Tender Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs

Finding a weeknight dinner that gets everyone at the table excited can be tough. You want something that’s hearty and satisfying, but you don’t always have hours to spend in the kitchen after a long day at work, especially when you’re trying to get dinner on the table before the kids start getting cranky.

These sun dried tomato meatballs are exactly what you need: they’re packed with flavor, come together in about 30 minutes, and pair perfectly with pasta, rice, or even just a simple salad when you want to keep things light.

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What Kind of Ground Meat Should I Use?

For these meatballs, you’ll get the best flavor and texture by using a mix of beef and pork mince, but don’t worry if you can only find one or the other. If pork isn’t available, you can absolutely use all beef mince and still get delicious results. When choosing your beef, go for something with a bit of fat content like 80/20 or 85/15 rather than the leanest option – the fat helps keep your meatballs juicy and prevents them from drying out. Fresh ground meat from the butcher counter often has better texture than pre-packaged, but either will work perfectly fine for this recipe.

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Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty adaptable, so here are some swaps you can make based on what you have:

• Pork mince: If you can’t find pork mince or prefer not to use it, just double up on the beef mince. You could also try ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
• Almond flour: Regular breadcrumbs work perfectly fine here – use about 1/3 cup instead of the 1/2 cup almond flour. Panko breadcrumbs will give you a slightly different texture but still taste great.
• Semi-dried tomatoes: You can use fully sun-dried tomatoes if that’s what you have – just chop them up and maybe add a tablespoon of olive oil to replace the reserved oil. Regular cherry tomatoes won’t give the same concentrated flavor, so stick with the dried versions if possible.
• Fresh herbs: Dried oregano and basil work in a pinch – use about 1 teaspoon of each instead of the tablespoon of fresh. The flavor won’t be quite as bright, but it’ll still be tasty.
• Bocconcini balls: Regular mozzarella cheese works just fine – cut it into chunks about the same size. You could even use fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella for a creamier finish.
• Tomato pasta sauce: Any good marinara sauce will do the job here. If you’re using tomato soup as suggested, thin it out with a little water or stock if it seems too thick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making sun dried tomato meatballs is overmixing the meat mixture, which creates dense, tough meatballs instead of tender ones – gently combine ingredients with your hands just until everything comes together.

Don’t skip draining the sun dried tomatoes properly and reserving that flavorful oil, as the excess moisture can make your meatballs fall apart while the reserved oil adds incredible flavor when used for cooking.

Another common error is making the meatballs too large, which leads to uneven cooking with burnt outsides and raw centers – aim for golf ball-sized portions and brown them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Finally, resist the urge to move or flip the meatballs too early while browning, as they need time to develop a proper crust that holds them together during the simmering process.

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What to Serve With Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs?

These rich, cheesy meatballs are perfect over a big bowl of pasta – try them with spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni to soak up all that delicious tomato sauce. I love serving them alongside some crusty garlic bread for extra dipping action, and a simple Caesar salad or mixed greens helps balance out the hearty flavors. If you want to keep things low carb (since these work great that way with the almond flour), try serving them over zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or even just a bed of sautéed spinach. For a cozy family-style dinner, you can also serve them as an appetizer with toothpicks and some extra marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: These meatballs taste even better the next day! Store them in the fridge in an airtight container with all that delicious sauce for up to 4 days. The flavors really meld together nicely overnight, making them perfect for meal prep or leftovers.

Freeze: You can absolutely freeze these meatballs for busy weeknight dinners. Let them cool completely, then freeze in portions with the sauce in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in family-sized portions so I can just thaw what I need.

Reheat: Warm them up gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If reheating from frozen, let them thaw overnight in the fridge first. You can also microwave individual portions, but the stovetop method keeps the meatballs from getting tough.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2400-2650
• Protein: 170-190 g
• Fat: 160-180 g
• Carbohydrates: 65-80 g

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 17 oz ground beef
• 17 oz ground pork (or substitute with beef)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or 1/3 cup breadcrumbs for non-low carb)
• 5 oz semi-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

• Reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 15 oz tomato pasta sauce (or tomato soup)

For the topping:

• 6.5 oz large bocconcini balls (cut into slices)

Step 1: Prepare and Shape the Meatballs

• 17 oz ground beef
• 17 oz ground pork (or substitute with beef)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or 1/3 cup breadcrumbs for non-low carb)
• 5 oz semi-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork (or substitute with beef), lightly beaten egg, almond flour (or breadcrumbs), drained semi-dried tomatoes (reserve the oil for later), grated Parmesan cheese, mashed garlic, tomato paste, chopped oregano, and chopped basil.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Mix everything together until well combined.

Shape the mixture into 12 large meatballs, about the size of your palm.

Step 2: Brown the Meatballs

• meatballs from Step 1
• 1 tbsp oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick ovenproof pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Add the meatballs (from Step 1) in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally so that the meatballs brown on all sides.

Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and set aside.

Step 3: Make the Tomato Sauce

• reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 15 oz tomato pasta sauce (or tomato soup)

Pour the reserved oil from the semi-dried tomatoes into the same pan over medium heat.

Add the tomato pasta sauce (or tomato soup) and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Cook for about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 4: Simmer the Meatballs in Sauce

• browned meatballs from Step 2
• tomato sauce from Step 3

Return the browned meatballs (from Step 2) to the pan with the tomato sauce (from Step 3).

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.

Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for 15–20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to grill (or broil) settings on medium heat—I usually start this about halfway through the simmering, so the oven is ready in time.

Step 5: Melt Bocconcini Over Meatballs

• 6.5 oz large bocconcini balls (cut into slices)

When the meatballs are ready, evenly arrange the sliced bocconcini over the top of the meatballs and sauce.

Place the pan under the grill/broiler and cook for a few minutes, just until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

I like to let the cheese brown slightly on top for an extra-delicious finish.

Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh basil or oregano if desired.

Tender Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs

Delicious Tender Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2525 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the meatballs:

• 17 oz ground beef
• 17 oz ground pork (or substitute with beef)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or 1/3 cup breadcrumbs for non-low carb)
• 5 oz semi-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

• reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 15 oz tomato pasta sauce (or tomato soup)

For the topping:

• 6.5 oz large bocconcini balls (cut into slices)

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork (or substitute with beef), lightly beaten egg, almond flour (or breadcrumbs), drained semi-dried tomatoes (reserve the oil for later), grated Parmesan cheese, mashed garlic, tomato paste, chopped oregano, and chopped basil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix everything together until well combined. Shape the mixture into 12 large meatballs, about the size of your palm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick ovenproof pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs (from Step 1) in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally so that the meatballs brown on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and set aside.
• Pour the reserved oil from the semi-dried tomatoes into the same pan over medium heat. Add the tomato pasta sauce (or tomato soup) and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Return the browned meatballs (from Step 2) to the pan with the tomato sauce (from Step 3). Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for 15–20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to grill (or broil) settings on medium heat—I usually start this about halfway through the simmering, so the oven is ready in time.
• When the meatballs are ready, evenly arrange the sliced bocconcini over the top of the meatballs and sauce. Place the pan under the grill/broiler and cook for a few minutes, just until the cheese has melted and is bubbly. I like to let the cheese brown slightly on top for an extra-delicious finish. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh basil or oregano if desired.