Kristina RazonDeputy Food Editor
I’m the Deputy Food Editor at The Kitchn. Previously, I was an editor at Serious Eats for close to three years. Before that, I spent a decade cooking and baking in professional kitchens. My writing focuses on all things food — mostly dinners and desserts, fun cocktails, and hot tips.
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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park
As a mom to two young kids with very different food preferences (one likes pasta, the other doesn’t; one likes sandwiches, the other will only touch the bread), any meal they’ll both eat more than a few bites of is instantly considered a major win in my home. One such dinner we can all agree on is meatballs. They’re quick and easy to make, inexpensive, and super flavorful. As a result, I make meatballs often.
A favorite of ours is my recipe for bola bola (Filipino meatballs). Traditionally they’re fried, which yields super-juicy meatballs with a crisp exterior. While I’m not a big fan of frying indoors, the payoff is well-worth it — that was, until I made Kristina Cho’s recipe for miso-pork meatballs from her latest cookbook, Chinese Enough. They were delicious, but the absolute kicker is that she doesn’t call for frying or baking her meatballs to cook them through: She sears them in a skillet until deeply golden-brown all over, then turns off the heat and covers them, which lets the residual heat finish cooking the meatballs. It works like a charm!
What Makes Pan-Steamed Meatballs So Good
I love this method for so many reasons. First off, you can start and finish the meatballs in a single pan on the stovetop. You don’t need to preheat your oven and bake them (which is ideal in the summertime), nor do you have to sear them in a skillet and then finish cooking them in a separate pot of sauce. And the meatballs are ready fast; they’re done cooking in about 15 minutes. Plus, unlike frying, it won’t make your kitchen smell like grease.
Even better, the texture is unmatched. They’re golden-brown and crispy on the outside, with a juicy, tender center. Baking could never!
How to Make Pan-Steamed Meatballs
- Heat 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil of your choice in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add meatballs in a single layer and sear, turning them every few minutes, until deeply golden-brown on most sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and place a lid on top, leaving a small gap for steam to escape, for 5 minutes. This allows the residual heat of the pan to fully cook the meatballs. Transfer to a plate and serve as you like.
Tips for Pan-Steamed Meatballs
- This method won’t work as well for large, hefty meatballs. In Kristina Cho’s cookbook, she calls for scooping the meatball mixture into 2-tablespoon portions. If your recipe calls for big boys (think 3 tablespoons or more), you probably won’t be able to fit them all in one skillet and they’ll take longer to cook through. Stick with medium-size meatballs for this method (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons in size).