Meatballs are a beloved meal for many families. Placing a sheet pan of meatballs in your wall oven and baking them to tender perfection is one of the easiest cooking methods. However, nailing the right cook times can mean the difference between dense, rubbery meatballs and ones with a tender, juicy interior.

Follow this guide to learn exactly how long you should bake meatballs in your wall oven based on their size and composition. With the right technique, you’ll pull a flawless batch of meatballs out of your wall oven every time.

Factors that Impact How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Wall Oven

Several key factors impact how long meatballs need to cook in your wall oven, including:

• Size of the meatballs: Small 1-inch meatballs cook faster in the wall oven than 2-3-inch ones.
• Type of meat: Meatballs made with higher-fat meats like beef or pork take longer in the wall oven than lean turkey or chicken.
• Amount of fillers: More breadcrumbs or fillers shorten cook times in the wall oven.
• Oven temperature setting: Higher heat settings speed up cooking time in your wall oven.
• Quantity: Baking a full sheet pan of meatballs takes longer in the wall oven than a small batch.
• Pre-cooking: Meatballs pre-browned or par-cooked need less time in the wall oven.

Considering these factors allows you to adjust the temperature and cook times in your wall oven to suit the specifics of your meatball recipe.

Basic Cook Times for Meatballs in the Wall Oven

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:

• 350°F wall oven:
• 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs
• 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs
• 400°F wall oven:
• 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs
• 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs
• 425°F wall oven:
• 5-8 minutes for 1-inch meatballs
• 8–12 minutes for 2-inch meatballs

Always place meatballs in a single layer on an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at the times noted until cooked through (160°F internal temperature) in your wall oven.

When cooking large batches of meatballs in your wall oven, you may need to bake them in multiple batches. Overcrowding the pan can increase cook times in your wall oven. For meatballs over 2 inches, extend oven baking times.

If adopting a stovetop meatball recipe for the wall oven, add 2-3 minutes to the stovetop cook time when baking in your wall oven to account for the slightly slower heat transfer. 

How to Check Meatball Doneness in the Wall Oven

Relying solely on cook times is not enough for perfectly cooked meatballs from your wall oven. Use these additional indicators:

• Meatballs should reach 160°F internally. Use an instant-read thermometer poked into the center of a meatball straight from your wall oven.
• Exteriors should be lightly browned. Your wall oven may not brown them as much as pan-frying, but they should take on a light golden-brown exterior.
• The inside texture will be firm but tender when the meatballs are done. There should be no pink color remaining inside.
• Cut into a meatball to inspect the interior visually for doneness after removing it from your wall oven. Juices should run clear with no traces of pink.

Always let meatballs rest for 5 minutes after removing them from your wall oven before serving. This allows the internal temperature to rise further and the juices to redistribute.

Tips for Tender Meatballs from Your Wall Oven

Follow these handy tips for flawlessly tender oven-baked meatballs using your wall oven:

• Use mixed meats like beef, pork, and veal for richness.
• Gently mix meatballs just until blended, avoiding overmixing which can lead to density.
• Dampen hands before rolling the meat mixture into balls to prevent sticking.
• Bind meatballs with breadcrumbs, eggs, or milk for a tender texture.
• Fully preheat your wall oven before baking for even cooking.
• Space meatballs evenly on the pan so they brown consistently in your wall oven.
• Lightly coat meatballs in oil to prevent sticking and encourage browning in the wall oven.
• Don’t overcrowd pans, which prevents airflow in your wall oven.
• Use a meat thermometer to eliminate guesswork on doneness in your wall oven.
• Allow meatballs to rest before serving so juices can set for tenderness.

With the proper technique, your wall oven will deliver tender, restaurant-quality meatballs. Get creative with recipes, and let your wall oven do the work! 

Oven-Baked Meatball Recipes for Your Wall Oven

To provide some inspiration for cooking meatballs in your wall oven, here are a few highly-rated recipes to try:

Classic Italian Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your wall oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, combine meats, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Gently mix just until blended. Do not overmix.
4. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and arrange on the baking sheet.
5. Brush lightly with oil.
6. Bake for 12–14 minutes in your preheated wall oven until browned and 160°F internally.
7. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Baked BBQ Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Preheat your wall oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, panko, milk, eggs, garlic, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, salt, and peppers.
3. Gently mix just until blended, avoiding overmixing.
4. Form into 2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 16–18 minutes in your preheated wall oven until browned and 160°F internally.
6. Remove from your wall oven, top with shredded cheese, and bake for 2 minutes more until melted.
7. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 cup whole wheat panko crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your wall oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine turkey, panko, parmesan, egg, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Gently mix just until blended, avoiding overmixing.
4. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Lightly brush with oil.
6. Bake for 10–12 minutes in your preheated wall oven until 160°F internally.
7. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Now you can confidently cook tender, delicious meatballs in your wall oven. Adjust cook times as needed based on the size of your batch. Get ready to enjoy this comforting classic straight from the oven.

You may also like to know"