These cherry meatballs are one of the best dishes to make during cherry season. The tender meatballs are simmered in a sweet and slightly tangy cherry sauce – so tasty, you’ll definitely want seconds.
Ingredients: 11 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
I’ve already made this cherry meatballs recipe twice in the past couple of weeks – our cherry tree is full of sweet, plump, almost black cherries, and they’re just perfect for cooking and baking. This Cherry Chicken is another incredible savory recipe with cherries that you must try.
Otherwise, I made a Cherry Tart, a triple batch of Candied Cherries, Roasted Cherries, and Amaretto Cherries. And a few more cakes in between.
Jump to recipe
Recipe ingredients
Sweet cherries: You will need about 2.2 lbs/ 1 kg of fresh sweet cherries. You can also cook this recipe with frozen cherries or pitted sour cherries in juice (not sweetened or super lightly sweetened).
Ground meat: I used a mixture of ground beef and ground pork, but you can also make this recipe with just beef or just pork, or with turkey.
- This is a Syrian-inspired recipe, originally made with ground lamb. If you have it, do use it – it’s delicious! Check out more Syrian recipes like Syrian Stuffed Vine Leaves or Syrian Muhammara.
Pomegranate molasses is a thick, sour-sweet syrup made from pomegranate juice. It adds a rich, tangy flavor to the sauce. If you don’t have it, use a mix of 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey.
Pine nuts are the best topping, but if you don’t have them, roasted almonds are a good alternative.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherry meatballs?
Step #1: Chop the onion and the parsley very finely or use a small food processor to do that.
Step #2: Mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form small balls.
Step #3: Cook them in two batches. Remove them, and discard the excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Sauté the onion in the same pot.
Step #4: Add the pitted cherries, water, pomegranate molasses, spices, and lemon juice.
Step #5: Simmer the cherry sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Break the cherries slightly with the back of a spoon to help the sauce thicken a bit.
Step #6: Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer them gently for 5 minutes.
Make ahead and store
You can make the cherry meatballs a day ahead and reheat them in the pot.
Refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days and reheat them in the pot or the microwave before serving.
Freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the fridge and reheat them well before serving.
Cherry Meatballs
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or another wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1.5 lbs ground beef and pork Note 1
- 1 small onion
- 4 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Cherry sauce:
- 2.2 lbs cherries Note 2
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cups water
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice Note 3
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- more parsley
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Chop the onion and the parsley very finely. You can use a small food processor if you like.1 small onion + 4 tablespoons parsley
- Meatball mixture: Place the ground meat, onion and parsley, allspice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix them with your hand.1.5 lbs ground beef and pork + 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 ½ teaspoon allspice
- Shape the meatballs by scooping about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and rolling it into a ball (I had about 40 small meatballs). Wetting your hands slightly makes this easier.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat the oil in the pan. Fry the meatballs in 2 or 3 batches until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes per batch.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Remove them from the pan and carefully discard the excess fat, leaving only about 1 tablespoon behind.
Cherry sauce:
- Pit the cherries and finely chop the second onion while the meatballs cook.2.2 lbs cherries + 1 medium onion
- Sauté the onion in the same pan for about 2 minutes, until it turns golden.
- Simmer cherry sauce: Add the cherries and the remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has reduced nicely. Gently mash some of the cherries with the back of a spoon to help thicken the sauce and bring it together.cherries + 3 cups water + 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice + ½ teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon allspice + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Add the meatballs to the sauce, gently stir to coat them well, and let them simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Garnish the dish with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.2 tablespoons pine nuts + more parsley
Notes
- Ground meat: I used a mixture of beef and pork. You can use only beef, only pork, ground lamb (so great!), or ground turkey.
- Cherries: I use sweet, ripe, almost black cherries. You can also make the dish with frozen cherries or with drained, pitted cherries in juice (not sweetened).
- Pomegranate juice is thick, sweet, and tangy. If you don’t have it, you can replace it with 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey.
Leave a Reply