The Easiest And Most Delicious Meatball Recipe
I recently attended a wedding catered by Chattown Catering, and I can confidently say it is the best wedding reception food I have ever tasted! Everything was delightful, but the meatballs were the absolute star of the show. Chattown graciously shared their amazing recipe with me, and I am passing it along to you all!

These crowd-pleasing meatballs are easy and absolutely delicious. They are perfect for weddings, tailgates, dinner parties, and more!
What’s In the Chattown Party Meatballs?
Chattown Party Meatballs are absolutely delicious but surprisingly simple to make! They are made up of a handful of pantry staples you most likely already have! There are a few “secret” or surprising ingredients that truly take these meatballs over the edge! Like most meatball recipes, Chattown’s starts with a hefty portion of ground meat and uses eggs, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese to “bind” the meatballs together and help them hold their shape. The seasoning mixture is what truly sets them apart! They are seasoned with a mix of ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, onion powder, and an envelope of onion soup. In my opinion, the envelope of onion soup is the “cherry on top” that makes these meatballs such a crowd-pleaser! Beyond the delicious flavor it adds, using an envelope of onion soup mix is a “savvy” hack that packs a big flavor punch with minimal effort.
What Is Chattown Catering?
Chattown Catering is a Chattanooga, TN based catering company owned by Denise and David Alcantara. Denise and David first met when they were both growing up in the suburbs of New Orleans, but they lost touch after attending middle school together. Before they reunited, Denise and David both grew to love cooking and cooking for others, more specifically. David grew up cooking Creole and Cajun-style food with his mother and grandmothers and went on to have several jobs in the restaurant industry. Denise also grew to love cooking for others after spending countless hours cooking for and around her large family.
After 35 years of living and cooking apart, the two chefs reunited, fell in love, got married, and started their own catering company! Today, Chattown Catering is an award-winning company that specializes in everything from weddings to corporate events, dinner parties, and more! They have a long list of food choices on their website, but they also enjoy catering to customers’ unique preferences!
How Do You Make Party Meatballs?
While making your own meatballs from scratch might sound intimidating, it really could not be easier! Making these delicious, crowd-pleasing meatballs is truly so simple. To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, stir together the mixture of ground meat, onion soup, ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, and onion powder. I like to put on gloves and use my hands to pinch the mixture together! Next, add in the breadcrumbs and parmesan, and crack six large eggs. Season to taste with Kosher salt, pepper, and parsley. Once your mixture is well-combined, scoop out golf-ball-sized meatballs using your hands or a cookie dough scoop. Place them on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes. I also like to make a few into patties for burgers! You can toss these on the grill or bake them in the oven.
What Kind Of Meat Is In Chattown Meatballs?
Chattown meatballs are made with ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and pork. However, you could also try subbing part or all of the ground meat for ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version. Ground chicken and turkey contain less fat than beef and pork, so these may result in a slightly drier meatball.
Are Party Meatballs A Crowd-Pleasing Recipe?
These homemade meatballs are absolute perfection and are sure to be a hit at your next event! This recipe makes a large batch, and they are so versatile! These make fantastic hors d’oeuvres for everything from a tailgate to a wedding to a Super Bowl party! While they are the perfect size for an appetizer, they can easily be part of a main dish as well.
How Should I Serve Party Meatballs?
These meatballs are delicious by themselves right off the pan! However, for a prettier presentation, you can serve these on a platter with toothpicks. Chattown Catering serves them on a skewer with a mound of Spaghetti noodles and their homemade tomato compote. Check out the video below for creative ways to incorporate them into your weeknight meals!
Are These Party Meatballs Freezer-Friendly?
Meatballs are one of the most freezer-friendly dishes to make! I love to make a large batch of these meatballs, and then store half in the freezer for my next event. To freeze party meatballs, allow them to cool after cooking, and then put the sheet pan with the meatballs into the freezer for about two hours or until they are frozen all the way through. Transfer them into an airtight container or Ziploc and store them for up to two months. To reheat them, put the meatballs in an oven-proof dish and bake covered at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Irresistible Chattown Party Meatballs - Normal Quantity
Ingredients
- 5 lbs lean ground meat (can use ground beef or a mixture of pork and ground beef)
- 1- 1 1/2 envelopes of onion soup
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup mustard
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh minced garlic
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 6 eggs
- Salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix your ground meat with the onion soup, ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, garlic, and onion powder.
- Next, add in bread crumbs, parmesan, and eggs. Stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and parsley, and give the mixture a final mix.
- Scoop out golf ball-sized meatballs using your hands or a cookie dough scoop.
- Cook on 400 for 12-14 minutes.
Irresistible Chattown Party Meatballs - Larger Catering Quantity
Ingredients
- 10 lbs lean ground meat
- 12 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 envelopes of Lipton onion soup
- 1 cup mustard
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1 cup minced garlic
- 1/2 cup onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix your ground meat with the onion soup, ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, garlic, and onion powder.
- Next, add in bread crumbs, parmesan, and eggs. Stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and parsley, and give the mixture a final mix.
- Scoop out golf ball-sized meatballs using your hands or a cookie dough scoop.
- Cook on 400 for 25 minutes.
Let me know how you enjoy this fabulous dish in the comments below. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Be blessed and stay savvy!!!
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If you make the FULL recipe~yes 1/2 cup! And I do use “garlic!”
I’m excited to make these for my Christmas open house next week. I want to confirm 1/2 cup garlic. Do you use fresh garlic or “jarlic”?
Depending upon the size you make them, it will make roughly 3-4 dozen!!
How many servings of meatballs does the chat town meatball recipe make?
Hi Karen! Thank you for asking about our recipes. You may enjoy our recipe for the 3-Ingredient Apricot Glazed Meatballs. It includes apricot preserves and chili sauce, giving it a sweet and tangy flavor. However, we don’t currently have a recipe for an Asian-inspired meatball. I hope this is helpful! :) Here’s the link: https://familysavvy.com/3-ingredient-apricot-glazed-party-meatballs/
Hi Barbie! Great question: the recipe card that is labeled “Larger Catering Quantity” is for a larger batch of the meatballs, which includes larger quantities of the ingredients and a longer cook time. The recipe card labeled “Normal Quantity” is for a standard-sized batch of the meatballs. We hope this is helpful! Enjoy!
Hi Constance! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We just edited the recipe cards to include the measurements for the onion powder and more. We hope this is helpful! Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer! Great question: the 1/2 cup of onion powder is for the recipe to make the large, catering-sized quantity of the meatballs. For a normal-sized quantity, take a look at the second recipe card labeled “Normal Quantity.” I hope this is helpful, and I hope you enjoy these meatballs!
How much onion powder in your meatballs? Doesn’t say the amount. Thankyou
hi, just wondering if the size of the meatballs is the same in each recipe, why the different cooking times?
Do you ever make a sweet and sour meatballs? If so can you share the recipe for the sauce?
These sound great, but before I make them this week, I just wanted to confirm, one half CUP of onion powder?! That’s a lot! Maybe that’s the secret?