Best Meatball Pizza Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to the best pizza? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Let your pizza oven or pizza stone get hot, hot, hot. The key to a nice, charred crust and evenly cooked pizza is a hot oven. Most people don't have a restaurant-style pizza oven, but that's OK. Just buy a pizza stone and let it preheat in a 500-500 conventional oven for about an hour.

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.

Chill your meatballs: refrigerating your meatballs an hour before cooking helps them hold their shape throughout the cooking process. They can chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking, making meatballs a great make-ahead dish, too.

Although meatballs cooked in tomato sauce and served with pasta is likely what most Americans first imagine when they think of them, this meatball preparation is virtually nonexistent in Italy. In most regions, meatballs are just fried and eaten as is—enjoyed as a snack or served as a second course without any sauce.

Meatball. Beef, pork, Water, Breadcrumbs (wheat flour, salt, yeast), Salt, Spices, Dried Garlic, Dried Parsley, Natural Flavors, Dried Onion, Silicon Dioxide (anticaking), Ricotta cheese (pasteurized whey, milk and vinegar), Romano cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, cellulose to prevent caking).

American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!

Why does restaurant pizza taste so good? ›

The No. 1 reason restaurant pizza is better than homemade is that they have ovens that can reach 900°F, or even hotter, which makes for perfectly crisp and chewy crusts, with those lovely charred spots, says Kierin Baldwin, chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.

A baking stone, or pizza stone, is a large piece of thick, ceramic tile that sits on the rack of your oven. By preheating the stone along with the oven to a high temperature—think in the 450°F to 500°F range—it picks up and retains a ton of heat that provides exceptional browning for your bottom crust.

The Oil. While not all pizza dough recipes call for oil, Baldwin is a fan. "Don't be afraid to go heavy with olive oil at every step of making your pizza," she says. "It will help crisp up your crust and make it taste great."

Quality of ingredients: Using fresh and high-quality ingredients, such as whole-milk mozzarella cheese, flavorful tomato sauce, and high-quality meats, can greatly enhance the taste of pizza. Crust: A crispy, thin, and chewy crust can greatly improve the taste of pizza.

I always add some chopped basil, sliced black olives, thinly sliced fresh tomatoes and add some freshly grated mozzarella cheese. You can improve frozen pizza with whatever you have on hand. Sometimes I crave more meet, so I would add some extra salami or ripped up pieces of ham.