Julie Clark
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Pizza Meatballs
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This Pizza Meatballs recipe is a family favorite dinner! Mozzarella stuffed meatballs are smothered with pepperoni sauce. One of the best meatball recipes for a kid friendly, comfort food meal!
Two of my favorite Italian foods are Italian meatballs and homemade pizza. And if I can combine the two? We’re golden.
Introducing: Pizza Meatballs!
At first glance, these pizza meatballs look like normal, every day meatballs. But as you cut inside one you’ll see that wonderful melted mozzarella peeking out. Combine that cheese with pepperoni sauce and I’m pretty sure you’re going to decide this is one of your new favorite meals.
What are pizza meatballs made of?
- Ground sirloin. Use a lean ground beef so that you don’t end up with a greasy sauce.
- Milk & breadcrumbs. These two ingredients act as a binder and tenderize the meatballs. Sometimes meatballs have eggs as a binder, but these do not!
- Garlic salt, onion powder and pepper. To season the meatballs.
- Mozzarella cheese. The cheese cubes get stuffed inside the meatballs. You could use pepper jack cheese or colby cheese if you prefer.
- Flour. Coat the meatballs in flour before you fry them. This gives them an excellent texture and helps to seal in that moisture.
- Olive oil. For frying the meatballs.
- Spaghetti sauce and pepperoni. Make homemade spaghetti sauce or homemade pizza sauce. I love Rao’s brand marinara sauce. It’s easy and delicious.
✨ See full ingredient amounts in recipe card below. ✨
Is it better to fry or bake homemade meatballs?
This answer depends on your preference for texture, flavor, and convenience. Frying gives meatballs a crispy exterior and enhanced flavor. On the other hand, baking is a cleaner, hands-off process that ensures even cooking and is perfect for when you have a large amount of meatballs.
Both methods have their perks, and either one works for this recipe. If you bake the pizza meatballs in the oven, skip rolling the meatballs in flour. That’s only important when frying.
How to Make Pizza Meatballs: 4 Steps
- In a large bowl, combine the ground sirloin, bread crumbs, milk, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Separate the mixture into 12 large meatballs. For each meatball, slightly flatten the meat in the palm of your hand. Place 1 cube of cheese in the center of the flattened meatball and then form the meat around the cheese cube. Make sure the cheese is completely covered with the meat mixture.
- Place the flour in a small bowl. Roll each meatball in the flour to lightly coat the outside. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides.
- If there is excess fat in the pan after the pizza meatballs have browned, drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti sauce and pepperoni to the meatballs. Stir and heat until it comes to a simmer. Cover the pan and allow the meatballs to finish cooking in the sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the meat for the pizza meatballs. Instead of ground beef, try ground chicken, pork or even Italian sausage. Or a mixture of any!
- Add your other favorite pizza toppings to the tomato sauce: red peppers, mushrooms or onions.
Make it a meal.
Once you’ve made the pizza meatballs, serve over pasta, quinoa or rice. They’d also be excellent served over a large baked potato!
Try serving with one of these sides:
You may also love our Instant Pot Meatballs and Paleo Meatballs!
Pizza Meatballs
Pepperoni pizza meatballs are a family favorite dinner. They are stuffed with mozzarella and smothered with a pepperoni sauce.
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin
- 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounce block of mozzarella cheese cut into 12 bite-size cubes
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce I like Rao's Marinara
- 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground sirloin, bread crumbs, milk, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper. Mix well. Separate the mixture into 12 large meatballs. 1 pound lean ground sirloin, ¾ cup dry bread crumbs, ½ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- For each meatball, slightly flatten the meat in the palm of your hand. Place 1 cube of cheese in the center of the flattened meatball and then form the meat around the cheese cube. Make sure the cheese is completely covered with the meat mixture. 4 ounce block of mozzarella cheese
- Place the flour in a small bowl. Roll each meatball in the flour to lightly coat the outside. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides. ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- If there is excess fat in the pan after the meatballs have browned, drain off the fat. (We used lean meat and didn't have any fat in the bottom of the pan.) Add the spaghetti sauce and pepperoni to the meatballs. Stir and heat until it comes to a simmer. Cover the pan and allow the meatballs to finish cooking in the sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. 24 ounces spaghetti sauce, ½ cup diced pepperoni
- Serve over pasta or on a hoagie bun. Garnish with fresh parsley and fresh basil.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled. This is a good crockpot meal, too. After the meatballs are cooked, place them in a slow cooker and cover them with sauce. Set the temperature to low and heat through.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also store leftovers in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 meatballs, with 1 serving being 1 meatball. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Serving: 135g | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
Those look so good! I can imagine the fragrance in the house with those cooking. The pasta would never get cooked, pasta, what pasta? A great entree for cold weather- thanks, Lizzy!
Oh goodness these meatballs are fantastic. Love all that ooey gooey cheese inside. Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
oh yummy would please the entire family for sure
come see me angie @ annies home (http://shopannies.blogspot.com)
These look great! Two of my kids’ favorite meals are meatballs and pizza as well, so I know they will LOVE these! Thanks for sharing. 🙂