Easy Cajun Meatball Recipe
I love meatballs, no use in beating around the bush here, and I’m known to have made a meatball or two in my day. But it’s true, sometimes I just crave a good meatball and pasta. These meatballs are a bit different though, not your run-of-the-mill meatballs. I chose to mix ground chicken with ground beef and I used cajun seasoning to spice them up. For the sauce I made a delicious fire roasted tomato sauce which is so incredibly good, delivering a bit of smoky flavor along with a rich layer of garlic and a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar. I made the meatballs two different ways mostly because people always ask me if they could bake the meatballs or fry them. So I did both. However, whichever way you decide to go, these meatballs will rock your world. If you do bake them, don’t worry about them being dry or anything, because we will cook these in that yummy fire roasted tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Meatballs
Ground beef and chicken – Use lean or regular beef, any kind you’d like, though the more fat in the meat the juicier your meatballs will be. Aromatics – Fresh chopped ginger and garlic. Spices – Cajun seasoning and cumin. Egg – You’ll need 2 large eggs as the binding agent in the meatballs. Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste. Breadcrumbs – I used panko breadcrumbs today as they’re the best breadcrumb to use for meatballs. You’re going to get a super moist, tasty, and well bound meatball. Herbs – Dried oregano and fresh parsley, chopped up to be sprinkled over top and incorporated into our meatball. Tomato paste – Be sure to let this cook ever so slightly as tomato paste added to recipes is still raw. This does offer a bright acidity to our dish and offers lots of depth to our sauce.
Sauce
Olive oil – We want something nice and neutral tasting to saute our onion in. Onion – We want something like white or yellow onion, it has a mild flavor and cooks down well. Tomatoes – 1 full can of diced fire roasted tomatoes. Cajun – I’m using store bought cajun seasoning today, I consider this spice blend a staple in my pantry! Garlic – Use as much or little as you like. Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste. Herbs – Fresh basil and parsley all chopped up if you can swing it. If dried is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals 1 tablespoon fresh. Sugar – Just s bit of brown sugar to cut through all that acidity while also offering some dimension of flavor as the molasses melts into the sauce.
How To Make Cajun Meatballs in Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
How to Serve
You want something that soaks up all that rich, hearty sauce. You will love the final outcome, no matter how you slice it!
Mashed Potatoes Creamy Polenta Fluffy white rice Spaghetti, to twirl around in your beautiful rich sauce!
Other Cooking Options
Pressure cooker
Brown the meatballs with olive oil on the saute setting. Remove your meatballs once browned and combine the sauce in your pressure cooker, being sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan as the sauce forms. Place the meatballs back in. Cook on manual HIGH for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, should take around 10 minutes before removing the lid.
Storing Leftovers
Meatballs
These cajun meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Sauce
This fire roasted tomato sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for up 3 months. Pull the sauce from the freezer the day before you’d like to use it to allow it to thaw fully before reheating on the stove.
More Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try:
Chimichurri Meatballs Sweet and Spicy Korean Meatballs Dutch Meatballs Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce Cajun Shrimp with Tomato Alfredo Pasta Indonesian Meatballs Porcupine Meatballs Firecracker Chicken Meatballs Sweet And Sour Meatballs
