14 Ingredients That Will Take Your Meatballs To The Next Level

You might think it is tedious to make meatballs, especially when you involve new elements. Fortunately, that's not the case, as they can be simple and enjoyable to make, even if it's your first time making them. Classic meatballs are typically made with meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, seasonings, and herbs. However, it's also not uncommon to include garlic, parmesan, and onion.

When you're choosing the best type of meat to use for meatballs, you'll have the best-tasting results when you combine multiple kinds rather than just sticking to one. But, like everything else in the culinary world, that's up for debate. Although the basic ones are tasty, there are numerous ways to elevate the dish with just a few tweaks. You can swap one ingredient for another, like replacing the breadcrumbs with something else. You can also throw in a creamy component to make them juicer. Not to mention, mix-ins perform wonders for textural improvement. When you give new ingredients a shot, your meatballs reach new heights. Dry, flavorless meatballs will be a thing of the past. So, let's get into a few ingredients you should try next time you're making meatballs

If you've ever tried porcupine meatballs, you know how tasty rice-packed meatballs are. For those who don't know, in the Depression era, people would put rice in their meatballs to bulk them up, which made the dish more filling. This ingredient gives the meatballs a unique texture because the rice protrudes, which is how the name "porcupine meatballs" came about.Try making them with a sauce or create your own rice-filled meatballs. A good tip to keep in mind is to use instant rice. If you use other kinds, there is a chance the rice only partially softens during the cooking process.

For example, the slow cooker porcupine meatballs recipe calls for Minute brand rice instead of standard rice. The meatballs cook for five hours, which gives the rice plenty of time to become tender. Alternatively, if you have leftover cooked rice, you can use it in your meatballs. Just be sure not to over-mix it, or else the pre-cooked rice gets clammy. So long as you're careful, using the leftovers reduces food waste and supplies you with bulky meatballs that satisfy your hunger.

Mushrooms provide a rich flavor that harmonizes well with any meat blend you choose to use. To use them in a meatball recipe, roast the mushrooms in the oven first. Next, chop them into quarters or eighths, depending on how large they are. Then, place them on a sheet pan and drizzle them with oil and seasonings. Once the mushrooms cool down, incorporate them into your meatball mixture. There are numerous types of mushrooms, and some work better than others in meatballs, so spend some time deciding which ones you want to make.

A few stand-out options are cremini, shiitake, portobello, and button mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms are pretty meaty in texture, so they fit right in with the other hearty meatball components. Button mushrooms are beneficial because they are more tender once cooked and are usually the easiest to find in the grocery store. However, all choices listed provide the meatballs with evident umami notes. Reserve some of the roasted mushrooms to include them in a gravy or sauce, which transforms your meal into a delicious masterpiece.

Next time you make meatballs, throw in a dash of cinnamon. If you've never used cinnamon in a savory meal, it might be a bit intimidating, but once you try it, you'll notice how advantageous it can be. Many dishes, like Moroccan meatballs, use cinnamon as an ingredient. When you pair cinnamon with cloves and cumin, it brings out other flavors in the food, such as fresh herbs, garlic, and meat.

Many spice blends worldwide are ideal for meatballs and include cinnamon. To name a few, five spice, berbere, and ras el hanout are all spice blends that use cinnamon for warmth. Whichever way you choose to use this ingredient in your meatball meal, just remember that less is more. Start with a pinch or two and work your way up from there — or perhaps, that's all you need. After all, you don't want your meatballs to taste like cinnamon. Instead, think of cinnamon as an ingredient that enhances other components in your recipe.

Dried cranberries have sugary yet tart qualities that make the fruit a perfect addition to any meatball recipe. Aside from their distinct taste, the dried fruit has a unique texture that is somewhat chewy and differs from typical meatball ingredients. They're also easy to work with since they're small — you don't need to chop them. There is no exact number of dried cranberries you should use in a recipe, as it is up to your preference, but you likely don't need more than a cup. Fresh cranberries are not always in season, so we recommend dry ones. If you prefer the cranberries to be plumper, you can soak them in water.

In fact, one of the best tips when working with cranberries is to rehydrate the dry ones you plan to cook. Use hot water to introduce moisture to the cranberries. Allow them to rest submerged in the water for at least 15 minutes before you use them in a recipe. 

The best cranberry meatball recipes have cranberries in both the meat mixture and the sauce. The astringency of the cranberries plays off the hearty ingredients to create flavor, depth, and contrast. Of course, if you don't want to use a cranberry sauce, there are other glazes and sauces that are a good match for cranberries and meat, like orange sauce, gravy, or sweet and sour sauce.

Cheez-Its instead of breadcrumbs make a fantastic option because the Cheez-Its provide the meatballs with a cheesy undertone, which pairs well with whichever meat you use. The crackers also have hints of paprika and salt. If you want to enhance the flavor even more, try using different Cheez-It flavors aside from the original. There are also variations made with different types of cheese, like pepper jack or white cheddar, which taste just as delicious.

Making Cheez-It meatballs is more simple than you might think. All you need is a food processor to break them down into a similar texture to breadcrumbs. If you don't have a food processor, another option is to crush them by hand. A good hack is using a Ziploc bag and a meat mallet to smash them — a rolling pin or anything on the heavier side will also work. Finally, they just need to be soaked in milk for some time, then proceed with your regular meatball recipe as normal.

Carrots are the sweet ingredient you should add to your spaghetti and meatballs. Carrots are recommended in this dish because their sweetness flawlessly balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Many people include this vegetable in their sauce for that reason, so why not add some to your meatball mixture too? Even if you do not serve them with tomato sauce, the carrots will add a really nice flavor to your meatball dish.

To begin, dice the carrots into tiny pieces and cook them before mixing them in with your meatballs — fork-tender pieces are what you should aim for. Otherwise, you'll get a hard crunch inside your meatballs. If you're wary of chopping too many carrots, another great recipe to try is slow-cooker meatballs which use processed carrots and a variety of veggies. This method saves you from chopping the carrots and guarantees their sweetness is thoroughly distributed throughout the meatballs.

We'll let you in on a secret: Making panade is one of the easiest ways to ensure juicy meatballs. What is panade, you ask? In its simplest form, it is a paste you create from bread, milk, and sometimes eggs, depending on how you are using it. Since many meatball recipes already call for these ingredients, it only makes sense to use the mixture in your favor.

To create a panade yourself, soak the bread in the liquid to dampen it. Then, add the eggs. Use equal parts bread and milk for recipes that don't initially require milk. There shouldn't be any extra liquid, as the bread absorbs it all and turns to mush. This is also one of the wise ways to use day-old bread because it restores it back to life if it's gone stale. Finally, incorporate the panade into the recipe with the meat and other ingredients. With this technique, the meatballs turn out succulent as ever.