Baked Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are an ooey gooey twist on regular Italian meatballs. Baked in the oven before being served with marinara and melted mozzarella, they’re the best topping on spaghetti, polenta, or to eat on their own!

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meatballs in tomato sauce in a white bowl with bread on the side.

Oven baked cheese stuffed meatballs

If there’s one way to make your comfort food that much better, it’s to add cheese. You can stuff cheese into just about anything; pizza crust, baked chicken breasts, or even hamburgers! Seriously, it’s the best way to make any meal or snack irresistible.

The same goes for these Baked Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs. Made with a ground beef, pork, Italian herb, and ricotta mixture, the raw meatballs are each stuffed with a knob of fresh mozzarella before being baked and tossed in marinara sauce. Each one is deliciously tender, packed with Italian flavors, and ooey gooey.

You can serve baked meatballs in tomato sauce for a cheesy party appetizer or an out-of-this-world family dinner! I especially like them on top of pasta or polenta for the true Italian experience. You can also serve them stuffed in Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders Recipe.

These tender baked meatballs can be cooked and stored for later or even kept in the freezer for months. It’s the perfect solution when you’re looking to quickly curb your cravings with something cheesy and delicious!

close up on metal spoons scooping a meatball out of a large bowl with more meatballs and tomato sauce.

Tools you need for baked mozzarella stuffed meatballs

individual white plates folding raw ground meat, white cheeses, breadcrumbs, seasonings, and herbs.

Cheesy meatball ingredients

Ground beef and ground pork – Lean 80/20 ground beef is best because the small amount of fat will ensure the meatballs don’t turn out too greasy.

Mozzarella cheese – Buy pearl size mozzarella balls to make your job easier or cut a block of mozzarella into small pieces yourself.

Ricotta cheese – Whole milk ricotta and panko breadcrumbs are soaked together to make a panade before being mixed in with the ground meat mixture. This helps everything bind together while giving the meatballs a tender texture and adding an extra layer of cheesy goodness.

Panko breadcrumbs – To help bind the meatball mixture together. If you don’t have panko, use regular breadcrumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs.

Dried herbs – Parsley, basil, and oregano give each meatball a true Italian flavor.

Marinara sauce – For serving!

ricotta cheese on top of raw meat, herbs, eggs, and seasonings in a white bowl.

How to make mozzarella stuffed meatballs in the oven

This recipe should give you 45 1-inch meatballs. They’re delicious hot and fresh out of the oven or you can prepare the batch in advance and freeze them for later. Regardless of how or when you serve them, the baked meatballs are always easy to put together:

Soak the panko and ricotta.
Stir the ricotta and panko breadcrumbs together in a bowl. Let them soak for 5 minutes.
Make the meatball mixture.
Add the ground beef, pork, ricotta and breadcrumb panade, onion, garlic, whisked eggs, parmesan, dried herbs, and salt to a bowl. Use clean hands to fold the mixture together until just combined.
Form the meatballs.
Scoop about golf ball size amounts of the meatball mixture out of the bowl and gently roll into balls. Place each one on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Stuff with mozzarella.
Gently flatten each meatball. Add a mozzarella ball to the middle, then fold the meat back over the cheese so it’s back in its round, meatball shape. Place them back on the baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs.
Place the stuffed meatballs in the oven and bake under the broiler. While they’re baking, pour the marinara sauce into a baking dish and place in the oven to warm up.
Coat in marinara sauce and cheese, then serve.
Transfer the baked meatballs to the dish with the sauce and add the remaining cheese on top. Broil until melted, then top with fresh basil and serve!

close up on a womans hand holding a flattened raw meatball with a small mozzarella ball in the middle.

close up on a womans hand holding a raw meatball.

Tips and variations

Instead of beef or pork – These cheese-stuffed meatballs can be made with ground chicken, ground turkey, or a blend.
Soaking ricotta and panko – This cheesy breadcrumb mixture, AKA panade, is the secret to keeping your meatballs tender. Don’t skip the soak!
Gently form the meatballs – If you press the meatballs into tight, compact balls, they’re more likely to dry out.
For evenly sized meatballs – Scoop the meatballs out of the mixture with a 1-inch cookie scoop.
For added spice – Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne into the meat mixture.

Serving suggestions

Mozzarella meatballs are a sensational party appetizer. Simply serve them with the sauce on a platter or in a slow cooker to keep them warm and keep some toothpicks on the side for easy eating.

Otherwise, serve the meatballs for a comforting dinner with crusty bread and vegetables on the side. They’re so delicious on top of pasta, polenta, cauliflower mash, and mashed potatoes. If you want to go the extra mile, stuff them into buns to make these cheesy Italian meatball sliders!

cooked meatballs with tomato sauce in a large metal bowl.

Storage

To store: Keep the leftover meatballs in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze raw meatballs: Freeze the raw meatballs on the baking tray until they’re solid. Transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. They can be cooked from frozen but may need an extra few minutes in the oven.

To freeze cooked meatballs: Store the meatballs (without the sauce) in an airtight container or ziplock back and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

To reheat: Heat the pre-cooked meatballs in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

a metal fork breaking open a baked meatball in a bowl with other meatballs and tomato sauce.

Looking for more meatball recipes?

Did you try these Baked Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and giving this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to take a picture tag me on Instagram or use #lenaskitchenblog to be featured in my stories! I love seeing what you come up with!