The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
These Ricotta Meatballs are so tender and flavorful! Serve them in a sub roll, with pasta, or with a simple side salad. BONUS: They’re easy to make on the Stove Top, Crock Pot, and can be oven baked 2 ways! They’re also make-ahead and freezer friendly.
Be sure to try my Italian Sausage Pasta recipe next!
Ricotta Meatballs
I can never resist a juicy, flavorful meatball, but when that meatball is combined with a creamy herb ricotta mixture, it takes things to a whole new level.
The combination of half and half and breadcrumbs creates the perfect panade which is further enhanced by 1 whisked egg, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, simple seasonings, and of course, creamy herb ricotta. 😉
What is a Panade
A panade is a mixture of starch and liquid that is combined to form a paste. It’s mixed in with meat for meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers to preserve the tender texture of the meat.
When meat cooks, the proteins expand and contract and in doing so, moisture escapes. The starch in the panade turns to a gel when cooked and lubricates the fibers in the meat as it cooks.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. This is an overview of the stove top method.
Combine the ricotta herb mixture and set aside. Sautee the onions until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Set aside and let cool.
Combine the egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and ¾ cup of the herb Ricotta mixture in a large bowl. Mix in the cooled onions/garlic.
Season the ground chuck with salt and pepper, add it to the large bowl and gently mix it with your hands until combined.
Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and transfer them to the fridge for 15 minutes.
Brown the meatballs in oil in batches, leave plenty of room around each so that you can easily rotate them. Remove and set aside.
Add marinara sauce to a large high-walled skillet and add the meatballs. Spoon the sauce on top. Cover partially and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add 9 dollops of the remaining herb ricotta over the top during the last 15 minutes. Serve!
Make-Ahead Method
- Brown and Refrigerate: Assemble and brown the meatballs as outlined. Let them cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add them to the sauce and give 10 additional minutes of simmering time.
- Brown and Freeze: Assemble and brown the meatballs as outlined. Let them cool completely. Place on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove and transfer to a gallon freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. They can be thawed in the fridge overnight or added to sauce from a frozen state until warm and cooked through.
Pro Tips
- I use Rao’s marinara sauce with this recipe, it’s the best marinara sauce you’ll ever try! Feel free to make this with my easy homemade marinara sauce as well.
- A combination of ground chuck, ground pork, ground sausage, and ground veal can be used in these meatballs as well.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese from a wedge for best flavor and consistency, try to avoid using packaged grated cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser, 3.5 qt., Oyster– This is what I use for this recipe and is what is pictured in this post.
- Box Cheese Grater– Grating/Shredding cheese from a block will also give you the best flavor and consistency.
- Garlic Twister– Using fresh cloves is much more flavorful than jarred minced garlic.
- Light Baking Sheet– This is the perfect size if you are baking these without sauce.
- 9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish– Perfect if you’re baking them with sauce.
Try These Next
-
- Cheese Pasta
-
- Minestrone Soup
-
- Chicken Meatballs
-
- Easy Ravioli Sauce
-
- Baked Ravioli
-
- Chicken Parmesan
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Ricotta Meatballs
Ingredients
- 32 oz. marinara sauce
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
Herb Ricotta Mixture
- 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, parsley
Meatballs
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Egg, whisked
- ½ cup half and half, can sub cream
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley, plus more to garnish
- 1 teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, mustard powder, salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 lb. ground chuck, 80% lean
- ½ lb. ground pork, or ground sausage or veal
Instructions
Stove Top Method (See notes for baking/crock pot methods)
- Combine the Herb Ricotta mixture and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and add the finely diced onion. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and ¾ cup of the herb Ricotta mixture. Add the cooled onions/garlic.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper, add it to the large bowl and gently mix it with your hands until well-combined. (Don’t overwork the meat or it will become tough.)
- Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and transfer them to the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to cover the meatballs almost halfway.
- Brown the meatballs in batches, leave plenty of room around each so that you can easily rotate them without having to pick them up to flip them. Brown for about 1 ½ minutes per side. Use kitchen tongs to remove and set aside.
- Remove excess oil from the skillet and add 32 oz. of marinara sauce. The sauce will thicken and reduce during cooking so I recommend that you add about ¼+ cup water as well so that the sauce doesn’t get too thick. You can do this now or later as you judge the consistency. (The ricotta topping thickens it more as well.)
- Add the meatballs to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat, partially covered. Use a small cookie scoop to dollop the remaining herb ricotta mixture on top and allow it to heat through during the last 15 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- I use Rao's marinara sauce with this recipe, it's the best marinara sauce you'll ever try! Feel free to make this with my easy homemade marinara sauce as well.
- Any combination of ground chuck, ground pork, ground sausage, and ground veal can be used in these meatballs.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese from a wedge for best flavor and consistency, try to avoid using packaged grated cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
- Coating your hands in a little oil makes it easier to handle and roll out the meatballs.
Baking Method:
- Method 1: Bake with sauce- Once the meatballs are browned, add ¾ of the marinara sauce to a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add the meatballs and top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and add dabs of the remaining herb ricotta on top. Bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
- Method 2: Bake without sauce- Assemble and brown the meatballs on the stove top as outlined in the recipe. Line a light 18 x 13 baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking sheet. If you don’t have either, you can lightly spray it with nonstick spray. Note that dark baking sheets attract more heat which could burn the bottom of the meatballs. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, the internal temperature needs to reach 160°.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Assemble and brown the meatballs on the stove top as outlined in the recipe. Transfer to the Crock Pot and add the marinara sauce. Heat on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7.
- Add the remaining ricotta mixture during the last 20 minutes or so, to allow it time to heat up.
Make-Ahead Method
- Brown and Refrigerate: Assemble and brown the meatballs as outlined. Let them cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add them to the sauce and give 10 additional minutes of simmering time.
- Brown and Freeze: Assemble and brown the meatballs as outlined. Let them cool completely. Place on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove and transfer to a gallon freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. They can be thawed in the fridge overnight or added to sauce from a frozen state until warm and cooked through.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional info below is per serving. The number of servings are at the top of the recipe card in the middle. This recipe makes approximately 43 meatballs, nutritional info is per meatball and includes sauce and ricotta topping.
This was so good. I used the oven method with the sauce. Took a little time but so worth it. We ate them up so fast we didn’t even cook pasta. We ate them as a side. The Cozy Cook has never disappointed me. Thank you ❤️
That’s SO great to hear Connie, I’m so happy that you enjoyed these meatballs and that you’re loving my recipes, nothing makes me happier! Thank you soooo much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
This was such a pleasant surprise. My new go to meatball!
This was such a delicious surprise. My new go to meatball!
Wahooo! I’m so happy to hear that! These have been such a hit, thanks so much for the great review!❤️
Do you have a suggestion for using turkey meat instead?
Hi Suzie, I have a turkey meatball recipe here that you can check out and then combine with the ricotta herb mixture as outlined in this recipe 🙂
These are absolutely delicious!!!! I don’t even brown them, using the directions for your slow-cooker meatballs!
I’m so happy to hear that Mary!!! WOO!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
Hi, question isn’t more easily to mix the onions and garlic in the meat? Your gonna cook it on the skillet after right?? Everything can cook there? Thanks
The onions and garlic are more subtle and and less “crunchy” if you soften them first, but you can put them into the meat raw if preferred! I find that softening the onions adds a little more depth of flavor as well, as it releases some of their natural sugars.
In Step 4 you discuss preparing the ground chuck. You don’t mention any of the 3 other meats listed next in ingredients, just under the 1 pound ground chuck. Do you also add 1/2 pounds of one of the 3 listed to the chuck mixture also? Just checking.
Judy
Hey Judy!! Thank you so much for mentioning this, I made a little typo fix yesterday to this recipe and I think it deleted the “ground pork” part, so it’s definitely both the chuck and the pork at the same time! Thank you again!
I’m excited to make these but I would like to avoid cooking them in the first step with so much oil. Is there another way?
You can just use less oil 😉
How about using an air fryer then transfer to skillet for finishing. Is there a reason why this wouldn’t work? I too don’t like using oil.
Hi Carol! I think that should work, I don’t have instructions outlined as I haven’t tested it, but I don’t see why not! ☺️
FYI. This takes a lot longer than the listed time. The cooking time only includes the time it’s in the oven, not the time it takes to brown the meatballs in batches or cooking the onions/garlic prior to making the meatballs. I find the prep time also kind of light since you have to wait 15 just for the meatballs to go in the fridge.
Just want to make sure the next person allocates enough time to making this. Dinner is now 1hour later than anticipated and it’s still not done. 😔
Hi Rene, there are 4 cooking methods outlined in this recipe. You’re using a baking method from the notes section, but the the cook time (45 minutes), is for the stove top method, which is in the method used in the main recipe card.
Does the total amount of ricotta mixture added at the end or does some of the mixture get added to meat mixture? (The word “remaining” in the instructions has me confused.) Thanks much!
Hi Patti!! Yes, you’re using 3/4 cup of the Ricotta mixture in step 3, and then you’re using the rest of it at the end. Enjoy!!
Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the egg, half and half, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and ¾ cup of the herb Ricotta mixture. Add the cooled onions/garlic.