Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

5 from 1 vote

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are juicy, flavorful meatballs filled with gooey, melted mozzarella cheese. Perfectly seasoned and simmered in marinara sauce, these tender meatballs offer a delicious surprise in every bite.

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword homemade marinara sauce, mozzarella stuffed meatballs

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings meatballs

Calories 161kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese - freshly shredded
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon EACH onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water - or milk
6 oz. mozzarella cheese - cubed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
24 oz. marinara sauce

Instructions

Combine meatball ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the meatball ingredients - ground meat, bread crumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, egg, and seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper). Mix together and then add cold water as needed to make mixture soft and easy to handle.
1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon EACH onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup cold water
Prep cheese. Slice mozzarella cheese into chunks for stuffing. Set aside.
Form meatballs. Divide the meatball mixture into 15 equal portions. Flatten each portion, add cheese to the middle, and fold the meat over all sides - forming a round'ish meatball.
Chill meatballs for an hour to overnight to help them retain their shape when cooking.
6 oz. mozzarella cheese
Brown meatballs. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add the meatballs to the pan. Make sure you have plenty of space around each meatball. Use a spatula to gently turn meatballs to brown on all sides.
When browning meatballs, let them sizzle for a minute or so on one side before turning to another side. Otherwise, they'll stick to the pan.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Add sauce. Then add the sauce to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until meatballs are done, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve meatballs. Serve stuffed meatballs with pasta or in hoagie rolls for meatball subs. Add shredded parmesan cheese.
24 oz. marinara sauce

Notes

We use a braiser to cook these meatballs since we're adding marinara sauce. Simmering marinara sauce in a cast iron skillet is generally not recommended. The acidity of the tomatoes can react with the raw cast iron, imparting a metallic taste to the sauce and potentially damaging the skillet's seasoning.
Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container. We like meal prepping these and adding to individual containers for quick lunches!
You can also freeze uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook directly from frozen or thaw before cooking.

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