Italian Meatballs
Italian Meatballs are famous all around the world!
They are a simple and very tasty main course, a great classic of the Italian tradition. They are prepared with minced meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, grated cheese and, once medium-sized balls are obtained, these are fried in boiling olive oil until lightly browned. The end result is bite-size pieces of meat that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, to be served piping hot for a Sunday family lunch.
This recipe has been handed down for a long time from generation to generation. My grandmother used to make really delicious meatballs! I learned from her how to make them, she put so much love and pride into preparing them for the whole family. I cherish these memories deeply and that's why I'm proud to share them with you.
Meatballs can be prepared in the frying pan, with sauce or plain and are one of those preparations that immediately bring us back to the flavors of the past and to the cuisine of our Italian grandmothers.
You can also cook them in the air fryer like I did this time by testing my Bella Pro Series 8qt Touchscreen and I was surprised to find out how good they came out! The concept of air frying is something really "new" in Italy and maybe somebody would turn up their noses to know that you can actually replace the old frying method but I will tell you that it is really an excellent compromise, especially if you don't want to give up your beloved recipes that require frying or even baking when you are on a diet!
The best part is that they cook in a jiffy and you don't have to stand there flipping them with the hot oil jumping all over you. Yes, this is the double-sided coin of frying, ladies and gentlemen!
So considering buying an air fryer is a good investment in my opinion and if you don't already have one I highly recommend the Bella Pro series of which I'll leave you the link below if you want to buy it:
Watch my latest video on Instagram! Leave a like and a comment!
[instagram-feed feed=1]Simple and quick to prepare, they can be dipped in tomato sauce, so as to obtain an excellent sauce for pasta. You can add other aromatic herbs to the mixture, such as rosemary or thyme, your favorite spices or even a pinch of chilli pepper; to make them even richer, add finely chopped cooked ham or mortadella, or fill with a cube of mozzarella or provolone.
To make them particularly soft, however, you can add ricotta cheese (about 200 g per 500 g of minced meat) or a boiled potato. Furthermore, the same recipe can be prepared with fish or in a vegetarian version, replacing the minced meat with potatoes or mushrooms.
- 300 g ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 2 1 large eggs
- 1 1 Minced or chopped onion
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano)
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 1 1 Fresh parsley to taste
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pinch Nutmeg to taste
- 1 drizzle Extra virgin olive oil
In a large bowl combine the ground beef, eggs, chopped onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs and parsley.
Start mixing everything with your hands. You can use gloves so everything doesn't stick to your fingers!
Link above to buy food grade gloves
At this point start adding the extra virgin olive oil to help you form the meatballs.
I made an oval shape, my grandmother used to form them this way.
If the mixture is still soft and you are not able to create a ball, add more breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
Continue like this with the rest of the mixture. I obtained 8 meatballs but it really depends on how big you want them.
Place a piece of parchment paper inside the air fryer. Place the meatballs inside, distanced from each other and spray a little oil. I used macadamia oil.
Cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes at 400F. Until browned. 10 additional minutes to make them really crispy. Always check on them every 5 minutes in between.
They will look like this once ready.
Ready! Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. They will be steaming hot!
You can choose to fry your meatballs in a frying pan as well for a richer flavor.
You can serve them with vegetables like broccoli or belly peppers! The choice is endless!
Tag me on instagram or leave a comment down below if you tried my recipe! Or if you have a question, I will be happy to respond you!
Accompany your meatballs with tasty aubergines, carrots or a fresh and colorful seasonal salad.
You can add them to your homemade tomato sauce or eat them plain!
If you don't like meat, try the tuna meatballs or, if you want to make a vegetarian version, try the eggplant or zucchini ones.
The meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator, in a special airtight container, for 1-2 days. If you have used fresh ingredients, you can also freeze them for 1-2 months.
