How to cook frozen meatballs
Frozen meatballs are a great convenience food to keep in your freezer for busy weeknights. Not only do they provide you with an easy meal, but they’re also portable and perfect for tailgating!
There are a lot of benefits to cooking frozen meatballs. For one, it’s easier and faster to cook them versus raw ones. They also tend to be less expensive than fresh meatballs, which is great for those on a budget or who don’t want to pay as much as they would for fresh ones. In this blog post, we’ll go over the steps you need to take to make sure your frozen meatballs come out perfectly every time!
Ingredients to cook frozen meatballs:
– Homemade: Frozen meatballs (1 pound)
– Frozen meatballs (1 pound)
– Beef broth (2 cups)
– Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon)
– Salt and pepper to taste. First, add your frozen meatballs to a slow cooker. Next, add in beef broth and the seasonings of your choice. For this recipe we used salt and pepper, but feel free to add whatever spices you like! Once you’ve added all of your ingredients, cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook for 3 hours on high heat or 6 hours on low heat. When they’re finished cooking, simply transfer them onto a serving dish and enjoy! There’s really no need to thaw out frozen meatballs because you’re just putting them into a hot environment and that does the job for you! If you’re anything like us, you enjoy your meats frozen. That’s okay too! Just pop them in an oven-safe dish, cover it with aluminum foil, and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are warmed through. When they are finished cooking, transfer them to a serving dish and serve hot!
Now that you know how to cook frozen meatballs properly, go ahead and make yourself some today! If slow cooker recipes are more up your alley when it comes to making dinner for busy nights, be sure to check out our Slow Cooker Beef Stew. It’ll hit the spot on those cold winter days where all you want is something comforting. Or maybe you’re just looking for something simple and easy to whip up. Our Marinated Grilled Chicken would be perfect!
Here are some tips on how to cook frozen meatballs:
- Thaw the meatballs by placing them on a plate and allowing them to sit at room temperature until thawed (this will take about 30 minutes). For larger quantities of thawed meatballs, place them in cold water until completely defrosted. You can also microwave the meatball package to quickly thaw it out. Make sure not to overheat or overcook the balls while microwaving as this may cause them to dry out. If you do not want to wait for them to thaw out, you can cook them while still frozen. You should cook the meatballs on high heat to reduce the cooking time and prevent potential dryness.
- Spray your pan with nonstick spray before placing the meatballs down. This will ensure that they don’t stick while cooking and that they brown nicely without needing to add extra oils or butter. Cooking oil spray is also a great substitute if you don’t have nonstick spray on hand! Another method of preventing sticking is by applying an oil-flour mixture (a quarter cup of vegetable oil mixed with three tablespoons flour) before adding the meatballs.
- Turn over each meatball once it starts to brown. If you let the meatballs sit in one place for too long, they may stick to the pan and become hard to move. Because of this, turn each piece over at least once while cooking so that both sides have a chance of browning evenly. After turning them over, continue cooking until they’re cooked through completely. To tell if your meatballs are fully cooked you must use a food thermometer – the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees Celsius as being fully cooked. You can also cut a meatball open with a knife to see if it’s cooked all the way through – raw meat has an uncooked pink center and overcooked meatballs will be grey throughout with no light pink areas remaining.
- Top your meatballs with sauce and cheese. For a crispy cheesy crust, top the meatballs with shredded cheese before baking them in the oven. To make things easier, you can use an aluminum pan or even nonstick foil to prepare this dish. Place the rolled-up balls onto the tray and back at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes before removing from heat and serving!
- Allow the meatballs to cool before plating them. Meatballs are generally served hot, but it is important that they first be allowed to cool for at least five minutes before serving. This will allow the meatball’s juices to settle and prevent any accidents if someone accidentally bites into one while eating (which can happen if the meatball is too hot).
These tips should give you a good idea on how to cook frozen meatballs! Once you have mastered thawing them out, creating an even crust with cheese, and learning when they’re done cooking through their centers, the process of making these convenient bite-sized morsels will become second nature!
Now that you know how to cook frozen meatballs.
FAQs on How to cook frozen meatballs
1. How to Thaw Frozen Meatballs?
There are a couple of ways you can thaw frozen meatballs. The best way is to place them in a bowl and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so, but this method will take a while, especially with a large quantity of meatballs. If you’re looking to speed things up, the next-best option would be to run cold water over the package until they’re completely thawed out. You’ll want to drain the cold water from the container before microwaving or add some paper towels to keep your meatballs dry during heating. Microwave on high heat for around 4-5 minutes depending on how many balls you have in your bag, until they’re completely heated through.
2. How to cook Frozen Meatballs in Pressure Cooker?
Cooking frozen meatballs in a pressure cooker can be done! As with microwaving, you’ll want to defrost the meatballs before placing them directly into the pot of your pressure cooker. This will ensure that they get thoroughly cooked all the way through without getting stuck to the bottom of your pan. Once thawed, place them on the trivet inside your pressure cooker and add about half a cup of water or beef broth before securing the lid shut and allowing it to reach full cooking pressure (following your specific model’s instructions). Let it come down from this high heat naturally rather than quick releasing it by lifting up on the pressure valve or running it under cold water. Then, take them out and brush on your sauce of choice to finish it off!
3. How many meatballs should you make per person?
The general rule of thumb is that one serving size is around 3-4 inches, or about the size of a tennis ball – this will give you just the right amount without going too heavy on either meat or breadcrumbs used as a filler but take note that not everyone has the same appetite! The best way to figure out how many balls you need for your next party is to simply start making them and keep track of what goes into each batch so that you have an idea for future events. You can also refer to recipe measurements to get a better idea of how much to make.
4. How to keep meatballs warm?
These popular little bites are best served when they’re nice and hot (around 165°F), but if you need to keep them warm for an extended period, your best bet is the oven! This will heat up relatively quickly without drying out or overcooking your balls, meaning that everyone will taste just like it should. If you want to grill them (and why wouldn’t you?), you can use indirect heat by placing your balls around the outside edge of the grates instead of over direct coals or in flames to reduce charring and cook everything all at once evenly. Those who don’t have gas grills can use their oven for grilling as well, placing them on a baking sheet and aiming the broiler at low heat to avoid charring.
5. How to cook frozen meatballs in the Oven?
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Thaw meatballs. Arrange thawed meatballs on ungreased baking sheets and bake until browned and cooked through. Cooking time varies with different types of meatballs, so be sure to check your labels for instructions. Serve warm or cool completely before storing in an airtight container. At this point you can store them in the freezer again if it’s more convenient!
Conclusion:
Meatballs are a great addition to any dish and can be used in pasta dishes, zucchini boats, appetizers or even alone as a quick snack! You can get creative with your cooking methods by choosing whether you’d like to pan-fry them, braise them, or bake them inside of an oven. Whichever method you choose, we hope that these tips on how to cook frozen meatballs were helpful and that they allow you enjoy delicious and convenient dishes all throughout the year!