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Savory Rice Meatballs: Easy Homemade Recipe Your Guests Will Love

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These savory rice meatballs are incredibly juicy, tender, and budget-friendly. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they are perfect for entertaining and almost impossible to mess up.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice (cooled)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 cups marinara sauce (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). If pan-frying, heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  2. If you don’t have leftover rice, cook 1/2 cup of dry rice according to package directions to yield about 1 cup cooked. Spread on a plate to cool completely.
  3. Optional: In a small pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Let cool.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, cooled rice, Parmesan, beaten egg, sautéed onion and garlic (or raw), parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix gently with your hands until just combined.
  5. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. You should get around 20-24 meatballs.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 160°F/71°C). For extra browning, broil for the last 2 minutes.
  7. Optional: While meatballs bake, warm 2 cups of marinara sauce in a large skillet. Transfer baked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Let meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For best results, use 80/20 ground beef and leftover rice that is fully cooled. Do not overmix the meat. Chilling the mixture for 15 minutes can make it easier to handle. Bake meatballs before adding to sauce to prevent them from falling apart.

Nutrition

Keywords: savory rice meatballs, easy meatball recipe, homemade meatballs, rice meatballs, party appetizer, gluten-free meatballs

Find it online: https://emacrave.com/savory-rice-meatballs-easy-homemade-recipe-your-guests-will-love/