Easy oven-baked meatballs

No-worry meatballs from the oven that are the ideal snack for every party or get-together!

Back when I was still studying I threw parties rather frequently. Just a lot of people coming over to my place, having drinks, chit-chatting and having a good time. Back in the days, there always was an inflatable pool filled with cold beers and liquor (scroll down for a photo). Good old times! But then suddenly it strikes you, that one feeling we all have when we have had one too many drinks: “I need something fatty and meaty – NOW”. Well, I usually prepared for that by making a big batch of juicy meatballs, which were standing around somewhere in the kitchen or the living room. Of course there would never be any left after the party…

The meatballs are super easy to make and as they are baked in the oven, you do not need to fry and flip them, making them slightly less greasy and keeping your stove from being spattered with fat. Do you know the perfect shortcut for perfect meatball seasoning yet? It’s French onion instant soup! Sounds a bit odd, but believe me it’s definitely worth a try! Your meatballs will come out juicy and perfectly flavored every single time.

Make the meatballs a day in advance to allow the flavors to infuse more and leaving yourself more relaxed on the day of the party.

(Enough for about 60-70 meatballs. Simply halve the ingredients if you need less)

Ingredients

• 1kg minced meat, use half pork/half beef
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (200g) crème fraîche
• 1 sachet French onion soup
• About 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Mix all ingredients, shape into balls and bake

Mix meat, onion, garlic, eggs, crème fraîche and soup powder in a bowl, season  generously with pepper and only a little bit of salt, as the onion soup will be quite salty already. Using a fork for mixing works best!

Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture thickens and loosens from the side of the bowl. You want to mixture to be form-able but still somewhat wet.

Let the meat mixture stand for 10 minutes to thicken. In the meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220°c (fan works best for evenly browned meatballs) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Wet your hands and form walnut sized meatballs. Put them on the baking tray. And repeat… and repeat… You should end up with 60-70 meatballs depending on the size.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Let the meatballs slightly cool and put them on kitchen towels to remove any excess liquid that has poured out.

Serve your meatballs in a bowl and do not forget to have enough beer at hand!

And no, I wasn’t kidding about the inflatable pool with beer…

What do you think of this meatball recipe? Do you think using instant onion-soup is a no-go? Have you ever baked meatballs in the oven before? Made these and had a great party? I want to know it all! Just leave your comments underneath!