Best Meatball Sauces
A meatball without sauce can be perfectly delicious. But pair that same meatball with the right sauce and suddenly you've created an entirely different meal.
How to Choose the Perfect Sauce for Any Meatball
One of my favorite things about meatballs is the ability to change meatball with a sauce. It can completely change the experience without requiring you to reinvent the meatball itself.
A basic pork meatball can go from Italian-inspired comfort food to a sweet-and-spicy appetizer simply by changing what you put around it. Beef can handle bold gravies and tomato sauces. Lamb works beautifully with herbaceous and tangy flavors. Chicken and turkey provide relatively neutral canvases for everything from creamy sauces to spicy glazes.
So rather than declaring that one sauce rules them all, let's talk about the best meatball sauces for different types of meatballs.
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Tomato-Based Sauces
Tomato sauce and meatballs are classics for a reason.
The acidity of tomatoes provides contrast to rich meats, while garlic, herbs and olive oil complement many traditional meatball seasonings.
Tomato-based sauces work especially well with:
- Beef meatballs
- Pork meatballs
- Beef and pork meatballs
- Italian-inspired meatballs
- Cheese-stuffed meatballs
Serve them over pasta, tuck them into a meatball sandwich or grab some crusty bread and call it dinner.
Sweet and Savory Sauces
Sweet-and-savory meatballs were practically made for parties.
Popular flavor combinations include:
- Barbecue
- Honey garlic
- Teriyaki-style sauces
- Sweet chili
- Fruit-based glazes
These sauces work particularly well with pork because pork's relatively mild flavor gives the sauce plenty of room to shine.
Creamy Sauces
Cream-based sauces add richness and can turn a simple meatball into serious comfort food.
Think:
- Cream sauces
- Mushroom sauces
- Parmesan sauces
- Mustard cream sauces
Creamy sauces pair especially well with pork, chicken, turkey and meatballs containing mushrooms or cheese.
You can serve them over spaghetti noodles, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, quinoa, rice, polenta, the options are endless! Who doesn't love a creamy sauce as a comfort food on a nice fall night.
Spicy Meatball Sauces
If your philosophy is that dinner could probably use more hot sauce, welcome.
Spicy sauces can range from a little warmth to full-on sweat-inducing territory.
Try flavors built around:
- Buffalo sauce
- Sriracha
- Hot honey
- Chili garlic
- Jalapeño
- Chipotle
Chicken and pork meatballs work especially well with spicy sauces, although beef can certainly hold its own against stronger flavors.
Gravy
Sometimes you don't want sauce.
You want gravy.
Brown gravy, onion gravy and creamy gravy are natural partners for comfort-food meatballs, particularly when you're serving them alongside mashed potatoes or noodles.
This is also where many of my Midwestern Meatball recipes feel right at home. There's the classic Mashed Potato Stuffed Meatballs in a Mushroom Gravy that hits that Midwestern spot every time!
The other fun thing about gravy is that you can infuse it with so many global spices. You could put a twist on beef gravy for example by enfusing the beef broth with pho spices!
Herb-Based Sauces
Not every meatball sauce needs to be heavy. When your meatballs are rich, cheesy, or heavily seasoned, a fresh herby sauce can be exactly what they need.
Fresh herb sauces can provide acidity and brightness that balance richer meats.
Think chimichurri, salsa verde, an Italian-style vsauce made with parsley, capers, garlic and olive oil, pesto-inspired sauces and combinations featuring parsley, cilantro, mint or basil. You can also use tzatziki or a nice lemon-herb yogurt sauce to give those meatballs and nice tangy sauce to dip them in.
Herb-forward sauces are particularly good with lamb meatballs.
Choosing Your Meatball Sauce
When you're deciding what sauce to use, think about balance.
A rich meatball may benefit from something acidic. A lean meatball may benefit from something creamy. A mild meatball gives you room for a bold sauce, while a heavily seasoned meatball may need something simpler.
And don't be afraid to experiment.
One meatball recipe can become three completely different dinners just by changing the sauce — which sounds like a pretty good excuse to make more meatballs to me.
What Sauce Goes Best With Beef Meatballs?
Beef has enough flavor to stand up to robust sauces.
Try:
- Marinara
- Brown gravy
- Mushroom sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Spicy tomato sauce
What Sauce Goes Best With Lamb Meatballs?
Lamb's distinctive flavor pairs particularly well with bright herbs, acidity and creamy or tangy elements.
Try:
- Yogurt-based sauces
- Herb sauces
- Tomato sauces
- Garlic sauces
- Mint-forward sauces
What Sauce Goes Best With Pork Meatballs?
Pork's mild flavor makes it one of the most versatile options.
Try:
- Tomato sauce
- Mustard sauce
- Sweet chili sauce
- Teriyaki-style sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Cream sauce
What Sauce Goes Best With Chicken or Turkey Meatballs?
Because poultry tends to be milder and leaner, sauce can contribute both flavor and moisture.
Try:
- Buffalo sauce
- Garlic cream sauce
- Teriyaki-style sauce
- Tomato sauce
- Pesto
- Mushroom sauce
