Cheesy Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs with Marinara Dip

Juicy mozzarella-stuffed meatballs simmered in a flavour-packed tomato sauce. This easy recipe yields tender, round meatballs with a molten mozzarella centre, cooked in a simple, delicious tomato sauce. Serve with spaghetti for a classic Italian-American comfort meal that the whole family will enjoy.

This is a fun, indulgent twist on classic Italian polpette: perfectly round, juicy meatballs served in a simple tomato sauce and stuffed with gooey mozzarella.

In true Italian-American style, these meatballs are served with spaghetti. Follow the step-by-step instructions and tips below to get great results at home.

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Place ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, spices, herbs, egg, a pinch of salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine the ingredients gently — mix until just combined without compacting the meat.

Shape the mixture into a rough ball using your palm, then press an indent into the centre with your finger. Put a small cube of mozzarella into the cavity and seal the meat around it. Roll the ball between your hands until it is smooth and glossy.

Repeat until you’ve used all the mixture (this recipe makes about 12 large meatballs). Chill them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up before cooking.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and brown the meatballs on all sides until they develop a crisp, golden exterior. Remove and set aside on a plate.

To make the sauce, blitz canned whole peeled plum tomatoes in a blender until smooth. In the same pan, add a touch more olive oil and briefly sauté chopped garlic, then add the blended tomatoes.

Season the sauce with sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 5 minutes, then add the meatballs and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes to finish cooking and develop flavour. Serve with spaghetti or a simple salad.

Tips For Making The Most Delicious Meatballs

• Keep them juicy: A mix of ground beef and Italian sausage gives rich flavor and extra fat, which keeps meatballs moist and succulent.
• No breadcrumbs needed: The sausage and egg help bind the mixture, so breadcrumbs aren’t required in this recipe.
• Roll until smooth: Roll each ball in your palms until it has a glossy finish with no cracks — that seals the cheese inside and prevents splitting while cooking.

More Easy Pasta Recipes To Try;

• Creamy butternut squash pasta
• Sausage pasta bake
• Pasta with artichokes and peas
• Pasta with pancetta, ricotta and tomato
• Sun-dried tomato pasta with roasted red pepper
• Pork stroganoff with buttered noodles

If you try these Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs or any other recipe here, please rate it and leave a comment to let us know how it turned out — we love hearing from you!

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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

By Emily

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 55 mins

Servings: 4 people

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Mozzarella stuffed meatballs in a flavour-packed tomato sauce. Easy to make, juicy meatballs with oozing mozzarella cooked in a simple tomato sauce.

Ingredients

For The Meatballs (12 large)

• 15 oz (430g) ground beef
• 2 Italian sausages
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 ball mozzarella, cut into cubes

For The Sauce

• 2 x 15 oz (800g) peeled plum tomatoes, canned
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

• Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl except the mozzarella. Mix gently by hand until combined.
• Shape into rough balls, make an indent, add a cube of mozzarella, seal and roll until smooth.
• Chill the formed meatballs for 10 minutes to firm them up.
• Brown the meatballs in a little olive oil until crisp on all sides, then remove and set aside.
• Blend the canned whole tomatoes until smooth. Sauté garlic in the pan, add the tomatoes and season with sugar, balsamic, salt and pepper.
• Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, add the meatballs and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or salad.

Notes

• Use whole peeled canned tomatoes rather than chopped or crushed — they have less water and more flavour, which makes a better sauce.
• You may not use the entire ball of mozzarella. Leftovers can be added to the meatballs at the end to melt or saved for salads.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I usually use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
• When using canned tomatoes I prefer whole-peeled brands for best flavour.
• All vegetables are medium-sized unless specified.
• Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven where stated.

Nutrition

Calories: 639 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 19 g |
Protein: 36 g |
Fat: 46 g |
Saturated Fat: 17 g |
Cholesterol: 174 mg |
Sodium: 930 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.