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This easy meatball appetizer recipe is perfect for parties! They’re incredibly flavorful and seasoned with fresh chives, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. If you’re looking for the best homemade meatball appetizer, this is it!
Pair them with our garlic dipping sauce for the most flavorful cocktail meatballs. Check out my turkey meatballs too!
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Pin ItWhy These Meatballs Are Always the First to Go
- Crowd-Pleasing Flavor: These aren’t your average meatballs – they’re loaded with warm spices that give them a unique, almost Moroccan twist. So flavorful, even the kids couldn’t stop eating them!
- Super Simple to Make: Just toss everything in one bowl, scoop, and bake. No hand-rolling, no fuss – just deliciousness with minimal mess.
- Perfect for Parties: Bite-sized, juicy, and made to mingle. Serve them with toothpicks, a dipping sauce, and your favorite small bites. They disappear fast!
- Homemade, Always: We skip the frozen stuff – these are real-deal homemade meatballs that taste like you actually tried, without requiring much effort.
Meatball Appetizer Ingredient Notes
Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make this perfect meatball recipe. You can get all of these ingredients at your local grocery store.
Organic Beef – I always use organic, grass-fed beef when we cook with beef. It’s really important to use good quality meat. You can also make the meatballs with turkey too.
Chives – These are like green onions, they’re long and skinny and taste similar to an onion and shallot. They had a lot of flavor to these
Bread Crumbs – Use Panko, classic breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add structure to the meat.
Egg – Add add moisture and stability to the meatballs.
Garlic – There is no better flavor than garlic! Garlic adds so much deliciousness to these meatballs. We recommend a garlic press, as it comes out perfectly minced.
Ground Spices – We use ground cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
Olive Oil – This is used to enhance the flavor in the meatballs and gives them a golden brown color.
5 Steps For Making This Meatball Appetizer
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Use a small cookie scoop to make the meatballs. No need to roll them in your hand, just scoop and place meatballs on the prepared pan. Place them closer together so you can bake at least 24 cocktail meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Recipe Tips
Bake Smart: Place meatballs on a cooling rack over a baking sheet so they cook evenly and don’t get soggy bottoms.
Use a Cookie Scooper: It makes prep fast and ensures all the meatballs are the same size. No scooper? A spoon works – just roll by hand.
Plan Ahead: These go fast! Make about 4 meatballs per guest so no one misses out.
Keep Them Warm: Use a slow cooker on low or keep them in the oven at 140°F. Wrap in foil to lock in moisture.
Reheat Like a Pro: Place cooked meatballs on a foil-lined tray, cover with more foil, and warm in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cocktail meatballs freeze incredibly well. You’ll want to seal them in a Ziplock bag of some kind so they don’t lose moisture.
You can even take the frozen meatballs straight to a slow cooker. Three to four hours is typically enough time to revive the frozen appetizers.
Here’s that all-important question. Can you put raw meatballs in the cooker? The short answer is yes you can make these crockpot meatballs. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time to allow for thorough cooking.
Then set the raw balls of meat to simmer in a sauce for six to eight hours. Cooked meatballs only require a few hours of heating.
Cooking the meatballs offers benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked. Only a hot stove or grill can sear the outer layer of meat for a texture that is grilled outside and tender throughout.
This answer really depends on the size of the meatball. Cocktail meatballs tend to come in diameters of one or two inches. If you make larger two-inch balls, you can plan on preparing two or three per guest.
Smaller one-inch balls will require that you make four to five per guest. Another thing to consider is how many side dishes you’ll have.
If you are preparing for a party of around 25, you’ll need to buy around 3 pounds of meat for this main course. If you calculate that 25 guests will eat 4 meatballs each, then you’ll need 100 meatballs. 1 lb of beef makes about 3-40 mini meatballs.
How to Serve Cocktail Meatballs
There are two ways to serve this meatball appetizer:
- Serve on a platter with a cocktail pick in each meatball so guests can quickly grab and eat one.
- For more of an elegant presentation, serve on small wooden spoons with a dollop of sauce over the meatball.
Cocktail meatballs are always a crowd-pleaser. No matter what type of meatball appetizer recipe you use, putting a little thought into how you serve and reheat them can go a long way in impressing your friends.
More Party Appetizers
- Marinated Olives
- How to Create a Cheese Platter – You can also add these to our holiday Halloween cheese platter.
- The Best Goat Cheese Dip
- Prosciutto and Potato Chip Appetizer
- Mini Lobster Rolls
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
Also, check out my easy party desserts and easy mixed drinks to serve at a party.
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Easy Meatball Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
- Line a baking pan with a rack or with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Use a small cookie scoop to make the meatballs. No need to roll them in your hand, just scoop and place meatballs on the prepared pan.
- Place them closer together so you can bake at least 24 cocktail meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add a cocktail pick into each meatball before serving.
Notes
- Make meatballs on a cooling rack over a baking sheet for even cooking and no soggy bottoms.
- Use high-quality ingredients and plan for about 4 meatballs per guest—they disappear fast!
- Swap the beef for ground turkey or pork, or mix in cayenne, Parmesan, soy sauce, or Worcestershire for fun variations.
- To keep them warm, use a slow cooker on low or the oven at 140°F wrapped in foil to prevent drying out.
- Refrigerate: Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Let them cool completely, then freeze in a sealed freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh, these meatballs were sooo tasty!! Came out perfectly!
I’m a little OCD, so I had to roll mine in balls after I scooped them. 🙂 They were a hit with the whole family just dipped in BBQ sauce. Can’t wait to try them again with your garlic cilantro sauce. That sounds amazing!
These are so flavorful! And that garlic cilantro dipping sauce- chef’s kiss! These are sure to be a hit at any party.