Pizza Meatball Bites
These Pizza Meatball Bites wrap homemade beef and Italian sausage meatballs in pizza dough, brush them with garlic butter, and bake them in a muffin tin until golden. Serve them warm with pizza sauce for dipping for a fun family dinner, party appetizer, or pizza-night favorite.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
For the Pizza Bites
For the Garlic Butter
Instructions
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Prepare the Oven
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
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Prepare the Meatballs
Prepare 12 Homemade Italian Meatballs according to the recipe and allow them to cool slightly. You can also use previously cooked meatballs that have been refrigerated.
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Prepare the Pizza Dough
Divide the pizza dough into 12 equal pieces. Gently stretch each piece into a small round large enough to fit into a muffin cup and come up the sides.
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Assemble the Pizza Bites
Place a small amount of shredded mozzarella in the center of each piece of dough. Place one cooked meatball on top of the cheese, then add another small pinch of mozzarella over the meatball.
Seal the Pizza Bites
Bring the edges of the pizza dough up and over the meatball. Pinch the dough together firmly at the top to completely seal the meatball and cheese inside. If needed, gently twist or pinch the seam again so it stays closed while baking.Place each bundle pinched-side up in a prepared muffin cup.
Gently bring the dough up around the meatball, pinching the dough at the top.
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Make the Garlic Butter
Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and 1 Tbsp Parmesan in a small bowl.
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Brush with Garlic Butter
Brush the exposed pizza dough generously with the garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the tops.
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Bake
Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the pizza dough is puffed and golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the meatballs are heated through.
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Finish the Pizza Bites
Allow the bites to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges with a butter knife and remove them from the pan.
Brush with a little additional garlic butter while they're still warm, if desired.
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Serve
Serve warm with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
Note
Homemade Meatballs: I use my Homemade Italian Meatballs for these Pizza Meatball Bites. Click HERE for the Homemade Italian Meatballs recipe.
The meatballs should be cooked before assembling the pizza bites. This lets you concentrate on getting the pizza dough perfectly golden without worrying about whether the meat is cooked through.
Don't overfill the muffin cups with cheese. A little underneath and around each meatball is enough; too much can overflow as it melts.
You can assemble these shortly before baking and refrigerate them until you're ready to put them in the oven.
Make It a Meal
For dinner, serve Pizza Meatball Bites with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables and plenty of warm pizza sauce. For an appetizer, arrange them on a platter with pizza sauce in the center for dipping.
Make It Gluten-Free
Use gluten-free pizza dough and your gluten-free version of the Homemade Italian Meatballs. Check that your pizza sauce and other packaged ingredients are gluten-free.
