How To Reheat Meatballs

If you have leftover meatballs and are wondering how to get them to their former juicy glory, there are a few tried and tested methods that will do the trick. It is easy to overcook the meatballs when reheating them, and they end up dry and chewy instead of moist and tender. Whether you are heating plain meatballs or meatballs in sauce there are ways to heat them up just right. Below we will explore ways to reheat plain meatballs and meatballs in sauce.

How To Reheat Meatballs in Sauce in the Oven

Reheating sauced meatballs in the oven results in juicy meatballs that get warmed evenly. The oven works especially well when you are reheating a large batch of meatballs in sauce.

1. Preheat the oven the 300 degrees F.
2. Pour your meatballs and sauce into a baking dish.
3. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen the sauce a bit.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
5. Heat the meatballs and sauce for about 15-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
6. Once done, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and serve.

Quick Tip:

• Halfway through reheating the meatballs in sauce, if you find the sauce still thick, then add more water.
• If you are reheating frozen meatballs in sauce, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.

The oven method works great warming up leftover meatballs and sauce. It is time-consuming and you have to take some extra care so that your meatball doesn’t end up dry and hard.

How To Reheat Meatballs in Sauce in the Microwave

Reheating meatballs in sauce in the microwave is easy and quick and delivers great results with perfectly warmed meatballs.

1. Place the meatballs and sauce in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Add a little bit of water to loosen the sauce.
3. Cover the dish with a vented lid. Else cover it with microwave-safe plastic wrap and make a few holes in it.
4. Heat the meatballs in the sauce for 45 seconds. Give the sauce a good stir.
5. Continue heating the meatballs at 30-second intervals, stirring every cycle until you reach the desired temperature.
6. Stir and serve hot.

Quick Tip:

• If the sauce is still thick, add more water to thin the consistency.

The microwave method is the easiest, fastest, and most satisfying way to reheat leftover meatballs in sauce. The meatballs don’t dry out, they come out juicy and soft and taste as fresh as new.

How To Reheat Meatballs in Sauce in a Pan

Heating sauced meatballs over the stovetop in a pan is the traditional way to heat meatballs and sauce. It especially works well when you are trying to heat a large batch of sauce.

1. Pour the meatballs and sauce into the pan and set it on the stove. Add some water to it, to thin out the sauce.
2. Heat the stove to low-medium heat.
3. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer while stirring it so that the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom.
4. The meatballs and sauce should take bout 10 to 12 minutes to heat through.
5. Add more water if needed.
6. Take off the heat and serve.

Quick Tip:

• You can cover the pan with a lid to speed up the process.
• Add as much water as you might need to get the desired consistency.
• If you are working with frozen meatballs, then it will take around 20 minutes to thaw and heat up completely.

The stovetop is a great way to reheat leftover meatballs. You can control the consistency of your sauce while ensuring your meatball remains moist. You of course have to keep an eye on the pan constantly so that the sauce and meatballs don’t try out or thicken too much or burn at the bottom.

How To Reheat Plain Meatballs in the Oven

While reheating plain meatballs without any sauce, the important thing to keep in mind is to not dry out the meatball. It needs to still be moist and tender. The oven is an easy, hassle-free way to heat up meatballs with very satisfying results.

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Place the meatballs in a lined baking tray.
3. Cover the baking tray with foil.
4. Cook the meatballs for 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve hot, plain, or with your favorite sauce.

Quick Tip:

• You can add some water to the meatballs before wrapping the tray with foil. This will help retain moisture and keep the meatballs from drying out.
• If you are warming up frozen meatballs, you will have to cook them for 25-20 minutes.
• If you want the meatballs to be a little crispy, take the foil off for the last 5 minutes.

The oven is a great way to reheat leftover, plain meatballs. There is a big chance of the meatballs drying out without the sauce, but heating them slowly with a bit of water, makes all the difference.

How To Reheat Plain Meatballs in the Microwave

The microwave is the easiest, quickest, and most convenient way to reheat meatballs without sauce.

1. Place the meatballs in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Sprinkle some water on the meatballs and cover the dish with plastic wrap with a few holes in them.
3. Heat the meatballs in 30-second intervals till they reach desired heat.
4. The meatballs will take 1-2 minutes to heat up.

Quick Tip:

• You can cover the meatballs with a damp paper towel instead of perforated plastic wrap. In that case, do not sprinkle water on the meatballs, the moisture from the paper towel will be sufficient.
• Frozen meatballs will take about 5 minutes to fully warm up.

The microwave method is super convenient and works especially well for small batches of meatballs. There is a risk of the meatballs drying up, so make sure you are adding adequate moisture.

How To Reheat Plain Meatballs in the Skillet

This is a pretty straightforward way to reheat plain meatballs. You’ve got to keep a close eye on the meatballs though, they could burn or dry out.

1. Add a little bit of oil to a skillet and heat it over low to medium heat.
2. Add the plain meatballs along with a few tablespoons of water.
3. Cover with a lid and let the meatballs warm up.
4. You can shake the pan now and then to move the meatballs around.
5. The meatballs will take around 10 minutes to heat up.

Quick Tip:

• Make sure the stove is on low or medium heat, or else the meatballs could dry out.
• You also have to move the meatballs around so that they don’t stick to the bottom and also so that they get heated evenly.
• If heating frozen meatballs, they will take around 15-20 minutes.

While reheating plain meatballs in the skillet is easy, it also needs constant supervision so that the meatballs don’t burn.

How To Reheat Plain Meatballs in the Air Fryer

The air fryer is a convenient and mess-free way to reheat meatballs. The air fryer gives the meatballs a nice crunchy texture.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the meatballs in the fryer basket.
3. Heat the meatballs for 3-5 minutes.

Quick Tip:

• You can line the basket so that no crumbs fall through.
• It is easy for the meatballs to burn, so do stop and check to make sure the meatballs aren’t getting burnt.
• Arrange the meatballs in a single layer and don’t overcrowd them, or else they will not heat evenly.

The air fryer is a great way to reheat plain meatballs. The meatballs are fairly tender, but they do have a crunchier exterior. The meatballs can also get a little dry, so keep an eye out for that.

---

Recent Recipes