Meatloaf Meatballs are delicious, bite-sized patties served with a sweet tomato sauce. If you want to make your own, don’t miss out on this easy, hearty meatloaf balls recipe that’s ready in just 30 minutes!
The meatloaf balls recipe is the ultimate all-purpose recipe – they can be dinner, appetizer, lunchbox prep or snack. You can toss the meatballs into a sandwich, or serve them in a saucepan for an easy party dish. There are almost as many ways to make meatballs as there are ways to eat them.
These meatloaf balls are comfort food and convenience. They have the same delicious taste as your childhood favorite meatloaf recipe, but the bite-sized portions are perfect for when you need a quick meaty dish. In less than 30 minutes, you can enjoy a main course, appetizer or meal prep. You’ll probably never go back to making regular meatloaf again!
Meatloaf balls recipe – Ingredient
Meatball:
▢ 2 pounds ground beef, 90/10
▢ 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
▢ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Meatloaf Glaze:
▢ 1/3 cup tomato paste
▢ 3 tablespoons brown sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Roll out the mixture into 25 meatballs and place in a 9×13 baking pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Turn the oven over to the roast.
- Glaze with sauce, then bake until sauce is caramelized, about 1 minute.
Meatloaf balls recipe – Variation of Meatloaf balls
- Meat: You can use a traditional patty mix consisting of 1 part ground beef and 1/2 part ground beef and minced pork. To use leaner meats, such as ground turkey or chicken, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep the meat juicy.
- Bacon: Wrap the meatballs in a slice of raw bacon, or add cooked bacon crumbles to the meatball mixture. Instead of meatloaf sauce, try maple syrup and Dijon mustard as a glaze for the bacon.
- Seasoning: Add up to 1/2 cup chopped vegetables such as celery, carrots, or green bell peppers. Other classic meatloaf seasonings you can add are Italian herbs, onion soup mix, and parsley.
- Sauce: To double the meatloaf sauce and reserve half for serving, either place the meatballs in a saucepan or heat the sauce on the stovetop. Substitute your favorite BBQ sauce for the ketchup, or use half tomato and half BBQ sauce.
- Breadcrumbs: Any breadcrumbs will work, such as panko or Italian breadcrumbs. Try other meat binders like quick oats, diced bread soaked in milk, or crushed cookies. For low-carb meatloaf meatballs, use ground pork rind.
Meatloaf balls recipe – Slow Cooker Meatloaf balls
- Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray.
- Double the sauce recipe ingredients and combine in a medium bowl. Pour half of the sauce into the saucepan.
- Prepare and shape the meatballs. Place meatballs in sauce in slow cooker.
- Top the meatballs with the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Optional: Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet, bake for a few minutes, then return to the sauce.
