Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Recipe

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are cheesy, melty Italian meatballs perfect for appetizers or topping your favorite Italian main dish. Made easily in an hour!

Fresh-made Italian Meatballs are one of the easiest and most versatile Appetizer Recipes. You can serve them on their own, add different sauces to easily change the flavor, or add them to your favorite dish to make them into a meal.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs in sauce in skillet, showing melty cheese

If you are a lover of cheese (as many readers on this site are), then you are going to really enjoy these Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs. These easy, tasty morsels are packed with melty, cheesy, Italian seasoning in every bite. They are a dream for Italian food lovers, and will be so impressive to your guests.

While frozen meatballs are great for recipes like Cocktail Meatballs, there is nothing quite like a homemade fresh Meatball. Not only do you get to control the quality of ingredients going into them (and they are much cheaper), you can also make them exactly how you like.

It is a popular idea to make a double batch of these Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and freeze some for later. Assemble the meatballs as usual but don’t bake. Flash-freeze them by placing them on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour. Then transfer your meatballs to an air-tight freezer bag and store them for up to 2 months.

In this recipe, the meatballs are topped with Easy Marinara Sauce, but you can use a jar of your favorite pasta sauce or even a Basil Pesto. If serving as a fancy appetizer, serve on a nice platter with a bit of marinara on each meatball and sprinkle with parmesan and fresh parsley for garnish.

How to Make Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Prep: Cut mozzarella into 24 small squares, then set aside.
Mix: Mix the beef, onion, egg panko, parmesean, parsley, basil, and pepper until just combined.
Stuff: Divide meat into 24 even pieces and wrap it around each mozzarella square. Then roll into a ball and make sure the cheese is covered.
Cook: Add butter to a pan and cook in batches for 5-7 minutes.
Serve: Take out of the oven and serve using one of the many ideas in this post.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs cooking in skillet

Delicious Dipping Sauces

Frequently Asked Questions About Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

How do you keep the cheese from leaking out of Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs?

Be sure to cover the cheese center well, and evenly with the ground meat mixture to ensure it won’t leak out while cooking. Also follow the instructions for temperature, and cook time, as high heat and long cook times can cause leakage.

Why are eggs used when making meatballs?

The eggs will help all your ingredients stick together, especially the bread crumbs, meat, and seasonings.

How can I keep the meatballs warm in between making batches, sauces, and other items for dinner?

If you have a lot of things to manage along with your meatballs, or are making a very large batch, you can keep them warm in an oven set at 250 degrees while you finish cooking everything. Just spread them out on a cookie sheet and they’ll stay fresh for serving.

Serving Ideas

Serve Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs at your next pot luck. Keep them warm in a slow cooker with sauce and guests will keep coming back for more. Serve the meatballs on an appetizer platter with sauce on the side, or spoon a small amount of sauce on each one. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley for a beautiful presentation.

Take this tasty appetizer from starter to dinner easily. Use your Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs to top off your favorite pasta dish, or in baked Italian recipes like Baked Spaghetti casserole. Turn Meatballs into a main dish all on its own by making a classic Meatball Sub.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Sub

Preheat oven on broil. Brush a hoagie roll with a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, and fresh parsley. Toast bread under the broiler until golden brown. Place 3-4 stuffed meatballs into the toasted hoagife roll. Top with a generous spoonful of warm marinaara sauce and 2 deli slices of provolone cheese. Pop under the broiler for a few more minutes until the cheese is melty.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs cooking in skillet, showing melty cheese

Variations on Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Meat: If you decide to use ground turkey or ground chicken, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your meat. You can also use ground pork or a blend of your choices of meat. Try a spicy ground sausage for some heat.
Cheese: Stuff these Italian meatballs with your favorite cheeses like Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, or provolone. String cheese is a less expensive, substitute if you don’t want to buy a block of fresh mozzarella.
Spicy: Add some spice to the meatballs with cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper in the meat or in the sauce.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms, mozzarella, and beef make a great combo. Place stuffed meatballs into prepared mushroom caps before baking (like Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms). Or you can add diced, sautéed mushrooms to your ground beef.
Keto: To make these low-carb Stuffed Meatballs, substitute the bread crumbs for almond flour or pork rinds! Yup, use a food processor to crush pork rinds into low carb, Keto breadcrumbs.

How to Make Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Prep: Add 2-3 cups marinara sauce to the slow cooker and set on high while you are making meatballs.
Mix: Combine all meatball ingredients except the mozzarella in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix until fully combined.
Stuff: Take a golf-ball sized piece of the ground beef mixture and place a piece of mozzarella in the middle. Press meat around the piece of cheese, fully enclosing it.
Cook: Place meatballs in the crockpot and submerge in sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours, or until meat is fully cooked.

Appetizer Finger Foods

How to Store Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Serve: Your meatballs can be kept at room temperature for no more than 2 hours before they should be properly stored.
Store: Keep your meatballs in a zipped storage bag or air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Allow your meatballs to cool completely before storing them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.