Stuffed Meatballs

These amazing Stuffed Meatballs are the perfect party food. Crunchy on the outside with a perfect center of delicious tomato and cheese. These cheese-stuffed meatballs are a delight to eat and to make.

Want more amazing appetizers? Try our Best Crispy Fried Pickles, Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Best Fried Zucchini Sticks, or Bacon Wrapped Asparagus. All are perfect for any party!!

What are Stuffed Meatballs Made of?

Common ingredients but with a twist! To make these cheese-stuffed meatballs, you usually see mozzarella stuffed meatballs, and while that is delicious, we upped the game to add an asiago cheese. And instead of using pieces of cheese or cubes of cheese, we grated the cheese to get it to melt easier. As I say this, though, if you are having issues finding asiago, then by all means, substitute mozzarella cheese or string cheese.

Using lean ground beef is great for meatballs, but to really boost the flavor, we used Italian sausage. The sausage already has Italian seasoning mixed right in, therefore more flavor!! It also holds its shape better and is better at staying together in a nice tight ball for frying.

How To Make Stuffed Meatballs

Cut the top off of the cherry tomatoes and core them.

Stuff in a small amount of grated asiago cheese. Repeat with all of the tomatoes.

Remove the sausage meat from the casing. Pinch off a small amount and flatten it out into a disc.

Place the tomato on the disc and wrap the sausage meat around the tomato. Make sure that the tomato is completely encased in the sausage.

Prepare three dishes to roll the meatball in.

The first one with flour, salt, and pepper to taste.

Second with 2 beaten eggs.

Third with panko, the rest of the asiago cheese (approx. 1/4 cup, grate more if needed), bread crumbs, and salt and pepper.

Roll the meatball first in the flour, then the egg and finish off in the panko mixture.

Heat 2″ of canola oil in a wok or use a deep fryer and fry to a golden brown on medium-high heat. I like to use canola oil instead of heating olive oil to a higher temperature. It tends to add too much flavor to the outside, which isn’t needed with the light panko mixture.

Drain on a paper towel-lined platter or rimmed baking sheet.

Serve with salsa or warm marinara for dipping.

How do you Keep Cheese from Oozing out of Meatballs?

Isn’t the melted cheese your favorite part? But who wants a melted, gooey mess of cheese oozing out from their meatball? Not me. Not only does it not look nice, but it also loses the fun of the hidden surprise.

Using the tomato in this recipe really helps to keep the cheese locked in. Also, you want to make sure there are no gaps, holes, or cracks for the cheese to have a path to escape. Make sure the Italian sausage is evenly distributed around the tomato for the best results.

Can these Stuffed Meatballs be Made Ahead or Frozen Afterwards?

These meatballs can be made ahead to the point of being breaded. You need to bread and then deep fry right before serving. But these last two tasks are quick and easy, especially if you have another pair of hands. Serving a dish like this will get you rave reviews, and the little extra effort will not go unnoticed.

As for freezing, I would not recommend it as the tomato would go mushy inside, giving you a less than optimal experience.

More Delicious Appetizers

It is nice to have an arsenal of appetizers at your disposal for different party situations. Here are a few more of our favorites.

Cucumber Hummus Bites

Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe

Crab Rangoon Dip

Mexicali Dip

Delicious Sausage Pinwheels

Mouthwatering Steak and Potatoes Appetizer

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

Stuffed Meatballs

Tara Noland

These two-bite Stuffed Meatballs are the perfect pass-around appetizer for any time of the year. No need to heat up the oven, plus they can be made ahead to the breading stage, and they only need a quick coating and dunk and fry to perfect golden.

4.84 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 24 Meatballs

Calories 96 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 4 mild Italian sausage
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup asiago cheese finely grated
• 1 cup each panko crumbs & bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• canola oil
• salsa tomato sauce or marinara sauce

Instructions

 

• Cut the top off of the cherry tomatoes and core them.
• Stuff in a small amount of grated asiago cheese. Repeat with all of the tomatoes.
• Remove the sausage meat from the casing. Pinch off a small amount and flatten it out into a disc.
• Place the tomato on the disc and wrap the sausage meat around the tomato. Make sure that the tomato is completely encased in the sausage.
• Prepare three dishes to roll the meatball in.
• The first one with flour, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Second with 2 beaten eggs.
• Third with panko, the rest of the asiago cheese (approx. 1/4 cup, grate more if needed), bread crumbs, and salt and pepper.
• Roll the meatball first in the flour, then the egg and finish off in the panko mixture.
• Heat 2″ of canola oil in a wok and deep fry to a golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter or rimmed baking sheet.
• Serve with salsa, tomato sauce, or marinara sauce.

Equipment

Pampered Chef Coating Trays (Set of 3) Plus Tool for Dipping

Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok Pan – 13,5 “ Woks and Stir Fry Pans – Chinese Wok with Flat Bottom Pow Wok – Traditional Chinese Japanese Woks – Black Steel Wok

T-fal Deep Fryer with Basket, Stainless Steel, Easy to Clean Deep Fryer, Oil Filtration, 2.6-Pound, Silver, Model FR8000

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 187mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!