Here’s how to make Sausage Meatballs in just 15 minutes – and still have time for a glass of wine. It even comes with a homemade tomato meatball sauce!
15 Minute Sausage Meatballs
JB’s debut recipe was always going to be a hard act to follow….so I decided not to even try! Instead, I’m going for something that’s speedy, low effort with maximum reward – golden brown juicy sausage meatballs smothered in an Italian tomato sauce, on the table in 15 minutes flat.
My trick is to chop up sausages into small bite size pieces. They will look smeary and wonky, and you’ll wonder how on earth this is going to work – but please have faith! Because when cooked, they magically fry up into meatball-like shapes. OK, so they might not all be perfect round balls but nor have you had to tediously roll them one by one!
Now, pour yourself a wine while you see how to make these Sausage Meatballs so quickly, and tomorrow, you can sip one while you make them. Because this is a recipe you really can actually, leisurely make in 15 minutes – yay!
Ingredients in 15 Minute Sausage Meatballs
Just 5 ingredients – your favourite sausages, tomato passata, garlic, chicken stock and Italian herbs. Basil and red pepper flakes are optional, oil and salt don’t count!
Sausages – The pre-seasoned meat inside the sausages also flavours the sauce, so get good ones! As a general rule, sausages where you can see little meat and fat bits are better than the uniform economical pink ones used for fundraiser sausage sizzles (and we love them!).
Sausage meat.- Use what you want! Pork is classic, beef sausages brown up extra nicely (this is what I used in the photos), and chicken sausages are just tasty, tasty tasty! I use all three.
Tomato passata – This is pureed, plain tomatoes which is a brilliant way to make smooth tomato based sauces fast, no simmering time needed to break down chunks of canned tomatoes. It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces and no more expensive than canned tomatoes.
Sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart), or substitute with Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (or equivalent). More on tomato passata here.
Chicken stock/broth – Adds a bit more flavour to the sauce than using water so it’s tasty with just a 5 minute simmer. Essential, it makes up for not simmering this sauce slowly for 40 minutes. 🙂
Dried Italian herbs – Just a regular Italian herb mix from a regular grocery store, for a touch of flavour into the sauce. Substitute with dried oregano, parsley, thyme, or a general dried herb mix.
Red pepper flakes / chilli flakes – 100% optional, for a hint of warmth in the sauce. Omit for not spicy.
Sprig of basil (optional) – You know fresh basil adds a little za-za-zoom into everything! I use the leaves for garnish plonk the stem into the sauce to infuse with gently flavour.
How to make Sausage Meatballs in 15 minutes
This isn’t the first time I’ve shared a quick meatballs recipe made using chopped-up sausages – and it definitely won’t be the last. It’s not just convenient, I love how much flavour the pre-seasoned meat adds to the sauce. This is why the sauce is so tasty even though we aren’t simmering for ages!
Cut the sausages into even size pieces so they are roughly as wide as they are long, so they will cook into balls rather than cylinders! So if your sausages are thin, you’ll have more smaller meatballs. Whereas if you have fat sausages, you’ll have larger but less meatballs. Both are food situations!
Sausage casing stays on! This is what holds the sausage meat together so they cook into “meatballs” rather than like crumbly mince / ground meat.
Brown (3 – 4 minutes) – Use a large non-stick pan, the one pictured is 30cm/12″ wide. Heat the oil on high heat then add the sausages and cook, stirring fairly regularly, until the surface is nicely browned but the inside is still raw. This will only take about 3 – 4 minutes (caveat: if you used a large pan and you’re not using a tiny weak burner!)
Meatballs! See? That pile of smeary sausage chunks has magically transformed into meatballs!!
Sauce (5 minutes) – Add the garlic and stir for just 15 seconds until very light golden (careful, it will burn fast). Add the chicken stock, simmer rapidly for 1 minute to reduce by about half. Then add the tomato passata, Italian herbs, chilli flakes (if using), salt and basil stem, if using (we’ll use the leaves for garnish).
Simmer – Stir and simmer fairly rapidly for 4 minutes on medium high. The sauce will thicken and the sausage seasoning will add flavour into the sauce. <- Sip wine during this stage. See, I told you the recipe factors that in!!
Ready! And look at that – tasty sausage meatballs smothered in a flavourful tomato pasta sauce, ready to get in your belly!
All the ways to eat Sausage Meatballs!
I can picture these stuffed into crusty rolls for epic Sausage Meatball Subs. No idea why I haven’t tried it yet – finger-licking, messy comfort food is 100% me! Also – fast and effortless. 🙂 Not man handling big steamy pots of hot pasta!!
For the pasta option – pictured, and shown in the video – toss the hot cooked pasta with the meatballs and sauce before dividing between bowls. This way, the tasty sauce will cling to the pasta which will make every bite that much tastier – rather than having to slop up sauce pooled in the base of your pasta bowl.
Else, serve over a bed of something creamy and starchy – mashed potato, polenta (pictured – I used 1 minute polenta), even cauliflower mash (the flavour is actually very neutral). There’s always something extra appealing about coddling a bowl of food you can eat with your spoon rather than battling sauce-splatters-and-spaghetti-twirls!
How else could this be served? Share your ideas! Oooh – inside a jaffle?? With a slice of cheese! 😮 So many possibilities!! – Nagi x
15 Minute Sausage Meatballs FAQ
4 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer! Make ready-meals with cooked pasta on the side (don’t toss with the sauce).
The better the sausage, the tastier it will be! Look for sausages with fat and meat specks which is more meat and less fillers, rather than the ones that are a uniform pink colour that typically has higher fillers. I aim for sausages with 80%+ meat from grocery stores (read the ingredient label) though sausages from butchers are my preference.
Don’t get me wrong! The economical BBQ sizzle sausages will always have a place in my life – I have been known to find an excuse to head to Bunnings on weekends just so I can get a sausage sandwich!! (It’s for charity 😇).
I fully endorse the use of any and all sausages in this recipe!! (Caveat though about quality, as noted in the above FAQ 🙂 )
Pork – I’ve got a soft spot for classic pork sausages – Country Pork, Cumberland, Italian… I’m such a sucker when they have an enticing name! 🤣 Pork stays juicier and softer than beef or chicken, and it fries up that gorgeous golden colour they never quite manage.
Beef – Beef sausages have come a long way! I’m easily enticed by names like Angus Beef with Caramelised Onion or “Gourmet Beef Sausages.” Beef browns beautifully and has a great beefy flavour, though they’re not as soft and juicy as pork.
Chicken – I love chicken sausages! From Herb & Garlic to feta-spinach-pine-nuts or cheddar versions, I can’t resist them. They don’t brown quite as nicely, and being leaner, can dry out if overcooked -but with this quick recipe, they stay nicely juicy. (PS Any Sydney-siders remember the chain chicken butcher, Lenard’s?? I was mad for all their sausages!!
Faux meat sausages – Sorry, I haven’t tried any so I can’t comment. Not sure if they’d hold together, how they’d fry up and not sure if they’d add sufficient flavour into the sauce.
This is a variation of other mini-sausage meatball recipes I’ve shared in the past – like this Sausage Pasta and this one-pot mini sausage meatball pasta in Dinner. I wanted to share the sausage meatballs in just meatball form with sauce, rather than cooked up with a pasta, so I could show you how quick it is to make and the various ways it can be served. Think beyond pasta!! Serve it over anything starchy that’s ideal for sauce soaking – polenta in particular is delicious plus the red sauce against the yellow polenta looks so great (see it in the video). Plus – stuffing into rolls for make subs!
Being such a straightforward recipe, I didn’t need JB to help with development. I just wrote up the recipe in the recipe card below, printed it out then asked him to make it. He pointed out I had omitted to include garlic in the directions, and I wanted to make sure he didn’t think it was too salty (he didn’t).
His reaction when he tasted it was a mix of surprise and approval – the kind that says, “Hang on… this is actually really good!”. Like he expected otherwise – so rude! 😂
Watch how to make it
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15 Minute Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700 g / 1.4 lb good sausages , cut into uniform 1.5 cm/ 0.6 " pieces with a sharp knife or scissors (keep the skin on) – your favourite ones for eating, any flavour, any meat (Note 1)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 3/4 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium – sub water (Note 2)
- 700g / 24 oz tomato passata (US: tomato sauce like Hunt's) (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb mix (sub dried oregano, or 50/50 oregano/thyme)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (+50% for flakes, halve for table salt)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes , optional (hint of warmth – sub pinch of pepper)
- 1 sprig basil – stalk for sauce, leaves for garnish (optional)
Serving:
- Parmesan , finely grated
- 350g / 12oz pasta of choice , or polenta, mash or make subs!
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Brown meatballs (3-4 min), add garlic for last 15 seconds. Reduce stock by half (1 min), add everything else, simmer 4 minutes. Serve!
FULL RECIPE
- Brown meatballs – Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the meatballs and stir for 4 – 5 minutes until lightly browned but still raw inside. (Note 4)
- Add garlic and stir for just 15 seconds until light golden (careful, don't let it burn!)
- Simmer – Add the stock and simmer rapidly for 1 minute to reduce by half. Add everything else, stir, bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium high and let it simmer energetically (but not crazy rapidly) for 4 minutes.
- Serve with lots of parmesan and hand-torn basil leaves over pasta, polenta, mash or other starchy vehicle of choice, or stuff into subs!
SERVING WITH PASTA
- Add cooked pasta with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water into the pan with meatballs. Toss over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the sauce is stuck to the pasta and it’s stained red, rather than pooled in the base of the pan. Divide between bowls and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Everyday reality – trying to cook while Dozer parks himself exactly where I need to stand!
In his younger days I’d shoo him out of the kitchen, but now that he’s in his golden years and has mobility challenges, it doesn’t even cross my mind. I’m just happy to have him nearby – and that he managed to get up by himself!
excellent quick easy tea that was yum!
There appears to be some discussion on the meatball formation. I have no problems with using good sausages – after all, they are ready and seasoned to go. But I am not keen on the casings. I gently squeeze a ball sized portion from the casing directly into the frying pan and they fry up well and resemble a wonderful meatball. I then discard the casing.
Another amazing recipe Nagi! I didn’t know how you do it, but I’m so grateful that you do! I made this tonight, and my extremely picky 9 year old son declared that I can make it again anytime… That’s a win! We all loved it, and I especially enjoyed the fact that it was made and we were eating in less than 30 min, which is necessary on a weeknight. I made it with spaghetti, and it was fantastic, a very flavourful sauce and the smell of dinner is lingering in the house and making me hungry again…lol… Thank you for the recipe, this will be on my regular rotation!
Sorry Nagi, but there is a missing link at the end of Note 3.
I recently commented that this was listed as a meatball recipe, but it only called for cutting up sausages in pieces, leaving the skins on. I received a reply that the cut pieces of sausage, when cooked, after cooking “look like meatballs. No matter how they “look”, meatballs DO NOT have skin on them. The two things are not the same. Many people find skins off putting.
Delish! Used our usual Cumberland sausages, added a tin of lentils and a handful of spinach et voila! A swift and easy stew that the whole family loved.
WOW!
I only use Braughing sausages in the UK not cheap bangers.
Your extra information about tomato sauce, ketchup and passage as defined in different countries was very interesting.
Absolutely went down a story here and empty plates.
Oops – typo. Passata not passage
Nagi, I knew this recipe was going to be tasty. It’s your recipe after all. However, you exceeded my expectations by a mile. It was beyond delicious. The only thing I did differently was the Passata. I didn’t have an, but used 28oz crushed tomatoes. Thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes that have come my way. 😘🤗
I used Publix hot Italian sausage and served it on spaghetti and with homemade garlic bread. 😋
Nagi and dozer, when I talked about too many ads, I ws refer to the fact I like your site as they dont interefere much. It was other sites where you cant get to the recipe for ads. I have all the ingredients for the sausage pasta. Thank you.
Made this last night at the last minute. I used to types of sausages. Definite winner with the adult children
AWESOME! I love hearing that Deborah!! – N x
A bit confusing with the sauce lingo. Tomato sauce and tomato puree are two very different products in the United States. Tomato sauce is thin while tomato puree is very thick. Not sure which is right for this recipe.
Hi Brian! I am referring to Tomato Sauce like Hunts which is quite thick like tomato passata 🙂 Hope that helps! – N x
Thank you!!! On the menu for tonight’s dinner!
This recipe is labeled “sausage meatballs” yet it gives instruction for sausage links to be sliced up with the skins on, not a recipe for meatballs at all. Very misleading. Especially if you are not a fan of skin on sausages.
But it cooks up onto meatball shapes Judith!! 😅
Made this tonight, for my teenage sons…it was an absolute hit. The sauce was delicious. I used a mixture of beef sausages along with pork and fennel sausages from the butcher. This is going into the regular rotation. Thank you
Dear Nagi, this is unrelated to the yummy recipe, which I will try on the weekend. This morning driving to work, I saw you and Dozer taking a stroll to Boronia Kitchen and it made my day 🙂
STROLL is a generous word for the pace at which Dozer waddles around these days!!! next time, HONK and wave!! – N xx
He was investigating something ;), still very cute though. Will do 🙂
So, couple of things.
Instead of using the knife to cut sausages, I use a pair of kitchen scissors (Daiso used to have them as ‘crab scissors’- they can be separated at the hinge, for cleaning) you get a much neater cut. Then I cut them directly over the pan.
Second thing. When cooking Indian chicken curries, I tend to have more gravy than I need. When the proteins run out, I cut up chicken sausages and drop them into the gravy, to cook them for about 15 mins, Its good for another 2 meals.
Finally – if I STILL have left over gravy, I boil some noodles, drain them and mix them into the gravy – and have them like breakfast ramen!
I used scissors. My knives are obviously too blunt.
I don’t know if you can get Scottish Steak Lorne (square) sausage in Australia but these are the best sausages to use for making meatballs.
Steak Lorne is square like a meatloaf and usually sold in slices in packs of four or eight in Scotland. It’s a skinless sausage.
Each square of sausage can be quartered so a pack of four will make 16 meatballs. All you have to do is take the smaller squares and roll them into balls in the palm of your hands.
The sauce I make is pretty much the sauce you describe in your recipe.
You can in our town and Clyde Tunnell as well
Italian pork and fennel 👍🏻👍🏻….
I’d be disappointed if Dozer didn’t do what every other dog in history does ! Just took me 20 mins to try and straighten a mat as Mr Cattle dog thought it was the place to drop his ball repeatedly 😂😂
love Mr Dozer! The recipe is great. Easy and delicious. at 82 years of age, easy is great!
My dear Nagi and dozer. I love your recipes but also love that ads dont keep interferring while trying to get the recipes. Like too many cooking websites. Thank you very much
Hi Sandie, I’m sorry about that. I try to keep it to a minimum and they should be of a style that don’t interrupt visibility, but the odd one might slip through every now and then 😌 I shall check in with IT to see if there was a glitch – N x
Actually beautiful Nagi – I think this was a compliment if you re-read! Sandie was saying that she loves that you DONT have heaps of pop up ads like other sites! I love that too! And I love all of your recipes and the way you write – a bit of catharsis any time it lands in my inbox whether I end up cooking the recipe or not haha xxx
OHHH!!!! You’re right, I did misread it!! Thank you for pointing that out Ella, I actually added “email ad manager” to my TO DO list!!! And thank you very much for your kind words Ella. I feel so fortunate that I get to do something I truly enjoy for a living. There’s something about inventing, shooting and writing up recipes that I find so satisfying!! Also challenging 🙂 I do enjoy the challenge! – N x
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Hello! Love your recipes and not trying to be cheeky, but where are the instructions for the meatballs? Or are these just cut up sausages in sauce? Thank you again for your recipes and sharing sweet Dozer!
Yes Harriet! When you cut them up and fry them, they turn into little meatballs!!