I have my freezer stacked with all kinds of meatballs! They are “life savior”; when you are busy or lazy to cook, you just get them out of the freezer, cook & lunch is served in no time! Once a month, I buy about 3-4 kilos of minced meat, mix each kilo with spices & herbs, shape into balls & freeze!

I shared with you before my healthy oven baked burghul meatballs but this time we are going the opposite side with a fried meatballs recipe! I have a weakness to anything fried … Not that I eat it every day but once a week, we have to enjoy a crispy fried dish.

In this recipe, I am using lean meat & substituting the fat with mustard & butter; which makes the meatballs very moist & gives them a richer amazing taste.

As much as I love fried food, you know I am not into the “2-3 layers of coating” process (too much mess, time & dishes) so you will simply mix the meat ingredients, shape the balls & coat with breadcrumbs! As Ina Garten says, “How easy is that?”.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg lean minced meat لحم مفروم صافى
• 1 onion finely minced بصلة مبشورة ناعم
• 3/4 bunch parsley minced بقدونس مفروم
• 1 1/2 tbsp mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice بهارات مشكلة
• 1 tbsp soft butter or olive oil
• 1 tbsp worcesterchire sauce
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• salt & pepper

For breading:

• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs بقسماط ناعم
• 1/2 cup yellow corn meal دقيق ذرة أصفر
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan (optional)
• Oil for frying

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix the minced meat with all the ingredients.
• Shape the mixture into balls & refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Mix the breading ingredients & coat the meatballs with the breadcrumbs mixture.
• Fry the meatballs in hot oil over medium heat until they become golden brown.

Notes:

1. If you aren’t using lean meat, omit the butter.
2. Don’t coat the meatballs with the breadcrumbs then refrigerate as the coating will be absorbed in the meatballs & you won’t have a crispy exterior.
3. The breaded meatballs can be placed in the freezer for up to a month.
4. Fry the frozen meatballs directly (without de-frosting) in hot oil over medium low heat to make sure they are cooked all through.