Steamed Italian Meatballs Recipe with Basil
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If you’re expecting big meatballs simmered in tomato sauce, these are a little different! This steamed Italian meatballs recipe makes bite-sized beef meatballs flavored with fresh basil and garlic, then steams them rather than frying or baking them.
I usually serve these with tomato sauce for dipping and some salad leaves on the side. The steaming method gives the meatballs a softer outside than you’d get from browning them in a skillet. They’re also small enough to serve as an appetizer or add to a buffet, with toothpicks and a bowl of sauce so everyone can help themselves.
Italian Meatballs with Basil at a Glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 5
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
- Main ingredients: Ground beef, fresh basil and garlic
- Best cooking method: Steaming
- Storage: Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days
Why You’ll Love Steamed Italian Meatballs
- No frying needed: The meatballs cook over simmering water instead of in a skillet full of oil.
- Good for serving with dips: Put tomato sauce, garlic mayonnaise or another dip in a small bowl and serve it separately.
- Fresh basil flavor: Basil and garlic season the beef without turning the recipe into a long list of ingredients.
- Party perfect: The recipe makes about 40 small meatballs, so they’re ideal for appetizers and buffet food.
Italian Meatball Ingredients
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef (aka beef mince) forms the base of the meatballs. You could use extra-lean or another kind, but I find that lean ground beef (90/10) gives a good result.
- Fresh basil: Finely chop the leaves so the basil is distributed throughout the meat rather than having large pieces in one part of a meatball and none in another.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives these simple meatballs most of their seasoning, along with the basil.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Some goes into the beef mixture and the rest is used during steaming.
- Salt and black pepper: You don’t need much because these are small meatballs and you’ll probably serve them with a flavorful dip.
How to Make Italian Meatballs
Mix the beef with the basil, garlic, seasonings and some of the olive oil, then shape the mixture into small meatballs. Use a heatproof plate over a saucepan of simmering water to cook them with steam.
Cover the meatballs while they cook, flip them halfway through and check the center with a food thermometer before serving with marinara or your preferred dipping sauce.
What Makes Steamed Meatballs Different?
Most meatballs develop a browned exterior from frying, baking or cooking in a hot skillet. These don’t. Steaming gives them a softer surface and you don’t need to brown them first.
Italian meatballs, or polpette, come in many different forms, so there isn’t one recipe that covers all of them. Many traditional meat versions contain egg, bread or breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Some are fried while others cook in tomato sauce. This is a much simpler beef and basil variation.
If you’d rather have browned meatballs, my pesto spaghetti with easy meatballs features oven-baked meatballs with breadcrumbs, Parmesan and fresh herbs.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try a different meat: Use ground pork or lamb instead of beef if you like. Ground beef, pork and lamb should all reach 160°F (71°C) in the center.
- Change the fresh herbs: Parsley can take the place of the basil. Mint is a good choice if you’re making the meatballs with lamb.
- Add some heat: Mix in a few drops of Tabasco or another hot sauce if you want spicy meatballs.
- Change the dipping sauce: Tomato sauce works well, although you can serve garlic mayonnaise or another creamy dip instead.
What to Serve with This Italian Meatballs Recipe
For an appetizer, serve the meatballs hot with tomato sauce and a small green salad. You can also put out toothpicks and serve them as part of a buffet.
If you’re putting together an Italian appetizer spread, my bruschetta recipe works nicely with them. Crusty bread is another good choice if you have plenty of tomato sauce for dipping.
Handy Equipment
- Mixing bowl set: Use a large bowl so you can combine the beef and seasonings without spilling the mixture over the sides.
- Steamer basket: A conventional steamer basket is handy if you regularly steam food and don’t want to rely on an improvised steaming setup.
- Instant-read thermometer: Check the center of one of the larger meatballs and make sure it has reached 160°F (71°C).
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Let the cooked meatballs cool, then put them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm them until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). You can reheat them gently in tomato sauce or use the microwave.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooked and cooled meatballs in a freezer-safe container. For the best quality, use them within about 4 months.
- Make ahead: Mix and shape the raw meatballs up to 1 day ahead, cover them and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them.
Italian Meatballs FAQs
There isn’t one standard Italian meatball recipe. Meat versions often contain beef, pork, veal or a mixture of meats with ingredients such as egg, breadcrumbs or soaked bread, grated cheese, garlic and herbs. Recipes vary considerably by region and family.
No. These meatballs go straight into the steaming setup after you shape them. They won’t develop the browned surface you’d get from a skillet or oven.
Use an instant-read thermometer rather than judging them by color. Ground beef should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center.
You can serve cooked meatballs cold if they’ve been refrigerated promptly and kept chilled. I prefer these warm with tomato sauce for dipping but you could serve them cold in a sub or salad.
Don’t worry, that’s normal. Steaming doesn’t create the dry, high heat needed for browning, so steamed meatballs will look lighter than fried or baked ones.
Steamed Italian Meatballs with Basil
Ingredients
- 1 pound 2 ounces (500g) lean ground beef (beef mince)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons water
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Medium saucepan
- Sturdy heatproof plate that fits securely over the saucepan
- Heatproof bowl or second heatproof plate for covering
- Tongs
- Instant-read food thermometer
Method
- Put the ground beef, basil, garlic, salt, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix gently with your hands until everything is evenly combined, then shape the mixture into about 40 small meatballs.
- Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat so the water is simmering gently.
- Set a sturdy heatproof plate securely over the saucepan.
- Add the 3 tablespoons water and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the plate.
- Arrange the meatballs on the plate and cover them with an inverted heatproof bowl or second heatproof plate. Steam for 15 minutes.
- Flip the meatballs, cover again and steam for another 15 minutes or until the center of the meatballs reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Serve hot with tomato dipping sauce and/or salad leaves if you like.
Notes
- Don’t rely on the color of ground beef to decide whether it’s safely cooked. Check one of the larger meatballs with a food thermometer and make sure the center has reached 160°F (71°C).
- Keep cooked meatballs refrigerated and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
- Ground beef should reach 160°F/71°C, cooked ground-beef leftovers can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days and leftovers should be reheated to 165°F/74°C.
Other Recipes to Try
If you like this Italian meatballs recipe, you could also try my Lebanese lamb meatballs, made with mint, parsley and warm spices. You might also enjoy my gnocchi beef stew, this pasta salad with parmesan cheese or my lasagna with ricotta and Italian sausage which is the very definition of hearty!
