Freezing Meatballs: Raw or Cooked
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Freezing meatballs is a convenient way to have a delicious meal ready to go whenever you want it. Use our expert tips for how to freeze meatballs two ways–either raw or fully cooked.
You’ve Come to the Right Place
As authors of two popular freezer meal cookbooks, we’ve done our fair share of testing freezer meals of all kinds and have become experts at the best methods for freezing.
Meatballs happen to be one of our family favorites, especially our Baked Italian Meatballs and Easy Meatball Subs recipes. We’ve frozen meatballs SO many times, you can be assured our directions are correct.
How to Freeze Meatballs
Whether you want to freeze uncooked or fully cooked meatballs, either method will work if you follow these instructions. The key is properly packaging them for the freezer and then thawing correctly.
Method 1: Freezing Raw Meatballs
Here are some steps for freezing uncooked meatballs:
- Prepare the uncooked meatballs according to your recipe.
- Arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not touching each other.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow the meatballs to flash freeze for 1-2 hours, until frozen solid.
- Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Be sure to label the container or bag with the date and contents.
- Place the container or bag in the freezer and store for up to 3-4 months.
When you are ready to cook the frozen meatballs, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or using a cold water bath. Once thawed, cook the meatballs as you normally would, whether baking in the oven, on the stovetop, air fryer, or in a slow cooker.
Method 2: Freezing Cooked Meatballs
If you have extra cooked meatballs, here’s how to freeze and prepare those.
- Allow the meatballs to cool down completely to room temperature.
- Arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not touching each other.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow the meatballs to freeze for about 1-2 hours.
- Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Be sure to label the container or bag with the date and contents.
- Place the container or bag in the freezer and store for up to 3-4 months.
When you are ready to use the frozen cooked meatballs, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or using the defrost setting of the microwave. Warm them in 30-second increments in the microwave or in marinara sauce on the stovetop in a pot or in the slow cooker.
Make Meatball Freezer Meal Kits
One of my favorite ways to freeze meatballs is as a full meal kit. That way, I have everything I need on hand to complete dinner. This is also a really helpful and thoughtful kind of meal to take to someone in need.
Try these two kits…
- Asian Turkey Meatballs – Freeze along with rice, sauce, and frozen stir-fry veggies.
- Easy Meatball Subs – Freeze meatballs along with marinara, Provolone cheese slices, and even the sub rolls, using our instructions. You could even add a bag of frozen vegetables, like broccoli, for a side dish to complete this meal kit.
Freezer Meatball Recipes
As freezer meal experts and cookbook authors, we’ve been developing all kinds of freezer-friendly meatball recipes of years. Here are some of our most popular ones.
Freezing meatballs is a great way to preserve their flavor and texture for future meals. So use your time in the kitchen wisely, make meatballs in bulk, and freeze some for later!
What Else Can You Freeze?
Wondering what else you can stock up on and freeze? Here are more well-researched and well-tested articles we wrote from our experience.
- How to Freeze Tortillas
- How to Freeze Butter
- How to Freeze Muffins
- How to Freeze Bananas
- How to Freeze Zucchini
- How to Freeze Rice
- How to Freeze Avocados
- How to Freeze Cheese
- How to Freeze Pesto
- How to Freeze Quiche
- How to Freeze Chicken Pot Pie
- How to Freeze Chicken and Dumplings
- How to Freeze White Chicken Chili
- How Long Steak Is Good in the Freezer
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
Can I store frozen meatballs in a vacuum sealer bag?
Hi Lise. None of us at Thriving Home have a vacuum sealer so we don’t have experience with it. But we do know that the key to freezer foods lasting is removing as much air as possible. I would think that cooked or raw meatballs would benefit from being vacuum-sealed when freezing.