This Italian Meatball Appetizer Recipe is the perfect snack for any party. Tender beef meatballs infused with garlic, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese, smothered in Italian red sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella and fresh basil.
Try our other meatball appetizers like 3-ingredient Crockpot Meatballs and Turkey Meatballs.
When it comes to entertaining, easy and delicious are what you want. A necessity if you ask us! If that's you, too, then you have to try these tasty homemade Meatball Parmesan Bites!
Tender, juicy meatballs infused with garlic, Italian seasonings, bread crumbs, and parmesan, smothered in Italian red sauce and topped with melted mozzarella and fresh basil. They're like an Italian Cocktail meatball.
Easy recipes like this are perfect when you're entertaining because they only need to cook for 15-20 minutes.
These bite-sized meatball appetizers are incredibly yummy and work for just about any occasion. Plus, they're a low-carb appetizer option!
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Ways to Eat Meatball Appetizers
No matter the season, we put this Meatballs Appetizer Recipe on the menu. It's a crowd-pleaser!
- PARTIES: These are the perfect meatball hors d'oeuvres for your next party. Think New Year's Eve, game night, an Academy Awards party, or any time you're gathering with friends like the Christmas season!
- GAME DAY: You're probably thinking the same thing; these are also excellent gameday food. Yep, perfect for your Super Bowl shin-dig when finger and bite-sized snacks are in high demand!
- MEATBALL SLIDERS: Swap the skewers for a bun to make meatball sliders!
Gameday is also meant for these 3-ingredient Crockpot Meatballs and Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Ingredient Notes
Here are the main ingredients to make the best Italian meatball recipe!
- Ground Beef - choose lean ground meat that has between 85-90% fat. Also, if you want to swap half of the meat for ground pork, that's great.
- Olive Oil - we prefer extra virgin olive oil.
- Bread Crumbs - these act as a binder for the recipe. We've made this with regular, Italian, and whole wheat bread crumbs. All of them turn out great.
- Egg - One large egg, which helps hold the meat mixture together.
- Dried Italian Herbs - you'll need dried parsley and basil or an Italian herb seasoning blend to make these Italian-style meatballs. If you like spicy flavor, add ¼ or ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the meat mixture.
- Parmesan Cheese - this aged, rich, and nutty cheese takes this recipe from good to amazing! For best results, we use Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Marinara Sauce - you can use any type of store-bought sauce you like. Pick your favorite pasta sauce from the grocery store or make homemade marinara sauce.
- Fresh Mozzarella - we like to use pre-cut Mozzarella slices.
- Fresh Basil - not only a bright garnish, but the basil also elevates the meatballs with its sweet, pungent, and slightly spicy flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here's how you make our cheesy, garlic-infused meatball parmesan recipe.
Step 1 - MIX YOUR INGREDIENTS. This is as simple as putting the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, spices, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and mixing them up.
Step 2 - CREATE YOUR MEATBALLS. Next, once you mix the ingredients, create a meatball the size of a golf ball. We find it easiest to roll it in our hands to form the balls.
PRO TIP: Be gentle when you're forming meatballs. Too firm a hand can make them dense and tough.
Erin
Step 3 - COOK. Now, cook these in a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil until browned on all sides. You can take them out and set them aside because now it's time for the delicious dipping sauce.
Step 4 - SIMMER. Place marinara in a skillet with the garlic slices and remaining parmesan.
Once it's simmering, place your cooked meatballs back in the sauce. Make sure to spoon some over the meatballs, so they're nestled in the sauce. Cover your pan and simmer for about 10 minutes until they are cooked through.
This is when all the flavors come together to create something amazing! What's better than tender meatballs with breadcrumbs and cheese!
Step 5 - TOP WITH CHEESE AND BASIL. Finally, top each meatball with a slice of Mozzarella cheese and let it melt. Remove from the pan, place a folded basil leaf on top, and then insert your toothpick, and they're ready to serve!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- For ease when entertaining, the Italian cocktail meatballs can be made ahead of time and cooked just before you want to serve.
- Whole wheat or regular breadcrumbs will work in these homemade Italian meatballs.
- Because this recipe is so good, we have also served it as a main course with pasta.
- Since the recipe makes 12 meatballs, double if serving a large crowd.
- For those who like to dip, you can serve a small bowl of warm pasta sauce with your Meatball Parmesan Bites.
- We love using our Cast Iron Skillet for so many recipes, but especially this one. It gets the meatball bites nice and crispy and simmers the sauce perfectly.
Storing
MAKE-AHEAD:
- Make the meat mixture into meatballs and store it in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Make the recipe, let it cool, and put it in the fridge until ready to reheat and serve.
FRIDGE: If you have any leftover meatball bites, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
REHEATING: place in the microwave-safe dish and heat through for approximately 1 minute. Or place in a saute pan over medium heat until heated through, turning a few times before they're done.
FREEZING: Place cooked and cool meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Don't forget to label and date it!
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This recipe originally appeared on Real Housemoms.
Printable Recipe
Italian Meatball Appetizer Recipe
Equipment
- large bowl
- garlic press
- Long Toothpicks
- cooking tongs or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 cup marinara sauce
- 4 garlic cloves (divided)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (divided)
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5-6 mozzarella slices (cut into small squares)
- Fresh basil leaves (for topping)
- toothpicks for serving
Instructions
- Mince 2 cloves of garlic and then thinly slice the remaining 2 cloves.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, basil, minced garlic, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese—season with salt and black pepper. Mix until combined. Use your hands to roll into golf ball-sized balls.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meatballs in skillet and brown on all sides. When the meatballs have developed a nice crispy crust, remove them from the skillet and set it aside. Now, over medium heat, pour the marinara into the skillet. Stir in the sliced garlic and remaining Parmesan. Once it's simmering, place your cooked meatballs back in the sauce. Make sure to spoon some sauce over the meatballs so they're nice and covered. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the meatballs for another 10-12 minute, or until cooked through.
- Top each meatball with a slice of mozzarella. Cover the pan with the lid again and heat until the cheese is melted.
- Top each meatball with a folded basil leaf and insert a toothpick to serve.
Notes
- Make the meat mixture into meatballs and store it in the fridge until ready to cook in the sauce.
- Make the recipe, let it cool, and put it in the fridge until ready to reheat and serve.
laura says
can you cook meatballs in the oven instead of frying in a pan?
Erin Henry says
Although we haven't tried it that way, Laura, baking them in the oven should be fine.
Mike says
Calling dibs on leftover meatballs! Those would make a spectacular cold sandwich the next day! 🙂
Erin says
Oh, that's a great idea, Mike!! I'll need to double the recipe then!