Here's Exactly How To Reheat Meatballs So They're Not Cold In The Middle

Meatballs are an underrated main dish. Not only are they fairly easy to prepare and generally require very few ingredients, they're an excellent way to feed a crowd and incredibly versatile. While the tried and true meatballs in marinara is always sure to be a hit, swapping just a few ingredients gives you buffalo chicken and gorgonzola meatballs worthy of a game day, or a tangy pineapple glazed version perfect for a summer gathering.

The only real downside to meatballs is that leftovers are almost inevitable, and reheating these tasty little nuggets of deliciousness can be fairly tricky. Since it's best to take the extra step and sauté meatballs prior to simmering them in sauce to amplify their flavor, they've already been cooked twice by the time you get around to reheating them. That means there's an increased risk of them drying out and becoming chewy, or — even worse — discovering they're still cold in the center.

Avoiding both of these issues means using reheating techniques that combine the right balance of moisture and heat, allowing your meatballs to warm through slowly at low temperatures to create a succulent bite. You can do this by rewarming them in sauce on the stove, in the oven, or a slow cooker to protect their texture, especially if they were originally served in marinara or a creamy Swedish gravy. However, meatballs without sauce or those that are only glazed are better reheated in the oven, as heating sugar for too long will cause it to reduce, burn, and turn your meatballs into a charred mess.

When reheating meatballs in sauce, you can do it on the stovetop, in the oven, or in your slow cooker. The stovetop method is the fastest, but you'll need to monitor everything closely to keep the sauce from boiling and reducing too much. Simply add your meatballs to a saucepan with enough sauce to cover and turn the burner on low, stirring occasionally until the sauce starts to bubble. You can then slice open a test meatball to see if it's warmed through.

To reheat using one of the other two methods, add the meatballs and sauce to cover to a roasting pan or your slow cooker. Preheat your oven between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit, tent your roasting pan with some aluminum foil to prevent burning, and let them heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. For the slow cooker, set it to low, and thin your sauce a little with some chicken or beef broth to protect your meatballs' texture, and let them simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

If you're reheating meatballs without sauce, arrange them in a grid pattern on a baking sheet to ensure even cooking and warm them up using the same method as for sauced meatballs — with one crucial difference. Just like a spoonful of water is the secret to reheating pizza, a small, oven-safe bowl of water creates a steamy microclimate to keep your sauce-less meatballs moist while they warm.