili Sauce Meatballs too!
How to Make Mini Meatballs:
Step 1: In small bowl, rip the bread into 2 pieces and pour over the milk. Allow it to soak for a minute or two. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread only to a large bowl. Discard the remaining milk.
Step 2: In the large bowl, tear the bread into smaller pieces. Add in ground pork, ground beef, grated onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, egg, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together with hands or a spoon until it is fully combined.
Step 3: Roll into mini meatballs, about 2 teaspoons each in size and place them onto a cookie sheet. (We won't be baking them, but it holds all of the meatballs better than a plate will). You should get around 50 small meatballs. Sit them aside.
Step 4: If making the sweet and sour cocktail meatball sauce: Combine ketchup, 1 minced garlic clove, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, and cornstarch slurry into a large skillet. Stir to combine, then place it over the stovetop on medium low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should turn into a glaze like sauce.
Step 5: Prepare a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and allow it to heat up. Carefully add in ½ of the meatballs to the pan, making sure they have enough room to cook.
Step 6: Cook for a few minutes on each side, turning them about 3-4 times with a set of tongs, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 165 degrees, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the batch to a paper towel lined plate and start the next batch.
Step 7: Once all the meatballs are finished, carefully toss them in the sauce, covering all surfaces in the glaze.
Step 8: Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Remove some of the excess water from the onions with a paper towel if there is a ton of it.
- Try to roll the meatballs in a really similar size for even cooking time.
- If the sweet and sour sauce turns thicker than a glaze, add a few tablespoons of water into the sauce and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer.
- Having a party? Add them into a crockpot on the warm or low setting to keep them hot and ready to eat.
For more of my favorite meat recipes, check out this Cowboy Cornbread Casserole, Boneless Beef Short Ribs and Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin with Easy Pork Gravy.
Recipe FAQS:
If pan frying the meatballs turn the heat to medium low and cover the pan for a few minutes to cook the inside of the meatballs faster and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Soaking bread in milk and adding to meatballs will help create a juicy, rich meatball and avoid dry meatballs.
Cut the onion in half and remove peel. Carefully grate the onion on the largest setting on the cheese grater. Press the onions with a paper towel to remove some of the water. If you need all the water removed, enclose the grated onion in a cheesecloth and squeeze the extra water out over the sink.
If you have leftover meatballs, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in sauce on stovetop or bake in the oven at 350 degrees until warm. If the sauce gets really soaked up, make an extra batch of sauce (or cut recipe in half if you don't have many meatballs) and add the sauce over the meatballs.
Absolutely! You can freeze them after rolling before cooking, or after pan frying. For the best results, vacuum seal and use within 2 months.
More Appetizer Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Mini Meatballs Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Mini Meatballs (with 5 Sauce Choices)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 50 mini meatballs 1x
Description
These Mini Meatballs are homemade, pan fried to perfection, then tossed into a delicious sauce of your choice. My friends and family beg me to bring these small meatballs coated in my homemade cocktail meatball sauce to every Holiday event, especially for Christmas Eve!
Ingredients
Mini Meatballs:
- one slice of sandwich bread (Italian or white bread)
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 16 ounces 85/15 ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- ¼ cup yellow onion, grated and squeezed with paper towel to remove excess water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatball Sauce:
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, whisked together to create a slurry
Instructions
- In small bowl, rip the bread into 2 pieces and pour over the ¼ cup of milk. Allow it to soak for just a minute or two. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread only to a large bowl. Discard the remaining milk.
- In the large bowl, tear the bread into smaller pieces. Add in ground pork, ground beef, grated onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, egg, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together with hands until it is fully combined.
- Roll into mini meatballs, about 2 teaspoons each in size and place on a cookie sheet. You should get around 50 small meatballs. Sit them aside.
- If making the sweet and sour cocktail meatball sauce: Combine ketchup, 1 minced garlic clove, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, and cornstarch slurry into a large skillet. Stir to combine, then place it over the stovetop on medium low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should turn into a glaze like sauce.
- Prepare a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and allow it to heat up. Carefully add in ½ of the meatballs to the pan, making sure they have enough room to cook.
- Cook for a few minutes on each side, turning them about 3-4 times with a set of tongs, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 165 degrees, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the batch to a paper towel lined plate and start the next batch.
- Once all the meatballs are finished, carefully toss them in the sauce, covering all surfaces in the glaze.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Remove some of the excess water from the onions with a paper towel if there is a ton.
- Try to roll the meatballs in a really similar size for even cooking time.
- If the sweet and sour sauce turns thicker than a glaze, add a few tablespoons of water into the sauce and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer.
- Having a party? Add them into a crockpot on the warm or low setting to keep them hot and ready to eat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: pan fried
- Cuisine: American
Deirdre says
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze? and then make sauce and put in the crockpot??
Tara Smithson says
Hi! Yes, I do this all the time. If the sauce thickens up in the crockpot too much, just add a few tablespoons of water.
Marie says
Super easy recipe and came out great for apps for a party. I added Italian seasoning to the glaze and it was just perfect! will freeze for future use.
Tara Smithson says
Thanks so much the review Marie. I'm so glad it turned out great and the Italian seasoning sounds like a good addition 🙂
Yvette Lopez says
Hi
Can the meatballs be cooked in the oven? If so, how long?
Thanks.
Tara Smithson says
Hi! Yes, bake them at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
Josie says
The best meatballs ever! Love this recipe.