The Best Veal Meatballs {Recipe} (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Veal Meatballs are tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious. Using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, spices, (and our secret ingredient), your family will enjoy these meatballs as a side or main dish. Serve them with a side of our creamy mashed potatoes! Yum!

When it comes to favorite recipes, the best veal meatballs are high on the list. I’ve made meatballs with beef and turkey and I can honestly say that using ground veal is the absolute best and my family tells me so every time I make them!

Thank you to the NY Beef Council for sponsoring this post and providing the veal used in this recipe. All opinions are my own.

New York Farm Tour goes to the Veal Farm

I love taking tours of working farms because you get to know the folks who work so hard to bring food to our tables. Beef Farmers are the most down to earth kind of folks you could ever meet.

I was thrilled to visit the Finger Lakes Region of New York State to tour and learn about how veal is raised and even participated in a “cook-off” with fellow bloggers.

Veal is Okay to Eat

For as long as I can remember, veal has always been an option when it comes to meals.

Being from an Italian household, it was the preferred dish when it came to dining at a restaurant.

Having veal was a treat because it was pricey, so we could choose from veal parmesan, veal piccata or veal scallopini.

Before getting to our awesome recipe, I wanted to answer a few questions that I get asked a lot:

What is veal?

Veal is meat from calves aged 5-6 months (20-22 weeks) of age that have reached 400-500 pounds. Once a calf reaches the age of a year, it is considered a cow and is then called beef.

Veal is primarily from a male dairy calf, a by-product of the dairy industry.

Why is Veal Pink?

Veal is pink or “rosé” in color due to the diet of nutrient-rich milk feed and iron levels of the calf. The more iron, the redder the meat.

Is Veal Easy to Cook?

Yes! Veal is very easy to prepare! Because this meat is light and tender, it tends to really take on whatever flavor profile it is being cooked with, meaning it “soaks” in the flavor making it perfect for any dish.

You can use veal cutlets for dishes you would normally use chicken or pork, such as stir-fry, fajitas, or scallopini!

Ground Veal Recipe for Meatballs

I had a few recipes in mind for my veal products and decided to stay super simple and traditional.

I make tomato sauce every Sunday and thought a pure veal meatball would be a great test.

I started with a pound of ground veal and added the next few ingredients including my secret ingredient!!

What you need to make The Best Veal Meatballs

1 pound ground veal
1 large egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp salt & black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
2 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/4-1/2 cup half and half (SECRET ingredient!)

How to Make Meatballs

Add all ingredients into a large bowl.

Using your hand, mix all ingredients by kneading softly.

With a large cookie scoop, scoop out veal mixture. This will ensure that all your meatballs are uniform and will cook evenly.

Place meatballs in a heated frying pan preheated with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter.

Turn so all sides of meatballs are cooked through. 10-12 minutes.

What Tools will you need to make veal meatballs:

Large Cookie Scoop– I like using this to keep all the meatballs the same size and to ensure they will cook evenly.

Non-Stick or Cast Iron Frying Pan– this will ensure a nice crust and juicy meatballs.

Large Bowl– A glass bowl will be perfect for mixing.

Measuring cups and spoons– Helps to measure your ingredients. I like the rectangle shape of the measuring spoons to reach into small spice jars.

If you love THE best veal meatball recipe as much as my family does, please sign up for our newsletter and help me share the love by sharing on Facebook and Pinterest!

And be sure to tag us @eatpicks- #eatpicks if you share on Instagram!

Yield: 18

The very best veal meatball you will ever eat! We use 100% veal in this recipe and they really are the best! So full of flavor and using our secret ingredient creates a tender bite every time!

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground veal
1 large egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp salt & black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
2 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/4-1/2 cup half and half (SECRET ingredient!)

Instructions

Add all ingredients into a large bowl.
With your hand, mix all ingredients by kneading softly.
With a large cookie scoop, scoop out veal mixture. This will ensure that all your meatballs are uniform and will cook evenly.
Place meatballs in a heated frying pan preheated with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter.
Turn so all sides of meatballs are cooked through. 10-12 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

We would love for a share on Pinterest! You can also leave us a review in the recipe card. Click the buttons below to share on FACEBOOK too! Thank you!