Tasty meatballs made with a ground beef and pork blend, onions, and typical South Louisiana seasonings. Using milk-soaked bread as a binder, these meatballs have great texture and super flavor. They are versatile enough to be served with just about any sauce or gravy for main dishes, sandwiches, or appetizers. This easy recipe makes between 35 and 40 meatballs (depending on size) so there's plenty for a crowd and enough to save some for serving another time.
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Here’s What You Need
A complete list of ingredients with quantities can be found on the recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Meats: I developed this recipe using ground chuck (80/20) along with ground pork. Depending upon the fat content in the pork, you may opt for an 85/15 or 90/10 lean-to-fat ratio in the ground beef.
- Ground Beef provides good flavor with texture, while the pork's fat adds tremendous flavor and a softer texture.
- This recipe was developed using a 2:1 Beef to Pork ratio. You can use 2:1 or 1:1 ratios depending on your personal preference.
- Bread: Use sliced white bread or French Bread.
- Milk: I developed this recipe using whole milk, but you could substitute 2% milk, equal parts evaporated milk and water, or plain water or beef stock. The milk fats help tenderize the meat.
- Parsley: Use only fresh parsley, either flat leaf or fancy. I don't recommend substituting dry parsley unless it is very fresh.
- Cajun Seasoning: I utilize my recipe for Cajun Seasoning, which contains no salt and provides a Cajuny-taste profile. See the recipe below and a Lagniappe Tip below for a substitute suggestion.
- Salt: If you use a commercial Cajun or Creole seasoning, make sure to check the salt content before adding any more salt to the recipe.
Equipment
Cajun Meatballs do not require any special equipment to make. You will need a large glass bowl, a baking sheet or frying pan, and the usual prep equipment. I have found this meatballer to come in handy when there are a lot of meatballs to make, but you can certainly roll 'em up by hand.
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Hints and Tips (FAQ)
If stored properly, these meatballs will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge (if cooked) and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Uncooked meatballs will last 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Allow the meatballs to cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container before refrigerating. To freeze, place the cooled meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours until the meatballs are completely frozen. Transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight freezer bag or a vacuum-sealed bag. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or place the freezer bag in a bowl of cold water, changing the water often to keep it cold. Meatballs can be reheated in the oven (350 degrees-20 to 30 minutes, in a microwave, or simmered in a sauce.
Baking the meatballs in the oven before placing them in the sauce will slightly carmelize the outer crust and render some fat, resulting in a tastier meatball. Frying the meatballs in a skillet is also effective, but with this size batch, it is more time-consuming than baking. Cooking the raw meatball in a sauce is also an option, but isn't as tasty and will render the fat into the sauce, which may not be best for flavor.
Meatballs with beef and pork should be cooked to an internal temperature (IT) of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an instant-read thermometer, like this one, to measure its IT.
Here’s What You Do
First…you have a beer. Prepare yourself and prepare your ingredients before you start cooking. Have fun, pop the cap off a beer, and enjoy it while you read the recipe all the way through. Learn what you need and what you will do with each ingredient. Then, perform your mise en place and you are ready to roll! (Do you see what I did there?)
Mise en place
Here are simple steps to prepare your ingredients before starting to cook:
- Things to do in advance:
- Place the meats in a large glass bowl large enough to mix the meatballs about 15 to 30 minutes before you start so the meat warms to room temperature.
- If your bread isn't stale, chop or break the bread into small pieces, then set it out about an hour before you start.
- When you are ready to make the meatballs:
- Chop, or break, the stale bread into small pieces.
- Finely chop the yellow onions, garlic, and fresh parsley.
- Break the eggs in a small bowl. You can scramble the eggs if you prefer.
- Measure the white wine, Worcestershire, and milk.
- Mix the ingredients for the Cajun Seasoning in a small bowl with kosher salt.
- Prepare the Panade (see below).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lagniappe Tip: Finely chopping the yellow onions and garlic adds texture to the mix. Optionally, you can grate the onions and garlic, or run them through a small food processor. Make sure to capture and use any juice generated while doing this.
Making the Panade
What is Panade? It's a binding agent made of starch (in this case, bread) and a liquid (here we are using whole milk). It adds moisture to the meat mixture making it more tender by limiting the shrinking of meat proteins.
- Place the bread pieces in a small bowl and add milk a little at a time, starting with about ¼ cup.
- Mix well and add more milk as needed to saturate the bread.
- Allow the Panade to sit for 10 minutes while the bread soaks up all the milk.
- Before use, press the bread slightly into the milk, then drain off any excess milk.
- You can squeeze the mixture gently to remove excess milk.
- The resulting consistency should be like a paste.
Making the Cajun Seasoning
Mix these ingredients in a small bowl. This recipe makes almost ½ cup. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. You'll find the complete, printable recipe with notes in my article Cajun Seasoning.
- 2 Tablespoon Sweet Paprika
- 3 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoon White pepper
- 4 teaspoons Onion powder
- 4 teaspoons Garlic powder
Lagniappe Tip: Here is a good substitute for the Cajun Seasoning: 1 Tablespoon Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, 1 tablespoon dry thyme, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and (optionally) ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Incrementally Combine the Ingredients
What Happens in this step? We are looking for great flavor and texture. In these steps, we want to mix the ingredients so that each ingredient is equally distributed throughout.
- Incorporate the ground beef and pork completely so that both are evenly distributed.
- Add the eggs and mix well into the meats.
- Next, add the yellow onions, garlic, and chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add the dry white wine, Worcestershire sauce, and the Herb and Spice Blend. Combine the ingredients evenly.
- Next, combine the panade (the bread pieces soaked in milk) with the meat mixture. You should squeeze out any excess milk in the bread.
- Combine the mixture thoroughly using your hands or a spatula to distribute each ingredient evenly. Allow the mixture to rest for about 15 minutes while the flavors meld together.
Form the Meatballs and Bake
What happens in this step? Shape the meatballs into the size that works best for you.
Lagniappe Tip: I’ve started using one of these meatballers. Besides not worrying about making the meatballs a uniform size, I have saved an unbelievable amount of time.
- Form meatballs by hand into 1 to 1 ½" diameter balls.
- Place the formed meatballs on a baking sheet prepared with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning over at about 15 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: The meatball mix should be sticky and easy to press into a ball. There should be enough liquid between the dry white wine and the milk, but add a little more wine or some water if needed. If the mixture is too wet, add more bread chunks (no need to soak the extras in milk).
Serving Suggestions
These Cajun Meatballs are not only simple to make, but they are also flexible to serve.
- These Meatballs are popularly served with brown gravy over white rice. You could substitute your favorite rice.
- Garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and egg noodles are perfect accompaniments for these meatballs with a sauce.
- You can make the meatballs small and mix your favorite sweet and savory sauce, or BBQ Sauce to serve as an appetizer.
- These Cajun Meatballs can be served with just about any sauce you like, including serving them with carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes in a stew.
Check out these other great recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
You may like Sweet Daddy D's Creole-Italian version!
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Yeah You Right!
Recipe
Cajun Meatballs
Here's What You Need
- 2 lbs ground chuck
- 1 lbs ground pork
- 2 cups yellow onion finely chopped or grated
- 3 Tablespoons garlic finely chopped or pressed
- 4 slices white bread
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 eggs
Herb and Spice Blend
- 2 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning See Notes
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Here's What You Do
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Let meat warm to room temperature. Soak stale bread in milk; prep and measure the remaining ingredients.
- In a large glass bowl, combine the ground meats.
- Add the ingredients and thoroughly mix into the meats until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mix before adding the next ingredient:
- Mix in the eggs.
- Mix in the onions, garlic, and parsley.
- Mix in the white wine, the Worcestershire, and the Herb and Spice Blend.
- Mix in the Panade (milk-soaked bread). Combine completely and set aside for about 15 minutes.
- Form the meatballs by hand or with a meatballer into 1 to 1 ½" diameter balls. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning over at about 15 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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JJ Richard
I just finished making these tonight. I followed the recipe exactly as outlined with measured quantities. The only difference was I cooked them, 20 at a time, in my Instant 6 qt. air fryer at 400F for 10 minutes. (Made about 60 1" diameter meatballs.)
The maillard reaction, even in the air fryer, puts these meatballs over the top. The onions and garlic and seasoning all come together very nicely. I dare say the best meatballs I've ever eaten.
I tried some dipped in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, and in some Hoisin sauce, and of course in my spaghetti tonight. All fantastic. A little bit of work, but it makes so many that it's worth it.
Thanks for sharing. Excelente my friend!
Greets from Abita Springs!
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right, JJ. You got me wanting some Cajun Meatballs! Thanks for giving my recipe a try and taking the time to let me know.
Sweet Daddy D
I know you will enjoy this easy recipe.
Stephanie
Is there a reason not to combine all the add-in's to the meat before adding them in? It seems to me that it would make even distribution easier, but, what do I know??
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Stephanie, you can certainly do it that way. The idea is to event distribute the ingredients, so if it’s easier for you to mix them first, go for it. Thanks for the question.