Meatballs – feeding a crowd? How to reheat from frozen for best effect

Meatballs are a favorite food to keep in our house. Not only are they delicious, but most people love than and they are so versatile. We can use them to hide vegetables or as a quick protein fix when the kids are really hungry. Alternatively, when you simply want a delicious soup, pop a few in a vegetable broth for a filling and quick meal. Best of all? Meatballs can be prepared well in advance as a large batch and stored for future use – perfect for a busy life with growing children. With the quick tips below, our children can make their own meatball sandwiches or semi-burgers whenever they get ravenous.

As a rule of thumb, meatballs, once cooked through can be treated like any other piece of meat, either in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few months. This makes them a great dish to prepare in advance for a party. How suggestions on how many meatballs to serve, why not use our friendly guide?

Remember though that you really should only reheat your meatballs only once according to the Food Standards Agency. Some people manage to safely reheat meals several times, but why take the risk?

For the purposes of this article, we are looking at smallish meatballs, about 1-inch wide at the most. Larger meatballs will take longer to defrost or reheat while smaller meatballs will go much faster.

Meatballs storage:

In our house, we always seem to have 1 or 2 sets of meatballs in a ziplock bag in the freezer. We prefer to freeze them on a tray as a single layer and transfer them to these bags as we can prepare meatballs in bulk over a weekend and then portion out ready meals for the family.

How long can you keep meatballs in the fridge?

Meatballs can be kept in the fridge for up to 10 days. Store the meatballs in an airtight container or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Already-cooked meatballs will keep for slightly less long and no more than 1 week (7 days) is recommended.

How long can you keep meatballs in the freezer?

Frozen meatballs will keep in a freezer for up to a year, though they are at peak condition for up to 6 months. After this time, they start to lose some flavor and texture. Cooked meatballs should be allowed to cool on the countertop and frozen very soon after becoming lukewarm.

How to defrost meatballs?

Ideally, meatballs are defrosted by placing the container in the fridge for 2 days. Alternatively, you can set them on the countertop for 3-4 hours to defrost gently. However, if you plan to use some liquid such as a sauce or a broth during the reheating process, you can speed this up by using an oven, microwave, slow-cooker, or even an air fryer.

Can the Same Methods for Reheating Steak be Applied to Reheating Meatballs for a Crowd?

When reheating meatballs for a crowd, it’s important to use the best methods for reheating steak. Just like steak, meatballs can be reheated in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop. The key is to reheat them slowly and evenly to ensure they stay juicy and flavorful.

Can you reheat meatballs?

Meatballs can be reheated as long as they are safe to eat. In other words, meatballs can be reheated the next day, or they can be reheated 6 days later… all that is required is proper storage of the meatballs in the fridge. If the meatballs were frozen, then they can be reheated up to 1 year later…

Meatballs in sauce are the easiest to reheat as the sauce helps to transfer heat from the oven to the meatball and prevents the meatballs from drying out. Of course, not all sauces reheat very well, but most tomato-based sauces are perfectly fine. This means that meatballs and tomato sauce are the easiest thing to make ever!

When reheating meatballs, always make sure that the center of the meatballs reads 165 F as this will make sure that any bacteria are dead.

What is the Best Way to Reheat Frozen Meatballs for a Crowd?

When serving a crowd with meatballs, the best way to reheat frozen ones is by using an oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and place the meatballs on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until they are heated through. This method ensures the meatballs retain their delicious flavor and texture, making them perfect for any gathering.

Can you reheat meatballs in sauce?

Yes, you can reheat meatballs in sauce. In fact, most chefs recommend doing this, or at the very least making a beef broth (for beef meatballs, otherwise vegetable broth) and adding a cup of this broth to dr meatballs to prevent them from drying out during the reheating process. If you are making a soup, why not simply pop the meatballs directly in the soup and let them simmer away until piping hot?

How do you reheat meatballs in the oven?

If the meatballs do not have a sauce, simply place the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and add 1/2 cup of broth (beef for beef-based meatballs, otherwise vegetable) to keep the meatballs moist. Cover the dish or tray with foil and heat for around 15 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through.

Keeping the meatballs as a single layer ensures that they warm through evenly, however, stacking them on several layers is also fine as the north will make steam and the foil will trap the steam, thus ensuring that all the meatballs are warmed through.

How do you reheat meatballs in the oven with sauce?

Meatballs with a sauce are much easier to reheat. Place the meatballs in a baking dish or deeper baking tray, as a single layer, with the sauce and cover with foil. Heat for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until they are warm through. Most tomato-based sauces are high in natural or added sugar and care must be taken that this sugar does not caramelize and burn on the bottom of the dish.

Reheating meatballs in a sauce is a great way to impart flavor to the meatballs and for this reason, it is not recommended to put them in more than 1 layer in the dish – it is important that they are covered with some sauce after all…

How do you reheat meatballs on the stove?

If you plan to reheat meatballs on the stove without a sauce, start by heating a little oil at the bottom of a pot or pan, then gently frying the meatballs in the oil to crispen the outside, shaking the pot a few times or stirring them for about 3-4 minutes. Once they are warmed on the outside, turn down the temperature of the stove and add 1-2 tablespoons of water to make steam and cover immediately with a lid. Warm them for another 10 minutes, shaking the pot regularly (every 1-2 minutes) to prevent the meatballs from burning. If you take off the lid, add another tablespoon of water before closing the lid again.

How do you reheat meatballs on the stove in a sauce?

This is the easiest way to control how the meatballs are reheated. Put your sauce in a pot or pan on the stove at medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a light simmer. Add the meatballs to the pan and cover with a lid. Allow about 10 minutes before you check their internal temperature.

How do you reheat meatballs in an airfryer?

While you could place a bowl in the air fryer and reheat meatballs in a sauce that way, this is not the best use of the air fryer. Rather, use the pot method for saucy meatballs.

For meatballs without a sauce, place the meatballs in a single layer (2 layers at a pinch) and cook for 10 minutes on low (200 degrees Fahrenheit), then increase to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for another 5 minutes to get a crispy outer layer that will catch a sauce.

Heat your sauce separately in a pot or pan and add the meatballs to the sauce at the last minute.

How do you reheat meatballs in a microwave?

To reheat meatballs in a microwave, place them in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish and add a tablespoon of water to keep them moist. Cover the dish with a damp paper towel or a loose plastic wrap and heat on high for 2 minutes. Stir the meatballs, cover them again and heat for another minute on high until heated through.

How do you reheat frozen meatballs in a microwave?

Microwaves are great for reheating frozen foods as they heat the food from the center, so often there is no need to defrost the food first. Simply place the frozen meatballs in a microwave-safe dish, add 1 tablespoon of water and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for a minute, then stir the meatballs. Repeat this process about 4 times before testing 1 meatball to see that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you reheat meatballs with a sauce in a microwave?

Saucy meatballs are fairly easy to reheat in a microwave as the sauce will prevent them from drying out. Simply place the meatballs in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish and cover lightly with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Then heat on high for 2 minutes, stir and heat on high again for another 1 1/2 minutes (there is the sauce, so it takes longer).

How do you reheat frozen meatballs with a sauce in a microwave?

Microwaves are great for reheating frozen foods as they heat the food from the center, so often there is no need to defrost the food first. Saucy dishes are even better to reheat from frozen in a microwave as the sauce prevents the food from drying out and helps to warm it up from the outside as well.

Place the frozen meatballs with their sauce in a microwave-safe dish, and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for a minute, then stir the meatballs. Do not force the stirring if the sauce is still frozen as this will damage the meatballs. Repeat this process about 4 times before testing 1 meatball to see that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.