Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Juicy homemade meatballs stuffed with a melty mozzarella cheese center and seasoned with Italian herbs. Baked at 400°F until golden brown and ready in just 30 minutes. Serve over pasta with your favorite marinara sauce or pile into sub rolls for the best meatball sandwich.
Servings: 20 meatballs
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Large mixing bowl
- Large cookie scoop (optional, for even sizing)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons marinara sauce (or your favorite spaghetti sauce)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (from a block) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For serving:
- Marinara sauce, warmed
- Cooked pasta (spaghetti, rotini, or penne) or sub rolls
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, marinara sauce, egg, salt, and Italian seasoning to a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix or the meatballs will be dense.
- Cut the cheese. Cut the mozzarella block into roughly ½-inch cubes. You'll need about 20 cubes.
- Stuff the meatballs. Using a large cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of mixture, take a portion of meat and flatten it slightly in your palm. Place one cheese cube in the center. Wrap and roll the meat around the cheese until it's completely sealed with no gaps. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining mixture and cheese.
- Bake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are golden brown on the outside and cooked through (160°F internal temperature). Check at 15 minutes, as cooking time varies with size.
- Serve. Serve over cooked pasta with warmed marinara sauce, or stuff into sub rolls with extra sauce and cheese for meatball subs.
Notes
Cheese tips:
- Use low-moisture mozzarella from a block (not fresh mozzarella or string cheese). It melts into a gooey, stretchy center without releasing excess moisture.
- Keep cheese cubes around ½ inch so there's enough meat to seal around them.
- You can also try provolone or pepper jack for a different flavor.
- Use your hands for mixing, not a spoon. Hands are gentler and less likely to overwork the meat.
- Make sure the meat fully seals around each cheese cube with no thin spots. Exposed cheese will leak during baking.
- A large cookie scoop makes evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate.
- Ground turkey: Swap ground turkey for beef for a lighter option. Add an extra tablespoon of marinara sauce or a splash of milk to the mixture to keep them moist.
- Bread crumbs: Panko or Italian-style bread crumbs both work well.
- Refrigerator: Store in a sealed container for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Keeps for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat at 350°F for about 10 minutes, in the microwave, or simmer directly in a pot of warm marinara sauce.
- This recipe makes about 20 meatballs. Nutritional information is per meatball.
- For meatball subs, pile 3 to 4 meatballs onto a hoagie or sub roll, spoon marinara over the top, and add a layer of melted mozzarella or provolone.
- Internal temperature should reach 160°F for food safety.
Nutrition
Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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