Easy & Delicious Pepperoni Pizza Meatballs

Pizza meatballs on a decorative sheet pan next to a bowl of pizza sauce. Everything is topped with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.

5 — Votes 3 votes

Easy & Delicious Pepperoni Pizza Meatballs

Italian sausage, some ground beef, chopped up pepperonis, and even a dollop of mozzarella all come together for the ultimate low-carb pizza experience. Delicious, cheesy, and perfect for dipping and impressing a crowd.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: Meatballs

Author: Cassy Joy Garcia

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage or ground pork
1 cup pepperoni finely diced
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 mozzarella cheese sticks cut into ½-inch pieces
12 ounces pizza sauce warmed, for serving, optional
¼ cup fresh basil for garnish, optional
Red pepper flakes for garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, diced pepperoni, shredded parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together until fully combined.
Use a #20 scoop to scoop the meatball mixture, and place each meatball on a sheet pan.
Place a ½-inch piece of cheese stick in the center of each meatball.
Roll the meatballs, making sure that the cheese stick stays in the center.
Bake the meatballs at 400°F for 25 minutes, until browned.
Serve with warmed pizza sauce, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips and Tricks:

Make them in the air fryer - don't want to turn your oven on? Make these meatballs in the air fryer instead! They'll cook at 390°F for about 15 minutes.
Make a double batch + freeze - if you know you're going to love these yummy little bites, make a double batch to save on time and effort, and freeze the second batch for later. To freeze, transfer the sheet pan of meatballs to the freezer for 2-3 hours, then transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight bag or container to store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply place the frozen meatballs on a sheet pan, and cook in a 400°F oven (or 390°F air fryer) for 30 minutes (20 minutes in the air fryer).
Skip the cheese - if you'd rather make a dairy-free pizza meatball, omit the cheese (shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheese stick) and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Recipe Variations:

Use a different protein - swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if that's more your thing.
Add veggies - add sliced black olives or finely diced bell peppers to your pizza meatballs for supreme pizza vibes!
Serve with ranch - a lot of people really love eating their pizza with ranch dressing. If you're one of those people, dipping these meatballs in ranch dressing (vs. pizza sauce) would be a GREAT idea!

Nutrition