Description
Creamy Garlic Pepper Meatballs are tender, pan-seared meatballs smothered in a rich garlic cream sauce with a bold black pepper kick. It’s a comforting, flavor-packed dish perfect over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef or beef/pork blend
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup onion, grated or finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter for searing
- For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add ground meat, egg, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix gently until just combined.
- Form into small meatballs.
- Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sear meatballs in batches until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits. Stir in cream and black pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan if using. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Add mushrooms or spinach to the sauce for added texture and nutrients.
- Use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes for spice.
- A splash of white wine in the sauce adds depth.
- Simmer longer or use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 135mg