Grilled Italian-Style Meatballs With Pecorino and Parmesan

Salty cheese adds complexity and packs a savory punch.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated August 07, 2024
Close-up of grilled meatballs plated with a side of marinara

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Why It Works

  • Parmesan and Pecorino Romano lends a salty bite and complexity to the meatballs.
  • Using a substantial amount of cheese lets its flavor stand up against the meat and helps meatballs hold together on the grill.


I helped a friend out at a barbecue competition a couple of weeks ago, and I think the friendly competitive spirit really got to me. I found myself craving one of my favorite things anyone has ever brought to any of my cookouts: Italian-style meatballs with cheese.

The base is a fairly standard meatball base: ground beef chuck, pork, bread crumbs, and eggs, with some additional seasonings of garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Then I went in heavy with grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, making the cheese the primary flavor against the meat.

Now my memory might be a little hazy, but I'm fairly certain these meatballs were right on par with or maybe even better than the ones I remember loving a year ago. They were the perfect consistency to hold up on the grill, cooking through and browning beautifully. The cheese lends a bit of a bite and a complex saltiness that melds into the rest of the mixture to make a cohesive flavor throughout.

August 2011

Recipe Details

Grilled Italian-Style Meatballs With Pecorino and Parmesan Recipe

Prep 20 mins
Cook 10 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chuck

  • 1/2 pound ground pork

  • 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

  • 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • Olive oil

  • Marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together chuck, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, Parmesan, Pecorino, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes until thoroughly combined. Roll out meat mixture into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Season meatballs all over liberally with salt and pepper.

    Formed meatballs on a foil-lined tray

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  2. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Alternatively, set all the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Brush meatballs with olive oil, place on grill, and cook until well-browned all over and cooked through, about 8 minutes total, 2 minutes per side.

    Close-up of meatballs grilling on charcoal grill

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  3. Transfer meatballs to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.

    Platter of grilled meatballs with side of marinara sauce

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Special Equipment

Grill

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
456 Calories
29g Fat
13g Carbs
34g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 456
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 166mg 55%
Sodium 681mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 166mg 13%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 547mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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