Microwave-cooked meatballs are very easy to prepare, cooked in a diet-friendly way without frying or sautéing anything, they’re fat-free and ready in 20 minutes, including resting time.
If you’ve never tried them before… you must try them now! 😀
These microwave-cooked meatballs were one of my go-to recipes in the early years after purchasing a microwave oven. Back then (about 30 years ago), the microwave was an innovative appliance that couldn’t be missing in the kitchen of an experimenter like me. 😃 But the different cooking approach compared to traditional stove and oven methods, which I was always used to, made it difficult to understand. In fact, in the first few months, I had quite a few failures!
With meatballs in sauce, however, I had immediate success. Not because of me, but because I followed a good recipe found in the recipe book of that first microwave (or maybe it was a book? Hmm, my memory is fading 🤭). But, also and especially, it was thanks to a fantastic casserole that Sandra gave me. Thanks to this dish, I quickly went from criticizing to praising the microwave in two days; it made me understand how to manage a microwave oven. That’s why I never tire of saying that it’s essential to have a good dish, and definitely a lid. You don’t need a whole set of pots, just one, but it must be good.
It was a glass casserole, with a glass lid. I had already mentioned this beautiful casserole in the introduction to the microwave-cooked potatoes recipe. Unfortunately, it’s no longer with me, it broke – darn it – during the move. The only victim of the move, among many, for which even after twenty years, I still feel deep regret and often think back with sadness. I’ve never told Sandra, I’m not sure if it’s right to let her know now like this, on these screens after twenty years, 😌 but an explanation for using different cookware in this recipe is necessary, right? 😂
Having lost the use of that particular casserole, for many years, I stopped cooking meatballs in the microwave, almost out of spite. Until a few months ago, I decided to try again using a Pyrex cake dish + universal lid.
The universal microwave lid is a low-aesthetic-value plastic object, but it has the advantage of not breaking when it falls, neither during moves nor ever, and it serves its purpose (even if it doesn’t reach the perfection of that dish).
The family jury greatly appreciated these microwave-cooked meatballs (also because they had been waiting for them for years and years! 🤭), so I decided to surprise my son and cook them again just yesterday. Specifically, to propose them to Light and Tasty, which today is all about meatballs ohhh yeahh. 😃
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Below are more meatball recipes, of all kinds: meat, vegetarian, and vegan. 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 16Pieces
- Cooking methods: Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz ground beef
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon mixed herbs (or just parsley)
- 1 clove garlic (small)
- 14 oz rustic tomato puree (or chopped tomatoes)
- extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- pepper
Tools
- Casserole in Pyrex
- Universal Lid for Microwave
- Microwave
- Bowl
Steps
In a bowl, season the ground beef with breadcrumbs, parmesan (or another grated cheese), garlic clove, and freshly chopped herbs + a pinch of dried herbs.
👉 Any herbs will do, to your taste. This time I used a mix of fresh herbs (tarragon, mint, and oregano picked from my terrace) and dried ones (thyme, marjoram, and sage), but just parsley is also fine, as traditionally done for meatballs.
Mix well with your hands and form meatballs weighing about 1 oz each.
Pour the tomato puree into the casserole.
Place the meatballs in the casserole, submerging them in the puree along the edge of the casserole.
Below are two photos of two different preparations. In both cases, I left a central empty space (or at least “less crowded”) in the middle of the dish.
☝️ According to what I read in a microwave cookbook, cooking is less effective in the center of the container, because microwaves are less intense at the center of the oven. For this reason, it’s good to leave a small empty space in the center (obviously when the food type allows it, like with meatballs). It’s a principle I’ve always followed and recommend to you; it holds validity.
(To even out cooking, it’s necessary to stir the meatballs halfway through, ensuring those placed inside are moved to the edge, and vice versa.)
Insert the casserole into the microwave (+ lid).
Set the oven for 8 minutes at maximum power (mine, if I remember correctly, is 800 W).
After 8 minutes, open the door and remove the lid.
Turn all the meatballs so they moisten well with the sauce all over.
Move the meatballs that were in the center to the edge.
Optionally, stir the sauce if it’s more liquid in the center and drier on the edge of the casserole.
Cover again with the lid and run the microwave for another 6 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir all the meatballs in the sauce. If the sauce is too liquid or you prefer it drier, it’s enough to put the casserole back in the microwave – but in this case without using the lid – for another 1 minute, still at maximum power.
Close the door and leave the meatballs inside the microwave for about 5 minutes (i.e., for the resting time, a useful step in microwave cooking).
Serve the meatballs piping hot, optionally completing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
And don’t forget to bring some bread to the table for dipping!
Salt-Free Tips
I remind you that I cook without salt. To learn more, I invite you to read these two articles: Cooking without salt, my journey and Recipes and strategies to reduce salt in the kitchen where I share my experience and provide useful tips and information to gradually reduce salt and to get used to low-sodium eating. 😊
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
■ Gradually decrease salt, letting your palate adjust slowly without noticing the reduction.
■ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
■ Use herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
■ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
■ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
■ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
■ Prefer fresh foods.
■ Avoid boiling, opt for cooking methods that preserve flavors (grill, en papillote, steam, microwave)
■ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
■ Occasionally break the rules. It’s good for mood and helps persistence.
If you don’t want or can’t give up salt:
■ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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Other Light and Tasty Recipes:
Carla Emilia: Aromatic Meatballs in Sauce
Claudia: Eggplant and Potato Balls
Daniela: Ricotta Meatballs in Sauce
Elena: Piedmontese Friciulin
Milena: Hake and Agretti Balls with Yogurt Sauce
