These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are perfect for when you're craving Italian, but trying to push-back from the carbs!
This meaty, cheesy, keto-friendly combination will satisfy your craving for Italian in an instant!
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs are the best of both worlds! Savory seasoned beef with a cheesy surprise in the middle! I love to eat these by themselves or with a drizzle of homemade San Marzano pasta sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Carb-free! Get your Italian-food-fix without all the pasta and noodles
- Simple ingredients - you probably have the ingredients in your kitchen right now
- Makes excellent leftovers - sub-sandwich, stuffed bell peppers...
What you'll need:
Ground beef, fresh Mozzarella cheese, Italian seasonings, eggs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper
How to make it:
- Combine all the ingredients (except the cheese) in a large bowl
- Measure ⅓ cup of the mixture; roll into a ball; repeat
- Stuff a cube of mozzarella in the middle, continue to roll
- Place on lightly oiled parchment or foil and broil
It's that simple! You can make these as big or small as you like; bite-size, or a little bigger for entree size.
I used 2 pounds of lean ground beef, and made the mozzarella stuffed meatballs about ⅓ cup each; this made 14 meatballs.
FAQ's
What grade of beef?
I recommend a lean ground beef (90/10 or 80/20) because the higher the fat content, the more shrinkage.
Can I substitute ground turkey for ground beef?
Yes! Keep in mind that ground turkey is super lean, so you won't have much shrinkage and, you might have to reduce the cooking time because ground turkey cooks quicker than ground beef.
What sauce do I use?
You can use a high quality jarred sauce (you might have to adjust the seasonings to your preference) or make my delicious San Marzano Sauce. I usually make the sauce in large batches then freeze it, so I always have it on hand:)
Fresh or shredded Mozzarella cheese?
Fresh works best; it is usually packaged in water, so you'll want to let the cheese soak on a paper towel for a minute to absorb some of the moisture, then cut it into little cubes.
I don't recommend using shredded mozzarella cheese--too tricky to stuff into the meatball and not nearly as flavorful.
Fresh or dried herbs?
For this quick and easy meatball recipe, I used dried Italian herbs because that's what I had on hand. You can use fresh if you prefer, just keep in mind dried herbs are stronger than fresh and the ratio of dried to fresh is 1:3.
If you use fresh herbs for the sauce you'll want to increase the amount times 3 and add them at the end when preparing the sauce. As for the meatballs, you can use fresh herbs as well, just increase the amount.
Won't the meatballs split under the heat?
In a perfect world...no. But in real life...maybe. Some of mine did! Since you place these Italian meatballs under the broiler, they cook really fast and yes, some of them may split.
The only way I know to prevent this is by putting the meatballs in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before you broil them. Also, make sure the cheese is dead center in the meatball.
Storage
Refrigerate Mozzarella stuffed meatballs for up to 3-days or freeze up to 3-months.
Reheating
Reheat in microwave for best results; if you reheat in oven, place on lightly oiled baking sheet in 350ºF oven; bake until center reaches 160ºF.
Related recipes:
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs plain or Italian seasoned
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons Italian Spice Blend see recipe notes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Line baking dish with foil and spray with cooking oil
- Cut mozzarella cheese into bite sized pieces
- In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs
- Preheat oven to broil
- In a large bowl, add beef, eggs, bread crumbs, and all seasonings; combine well
- Use a scoop or spoon to measure the beef for the size of meatball you want
- Roll the ground beef into balls; poke a dent in the middle of the meatball and tuck in a piece of cheese
- Continue to roll meatball until cheese is centered, or not visible
- Place finished meatball onto foil; spray them lightly with cooking spray
- Place meatballs under broiler; allow to cook for about 20-25 minutes (this time will vary depending upon the size you make the meatballs)
- Once meatballs are cooked thoroughly, remove, plate and top with sauce
Notes
- In this recipe, I used pre-mixed dried Italian seasonings. If you choose to use individual dried seasonings, (oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, etc.), then I'd start with one teaspoon each (for 2 lbs. of beef) ; use ½ teaspoon of each for 1 lb. beef
- If you use fresh herbs, use three teaspoons of each
- Small cube-sized chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese works best
Nutrition Estimate
♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
I'd love to hear from you!