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Classic meatballs in a frying pan

Classic Skillet Meatballs

Savory, juicy, and tender — a lunch or dinner the whole family will love! Classic meatballs are a great everyday dish that's sure to please kids and grown-ups alike. Serve them with any side or with fresh vegetables. Dig in!

Julia M.

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork

800

Onion

Rice

100

Tomato paste

Water

350

Egg

Vegetable oil

Bay leaf

Garlic

Salt

Dry seasonings

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 31 % 9 g

Fats 45 % 13 g

Carbohydrates 24 % 7 g

183 kcal

GI: 29 / 71 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make classic skillet meatballs? Gather your ingredients. Choose pork with a bit of fat — that keeps the meatballs juicy. If your onion is large, one big one is plenty. Use long-grain rice.
Step 2:

Grind the pork into ground meat. Boil the rice until it's about halfway cooked. Don't add raw rice — as it cooks it swells and pokes out of the meatballs, turning them into "porcupines."
Step 3:

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork and cooked rice. Peel, rinse, and chop the onion — in a food processor, ground with the meat, or minced by hand. Add it to the bowl.
Step 4:

Crack in one egg. Peel the garlic and press it in. Season with salt and spices to taste — I use a little paprika and dried basil, but it's up to you. Mix everything until even, then throw the mixture against the bottom of the bowl a few times to firm it up.
Step 5:

Add a little oil to a hot skillet. With wet hands, roll the mixture into meatballs and set them in the pan.
Step 6:

Fry the meatballs on all sides over high heat until golden.
Step 7:

In a separate cup, stir the tomato paste together with the water.
Step 8:

Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Step 9:

Turn the meatballs once or twice during the simmer so they cook evenly. About 10 minutes before the end, add the bay leaf to the pan.
Step 10:

Enjoy!

Always wash eggs before using them — even a shell that looks clean can carry bacteria. A little dish soap and a brush work well.
You can use any meat besides pork here, but keep in mind the cooking time, flavor, and calorie count will change — beef takes longer than pork, while chicken or turkey takes less.
To check whether the oil is hot enough, dip the tip of a wooden spatula into it. If bubbles gather around it, you're ready to start frying.