The meatball may be the most democratic food on earth.
Every culture has one. Every grandmother has a version. Every immigrant story seems to involve rolling something—meat, fish, grains, vegetables, sometimes just bread and hope—into a small, round shape and simmering it until the kitchen smells like home.
In Italy they are “Polpette”…
Never meant for spaghetti in the old country, Polpette are perfect on their own, golden and tender. In Morocco they become kefta, perfumed with cumin and coriander, bubbling in tomato and egg. In Vietnam they are light, garlicky, often tucked into brothy soups or slid into crusty rolls. In Jewish kitchens they float in wedding soup. In America, they found their way into red sauce, sub rolls, and weeknight casseroles, and never looked back.
What unites them all is comfort—and speed.
These are dishes that don’t ask for a day of braising or an afternoon of fussing. They’re the kind of food you make when you want something deeply satisfying on the table in 20 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour at most. Food that nourishes without holding you hostage.Over the last decade, meatballs in all their forms have quietly become some of the most beloved recipes on Chewing The Fat. Italian, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Sicilian, Spanish, American, beef, lamb, chicken, bison—stewed, baked, simmered, tucked into soup, turned into stroganoff, or served straight from the pan. https://amzn.to/3YGGNaA
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We gathered our greatest hits in one place:
A world tour of twelve meatball recipes, each with its own accent, its own history, its own way of making a simple supper feel like something more. And in true Chewing The Fat style, there’s a story behind every meatball. #MeatballRecipes #ComfortFood #WeeknightDinner
In ascending order, here are The 12 Best Meatball Recipes of All Time—and the only hard decision is which one you’ll make first.
Seamus Mullen’s Spanish-Style Herbed Lamb Meatballs
Ready in about 45 minutes
Spain’s love affair with lamb and herbs comes through loud and clear in these deeply aromatic, paprika-scented meatballs from chef Seamus Mullen. They’re Mediterranean in spirit, restaurant-worthy in flavor, and still entirely weeknight-friendly. A reminder that even when a recipe is new to the site, greatness announces itself quickly.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2014/11/seamus-mullens-herbed-lamb-meatballs.html
Old-Stove Italian-American Meatballs (A Chef’s Mother’s Recipe)
Ready in about 60 minutes
Every serious meatball list needs one recipe that tastes like family, and this one comes straight from the kitchen of the mother of one of New York’s most exciting young chefs. It’s Italian-American comfort cooking at its most soulful: tender, fragrant, and built for a big pot and an even bigger table.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2014/10/old-stoves-saveur-magazine-and.html
North African Lamb Boulettes
Ready in about 50 minutes
Here the meatball becomes a spice carrier: cumin, coriander, and gentle heat wrapped around lamb and simmered into a stew that feels ancient and deeply reassuring. One recipe, many proteins, endless warmth—North Africa’s answer to the universal craving for something round, savory, and spoonable.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2013/09/north-african-lamb-boulettes-and-amys.html
Sicilian Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Currants
Ready in about 40 minutes
Sweet meets savory in classic Sicilian fashion, with pine nuts and currants adding contrast and elegance to garlic-rich meatballs that feel more baroque than rustic. This is the island’s culinary history in miniature: Arab influences, Mediterranean abundance, and a fearless hand with seasoning.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2010/03/sicilian-style-meatballs.html
Spaghetti Western Bison Meatballs
Ready in about 30 minutes
An all-American meatball, reinvented with lean, deeply flavored bison and a sense of frontier healthfulness. They may be served like a Western, but their soul is pure comfort food, proving that even the New World has quickly learned the old world’s most comforting shape.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2013/10/spaghetti-western-bison-meatballs-in.html
Moroccan Beef Meatball Tajine
Ready in about 45 minutes
The first of three Moroccan stars, this version builds on ground beef and the perfume of North African spice markets. Simmered gently in sauce, meant for scooping with bread and lingering over, these kefta show why Morocco may be the planet’s most lyrical meatball culture.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2012/01/moroccan-beef-meatball-tajine.html
Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs
Ready in about 30 minutes
Light, fragrant, and wildly appealing even to children, these Vietnamese chicken meatballs prove that comfort doesn’t have to be heavy. With garlic, herbs, and a gentle Southeast Asian accent, they’re equally at home in broth, over rice, or tucked into sliders for a weeknight supper that feels both wholesome and exotic.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2010/10/vietnamese-chicken-meatballs.html
The Meatball Shop’s Spicy Pork Meatballs
Ready in about 40 minutes
A personal favorite and a New York icon, these spicy pork meatballs capture the genius of The Meatball Shop: bold seasoning, perfect texture, and just enough heat to make you reach for another bite. They’ve earned their place not only in your kitchen but in the city’s collective memory of what a modern meatball can be.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2014/01/the-meatball-shops-spicy-pork-meatballs.html
Grandma’s Moroccan Melt-in-Your-Mouth Meatballs
Ready in about 45 minutes
Here the meatball becomes something almost ethereal. Lamb, gently spiced, cooked until spoon-tender, and served in a way that was a revelation when you first encountered it. This is grandmother cooking at its most persuasive: soft, fragrant, and designed to be eaten slowly with bread and gratitude.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2012/07/grandmas-melt-in-your-mouth-moroccan.html
Make-Ahead Meatballs for Beef Stroganoff
Ready in about 35 minutes (even faster if prepped ahead)
A mid-century dinner-party classic reimagined for the weeknight table. By swapping sliced beef for tender meatballs, Stroganoff becomes easier, faster, and arguably even more comforting. Creamy, savory, and deeply nostalgic, this is retro elegance without the tuxedo.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2012/11/make-ahead-meatballs-for-beef-stroganoff.html
Ina Garten’s Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Meatballs
Ready in about 40 minutes
It’s no surprise that Ina lands near the top. Her chicken meatballs are feather-light, perfectly seasoned, and suspended in a broth that tastes like benevolence itself. This soup has remarkable staying power on your site for a reason: it’s the kind of dish people make once and then return to for the rest of their lives.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2013/02/ina-gartens-italian-wedding-soup-and.html
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ready in about 50 minutes
It seems fitting that Morocco takes the crown. These lamb meatballs, deeply spiced and gently simmered, are not only the most popular of all your meatball recipes but among the most viewed dishes in the entire history of Chewing The Fat. They are the perfect expression of what the meatball can be: aromatic, tender, steeped in culture, and utterly irresistible.
http://chewingthefat.us.com/2012/05/moroccan-lamb-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce.html
