Mozzarella Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/28/21
Baked stuffed meatballs

​The Spruce

Prep: 22 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 57 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
151 Calories
10g Fat
1g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 184mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 68mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 177mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for mozzarella-stuffed meatballs is easy to make and fun to eat. No bread or breadcrumbs are used in the meat mixture, and the recipe calls for them to be baked, not fried.

Made with a fresh mozzarella cheese filling, the meat mixture is flavored with Italian seasonings, a little garlic powder, and some Parmesan cheese. They make an excellent appetizer or snack, or serve them with your favorite sauce and pasta, or spaghetti squash to keep this meal low carb. 

If keeping them free of breadcrumbs isn't a consideration, use this recipe mixture for baked meatballs. Just stuff them with mozzarella and bake them following these directions. If you don't eat beef, these baked barbecue chicken meatballs could be the solution.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (chuck or sirloin, 85 percent to 90 percent lean)

  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade Italian herb seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 (1/4-ounce) cubes

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for baked stuffed meatballs
    ​The Spruce

  2. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

    Baking sheet
    ​The Spruce

  3. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until thoroughly mixed.

    Combine beef, eggs, cheese
    ​The Spruce

  4. Portion the meat into 16 pieces, roughly 1.75 ounces each.

    Portion the meat
    ​The Spruce

  5. Wrap each portion of meat around a piece of mozzarella cheese, sealing it around the cheese while shaping into a ball. A little of the cheese might ooze out as they bake and that's normal, but try to seal them in the meat mixture as well as you can.

    Wrap cheese
    ​The Spruce

  6. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking pan.

    Arrange meatballs
    ​The Spruce

  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the ground beef is thoroughly cooked. 

    Bake
    ​The Spruce

  8. Serve the meatballs with hot marinara sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce.

    Marinara sauce and meatballs
    ​The Spruce

  9. Enjoy.

Tip

  • According to foodsafety.gov, ground beef and other ground meats must be cooked to at least 160 F. To ensure they are thoroughly cooked, cut into a meatball to see that no pink remains or use a food thermometer to check the temperature.

Recipe Variation

  • In place of 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, use 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/4 pound lean ground pork, and 1/4 pound ground veal.

Freezing Meatballs

Cooked meatballs freeze and reheat well so make a double batch and follow these steps for storing the second batch.

  • Form and cook the meatballs completely.
  • Allow them to cool completely.
  • Place them on a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan and quick-freeze uncovered for two to three hours.
  • When they are frozen solid, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to two months.
  • To reheat, thaw them in the refrigerator in the bag you froze them in. Pat dry each meatball with a paper towel and then reheat in sauce.
  • Alternatively, drop frozen meatballs into a saucepan of simmering sauce. The problem with this method is that the water given off by the ice particles could thin out your sauce.