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Chimichurri Meatballs

These easy chimichurri meatballs make a delicious, quick dinner when paired with a big salad, or serve them as a fun, dippable party appetizer—either way, they’re sure to be a hit!

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Chimichurri Meatballs on a plate with a bowl of chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri Meatballs Are....

  • A) Comfort food

  • B) Finger food

  • C) Dinner food

  • D) All of the above

And the answer is D! (It’s always D, right?) This easy meatball recipe is about as versatile as can be. Made with beef and lamb or pork (dealer’s choice!), we often serve these for dinner—just add a green salad or seasonal veggie that you love, and maybe a little bread to round things out—but meatballs are also one of our go-to party appetizers! These chimichurri meatballs are a little extra fun to serve at parties because of the chimichurri dipping sauce. Place them on a platter and pop a toothpick in each beefy lamb or pork meatball for easy dipping and nibbling. As for comfort food, well, if you haven’t guessed, meatballs are basically our #1 comfort food and we think everyone needs more meatballs in their life.

ground pork and ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic, shallots, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and eggs

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What Is Chimichurri Sauce Made Of?

Chimichurri is a simple, fresh-herb sauce that originated in South America. It’s a bit pesto-like and is most closely associated with Argentinian cuisine, where it’s often served with a simple, perfect grilled steak. Many chimichurri recipes call for cilantro, but we’ve opted to use the still-traditional and much more crowd-pleasing parsley—plus a little oregano—as our herbal base. While we love it on steak (or eggs, or chicken, or fish), we also discovered that it gets along really well with these meatballs! The chimichurri sauce alone delivers all the flavors we love, and in this meatball recipe, we’ve put it to work in not one, but two ways! First, you’ll mix it into your meatball mixture, then you’ll serve some on the side for dipping. Best finger food ever! Here’s what’s in our chimichurri recipe:

  • Shallots

  • Flat-leaf parsley

  • Fresh oregano

  • Garlic cloves

  • Red pepper flakes

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Red wine vinegar

  • Salt & pepper

raw ground beef and ground pork in a bowl with chimichurri eggs and breadcrumbs
raw Chimichurri Meatballs on a baking sheet with parchment
ingredients for chimichirri sauce in a food processor.
chimichurri sauce in a food processor

What Is the Secret to Tender Meatballs?

This super easy meatball recipe gets its tenderness from a few things. Ingredients matter, of course, but so does meatball technique! Here are a few things that make these meatballs truly moist and tender:

  • A delicate touch is really important. Do not overmix your meatballs, or they’ll just never be tender. This is why we always hand-mix our meatballs—it’s much easier to handle the meat gently with your hands than with any kind of kitchen appliance.

  • Fat! Plenty of fat ensures a nice moist meatball, and these get it from a few places. Using a combination of ground beef and pork (or lamb) makes them super rich and moist, and the olive oil base of the chimichurri doubles down on that tenderness. And relatedly:

  • How do I make sure meatballs don't fall apart? Breadcrumbs and egg both act as binders here—they keep the meatballs together.

chimichurri sauce in a bowl

How To Make Chimichurri Meatballs

Quick and easy, this beef and pork meatball recipe is a weeknight life-saver and always popular. Here’s how to make it!

  1. Whip up a batch of chimichurri sauce sauce! You can do this at least a few days ahead of time, if you’d like.

  2. Mix the meatballs! Take 1/3 cup chimichurri and stir it into the bread crumbs. Add the meat and eggs and hand-mix gently until the meatball mixture is uniform.

  3. Roll the meatballs! We do about two tablespoons of chimichurri meat mixture per meatball, and end up with about 26-28 meatballs.

  4. Hot tip!! As you roll, wet your palms with a bit of water as needed to keep the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands.

  5. Bake until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer.

  6. Serve!

Chimichurri Meatballs on a plate with a bowl of chimichurri sauce

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More Meatball Recipes To Try

Chimichurri Meatballs on a plate with a bowl of chimichurri sauce
Chimichurri Meatballs on a plate with a bowl of chimichurri sauce

Help Yourself!

Whenever we serve meatballs at a party, they’re the first thing to go, and these chimichurri-laced meatballs are no exception! Try the recipe, and let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

Chimichurri Meatballs

  • Serves: 8
  • Prep Time:  30 min
  • Cook Time:  20 min
  • Calories: 330

Ingredients

  • 1 batch chimichurri sauce
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs bread crumbs
  • 1 lb Ground beef, 80/20
  • 1 lb Ground pork or lamb (both pair perfectly with chimichurri sauce)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Make the chimichurri sauce according to directions in separate post.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup prepared chimichurri with the bread crumbs, toss to combine until there are no longer any dry parts.
  4. Add in the ground beef and lamb or pork (whichever you prefer), eggs and salt. Mix well with your hands until the breadcrumb mixture is completely incorporated with the meat and eggs.
  5. Roll the meat mixture into 1 ½ inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on the baking sheet, about 28-30 total.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 5 more minutes until the meatballs are browned and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Discard any fat that leaked out of the meatball (don’t worry they will still be really tender.)
  7. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and serve with remaining chimichurri sauce.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories330
  • Protein11 g
  • Carbohydrates50 g
  • Total Fat10 g
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Cholesterol10 mg
  • sodium266 mg
  • Total Sugars5 g

Chimichurri Meatballs

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Evelyn

    I love almost all of your recipes and your meatballs are killers. This one though, had a weird greasy flavor. Any idea why?

    Hi, not sure about the "weird" test, but the chimichurri is oil based, so I am assuming that is what you are experiencing.

  • Susan

    Hello, I have made these meatballs for a party at a friends, what temperature do you recommend I heat them at please?

    Many thanks,

    Suz 😊

    Reheat on 325F until heated through. Hope you enjoy!

  • Vanessa

    Is there any reason I can’t just use all beef or does it have to be two different kinds of meat?

    We like the flavor combo of 2 but it's totally ok if you just want to use beef. Hope you enjoy Vanessa!

  • Amy

    If I were going to cook meatballs that I had frozen, should I bake frozen or should I thaw first?

    You can do either! If you freeze them raw make sure to let them fully thaw in the refrigerator before baking.

  • sandra

    to freeze these should you do cooked or raw meatballs?

    Probably after they are cooked. Hope you enjoy Sandra!

  • Erik

    I'm eating these right now and they're fantastic! Used 1 lb veal, 1/2 lb each of pork and beef. Added an extra 1/2 tsp of salt to go with the leaner meat and it's perfect.

    Thanks Erik, so glad you loved them!

  • Aaron

    Super great

    Thanks Aaron!

  • Aaron

    Very good! Thank you! I made sauteed peppers, zucchinni, musshrooms, and rice separately. It was very great dinner.

    Thanks Aaron, we are so glad you enjoyed it!

  • Courtney

    I made the Chimichurri meatballs last night and they were delicious! I used beef and pork and they turned out tender and flavorful. We had them with sweet potato fries and salad for an easy dinner that my whole family enjoyed.

    Thanks Courtney, we are so glad you loved them!

  • Maureen

    Just made these using ground caribou and sweet sausage, very good indeed. Will make these again.

    Thanks Maureen!