Grilling Techniques
Making Meatballs
Though typically made from ground beef, pork, lamb, veal, game meats, chicken, or turkey bound with bread, milk, eggs, or cheese and flavored with spices and fresh chopped herbs, “meatballs” can also be made with seafood, grains and pulses (falafel, for example, features chickpeas), vegetables, and more recently, with vegan products such as Soyrizo or Beyond Meat.
It’s easy to take meatballs in nearly any flavor direction you desire—from Korean bulgogi with a gochujang-based barbecue sauce to Philly cheesesteak meatballs to Buffalo chicken bites. Serve them as appetizers or as a main course.
Meatballs can be steamed, baked, boiled, sautéed, fried, or grilled. It’s no secret which method we prefer. We love the way wood smoke permeates these delectable morsels. Below are our tips for making the best meatballs as well as some of our favorite recipes.
13 Tips for Making Grilled Meatballs
- For the best texture (and ease of handling), always work with thoroughly chilled meat. Refrigerate ground meat for several hours before forming into balls. Once the balls are formed, chill once more. We put them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with plastic wrap, then cover them with more plastic.
- To avoid dry or crumbly meatballs, make sure your meatball mixture is well-endowed with finely minced fat. If the protein you are working with is lean, add finely chopped bacon, sausage, suet, or prosciutto. Finely chopped mushrooms are also a nice addition as they exude moisture (and add flavor) as they cook.
- While many meatball recipes call for dry breadcrumbs or panko, the crumbs can deplete the meat of moisture. We prefer to use fresh bread soaked in water or milk, then wrung dry. (This is called a panade.)
- When mixing the ingredients and forming the meatballs, use a light touch. Otherwise, your meatballs can turn out heavy and dense.
- Fry a small bit of the mixture to make sure it’s properly seasoned before you grill a whole batch. You will need about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat.
- Wet your hands with cold water or vegetable oil before shaping the balls.
- Consider stuffing your meatballs with a good melting cheese like mozzarella.
- Aim for uniformly-sized meatballs; a scoop like the Meatball Maker. This will make your job easier.
- For smoke flavor, place 2 chunks of smoking hardwood or 1 1/2 cups of soaked, drained wood chips on the coals or in your smoker box.
- You can freeze raw meatballs easily. Simply freeze on a sheet pan until hard, then transfer to a sturdy resealable plastic bag or vacuum-sealed pouch. Thaw before cooking. Pre-cooked meatballs also respond well to freezing. Imagine having a batch of smoke-roasted meatballs at the ready for unexpected company!
- Oil the meatballs well before grilling indirectly over medium-high heat. Finish them over direct heat, turning often, if you prefer them a little crusty. You may want to use a special meatball pan.
- For uniformly round meatballs, thread them on skewers (metal or bamboo) and suspend the skewers between two rows of firebrick. This way, the meatballs won’t be misshapen by the grill grate. This method imitates the mangal used in many live-fire cooking cultures.
- Do explore some of the international meatball variations like the ones below.
International Grilled Meatballs Recipes
Grilled Meatballs: Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of meat works best for grilled meatballs?
Beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, and turkey can all work well for grilled meatballs. The main thing is balance. Meatballs need enough fat to stay juicy on the grill, so very lean ground meat often benefits from additions like bacon, sausage, or other flavorful fat.
How do you keep meatballs from drying out on the grill?
Start with chilled meat, use a light touch when mixing, and include moisture-building ingredients like soaked bread, milk, eggs, cheese, or finely chopped mushrooms. Oiling the meatballs before grilling and cooking them over indirect heat first also helps prevent them from drying out.
How do you keep grilled meatballs from falling apart?
Chill the formed meatballs before cooking, make sure the mixture has enough binder, and avoid overhandling. Uniform sizing also helps. For easier grilling, you can cook them in a meatball basket, skewer them, or start them over indirect heat before finishing over direct heat.
What temperature should grilled meatballs reach?
In general, grilled meatballs made with ground meat should be cooked until safely done and nicely browned on the outside. For beef, pork, veal, or mixed meat meatballs on BarbecueBible.com, many recipes finish at 160 degrees F. Always use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.
Can you make meatballs ahead of time for grilling?
Yes. Raw meatballs can be formed and chilled in advance, then grilled later. They also freeze well. Freeze them first on a sheet pan until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag or sealed container. Thaw before cooking for the best texture.
Grilled meatballs earn their place on the fire because they’re adaptable, crowd-friendly, and a lot more interesting than most people give them credit for. Once you get the texture and grilling method right, you can take them in dozens of directions. For more live-fire inspiration, browse the recipe index, explore more global grilling ideas, or sign up for Up in Smoke to get new recipes and techniques in your inbox.