Crispy Sheet-Pan Meatballs with Salsa Verde
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
When you stick with one type of meat, give them quick, high-heat roast in the oven, and serve them with an herby salsa verde, few things are as cheap, versatile, and weeknight-friendly as a sheet pan full of meatballs. Think of this recipe as a template, and the possibilities are endless—mess around with different spices, types of meat, herbs and other add-ins, and you can easily make these once a week without getting bored. They’re great on top of grain bowls, in noodle-y soups, as an appetizer, or on their own alongside a green salad or some simply roasted veggies. And don't sleep on that salsa verde—it might just become your new favorite put-on-everything sauce.
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, divided
2 cups mixed herbs, packed
3 Tbsp. capers, drained and chopped
¼ cup walnuts
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. Kosher salt
3 Tbsp. plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 lb. ground beef
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°.
Finely grate 1 garlic clove into a medium bowl.
Finely grate 1 more garlic clove into a small bowl. (The medium bowl is for your meatball mixture, and the small bowl is for your salsa verde, in case you thought we lost our marbles.)
Finely chop 2 cups mixed herbs. Transfer half to same medium bowl, then transfer remaining herbs to same small bowl.
Transfer 2 Tbsp. of chopped capers to medium bowl, then transfer remaining 1 Tbsp. of chopped capers to small bowl.
Chop ¼ cup walnuts and add to same medium bowl.
Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. paprika, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil to bowl with walnuts.
Using clean hands, mix 1 cup panko into egg mixture.
Add 1 lb. ground beef and continue to mix gently with your hands until incorporated, but do not overmix. This part is key—if you work the mixture too much, the meat will become tough and springy, almost like sausage, so use a gentle hand.
At this point, you can pinch off a little piece of the meatball mixture, crisp it in a skillet, and give it a taste to make sure the seasoning is to your liking. This is your last chance to make any tweaks before they all get cooked!
Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll beef mixture into 1½" balls (about the size of golf balls). Arrange 1" apart on pan.
Bake meatballs, shaking pan halfway through, until crispy on all sides, about 10 minutes.
While meatballs are cooking, you can finish that salsa verde. Finely grate lemon zest into bowl with herbs and garlic. Halve the lemon you just zested and squeeze juice into the herb bowl
Add remaining ½ cup oil and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and add more seasoning if necessary. It should be good and punchy.
Transfer meatballs to a platter, and serve with salsa verde alongside.
Tags
Appetizer
