Making easy baked meatballs doesn’t have to be an all day affair with my 4 ingredient recipe! Thanks to the secret ingredient, a box of stuffing mix, these meatballs are the most delicious, flavor packed meatballs with a fraction of the time and work!

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Everyone has a meatball recipe, they claim is the best.

I’m no different.

While I won’t go so far as to say that my meatballs are the best meatballs in the whole world, I will say that this stuffing meatball recipe is my go to meatball recipe and absolutely the best for me.

It’s super easy, and even delicious enough to please my Italian father in law.

Plus my whole family positively begs for them.

Why Are Baked Stuffing Meatballs So Great?

Everyone has a meatball recipe, they claim is the best. I’m no different.

Why is this the best meatball recipe?

Because they are versatile and easy!

The flavor of the meatballs is the perfect base for a variety of other flavors from marinara sauce to a meatball base in my crockpot Hawaiian meatballs.

And let’s talk about how easy they are!

While my Italian father in law makes delicious from scratch meatballs I love, there are so many steps and so many ingredients.

Ain’t nobody got time for that, at least not in this house.

This shortcut meatballs recipe is not that!

It is so easy, I can have them mixed, shaped, and baked in well under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

You only need 4 ingredients to make these:

Ground beef– Go for lean ground beef over fattier 73/27 or 80/20. You don’t want the meat to shrink too much or get really greasy.
Stuffing mix– This is the secret ingredient, the mvp! You want 1 box of chicken flavored stuffing mix.
Water– Yes water, not milk.
Eggs– To bind everything together

How to Make

These stuffing meatballs seriously could not be any easier to make!

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.

Line two rimmed baking sheet pans with foil.

Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix them together by hand until they are fully incorporated.

Shape the meat mixture into about 32 equal sized balls using about 1/4 cup meat mixture per ball.

Place them in the prepared pans as you go.

Bake the meatballs for 16-18 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through.

Remove from the oven.

If using them immediately, either add the meatballs into your recipe or serve with your favorite sauce.

Enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them.

How to Freeze Meatballs

These meatballs freeze beautifully!

To freeze them, let them cool completely and then loosely pack them in big zip locking freezer bags.

Lay the full bags flat in the freezer and make sure the meatballs aren’t sticking together.

They’ll keep for up to 3 months.

When I’m ready to use them, I take a bag out of the freezer and defrost it for a few hours in the fridge before I use it however I plan on using it.

And let me tell you, the possibilities for these meatballs are endless!

Milk vs. Water in Meatballs

Thanks to the stuffing base, you don’t need milk to make incredibly tender meatballs.

With more than a full cup of water in the recipe, you may think it’s too much water, but just watch what happens when you mix the ingredients together.

You’ll find the water plumps up the stuffing mixture and allows the stuffing to absorb all the juices from the meat.

Should I fry or bake meatballs?

While some people prefer to fry them in olive oil first, I like to bake these.

It’s easier and results in a less greasy finished product.

You could also let them slow cook in sauce if you prefer.

Tips and Tricks

Lining the tray with foil makes for an easy, no fuss clean up later!
Make a double batch and freeze some for later to use in your favorite recipes!
You could use a large cookie scoop to help evenly scoop out the meatballs.

How to Use: Recipes with Meatballs

There are so many things you can do with these stuffing baked meatballs aside from the classic spaghetti and meatballs.

Our favorites include using them in soups like:

Then there’s meatball subs and sandwiches like these:

And let’s not forget casseroles and skillet meals like:

They are just so handy!

However you serve them up, you and your family will likely agree that these are the best meatballs.

And I’m sure because they are so tasty and easy, you’ll be making them over and over again!

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