I want you to take a tasty adventure with an easy dish that will elevate your overall taste – try the spicy meatball recipe.
In this blog post, we will discuss the complete preparation process for spicy meatballs. Later, we will look at variations, pro tips to level up the taste, storage and freezing tips and much more.
Spicy Meatballs
Spicy meatballs are a twist on normal meatballs, with additional spiciness that makes the meatballs flavorful and hot. They are mainly prepared from ground beef mixed with eggs, breadcrumbs, and herbs. What makes them different is the addition of spices like paprika, red pepper flakes and cumin.
You can prepare them in many ways like baking, frying or simmering in a spicy tomato sauce. You can also serve them as an appetizer with dipping sauce or as a main dish with rice or pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bursting with Flavor: These meatballs contain bold spices such as cumin, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes offering a delicious flavour.
- Easy to Make: You don’t need any other ingredients to make this recipe, you can prepare it just by using the ingredients available at your home.
- Versatile Pairing: You can pair the meatballs with a lot of dishes like rice, pasta or a sub roll.
- Perfect Comfort Food: The fusion of rich tomato sauce and flavorful meatballs makes the dish comforting and satisfying.
Tips
- Use fresh Ingredients: Ensure that fresh ingredients like onions, garlic, and herbs are used to improve the flavour of the meatballs. Adding fresh basil or parsley adds a refreshing element.
- Mix thoroughly but Gently: Mix the ingredients just until they are thoroughly mixed. Overmixing can lead to tough meatballs.
- Moisture Matters: Ingredients such as breadcrumbs soaked in eggs, milk and grated onions help maintain the moisture of the meatballs.
- Even Size: Make sure that the size of the meatballs is the same. You can use a little ice cream scoop for this purpose.
- Chill before cooking: After preparing the meatballs, put them in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. It helps them maintain their shape while cooking.
Variations
- Buffalo Meatballs: You can prepare these meatballs with beef mixed with hot sauce, then covered in zesty buffalo sauce. You can serve it with ranch and celery sticks or blue cheese dressing.
- Sriracha Meatballs: These meatballs are prepared with Sriracha sauce. They can be fried or baked and they work well as a main dish or appetizer.
- Mexican Spicy Meatballs: These meatballs are seasoned with cumin, chilli powder, cilantro and sometimes with chipotle peppers or diced jalapenos for more heat.
- Harissa Meatballs: You can use North African harissa paste for a smoky and deep heat. Serve it with a yoghurt sauce or over rice or couscous.
- Korean Spicy Meatballs: You can season it with Korean chilli paste like gochujang and garlic, these meatballs contain a spicy and sweet taste. They taste great with kimchi and rice.
Serving Suggestions
- Pasta: You can serve penne, spaghetti or any pasta of your choice and top with alfredo or marinara sauce for a classic combination.
- Rice: You can serve jasmine, brown or white rice is perfect for balancing the heat and absorbing the delicious sauce.
- Mashed Potatoes: You can also try creamy mashed potatoes which provide a soothing contrast to the spiciness of the meatballs.
- Roasted Vegetables: You can serve oven-roasted vegetables such as carrots, zucchini and bell peppers that work well with the meatballs.
- Salad: You can also try light green vinaigrette to provide a crispy and refreshing contrast to the meatballs.
Storing and Freezing
Storing
- Before storing, let the meatballs cool completely at room temperature.
- Put the meatballs in a resealable plastic bag or air-tight container. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- If you want to store the meatballs cooked in sauce, you can put it together in a container. It keeps the meatballs moist.
Freezing
- Before freezing, let the meatballs cool completely.
- Put the meatballs on a baking sheet lined in a single layer and freeze until firm. It prevents them from sticking together.
- Transfer the meatballs to a resealable plastic bag or freezer-safe container.
- Label the container with the date to keep track of the freshness.
- You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the spicy meatballs provide a great way to add excitement to your meal routine. Whether you enjoy them with rice, pasta or with garlic bread their bold flavours are sure to please. From the sweet heat of sriracha to the spicy buffalo or harissa, there’s a spicy meatball recipe for everyone.
With a little cooking effort, you can prepare a quick meal. Whether cooking for friends, family or for yourself it will make the meal exciting. Enjoy the flavours of the meatballs and let these be your new favourite.
Read More:- Venison Meatball Recipe
Spicy Meatball Recipe
Spicy meatballs are a twist on normal meatballs, with additional spiciness that makes the meatballs flavorful and hot.
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb 450g ground beef or pork (or a mix of both)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a big bowl, add milk and breadcrumbs. Let it sit for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs soak the milk.
- Add the ground meat, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, ground meat, onion, salt, parsley, pepper, smoked parmesan, red pepper flakes, cumin and smoked paprika.
- Turn the mixture into the small meatballs.
- Heat the skillet/pan by adding a little bit of oil over medium heat. Put the meatballs in batches avoid overcrowding the pan. Brown the balls from all the sides; they don’t need to be fully cooked yet. Now, transfer the meatballs into a plate and keep it aside.
- In the same pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, it may take around 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for more 1-2 minutes until smells nice.
- Mix in the crushed tomatoes, black pepper, salt, sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika and basil. Let it bring to a simmer.
- Return the meatballs to the pan, placing them in the sauce. Cook over low heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
- You can adjust the seasoning if required.
- You can also garnish the meatballs with parsley or basil.
