Cooking frozen meatballs is so easy to do and a great way to make a quick meal on those busy nights. Whether you are working with store-bought frozen meatballs or homemade meatballs that you froze ahead of time, they will come out tender and juicy. I will show you the best ways to cook meatballs from the freezer so you can get dinner on the table fast.
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One thing I am all about is Keeping things simple which means if I make homemade meatballs at home, you can guarantee that I will be making a double batch so I have meatballs for the freezer.
I always have meatballs waiting for me in my freezer for a quick meal.
Sometimes I will pre-cook the meatballs and sometimes I will freeze the meatballs raw. Cooking frozen meatballs can vary based on if I am cooking pre-cooked meatballs or raw meatballs.
I will show you how to cook frozen meatballs both cooked and uncooked so they come out tasting amazing.
Frozen Meatballs That Are Pre-Cooked
If you are working with store-bought frozen meatballs, the chances are they are already pre-cooked. This means there is less cooking time for you!
pre-cooked without a sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place meatballs on a baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they are heated through.
- Serve immediately.
pre-cooked with a sauce
- Add sauce to a large saucepan on the stovetop.
- Add frozen meatballs into the sauce and cook on medium heat until the meatballs are warm and cooked all the way through.
That is all there is to cooking pre-cooked frozen meatballs. Very simple.
When working with frozen meatballs that are raw (or not cooked) there is a little more cooking time involved. It is still very easy to do.
Frozen Meatballs That Are Uncooked
If you are working with frozen meatballs that are not cooked but frozen, chances are you made the meatballs yourself and froze some for a later time.
Good for you! I am always telling folks to do this to save time and money 🙂
Here is how I like to cook frozen uncooked meatballs.
uncooked, without a sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place meatballs on a baking sheet.
- Cover the meatballs with aluminum foil.
- Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until they are cooked and heated through.
- Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp them up.
- Serve immediately.
uncooked, with a sauce
- Add sauce to a large saucepan.
- Add frozen meatballs into the sauce and cook on medium heat for about 25-35 minutes or until the meatballs are warm and cooked all the way through. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the meatballs.
Best Sauce for Frozen Meatballs
Now you can add frozen meatballs to cook in any sauce to heat them all the way through and for a quick meal. My favorite way to use frozen meatballs is using frozen Italian meatballs and cooking them in my easy San Marazano tomato sauce.
If you do decide to use a sauce to cook the meatballs, you may need to add a little more liquid to the sauce depending on how thick the sauce is that you are using.
Common Questions
No. You can cook meatballs from the frozen state in the oven or in a sauce and it will come out amazing.
I like to cook frozen meatballs at 350 degrees. This is a gentle enough heat to not dry out the meatballs and hot enough to cook them through.
The best way to make store-bought meatballs better is to add them to a sauce that you really love. Cook them gently and slowly in the sauce so they do not get tough.
Storing And Reheating
Once you have cooked up your frozen meatballs, you can easily store them to eat for a later meal! To store them, allow the meatballs to cool then place them in a container with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat the meatballs, you can microwave individual servings on medium heat for about 2 minutes or if they are in a sauce, place them in a pot with a lid on the stovetop and warm on medium-low for about 15 minutes.
If you are reheating meatballs without a sauce, wrap them in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Meatball Pairing Ideas
No matter what type of meatballs you are cooking from frozen (Italian, Asian, etc.), there is always a delicious side to go with it. Here are some ideas:
More Meatball Recipes For You
- Ricotta and Spinach Meatballs
- Italian Meatballs
- Baked Asian Meatballs
- Kofta (Middle Eastern) Meatballs
How To Cook Frozen Meatballs
Ingredients
Frozen Meatballs
- 12 frozen meatballs
My Favorite Quick Marinara Sauce
- 28 ounces san marzano tomatoes canned whole
- ½ yellow onion diced very fine
- 2 cloves garlic diced very fine
- 1 ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 fresh basil leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- sugar (optional) a pinch at a time if your sauce tastes too acidic
Instructions
Cooking Frozen Meatballs in Sauce
- Add frozen meatballs and jarred sauce (or homemade sauce) to a large saucepan.
- If meatballs are pre-cooked: Heat over medium heat until cooked all the way through and hot, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs.For raw frozen meatballs: Cook the meatballs in the sauce for 25-35 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through.
Marinara Sauce
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add your olive oil.1 ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Now add your red pepper flakes, onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.½ yellow onion, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Now add your garlic and cook for one more minute.2 cloves garlic
- Add your whole canned tomatoes to the pan.28 ounces san marzano tomatoes
- With a potato masher (or bottom of a mug) mash down the tomatoes gently. It can get a little messy so do this part slowly.
- Keep mashing down the tomatoes until they are mostly broken down.
- Stir the tomatoes into the olive oil mixture well.
- Add your salt, oregano and basil and stir.2 fresh basil leaves, ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Taste the sauce for any additional salt.
- Serve over pasta, as a marinara dipping sauce or on pizza.
Cooking Frozen Meatballs without a Sauce
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Add frozen meatballs to a large sheet pan or baking dish making sure to leave space between them.
- For pre-cooked meatballs: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated all the way through.For raw frozen meatballs: Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked all the way through.Cooking times will vary based on the size of the meatballs.
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereTried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Melissa says
Hi Helen. I'm glad this was helpful 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Jan. I am so glad it was helpful!