Best Baked Meatballs: Max Tenderness
The secret to tender, flavorful meatballs every time is in the technique. If you follow these tips for making baked meatballs, you'll end up with light and fluffy ones that taste great over spaghetti or on a sub sandwich. Find out how
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
The MEATS
- 1 pound Beef (ground chuck meat 80/20) 80/20 fat to fat
- ⅓ pound Sauage (ground) Add more if you love sauage
Ingredients For The BASE
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Egg
- ½ Vidalia Sweet Onion hopped / Use yellow onion if you cannot find them
- 1 ½ tablespoon Italian Parsley Chopped
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Fennel Seed
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Minced
- ½ Fresh Tomato Chopped
Spicy Ingredients (Optional)
- ½ Poblano Pepper Chopped/reserved some for garnish
- ½ Jalapeno Chopped/remove seeds
- ½ teaspoon Chipotle Powder Use 1 teaspoon if you like spicy food
- ½ teaspoon Smokey Paprika
The SAUCE
- 24 ounces Tomato Sauce 3 Cups
- 3 tablespoon Adobe Sauce (/ Chipotles in Adobo)
- 1 can Pineapple Chunks + Juice At Lease 8oz can - Or more
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
Making The BASE
- Add the egg first and whip it in a large bowl. Then add the onion (reserve some for garnish), the poblano (reserve some for garnish), and jalapenos. Measure out each dry ingredient. Chipotle, paprika. With the thyme and fennel seeds, be sure to crush them in the palm of your hand to release the natural oils. Mix everything, then add the parsley and tomato. Doing the premix helps preserve the tomatoes and parsley from being overworked.Add the beef, sausage, and rice next. Using your hands, do a quick mix to combine, then add in the Italian bread crumbs.Important TIP: You add the bread crumbs after mixing the meat so the base can get into the meat. The bread crumbs will suck up the base instead of the meat.
Making the SAUCE
- Add the fresh tomato sauce to a separate bowl, then measure out the adobo sauce ( add come of the chipotles if you like spicy food. Then add in the turbinado sugar and pineapple plus the juice. If using a larger can of pineapple. Use your best judgment on how much of the juice you think needs to be added. You can always ask me a question in the comments section for help.
Finishing & BAKING
- Spray a 9 by 13 casserole dish with cooking spray to help avoid sticking.I like using an ice cream scooper to shape the meatballs and then finish shaping them with my hands to create perfectly shaped meatballs. Your hands are the best tools in the kitchen. If the scooper is too large, no problem, you can still use one, just be mindful not to fill it. Try to repeat the same scoop on each meatball. Cover the meatballs with the sauce, ensuring every inch of the meatballs is covered.Add all of the pieces of pineapple into the sauce bowl. Distribute them evenly around the casserole dish.
- BAKE: @ 250 degrees for 2 plus hours. The key is you HAVE to cover the casserole dish.The low temperature is just like a slow braising. The meatball becomes very soft and tender.Using aluminum foil works to cover. Be sure to check on your meatballs along the cook in the oven to make sure everything is going well.
- Plating: Add some of the sauce to a plate first, then add a sprinkle of chopped poblano, onion, and tomato. Plate the meatballs and garnish with chopped Italian parsleyDon't forget the pieces of pineapple.