These Ricotta Meatballs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Tender, juicy homemade meatballs with a jar of good marinara and a crispy topping to finish it all off. YUM!
Ricotta Meatballs with the Crispy Topping
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Made them last night and they were so good! We all loved them- my 17 year old super picky eater liked them too! That is a huge win for me. So tender and perfect!
Heather
Watch How To Make These Ricotta Meatballs
I Have A New Favorite Meatball.
Not to be drama, but there might be drama.
For years, these classic baked chicken meatballs have been my favorite of all time. And I still love them!
But there’s a new meatball in town. RICOTTA meatballs, to be specific! They are a force in my life. They are just super tender, juicy, versatile, and so easy.
Imagine this: you step in the door from school / work / life and get hit with the smell of warm garlic bread. You see someone (maybe it’s your own self – just play along) pulling a skillet of crispy-topped meatballs in bubbling sauce out of the oven. A bowl of dressed greens get set on the table. People start to gather, forks are flying, dipping and crunching and shushed eating begins.
It doesn’t get any better than feeling loved in this way. ♡
I’ve done this with both ground chicken and ground turkey – I prefer turkey, maybe because it has a bit more fat? Ground beef also works, as does Italian sausage – and maybe you want to mix and match because this recipe is begging to be doubled.
As far as serving goes, it is physically impossible for us to NOT have these with garlic bread. I adore this garlic bread so much. But good old buttered noodles would work, too! And for veggies, a simple green salad, bagged Caesar salad, or steam-in-the-bag green beans on the side – all great options.
I love these meatballs because – thanks to that ricotta! – they’re juicy, luscious, and flavorful. Bjork loves these meatballs because protein. Our girls LOVE these meatballs for who knows what reason kids ever choose to like anything, but the obsession is real. Our 3 year old prayed before our meal the other night, and she closed her little eyes and folded her hands and solemnly said, in her tiny voice, “God, thank you that Mom made these meatballs.”
I hope you love them as much as we do!
Welcome To My Home! Let’s Make Ricotta Meatballs!
1
Combine the meatball mixture.
Everything all in one bowl! No cutting board required.
2
Roll into Meatballs.
Place them in an oiled pan to prevent sticking – I love this one from Lodge, but any oven-safe pan will work! (affiliate link)
3
Bake the Meatballs.
400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, to golden, juicy perfection.
4
Add Sauce.
I just add a jar of sauce directly to the pan.
5
Add the crispy topping.
Optional but fun! Gives the whole thing a little texture and bling. Broil for a few minutes to get it crispy!
6
You’re done! Yum!
Get into that skillet of goodness.
Ricotta Meatballs with The Crispy Topping
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
These Ricotta Meatballs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Tender, juicy homemade meatballs with a jar of good marinara and a crispy topping to finish it all off. YUM!
Ingredients
Scale
Ricotta Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey (I used 93/7 ground turkey – ground chicken also works, as does just about any other type of ground meat that you like!)
- 1/2 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Crispy Topping & Extras
- 1 jar tomato sauce (like a marinara or pasta sauce – I like a lot of sauce so I typically use a 28–32 ounce jar)
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all meatball ingredients together.
- Meatballs: Roll mixture into 20-24 small meatballs. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a shallow Dutch oven or oven-safe pan to prevent sticking. Put the meatballs in the pan.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes on a middle oven rack. Gently loosen them from the bottom of the pan with a spatula; they should have some nice browning.
- Sauce: Add the tomato sauce directly to the pan with the meatballs and stir to get them all coated.
- Optional Topping: Mix the 1/4 cup panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the meatballs and sauce.
- Final Bake: Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to warm the sauce. Turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to get the crispies nice and golden (just watch it so it doesn’t burn).
- You’re Done! Get into this! SO good served with a green salad and garlic bread for dunking into the sauce!
Notes
The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be fully cooked. If you’re baking in a deeper pot than what is shown here, like a full-size Dutch oven with higher sides, you may need to increase the baking time or put the lid on to make sure the meatballs get cooked (that is according to commenters here who used a different type of pan – thank you for sharing)!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: meatballs, baked meatballs, italian meatballs, easy dinner recipe, meatball recipe
Frequently Asked Questions For Ricotta Meatballs
How can I make this dairy-free?
These meatballs rely on the ricotta for both tenderness and binding, so for a dairy-free option, I would try these baked chicken meatballs instead! They are one of our most popular recipes, and they can be easily made dairy-free by omitting the Parmesan.
How can I make this gluten-free?
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs!
What type of tomato sauce do you prefer?
I like both Rao’s and DeLallo tomato sauces!
Can I make these with ground beef?
Yes!
What do you serve these meatballs with?
This garlic bread is a must for me, even if it’s store-bought—it’s just so good to have something to dunk into that skillet. Another option would be simple buttered noodles. For vegetables, I usually throw together a bagged Caesar salad, a quick Italian salad using romaine, spinach, cucumber, and some store-bought Italian dressing, or this simple green salad.
Three More Easy Meatball Dinners
Filed Under: All Recipes Dinner Dutch Oven Fall Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Quick and Easy Recipes SOS Series Tomato Winter
September 10, 2024
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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These look great! I made some meatballs the other day and they were too tough. I really want to try again and have them be softer and more tender and not so sad 🙁
Do you think I could replace the ricotta in a pinch with plain full-fat yogurt or plain full-fat Greek yogurt? Just wondering, since I tend to have those on hand more frequently than ricotta.
Interesting that there is not an egg in here?
I was worried about no egg but the ricotta kept everything together well.
We aren’t super confident that Greek yogurt will get the same result, so I’d recommend getting the ricotta!
😱 but where did you find that gigantic tub of ricotta?
Costco! 🙂
Have you tried subbing the ricotta for blended cottage cheese to amp up the protein?
We haven’t but think that would work!
I subbed the ricotta for lactose free good culture cottage cheese and it worked amazingly well! The meatballs were flavorful and tender. I used carbone tomato basil sauce (it was on sale) though I normally like to use Rao.
How do these freeze?
I am wondering this too…I’d like to make extra today and freeze. Can you freeze after baking and then reheat in sauce?
Yep, you can freeze the meatballs after baking!
I froze them before baking and they still turned out perfectly.
Mine were hardly cooked after 20 min at 400?!
I put the lid on my Dutch oven & turned it up to 425. I don’t think it was shallow enough to start
Yum! So delicious. I served them with Aldi mini garlic naan. I was nervous since Pinch of Yum chicken meatballs are my absolute fav, but these are fantastic.
Made them last night and they were so good! We all loved them- my 17 year old super picky eater liked them too! That is a huge win for me. So tender and perfect!
“Jar” of tomato sauce…..Do you have a specific brand or kind you would recommend. I think of tomato sauce coming in a can??
Kim – I’m sure by “jar of tomato sauce” she’s referring to a jarred pasta sauce – Rao’s, Prego, Classico, etc. These are tomato-based but have other things added like salt and spices. Definitely not a can of straight tomato sauce.
Can I use a 6 qt dutch oven? Or is that too tall?
So I answered my own question 🙂 my 6 qt enamel dutch oven worked great and cooked in the recommended time. They didn’t get as brown as the video shows but maybe I added to much oil. This recipe was quick and easy and alongside the decadent garlic bread it was delicious. Will definitely be a hit when the temps start to drop!
Made as a true SOS meal tonight before soccer and my whole family loved it! Literally walked through the door with the ricotta at 4:00, and we sat down to eat at 4:40. It truly came together so fast, but felt like a real cozy meal. I made a double batch of the meatballs to freeze some, which will make this a go-to on busy nights!
Short and sweet….these were frickin’ fantastic! Prepped this am and made for dinner after my son got home. Fast and flavorful!
WOW! We loved this. I don’t normally comment on recipes but had to this time. I made these with homemade tomato sauce as I had fresh tomatoes from the garden I had to use up and I cooked the meatballs a little longer as well. Best meatballs I’ve ever eaten. A question though – Can you make these ahead and freeze them before you cook them? I know ricotta can be iffy to freeze.
Nothing makes me feel like I’ve got my life together like having dinner prepped at noon. Made these and threw them in the fridge so they were ready to go when we got home. I did consider throwing them in the crockpot for while we were gone and then popping them in the oven for a broil but decided to not dirty extra dishes.
So simple and delicious! Served with garlic bread, green beans, and simple green salad. Will definitely make again!
Also curious about cottage cheese — I think you might need to strain it before blending depending on your selection because ricotta is pretty thick! I’ll give it a try next time.
I am so glad that I follow you! These meatballs and garlic bread are amazing. So delicious and easy to make. Just wow!!
This was a big winner !! I used ground chicken and the result was lovely. The garlic bread to dip was the bomb ! For two of us, we ate about half and I will make meatball subs with the leftovers. Thank you for two great recipes.
These are delicious!!! We absolutely demolished them. Definitely going into the regular rotation!
These are delicious!!!! Im so glad I decided to give them a try. My 16 year old asked me to put them on the menu for next week. That’s high praise right there!
Any word on how these freeze? I made a double batch but didn’t realize how filling these would be!
Oh gosh, that wasn’t intended to be a reply – sorry, Erin!
Great dish! I used turkey and couldn’t tell that it wasn’t beef. Everything mixed and baked as directed.
These are FABULOUS!!! I will be adding these to my dinner rotation! All family members loved them!
YUM! Not surprisingly, these are great. I already loved your normal chicken meatball recipe and adding the ricotta takes it to another level. I’m not a fan of marinara so I used pesto instead. The crispies are definitely necessary. I will be making this one on repeat!
These were a huge win! I used ground chicken and they came out perfectly moist and delicious. Served with fresh angel hair pasta and garlic bread. Whole family loved it.
Love it! Thanks for the comment, Ashley!
Made these for dinner last night and 🤩🤩 wow! Huge hit with everyone – husband and three kiddos ages 2-8. Also made the garlic bread and served with roasted broccoli. I used Rao’s marinara sauce and made no substitutions. Definitely going in our regular rotation! I’d love instructions on freezing too.
I NEVER post comments, but am choosing to because this recipe was so easy, so quick, and so delicious! We had the meatballs on a bed of green swiss chard, sautéed with garlic; garlic bread on the side made this the perfect dinner!
Sounds amazing!
I loved this recipe! Easy, delicious and healthy. The idea that it could JUST be meatballs and garlic bread was a delight. Can’t wait until next week’s SOS recipe.
Amazing!!! So flavorful! For the sauce, I combined a spicy marinara with Alfredo and it was loved by all!
Yum! That sounds amazing!