Why it’s so good!
Take your pizza night to a whole new level with this meatball pizza – it’s what comfort food dreams are made of. A mash-up of two amazingly comforting dinners results in the most spectacular pizza that tastes so much better than any takeout pizza.
With easy homemade meatballs, loaded with flavour with just a handful of ingredients and a tomato meat sauce reminiscent of bolognese but without the effort, you can’t go wrong. Some of the seasoned meatball meat is browned and cooked into the sauce so every single bite has that meaty goodness.
Ok, so maybe you need to cook the meatballs (which take 6 minutes under the broiler/grill) and a sauce (which takes less than 10 minutes) but that’s it. It’s quicker than it looks or sounds and truly, the most delicious pizza you’ll ever eat!
Try this BBQ meatlovers pizza too or for another mash-up, try my tandoori chicken pizza.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Ingredients you’ll need
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
Pizza dough: I use my homemade pizza dough recipe; it tastes great and can be frozen in balls, as I often do, for easy pizza nights. Of course, if you can get store-bought pizza dough, feel free.
Cheese: I use two types of cheese here; mozzarella cheese for it’s gooeyness and a tasty cheddar cheese for flavour. You can use all mozzarella if you’d prefer a milder flavour but I don’t recommend swapping out the mozzarella for cheddar as the flavour will overwhelm. You can swap the cheddar cheese for parmesan cheese too.
The meatballs
Bread crumbs: Panko bread crumbs or homemade bread crumbs will work here (again, I use my own homemade bread crumbs which store for nearly forever in the pantry or freeze well too).
Milk and an egg yolk add richness to the meatballs. If you want to double this recipe, just use a whole egg rather than 2 egg yolks though.
Beef and pork mince: I use a mince / ground meat that is a combination of beef and pork. If you can’t get that, you can buy both and combine or just use beef mince (ground beef) in it’s place. The meatballs with pork and beef will be more tender and more flavoursome due to the fat that pork mince adds.
Tuscan seasoning adds all the seasoning the meatballs need in one simple step. If you can’t get Tuscan seasoning, you can use Italian seasoning just make sure it’s seasoning (the one that includes salt and garlic) and not just Italian herbs.
The meaty marinara sauce
Onion and garlic are classic flavours to start an Italian sauce adding so much flavour.
Tinned tomatoes: I like crushed tomatoes the best so you aren’t left with chunks of tomato that are too big on the pizza.
Tomato paste: That highly condensed form of tomato, tomato paste is thick and rich in flavour. It adds umami and a touch of sweetness.
Seasonings: The seasonings for the sauce are a simple combo of dried basil, dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), a little sugar (to offset the acidity in the tomatoes) and salt. Oregano is lovely in place of the dried basil too. I always top it with some fresh basil too.
How to make meatball pizza
The pizza toppings for this meatball pizza really are very easy to make and quite quick as well, though you can make them ahead if it’s easier. The meatballs take about 5 minutes to mix and shape then just 6 minutes under the grill. While that’s happening, you can cook the sauce in less than 10 minutes on the stove top. Now just roll out a ball of pizza dough, load it up and bake.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Make the meatballs
Start by mixing the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl until fully combined, then divide into 15. Roll 12 portions into meatballs (they’ll be about 1 inch) and save the rest of the mixture for the meaty pizza sauce.
2. Cook the meatballs
Use the broiler / overhead grill set to high to cook the meatballs. Set the rack about 5-6 inches under the elements and it’ll take just 6-7 minutes. Don’t do what I manage to do every single time and use baking paper, just in case it catches. Use aluminium foil instead or nothing at all. I always forget this one simple thing.
3. Start the sauce
While the meatballs cook, you can get onto the pizza sauce. Saute that reserved meatball meat and onion until the onion softens. It takes 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring every so often.
4. Add the tomato
Start by adding some water to deglaze the pan, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and let it come to a simmer stirring from time to time. Just let it simmer until it thickens – only about 3 minutes.
5. Coat the meatballs
Remove the sauce from the heat and add in the meatballs. Gently turn them to coat in that rich meaty pizza sauce then set them back on the baking tray, leaving the sauce behind.
6. Assemble the base
Roll out your pizza dough to 10-12 inches wide on a sheet of baking paper – the size will depend on how thin you like the crust. Add a little flour if the dough is sticking to the rolling pin. Mine here is about 10 inches.
Now, spread that gorgeous sauce all over the pizza. You may have a little bit left but most of it should fit on fine.
7. Load up the pizza
Now we turn it into meatball pizza! Scatter over half of the cheeses then break the meatballs in half and arrange those over the top (this way every slice is loaded with meatballs). Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and it’s ready for the oven.
8. Baking the meatball pizza
This pizza is baked in a nice hot oven to get that pizza crust crisp around the edges and baked through while getting the topping sizzling and gooey.
I use a cast-iron pizza pan – if you do too or if you’re using a pizza stone, heat it in the oven while you’re assembling your pizza and be very careful when transferring the pizza to the pan. I use a pizza peel or pizza shovel which makes this process very easy. Yes, it’s a tool that you’ll probably only use for pizza but once you have one, you’ll use it every single time.
It can also be baked on a regular pizza pan – a perforated pizza pan is best at getting the base nice and crispy.
Variations
I love options, don’t you?! Obviously, I think this meatball pizza recipe is perfect just the way it is but maybe you want to try adding other things or a different meat. Here’s some options that will all work.
You can swap the beef mince for lamb mince (ground lamb) or chicken mince (ground chicken) too. Or even turkey. The latter 2 are much leaner meats meaning the the meatballs may be a touch drier so just be careful not to overcook them. I wouldn’t use all pork mince as I think that will turn out too greasy. You could also try some bacon or pepperoni to make it extra meaty!
As for addditions, try some olives, mushrooms or capsicum (bell pepper). They both go beautifully here.
Just be careful with the quantity of whatever you add. This meatball pizza already has quite a full topping with a thick layer of sauce and then hearty meatballs, hence the corner will flop down. The more you add to it, the less stable it will become.
Storage
Meatball pizza is definitely best served fresh. I’m not a cold pizza person but if you are, have at it. It’s not too bad reheated in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C/350F but it’s definitely best fresh.
If you want to get ahead, all of the components can be made in advance. The meatballs and sauce can be cooked 2-3 days ahead. The pizza dough can be made the night before and chilled in the fridge overnight or even frozen. If you freeze it, let it have it’s first rise, then punch it down and cut it in half. Roll each half into a ball then freeze in ziplock bags or an airtight container with baking paper between them. Let it come to room temperature, then double in size before using.
More recipes you’ll love
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this meatball pizza recipe? Show it some love in the comments below.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to the newsletter for free recipes straight to your inbox. Also, follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 225 g pizza dough (½lb)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar (115g/4oz)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (226g/8oz)
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon milk (20ml, notes 1)
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 g combined pork & beef mince (or just use ground beef) (~½lb)
- 1 tablespoon Italian or Tuscan seasoning (notes 1)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced minced
- ¾ cup tinned crushed tomatoes (200g/7oz)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (notes 1)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Skillet or saute pan
Instructions
- If making the dough from scratch, do that first. It should be on it's second rise when you start the meatballs and sauce.
- FOR THE MEATBALLS:Preheat the broiler/overhead grill to high and place a rack about 5-6 inches from it. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
- Add the breadcrumbs to a large bowl and pour over the milk and add the egg yolk. Stir to combine then let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef mince and Italian seasoning to the bowl and mix until combined (try not to overmix).
- Divide the mixture into 15 – roll 12 portions into balls about 1 inch wide and set aside the remaining mixture for the sauce. Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the meatball tray underneath the broiler/overhead grill and cook for 6-7 minutes until just cooked through.
- FOR THE SAUCE:Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick sauté pan or enamel braiser pan over medium high heat then add the onion and reserved mince mixture to the pan. Let it cook 3-4 minutes until the onions have softened.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Now, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, chilli flakes, sugar and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and gently turn to coat in the sauce, then set aside back on the baking tray. Leave the remaining sauce for coating the pizzas.
- ASSEMBLE THE PIZZA:Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan forced) / 430F. If using a pizza stone or cast iron pizza pan, place it into the oven to heat up.
- On a sheet of baking paper, roll out the dough into a 10-12 inch round (depending on how thin you like the crust).
- Spread the sauce over the dough then scatter over half of the cheeses. Break the meatballs in half and arrange them over the pizza. Finish with the remaining cheeses.
- Carefully transfer to a pizza pan – a pizza peel is really helpful here.
- Bake 15-18 minutes until golden and bubbly on top.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- This recipe is for 1x 10-12 inch pizza. It can easily be scaled up to make a second or more. If you do make a second pizza at the same time, use a whole egg in the meatballs, not two egg yolks.
- If using my pizza dough recipe, it will create enough dough for two pizzas. If you only want to make one, freeze the other portion (after the first rise) in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
2 Comments on “Meatball Pizza”
Hi Marie,
What a fun idea! I’m going to try this meatball pizza recipe next week. I’m sure it will be a big hit. Thanks so much for this creative recipe!!!
Barbara
Enjoy, Barbara 🙂