How can I make my meatballs not shit?

[IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece]

Have some of the preformed (but not cooked) meatballs.

I’ve tried cooking them in the sauce, cooking separately then adding and slow cooking and they always go kind of hard and a bit dry, texturally are a bit like Ikea meatballs and lose the texture I want which is like a lovely soft homemade meatball

What am I doing wrong?!

Maybe cooking too long

Add to sauce at end?

Try these by Thug Kitchen: www.thugkitchen.com/recipes/spaghetti-and-beanballs

They’re vegan but absolutely delicious!

I part cook them in the oven for 20 mins at 180c then put them in the pre prepared tomato sauce works for me 😘

How are you cooking them? I fry mine - start of medium high, roll them around to seal then heat down. Then add sauce.

Shop bought meatballs are never as good as home made.

I use minced pork and make the mixture a few hours before to give lots of flavour.

I add herbs, salt, pepper, grated cheese, chilli flakes and spring onions.

When you cook the meatballs add some red wine and cook it off before adding a tin or two of chopped tomatoes. More herbs and seasoning.

Always full of flavour.

I usually brown them in a frying pan then transfer to the oven for 20 mins or so. However, I think preformed meatballs have quite a dense texture and are often small which can cause them to be quite hard when cooked.

I normally make my own as follows:
Finely dice 2 onions and a couple of cloves of garlic, pan fry until soft. Mix with:
1 pack of beef mince
1 pack of pork mince (or can use a couple of pork sausages squeezed from their cases)
A large handful of fresh breadcrumbs
Large pinch each of salt and pepper
Pinch of paprika
An egg

Once mixed form into balls (aiming for somewhere between a walnut and a squash ball and then cook as above. Toss in sauce just before serving.

I always used too cook them first (either oven or fry) but now i always make up a sauce, and then put the raw meatballs in the sauce and cook then that way. Sauce then cooks long and slow, so there's loads of flavour, and meatballs stay nice and soft.

I put into a oven proof pan on the hob - onions and peppers, Fry off then add smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, fry for a minute then add mushrooms, when they start to soften add passata and a beef stock cube, when all combined and bubbling add the meatballs then pop in the oven for 30-40 mins on 180. I use fairly big meatballs though. I stir through fresh spinach at last minute and serve with pasta/potatoes or just green salad.

Thanks all! Very helpful! I shall report back!

Right now making my own isn’t an option-food refuser 5yo has just started eating them (his list of liked food was 5 plain foods last year so this is HUGE) and I don’t want to rock the boat by making my own and they looking different...hopefully soon but for now we make the best of them

Half sausage meat, a pile of breadcrumbs and an egg to bind. Delicious.

Ooohh those Vegan balls look delicious! Thanks for this will give them a go.

Depends on the fat content. 12% or higher needs a longer cooking time to render the fat. Lean (esp 5%) needs a quick cook or will dry out.
General rule - seal by frying at high heat for short time, add to a sauce and cook thru.

I make the sauce and then chuck bought ones in at the end for 15 mins or so.

It if making my own use pork and beef mince, higher fat in the pork mince and add some breadcrumbs.

20/25 mins in the oven at 200.

Add to sauce (for those who like it) or serve separate to sauce for those who don’t. Or those who won’t eat the sauce and just have meatballs and spaghetti. Or omit meatballs entirely for those who just want sauce and spaghetti.

Such fun!

raw meatballs in the sauce and chopped veg. In oven for about 30 minutes. Remove. Sprinkle on a bit of feta. Put back in for 5 minutes. Scoff.

I actually half them to make smaller as cook faster and no over cooking. Then brown off in a pan and remove from heat, cook tomato sauce - onion, tommies, tom concentrate, herbs, oxo cube sometimes pepper - then add meatballs back and heat through - serve

InternetRandomer you forgot the one that won’t eat “spaghetti shaped spaghetti”...or the one who will only eat out of the paw patrol bowl...or the one that will eat every last bit of food as long as the moon is in Capricorn and there’s precisely 17 strands of spaghetti whilst the cat is tap dancing

I love dinnertime!

I'm never happy with the texture of my meatballs either, I think moist light meatballs might just not be a thing - have never tasted one I'm happy with. I have a great recipe for lamb meatballs that tastes amazing but I'd like the texture to be softer. I handle them gently don't over compact and oven cook initially before lobbing them into the sauce.

Honestly, bake them raw in the sauce. It never fails.

Mine go into the sauce with a handful of whole cherry tomatoes plus chopped peppers aubergine and courgette. All just raw. Its a very easy meal. Because of the high volume of veg we don't have spaghetti with ours, just a slice of garlic bread. Its a family favourite.

We use ground almonds instead of breadcrumbs, don’t over work and they always come out super soft this sauce is amazing

I’ve discovered the secret to great meatballs is pork not beef mince. I make them with loads of fresh grated Parmesan, chopped coriander, an egg, seasoning and ground almonds not flour. I’ve made the same recipe with beef and they were dry and crap.

Came on to give my expert advice, as I quite fancy myself as a meatball mamma.

But guineapig1 above has it right. I think you can avoid pre-softening the onion & garlic if you put them in a medium oven to cook. Single layer, baking pan with sides, not touching, with a bit of boiling water (maybe a teaspoon per meatball, or just coming 1/5th of the way up?). Seems to steam them and keep them softer. You do lose the dark brown on the bottom bit (unless you want to turn them a fair bit), but you get bonus gravy!

Speaking of gravy, I always roll them in flour now (and shake off excess) before cooking. Thick gloopy sauce guaranteed. Also a touch of cumin.

If your kid is fussy about how the meatball looks, get into the habit of cutting them up on his plate (once he’s accepted them). By the 5th time, he’ll likely accept any meatball, as long as it’s cut up the same?