Veal Meatballs are tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious. Using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, spices, and our secret ingredient, your family will enjoy these meatballs as a side or main dish. Serve them with a side of our creamy mashed potatoes! Yum!
When it comes to favorite recipes, the best veal meatballs are high on the list. I’ve made meatballs with beef and turkey, and I can honestly say that using ground veal is the absolute best, and my family tells me so every time I make them!
New York Farm Tour goes to the Veal Farm
I love taking tours of working farms because you get to know the folks who work so hard to bring food to our tables. Beef Farmers are the most down-to-earth kind of folks you could ever meet.
I was thrilled to visit the Finger Lakes Region of New York State to tour and learn about how veal is raised, and even participated in a “cook-off” with fellow bloggers.
Veal is Okay to Eat
For as long as I can remember, veal has always been an option when it comes to meals.
Being from an Italian household, it was the preferred dish when it came to dining at a restaurant.
Having veal was a treat because it was pricey, so we could choose from veal parmesan, veal piccata or veal scallopini.
Before getting to our awesome recipe, I wanted to answer a few questions that I get asked a lot:
What is Veal?
Veal is meat from calves aged 5-6 months (20-22 weeks) of age that have reached 400-500 pounds. Once a calf reaches the age of a year, it is considered a cow and is then called beef.
Veal is primarily from a male dairy calf, a by-product of the dairy industry.
Why is Veal Pink?
Veal is pink or “rosé” in color due to the diet of nutrient-rich milk feed and the iron levels of the calf. The more iron, the redder the meat.
Is Veal Easy to Cook?
Yes! Veal is very easy to prepare! Because this meat is light and tender, it tends to really take on whatever flavor profile it is being cooked with, meaning it “soaks” in the flavor making it perfect for any dish.
You can use veal cutlets for dishes you would normally use chicken or pork, such as stir-fry, fajitas, or scallopini!
Ground veal makes delicious sliders, chili, meatloaf, sloppy joes, and of course, meatballs!
If you would like to learn more about Veal, be sure to check out the Veal Made Easy Website.
Ground Veal Recipe for Meatballs
I had a few recipes in mind for my veal products and decided to stay super simple and traditional.
I make tomato sauce every Sunday, and thought a pure veal meatball would be a great test.
I started with a pound of ground veal and added the next few ingredients, including my secret ingredient!!
What you need to make The Best Veal Meatballs
- 1 pound ground veal
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 tsp salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 Tbsp parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced onion
- 1/4-1/2 cup half and half (SECRET ingredient!)
Other Recipes To Try:
- Best Porterhouse Steak
- Coffee Rubbed Roast Beef
- Surf & Turf Appetizer
- Shepherd's Pie with Ground Beef
How to Make Meatballs
Add all ingredients into a large bowl.
Using your hand, mix all ingredients by kneading softly.
With a large cookie scoop, scoop out veal mixture. This will ensure that all your meatballs are uniform and will cook evenly.
Place meatballs in a heated frying pan preheated with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter.
Turn so all sides of meatballs are cooked through. 10-12 minutes.
What Tools will you need to make veal meatballs:
- Large Cookie Scoop
– I like using this to keep all the meatballs the same size and to ensure they will cook evenly. - Non-Stick or Cast Iron Frying Pan– this will ensure a nice crust and juicy meatballs.
- Large Bowl– A glass bowl will be perfect for mixing.
- Measuring cups and spoons– Helps to measure your ingredients. I like the rectangular shape of the measuring spoons to reach into small spice jars.
– I like using this to keep all the meatballs the same size and to ensure they will cook evenly.
– this will ensure a nice crust and juicy meatballs. 
– A 
– Helps to measure your ingredients. I like the rectangular
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The Best Veal Meatballs
Equipment
- Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground veal
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 tsp salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 Tbsp parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced onion
- 1/4-1/2 cup half and half SECRET ingredient!
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a large bowl.
- With your hand, mix all ingredients by kneading softly.
- With a large cookie scoop, scoop out veal mixture. This will ensure that all your meatballs are uniform and will cook evenly.
- Place meatballs in a heated frying pan preheated with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter.
- Turn so all sides of meatballs are cooked through. 10-12 minutes.
Nutrition
Original recipe: 9/1/19
Update: 1/16/26 with updated text and photos
I made this today and it’s a keeper. Easy to make and the flavors are perfect.
Thanks!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! They are so tender and delicious, right?! 🙂
I baked the meatballs in the oven and then made meatball subs. My picky eaters loved ’em. So tender and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kelly! My son’s GF is dairy allergic. What do you think about using oat milk in place of the half and half? Country Crock has a really good plant based heavy cream, I imagine I could combine with the oat milk to make the half & half. I’ve also made things calling for parm & sub’d with “fake” parm. It’s not bad. Could I do that in place of the Romano? I’m a nut for meatballs and always trying new recipes. I think the “secret ingredient” always makes for a tender, juicy meatball. 🙂
Hi Libby,
Oat milk sounds like a good substitution. 🙂
1/4-1/2 cup half and half (SECRET ingredient!) Seriously WTF?
How are we supposed to follow a recipe when ingredients are “secret”?
Thanks for wasting my time.
half and half is the “secret” to making these so tender and tasty. Looks like you were able to see that the half and half was listed in the recipe as an ingredient. Enjoy!
Dried parsley and basil or fresh??
Thanks, Nina. You can use either one!