Best Grilled Italian Meatballs Recipes

GRILLED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except pasta sauce in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
• If using charcoal- build your fire and make it low-medium heat, about 225-250°F Coat the grates with oil or non-stick spray.
• Shape mixture into balls slightly smaller than a baseball, but bigger than a golf ball and then set them aside. UPDATE: I started using a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture and it makes the meatballs just the right size.
• Pour half of the sauce in a grill (oven) safe stock pot or roasting pan that will be large enough to hold all the meatballs. Place the pot/pan on the grill away from the direct heat when the fire is ready.
• When the grill is ready place the meatballs directly over the heat and sear on both the top and bottom for 3-5 minutes per side.
• When you are done searing the meatballs, place them away from the direct heat (I have a top rack on my grill and place them here).
• Let them cook for 5-8 more minutes or until the meatballs are firm, but not fully cooked and then place all the meatballs in the pot/pan and place that directly over the heat source.
• Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees F (you could also cut a meatball in half to make sure that the meat is no longer pink in the middle).

ROASTED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
• Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
• Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
• To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

ITALIAN MEATBALL SKEWERS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Divide and skewer the meatballs, vegetables and bread evenly on 8 large skewers. Brush each of the skewers all over with the dressing.
• Grill the skewers on all sides until there are grill marks on all the ingredients and the meatballs are heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the skewers to a platter and sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Pour the warm marinara into a bowl and serve on the side.

GRILLED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make yogurt sauce:
• Line a large sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours to drain off the excess water. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups drained yogurt. Place the yogurt in a bowl and stir in the garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Fold in the mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Make the onion salad:
• Place the onion slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry. In a bowl, combine the onions, parsley, coriander, and turmeric. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the grill or broiler.
• In a bowl, combine the beef, onions, garlic, eggs, thyme, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until mixture holds together well. Form into twelve 3-inch ovals, about 1 1/2-inches wide and thread them onto metal skewers.
• Brush the meatballs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the skewers on an oiled grill rack or broiler pan and grill or broil, turning to brown on all sides, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Remove the skewers from the grill or broiler and slip the meatballs off the skewers. Cut the pitas into halves and place a meatball into each half. Serve with the yogurt sauce, onion salad, and tomato slices on the side

ITALIAN MEATBALL KABOBS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., On 12 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread meatballs and vegetables. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and oil., Grill kabobs, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink and vegetables are tender, basting frequently with vinegar mixture and turning occasionally.

GRILLED ITALIAN MEATBALL BURGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix well. Shape into 8 burgers. , On a lightly oiled rack, grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. , Sprinkle burgers with cheese; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Remove and keep warm., Grill or broil rolls for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on rolls with spaghetti sauce.

GRILLED PASTA WITH GRILLED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and form meatballs into about 1 1/2-inch balls with a 2-ounce scoop (see Chef's Note) or roll into balls with your hands.
• VAC-PACKED COOKING METHOD: Seal the meatballs with just a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and cook them in 130°F water for 35 minutes.
• OLD-WORLD COOKING METHOD: Place the meatballs in a large saucepan or skillet on the stove (use 2 pans if they don't all fit in a single pan), add 1/2 cup of the water over them (1/2 cup water to each pan if using 2 pans), and cover. Steam the meatballs over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and refrigerate until you're ready to grill them.
• Turn a gas grill to high or ignite charcoal. When the grill is hot, for both gas and charcoal grills, clean your grill rack. Decrease the temperature to medium-high (on a gas grill only), and brush or wipe a little olive oil on the grill rack.
• In batches, grill the meatballs in a cast-iron pan or plancha on the grill until they're well-browned all the way around, 4 minutes total for the vac-packed meatballs and about 6 minutes total for the pan-cooked meatballs. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts of water, add the kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat on your stove. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, so it won't stick together.
• Lightly oil a long, flat grill basket or spritz with nonstick cooking spray. With tongs, add half the pasta to the basket, arranging it in a thin even layer. (If you have two grill baskets, cook both batches of pasta at once.) Place the basket on a rack over hot coals and turn frequently, until the pasta turns a golden color. You'll hear it crackling during grilling.
• Empty the grill basket into a large heat-proof bowl. Toss the pasta with 1 to 2 cups of Grilled Tomato Sauce. If it needs some moisture, add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese. Toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

GREAT-GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, seasonings and onion mixture. Add turkey and beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., Place meatballs on a rack coated with cooking spray in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, 18-22 minutes. If desired, serve with pasta and pasta sauce.