Wagyu Ground Beef Meatballs

These easy Wagyu ground beef meatballs are made with simple ingredients to allow the luxurious flavor of Wagyu beef to shine through. The tender meatballs are perfect to enjoy alone as an appetizer or as a refined accompaniment to elevate your favorite meals.

What are they?

As the name implies, Wagyu beef meatballs use ground beef from Wagyu cattle to craft incredibly buttery meatballs with a rich flavor highlighted by a mixture of fresh herbs and seasonings. One important distinction, when compared to traditional meatballs, is these meatballs are made without eggs.

The reason for this is because Wagyu beef has the best flavor when it is not fully cooked, so we don't want to add raw eggs to the mixture. Best of all, you won't notice the difference because the meat has a higher fat content from the cattle's extreme marbling, so it is ridiculously tender and holds together very well!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Wagyu ground beef - These meatballs can also be made with any other type of beef you grab from your local grocery store, such as ground chuck. However, I strongly recommend using Wagyu. If you have extra Wagyu ground beef lying around, I highly recommend you also try my Wagyu beef burger with caramelized onions.
• Sweet onion - A yellow onion or a shallot can be substituted.
• Fresh garlic cloves - A ½ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted.
• Plain bread crumbs - You can substitute panko breadcrumbs if needed.
• Milk - Beef stock or broth can be substituted.
• Grated Parmesan cheese - Shredded Parmesan can also be used.
• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce
• Fresh thyme leaves - You can substitute other fresh herbs such as parsley, sage, or oregano.
• Table salt - Kosher salt can be substituted.
• Fresh ground black pepper

How to make them

Begin making this Wagyu beef meatball recipe by crumbling the ground meat into a large mixing bowl. Next, add the diced onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan, Worchestershire sauce, Soy Sauce, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix well with clean hands until everything is well combined.

Form the ground Wagyu beef mixture into a nice ball shape by rolling approximately two tablespoons of the mixture between the palm of your hands. The best way to do this is to first wet your hands with a little water to prevent the meat from sticking to your skin.

Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and set in a preheated 450 degree oven until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees, which should be approximately ten minutes. I recommend using a digital oven thermometer to ensure you don't overcook them.

Let the Wagyu meatballs rest briefly, then remove them from the baking sheet with a slotted spoon and serve with your favorite sauce.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Your cooked meatballs will be best when freshly made, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator and enjoyed within five days. The meatballs can be gently reheated in the oven until heated through.