These mozzarella stuffed meatballs are wrapped in prosciutto before they bake, which solves the problem everyone has with them: the cheese stays where you put it. A slice of ham drawn tight around the outside is a seal, and by the time the pork is cooked through the prosciutto has crisped into a shell rather than melting away.
Everything else about these mozzarella stuffed meatballs is built for a holiday table. The binder is fine cornmeal rather than breadcrumbs, so they are gluten-free without anyone noticing, and the glaze is fresh cranberries cooked down with sugar, lemon and a little chile heat, then strained and reduced until it clings. Four layers in one bite: tangy, salty, herby and creamy.
- The prosciutto wrap seals the cheese in, so nothing leaks onto the pan
- Cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs, which makes them gluten-free by design
- Baked, not fried, so twenty four go in the oven at once
- The glaze is real cranberries, not jellied sauce out of a can
- Assembled a day ahead and baked when people arrive
- One bite each, or two if you are being polite about it
Everything below makes 24, which is one baking sheet plus a little breathing room.
- Why These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Do Not Leak
- Ingredient Notes
- The Cranberry Glaze
- How To Make Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Wrapping in Prosciutto
- How To Tell When Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Are Done
- Make It Ahead
- Storing Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Variations and Substitutions
- What to Serve with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs FAQ
Why These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Do Not Leak
Cheese escaping is the standard complaint about mozzarella stuffed meatballs, and it has three causes worth separating.
The cheese was too big for the meat around it. A cube the size of a die needs a real jacket of pork. Keep the mozzarella to about a 1/2-inch pearl and use roughly a tablespoon of meat per ball, and there is enough thickness to hold.
The seal was never closed. Press the meat over the cheese and then roll the ball between your palms until the surface is genuinely smooth. Any seam left visible will open in the oven.
Nothing was holding the outside. This is where prosciutto earns its place. Wrapped tight and set seam side down, it shrinks as it cooks and grips the meatball rather than releasing it. It is the difference between mozzarella stuffed meatballs that survive a party platter and ones that weep.
And they are baked rather than fried. Frying agitates them and cracks the surface. A hot oven sets the outside before the cheese has time to liquefy.
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Ingredient Notes
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs need nine things, and the amounts the old version left blank are on the recipe card.
- Ground pork: one pound, which gives 24 balls of about 20 grams each. Not lean pork; you want the fat, because there is nothing else keeping these moist.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls: three ounces, about 24 of them. Drain them well and pat them dry. Low-moisture mozzarella works too and leaks less, though it is far less creamy.
- Prosciutto: twelve slices cut in half crosswise, which gives you 24 half slices. A whole slice per meatball is too much ham for one bite and will not draw tight.
- Fine cornmeal: a third of a cup, soaked in the milk for five minutes before anything else joins it. Skip the soak and it stays gritty.
- Whole milk and one egg: the binder. Between them they keep the pork tender in a very hot oven.
- Sage, thyme and parsley: two tablespoons chopped, in whatever proportion you like. Sage is the one that makes them taste like the holidays.
- Cranberries: four ounces, fresh or frozen. Frozen go straight into the pan with no thawing.
- Sugar, lemon juice and red pepper flakes: the glaze. The chile is not for heat, it is there so the sweetness has an edge.
Two baking sheets, parchment, and a thermometer. Mozzarella stuffed meatballs need no other equipment.
The Cranberry Glaze
The old version stopped one step too early and left you with cranberry liquid rather than a glaze to coat the mozzarella stuffed meatballs in.
Simmer until the berries have all burst, about ten minutes. They pop audibly and the pan goes from clear to cloudy.
Strain, and press hard on the solids. A fine sieve and the back of a spoon. Scrape whatever clings to the underside of the sieve back into the bowl, because that is the thickest part of it.
Then put it back on the heat. This is the step that was missing. Three to five minutes more takes it from about three quarters of a cup down to a scant half cup, at which point it coats a spoon instead of running off it.
Season it at the start, not the end. A quarter teaspoon of salt in with the berries. Salt added to a finished glaze sits on top and tastes raw.
Use it warm. Cold cranberry glaze sets to a jelly. If it stiffens, thirty seconds over low heat brings it straight back.
How To Make Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
About forty minutes of assembly for 24 mozzarella stuffed meatballs, and it goes much faster if you lay out a production line.
- First, make the glaze and set it aside to cool while you work.
- Next, stir the cornmeal into the milk and leave it 5 minutes to soften, then beat in the egg, herbs, salt and pepper and fold the pork through gently.
- Then take about a tablespoon of the mixture, press a mozzarella pearl into the middle, close the meat over it and roll until the surface is smooth, about 1 1/4 inches across.
- After that, wrap each ball in a half slice of prosciutto and set it seam side down on a parchment-lined sheet, leaving space between them.
- Finally, bake at 425F for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway, until the prosciutto is crisp and the center reads 160F. Toss them in the warm glaze and serve on picks.
Wrapping in Prosciutto
Wrapping is the only part of making mozzarella stuffed meatballs with any real technique in it, and it takes about ten seconds a ball once you have the rhythm.
Cut the slices crosswise, not lengthwise. A half slice cut across gives you a short, wide strip that goes round the equator of the ball with a little overlap. Cut the long way and you get a ribbon that spirals and gaps.
Lay the strips out before you start rolling. Prosciutto sticks to itself and separating slices with meat on your hands is miserable.
Wrap firmly but do not stretch it. Stretched ham tears at the thin spots, and those are exactly where cheese finds its way out.
Overlap the ends underneath and press once. Nothing else is needed to hold it.
If the prosciutto is very thin, use a slice and a half for the larger meatballs. Thickness varies enormously between brands.
How To Tell When Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Are Done
Three checks on a tray of mozzarella stuffed meatballs, and the first is not optional with ground meat.
160F in the center of a meatball. The National Pork Board specifies 160F for ground pork, against 145F for whole cuts, because grinding distributes any surface bacteria through the meat. Time alone is not a test, and the old version of this recipe gave one with no temperature at all.
The prosciutto is tight, darkened and crisp at the edges. Pale, floppy ham means they came out early.
They feel firm when pressed. A raw center still gives softly. Note that a cooked meatball with molten mozzarella inside will still feel slightly springy, so use the thermometer for the real answer.
Twelve to fifteen minutes at 425F gets you there for a 1 1/4-inch ball. Larger balls need longer and will need a lower oven, around 400F, or the ham burns before the middle is safe.
Make It Ahead
Almost all of these mozzarella stuffed meatballs can be made the day before, which is the entire reason they work as party food.
The glaze: up to five days. It thickens in the refrigerator and loosens over low heat in half a minute.
Assembled and wrapped, unbaked: 24 hours. Keep them on the sheet, covered, in the refrigerator. Bake them straight from cold and add about two minutes.
Frozen raw: one month. Freeze on the sheet until solid, then bag them. Bake from frozen at 400F for 22 to 25 minutes.
Chop the herbs the day before and keep them wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Do not glaze anything in advance. Glazed meatballs go soft and the prosciutto loses its crispness within about twenty minutes.
Storing Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Cooked, refrigerated: up to 3 days in an airtight container, glaze kept separate.
- Reheat at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes so the ham crisps again, then toss in warm glaze. A microwave turns the prosciutto to leather.
- Cooked and frozen: 2 months. The mozzarella comes back grainier, which is why freezing them raw is better.
- The glaze on its own: 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
- Do not hold them on a warming tray. An hour of gentle heat renders the cheese out through the base.
Variations and Substitutions
In mozzarella stuffed meatballs the wrap and the stuffing are structural. Everything else moves.
- Ground turkey or chicken in place of pork, with an extra tablespoon of oil in the mix since both are much leaner.
- Bacon instead of prosciutto, cut in half and stretched thin with the back of a knife first, and baked five minutes longer.
- Provolone or fontina cut into small cubes, both of which melt beautifully and leak less than fresh mozzarella.
- Breadcrumbs if gluten is not a concern, using a third of a cup of fresh crumbs in place of the cornmeal.
- A different glaze: pepper jelly thinned with a spoonful of vinegar, or apricot preserves with mustard.
- Serve them on pasta instead of on picks, in which case make them at twice the size and give them 20 minutes at 400F.
For the full-sized version of the same instinct, my sausage and goat cheese meatball sandwiches put a soft cheese inside a much bigger meatball.
What to Serve with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
A tray of mozzarella stuffed meatballs is rich and salty, so the rest of the table should be sharp or crunchy.
- My spiced mixed nuts, which is the other thing I always put out first.
- White bean and roasted fennel crostini for something soft and vegetarian alongside.
- A bowl of cornichons or pickled onions.
- Leftover cranberry ginger relish if you are making these at Thanksgiving anyway.
- Prosecco, or a dry cider, both of which cut through the fat better than red wine does.
- Extra picks and a small bowl for the used ones, which nobody ever remembers.
Here is what readers ask most often about mozzarella stuffed meatballs.
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cheese leak out anyway?
Usually the cube was too large or the seam was not sealed. Keep the mozzarella to a 1/2-inch pearl, use a full tablespoon of meat around it, and roll until you cannot see a join anywhere on the surface. Drain the pearls and pat them dry as well, since the water clinging to fresh mozzarella turns to steam and pushes the seam open from the inside.
Can I make mozzarella stuffed meatballs ahead of a party?
Yes, and it is the best way to serve them. Assemble and wrap them up to 24 hours in advance, keep them uncovered on the parchment-lined sheet in the refrigerator, and bake them straight from cold with about two extra minutes. Glaze them only as they come out. Raw, they also freeze for a month and bake from frozen at 400F for 22 to 25 minutes.
Are these really gluten-free?
Yes, provided the cornmeal is milled in a gluten-free facility, which most are but not all. Cornmeal replaces the breadcrumbs completely here and gives a slightly firmer, more open texture that holds a stuffed center better than fresh crumbs do. Check the prosciutto too; cured ham is naturally gluten-free but a few flavored products are not.
More Questions About Prosciutto and Cranberry
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bacon instead of prosciutto?
You can, and it needs a little preparation. Cut the rashers in half and stretch each piece thin with the back of a knife so it wraps without bulk, then add about five minutes to the bake so the bacon has time to render and crisp. Prosciutto is drier and thinner to begin with, which is why it crisps in the same time the pork needs.
Can I use canned cranberry sauce for the glaze?
At a push. Thin about half a cup of whole-berry sauce with two tablespoons of water and a teaspoon of lemon juice, warm it through and strain it. It will be considerably sweeter and flatter than the fresh version, which takes ten minutes and gives you something with real acidity in it. Jellied sauce does not work; it sets too hard as it cools.
How many should I plan per person?
Three to four each if these are one of several things on the table, five or six if they are the main event. The recipe makes 24 and doubles without any trouble, though at that point use three sheets rather than crowding two, because meatballs set close together steam each other and the prosciutto never crisps.
Wrap the cheese twice, once in pork and once in ham, and mozzarella stuffed meatballs stop being a gamble. For another cranberry recipe that earns its place on the same table, try my homemade cranberry sauce.
This recipe was originally developed in 2013 as part of a paid partnership with Parma Ham. It has been re-tested and rewritten since.
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Wrapped in Prosciutto
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Ingredients
The Meatballs
- 1/3 cup fine cornmeal
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, thyme and parsley in any proportion you like
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground pork not lean
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls about 24, drained and patted dry
- 12 slices prosciutto cut in half crosswise for 24 half slices
The Cranberry Glaze
- 4 ounces cranberries about 1 cup, fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in at the start, not at the end
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes for edge rather than heat
Instructions
Make the Cranberry Glaze
- Put the cranberries, water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until every berry has burst and the pan has gone cloudy, about 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids, and scrape the thick glaze clinging under the sieve back into the bowl. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer 3 to 5 minutes more, to a scant 1/2 cup that coats a spoon. Set aside; it should be warm, not cold, when it meets the meatballs.
Mix and Stuff
- Heat the oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Stir the cornmeal into the milk in a medium bowl and leave it 5 minutes to soften, then beat in the egg, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the pork and fold it through gently; working it hard makes the meatballs tough.
- Take roughly a tablespoon of the mixture, press a mozzarella pearl into the middle, close the meat over it and roll between your palms until the surface is completely smooth and about 1 1/4 inches across. Any visible seam will open in the oven.
Wrap and Bake
- Wrap each meatball around its equator with a half slice of prosciutto, overlapping the ends underneath, and set it seam side down on the sheets with space between them. Repeat with the rest.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the prosciutto is tight and crisp at the edges and a meatball reads 160F at the center. Do not move the trays in the first 5 minutes or the wrapping springs open.
Glaze and Serve
- Tip the hot meatballs into a large bowl, spoon over enough warm glaze to coat them, and turn them gently. Serve on cocktail picks straight away, while the ham is still crisp.