These Chimichurri Meatballs are epic, so easy to make, yet super impressive and perfect for your holiday party! There’s nothing boring or bland about these meatballs, it’s the chimichurri sauce and feta cheese that take these meatballs to the next level of flavor.
Chimichurri Meatballs
I’ve made chimichurri sauce before and absolutely love the flavors, I’ve made it with steak before and it’s absolutely incredible, but it also makes a great combo when served over these meatballs and garnished with some feta cheese. They look super impressive, trust me and everyone will think you slaved over them for hours. But that’s the thing, they will come together nice and easily and they’ll be on your table in a flash!
Do you all love meatballs as much as I do? To be honest I find them the perfect little vehicle for delivering tons of great flavor, and to make it even better my meatball recipes are guaranteed to turn out juicy – never dry! Let’s get this thing happening, you’ll thank me later believe me.
What Is Chimichurri?
Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce that originated in Argentina. It’s chock full of garlic and parsley, swimming in bright red wine vinegar. I absolutely love the herbaceousness of this condiment and I have a feeling you all will too. This sauce goes well on lots of different dishes, especially proteins, I’ve listed some below!
Ingredients In Chimichurri Meatballs
Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.
Meatballs
- Meat – We want regular ground beef and pork for this recipe for lots of flavor and moisture.
- Breadcrumbs – I used panko but you can substitute it for any breadcrumbs you have on hand.
- Egg – The binder in our meatballs. If you’re egg free you can use 1/4 cup of ricotta per egg.
- Onion – We’re using chopped up green onion, you’ll want something light and mild for this recipe.
- Seasoning – We’re using salt and pepper today.
- Spices – Just onion powder today.
- Oil – To fry our meatballs we want something neutral tasting.
- Garlic – Fresh is always best but if jarred is all you have on hand keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 whole clove.
- Cheese – Feta cheese all crumbled up to be sprinkled overtop
Chimichurri
- Herbs – Fresh oregano and parsley chopped up fine.
- Liquid – We want nice olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.
How To Make Chimichurri Meatballs
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Combine the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, green onions, garlic, salt, black pepper and egg. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, about 7 minutes. You will have to do this in 2 batches, so do not overcrowd the meatballs.
- Combine the chimichurri: In a medium size bowl, whisk together the parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let it sit out at room temperature until the meatballs are ready.
- Finish the dish: To assemble, pour about half of the chimichurri sauce on the bottom of a platter, then transfer the meatballs to the platter. Top the meatballs with remaining chimichurri and garnish with the crumbled feta cheese.
Want To Bake Your Meatballs?
Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs by placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and baking them for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 F degrees or until done to your liking.
What Else Can I Put Chimichurri On?
There’s so many dishes that this sauce can be slathered over or dunked in. In my opinion it goes fantastically with any protein so feel free to use it to add some punch to your next dinner!
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- Creamy Polenta With Grilled Steak
- Roast Chicken
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
- Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Fajitas
Tips For Making The Best Meatballs
- To prevent your meatballs from crumbling and falling apart, do not overcrowd your meatballs while cooking them. Leave about 1/2 inch of space in between. It’s best to do it in a couple batches.
- If you still have crumbling issues, it could be an issue with the binders. So either not enough egg or too much breadcrumbs. If your eggs are too small, add another egg, that should help bind the meatballs better.
- If you’re still having trouble with your meatballs, try referencing this page to trouble shoot what exactly is going wrong.
- Fresh breadcrumbs will really set this dish off so feel free to use those instead of panko. This page gives a great guide for making your own.
Storing Leftover Chimichurri Meatballs
Chimichurri sauce
This sauce stores beautifully! In an airtight container it’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks while in the freezer it’ll keep for 3 months.
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
Freezer
You can freeze these in an airtight container without the feta or sauce for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before heating back up to temperature in the oven.
More Incredible Meatballs To Try:
- Greek Meatballs
- Sweet and Spicy Korean Meatballs
- Dutch Meatballs
- Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce
- Indonesian Meatballs
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Firecracker Meatballs
- Meatball Parmesan
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Chimichurri Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs I used Panko
- 2 green onions minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 1/2 cup curly leaf parsley minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, green onions, garlic, salt, black pepper and egg.
- Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, about 7 minutes. You will have to do this in 2 batches, so do not overcrowd the meatballs.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let it sit out at room temperature until the meatballs are ready.
- To assemble, pour about half of the chimichurri sauce on the bottom of a platter, then transfer the meatballs to the platter. Top the meatballs with remaining chimichurri and garnish with the crumbled feta cheese.
Recipe Notes
- Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs by placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and baking them for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 F degrees or until done to your liking.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
- These meatballs can be made with any type of ground meat that you prefer.
- This recipe yields about 48 meatballs, and nutritional information is calculated based on 3 meatballs per person.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Crissy says
These are the best meatballs ever! They were so flavorful and the chimichurri was just incredible! We loved this, oh I can’t wait to make this again! It would be great for a dinner party too!
Jo Cooks Team says
We’re so glad you love it! I could eat chimichurri with anything 😋
Natalir says
Hi I’m going to make theses can I use something eles insted of red wine vingier?
Jo Cooks Team says
White wine vinegar, or regular white vinegar will work.
Stacy Tackaberry says
Once I pour the sauce over the meatballs can reheat them with the sauce the next day
Jo Cooks Team says
You can!
Lynda says
This was very yummy! thank you for sharing.
Lori says
Can these be warmed in a crockpot with the sauce?
Joanna Cismaru says
Yeah that should be fine!
Kurt says
I have made these twice for parties. I substituted beef for bison and added rosemary to the meatballs. Amazing!!
Joanna Cismaru says
So happy you like these!
Taz says
Is there a substitute for red wine vinegar ?
Nicole Beaulieu says
You can use apple cider vinegar or balsamic.
Shannon says
What would happen if I didn’t use breadcrumbs ?
Nicole Beaulieu says
The breadcrumbs hold the moisture in the meatballs so they’ll come out more dry than ours.
Carrie says
I made tapas for Christmas Day dinner this year. I made these meatballs with chimichurri. It was the first time most of my family had ever had chimichurri, they LOVED them! This is now my go-to meatball recipe. It’s so delicious!
Holly says
Can I make the Chimichurri sauce ahead of time? Entertaining a group & would like as much done ahead as possible. Thanks
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes, for sure, just refrigerate it.
Yasmine says
Hi. What would you suggest to replace the pork? The recipe is very interesting!
Thx
Joanna Cismaru says
Oh if you’re looking for a healthier meatball I’d go with chicken or turkey. Let me know how you like it if you try it.
Izzy says
I made these little jewels with ground chicken and ground round today. I LOVE them. The sauce was perfect with the rice I made to go with the meatballs. Then, I got ambitious and made the Dutch meatballs. Oh my gosh…..what a treat. Delicious! Perfect for a snack food for me as I can only eat very small amounts at a time. Thank you so much for the delightful recipes. Next recipe….definitely the Indonesian meatballs.
Joanna Cismaru says
Wow Izzy, I’m impressed, very ambitious to make both of these today. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them, and yes do try the Indonesian meatballs, I’m sure you’ll love them. 🙂
Jaclyn says
Made these tonight and OMERGOD! They are so good! Was worried they might be bland. Ton of flavor and really easy to put together.
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you liked them!
Pauline says
These look great, can they be frozen?
Fenne Kieken says
Yes you could freeze them
Pauline says
Thanks Fenne, I’ll certainly be trying them.
Jane McDuffie says
I am allergic to feta (can only do cow’s milk)
Is there another cheese you could recommend?
Joanna Cismaru says
Hi Jane! Basically the feta cheese just adds a bit of saltiness so if you could find something similar from cow’s milk that would work, I think some blue cheese would be perfect with these meatballs.
Izzy says
I use some of the Mexican cheeses. Queso blanco is excellent. Also manchego and Chihuahua cheeses are good.
Caitlin says
These look great. If we want to reheat these in the oven rather than microwave, what temperature for how long would you recommend? Thanks!
Joanna Cismaru says
I would reheat them at 300 F for about 15 minutes. You’ll have to place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. You should also watch them because the time could vary.
Heather MacDonald says
Can’t wait to try these meatballs. Thanks! 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure! Hope you like them!
Sara @ Last Night's Feast says
This looks amazing!