How to freeze meatballs
Meatballs make great freezer meals. They can be frozen either cooked or uncooked and keep well for up to 2 months. For super convenient and time saving meals, simply make a double batch of meatballs and freeze the extra! Find out the best way to freeze meatballs, plus get great meatball recipes and ideas.
How to freeze uncooked meatballs
Freezing the meatballs in a single layer first means that they won’t stick together once frozen. This means you can take out only what you need, which is helpful if you’re freezing more than one batch at a time.
- Place meatballs in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the freezer.
- Once meatballs are hard and frozen, place in an airtight container layered between baking paper or place in large ziplock bag. Label and date your meatballs.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Defrost meatballs in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.
- Cook as per recipe.
TIP: Defrosting the meatballs before cooking will mean you can brown them well in a pan, if that’s what your recipe needs. If the meatballs are cooked in a sauce, you can skip the defrosting step and simply cook the meatballs directly in the sauce from frozen. Cook for an extra 5 minutes or until cooked through.
How to freeze cooked meatballs (dry)
If your meatballs have been browned and are ready to eat (but not in a sauce), follow the above steps from 1-4. Add your cooked meatballs to your recipe at the end just to be warmed through.
How to freeze cooked meatballs in a sauce
If your meatballs were cooked in a sauce or soup, follow these steps:
- Let the meatballs and sauce cool.
- Place in a labelled and dated airtight container or ziplock bag, squeezing out excess air.
- Freeze flat for up to 2 months.
- Defrost in fridge overnight. Let simmer for 10 minutes before eating.
NOTE: Ensure the sauce you’re freezing is also freezer-friendly. Tomato based sauces are usually freezer-friendly, but some cream based sauces may split.
How long can you freeze meatballs?
Meatballs will be best used within 2 months from when they go into the freezer, they will be just as good as when they were frozen. They will still be safe to eat for much longer, however the texture may change. We always recommend labeling and dating everything before freezing so it's easy to tell what it is and when to use it.
Meatball recipes
The following meatball recipes are freezer friendly! Give them a go and freeze them ahead of time. Note that in most of these recipes, it's best to make only the meatballs and sauce to freeze and add fresh elements such as salad leaves later.
Get the recipe: Chicken Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Make this recipe up to step 2, freeze the meatballs, then finish the rest of the meal when you want to eat! The ricotta in the meatballs makes them lovely, light and moist.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Korma Porcupine Meatballs
This recipe is made for batch cooking! You'll get two meals that serve 4 people. Simply cook all the meatballs in the slow cooker, portion into two meals and freeze.
Get the recipe: One-pan Meatball Parmigiana
The Italian meatballs in this recipe can be frozen and used for not just one, but three different dishes (or as many as you can imagine up!). See them all here 1 meatball recipe, 3 dinners.
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