Adding cream cheese to beef meatballs is my new favourite way to make them! Why you say? Because it gives them a softer texture and subtle cream cheese flavour that will go perfectly with your favourite tomato meatball or pasta sauce - homemade or shop bought!
These meatballs have only four ingredients, making them simple and quick to make. Adding panko breadcrumbs helps bind the mixture together and helps keep the meatballs moist. I recommend adding dried oregano but you can use a different herb if you prefer.
Adding cream cheese also allows us to make the beef meatballs egg-free, so these are perfect for those who are allergic to eggs.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt these cream cheese meatballs for your family, see here >
Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese: The Four Ingredients
Beef Mince
I like to keep my meatballs on the healthier side so I use 5% fat beef mince / ground beef. If you prefer you can use 15% fat mince for fattier, moister meatballs if you prefer.
Cream Cheese
I usually use regular Philadelphia cream cheese for these beef meatballs, but you can honestly use any cream cheese you like, even low fat. If you are eating for a baby or toddler, see here >
TOP TIP! Cream cheese doesn’t stay fresh long once the pack is opened, but you can freeze the leftovers in a resealable food bag to cook with again another time.
Panko Breadcrumbs
Panko breadcrumbs are a store cupboard staple for me, I use them in meatballs, as a crispy coating for meats and fish, plus in my Easy Salmon Burgers and Sticky Panko Salmon recipes. If you usually keep regular breadcrumbs in your pantry instead, you can go ahead and use those instead. Or you can make your own with fresh or stale bread.
Dried Herbs
I usually add dried oregano to these meatballs, but sometimes I add fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons works great in these. If you use dried thyme, it’s a lot stronger so I recommend adding only ½ teaspoon of that. As an alternative, you could add 1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs, which will make the meatballs super versatile and fit with almost any cuisine.
If you want to make these Moroccan in flavour, add 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped coriander and some lemon zest.
If you’d like to make these Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese Greek, add ½ teaspoon dried thyme and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary.
To serve these beef meatballs as part of an Asian style meal, I would leave out the herbs completely, or use chopped fresh Thai basil.
How to cook these Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese
You have 3 choices for cooking these beef meatballs:
- Pan fry for 10-15 minutes. You’ll need to turn them often, so this method is a little more hard work. This is best though for adding in a tomato sauce at the end, particularly if you use a shop bought one. Then you can just stir the sauce through and cook for a further 3-5 minutes and serve.
- Oven Bake for 25 minutes. Just pop them in the oven and forget about them.
- Air Fry for 10-12 minutes. No turning required, easy and quick!
How to serve these Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese
With Pasta
The most traditional way to serve meatballs. You can use these Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese with any meatball pasta recipe. To save time on busy weeknights, serve these meatballs with your favourite shop-bought tomato sauce.
With Garlic Bread & Salad
If like us, you are a garlic bread loving family, serve these meatballs simply in your favourite homemade or shop bought tomato sauce, alongside garlic bread and your favourite side salad. We love to eat them with garlic ciabatta slices (you might need a couple packs like we do!) and our favourite side salad with Pizza Express dressing for a quick and oh so satisfying dinner.
With Rice
I know meatballs are synonymous with tomato sauce and pasta, or subs but meatballs are so good with rice too. Try your regular go-to meatball sauce with the meatballs and rice for a nice change. I use these meatballs in my Cheesy Beef Meatballs recipe with hidden vegetable sauce.
Make a Sub
Make meatballs subs using these cream cheese meatballs and a store bought tomato pasta sauce or marinara sauce. We also sometimes do a BBQ meatball sub with burger cheese and BBQ sauce - my son’s favourite! We like to use ciabatta half loaves to make our subs.
Meatball Bowl
If you love a bowl full of different elements, these meatballs will be great as part of that. They would be amazing as part of a Greek style bowl! Check out my herb recommendations above if you haven’t already.
Flatbread Filler
Meatballs make a great flatbread wrap filler. You could switch up the herbs to suit the cuisine you are going for, and add your favourite salad items along with your meatballs.
FAQ’s For My Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese
Can I prepare these Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese in advance?
Yes! Especially if you are going to be out most the day, make them before you go or even the night before, pop them on a plate, cover tightly with clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Can I feed more people with this meatball recipe?
Yes, you can double or triple the recipe no problem. The best way to cook them is in the oven if you do that, on two oven trays.
How can younger children help make them?
My kids love to EAT meatballs, and to MAKE them! Kids just love that kind of texture, like play-doh, putty or slime. Just make sure they wash their hands for 20 seconds before and after.
Can I Store Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese leftovers?
You can store any leftover Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). Leftovers can also be frozen, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat in the microwave, ideally cutting the meatballs in half and stirring them halfway, until steaming hot all the way through.
More on safe food storage and reheating.
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese are egg and nut-free (just ensure the panko breadcrumb label confirms this). They are NOT suitable for gluten or diary-free diets.
Adapting My Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Making My Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese Suitable for Baby Weaning
It’s best to stick to full fat cream cheese if sharing with a baby or toddler because they need the extra fat for energy and vitamins. Hold back on adding salt to the meatballs. If serving in a sauce, use a homemade one for under 12 months.
How to Serve to Babies & Toddlers
BABY-LED WEANING
6 - 8 months
Serve meatballs whole, ensuring they are not put in the mouth all at once
9 months +
Cut meatballs into eighths or smash them down well with the back of a fork.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook.
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Beef Meatballs with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (if pan frying), or spray oil (for air frying)
- 500 g 5% lean mince beef / ground beef, see note 1
- 110 g cream cheese
- 15 g panko breadcrumbs, see note 2
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or herb of choice, see note 3
- Salt & pepper to taste
MY SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Your favourite tomato meatball or pasta sauce shop bought will do
- With Garlic bread & salad, or pasta & salad
- See above blog for more inspo
See notes for baby & toddler tweaks
Instructions
- Add the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together with your hands. Roll into roughly 1 inch balls (makes around 19), and pop on a plate.
TO PAN FRY
- Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the meatballs. Fry for 10-15 minutes, turning often until deep golden brown and cooked through. Pour over the sauce and stir it through the meatballs. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally and allowing to bubble.
TO OVEN BAKE
- Space out your meatballs on a large oven tray, lined with baking paper or foil. You can use a grill rack on the tray if you like to drain away the fat. Bake at 190ºc/170ºc fan/375ºf/gas 5 for 25-30 minutes.
TO AIR FRY
- Spray oil on the air fryer crisper plates and add the meatballs, leaving space around each one. Air fry on 190ºc/375ºf for 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (preheat air fryer if instructions say too).
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