Ranch Meatballs

Dry ranch seasoning, ground beef and breadcrumbs come together to form the best Ranch Meatballs! Perfectly tender, juicy, zesty and delicious!

toothpick picking up a ranch meatball


 

With simple ingredients and 35 minutes, you can make these delicious EASY Ranch Meatballs for dinner! A great way to spice up your spaghetti and meatballs!

You’ve had cocktail meatballs and Italian style meatballs, but have you had ranch meatballs?

These little nuggets are just like regular meatballs, but laced with the spices of dry Ranch dressing mix. What are those seasonings?

  • dry powdered buttermilk
  • dried parsley flakes
  • dried dill
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • dried onion flakes
  • ground black pepper
  • dried chives
  • fine sea salt

You are probably familiar with all of the ingredients in this ranch meatballs recipe with the exception of maybe one. Dry powdered buttermilk.

powdered buttermilk in a spoon

Dry powdered buttermilk is just like any other dry powdered milk. It is made from actual buttermilk, which is the liquid left behind after churning to milk butter, but fermented so it is a little funky.

But then dehydrated so it has a much longer shelf life. Let’s be honest, I don’t use that much buttermilk. Maybe here and there for fried chickenpancakes and waffles, but not on the regular.

bowl of ranch cocktail meatballs

How to Make Ranch Meatballs

The recipe is simple, just place all the ingredients together and toss until combined. The key to perfect meatballs is to not overwork the ingredients. In fact, it is recommended to toss the meat to form balls rather than rolling or packing.

ranch meatball ingredients

You can use plain breadcrumbs to make these easy ranch meatballs, or even seasoned. The reason why I didn’t was that the ranch mix has enough to flavor to compensate for the small amount of Italian seasoning in the seasoned varieties.

And you don’t even have to use bread crumbs if you don’t want to. Cracker crumbs like saltines or club cracker also work. I’ve even heard of some folks using cereal like Corn Flakes. You do need some binder though or else they will fall apart.

raw ranch meatballs on a wood cutting board

Do I have to use beef?

Nope! Any kind of ground meat will work for ranch meatballs. Chicken, pork (even spicy Italian sausage), turkey or beef will do. Keep in mind that you’ll want a tiny bit of fat to help bind it all together.

cooked ranch meatballs with parsley

You can even use a blend of ground meats or a meatloaf mix, commonly beef, veal and pork.

Get Saucy

Do they need sauce? Yes and no, it depends on how saucy you are! Serve with ranch dressing or make them into Pesto Meatballs! This also gives you the option to make them turkey.

Can I freeze cocktail meatballs?

Ranch meatballs can be frozen after being cooked. Place into an airtight bag and freeze for up to 6 months. They can be prepared ahead of time and reheated in the oven. Place aluminum foil over the dish to reheat so they don’t dry out.

Ranch meatballs can also be made into big meatballs. This recipe will make about 12 large meatballs suitable for spaghetti and meatballs or any other dish you might want to make with them.

ranch meatballs for Pinterest

More of my favorite ranch recipes:

A close up of roll with butter

Ranch Butter

4.58 from 7 votes
Ranch butter is easy homemade seasoned butter perfect for taking any dish using regular butter to the next level. Baked potatoes, pasta, seafood & poultry!
See The Recipe!
chipotle ranch dressing pouring on to a salad

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

4.53 from 48 votes
Add some zing to your homemade ranch with this Chipotle Ranch Dressing recipe! Made with only 4 simple ingredients.
See The Recipe!
close up of ranch meatballs for pinterest
bowl of ranch cocktail meatballs

Ranch Meatballs

4.59 from 12 votes
With simple ingredients and 35 minutes, you can make these delicious EASY Ranch Meatballs for dinner! A great way to spice up your spaghetti and meatballs!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 30

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine together ground beef, egg, milk, bread crumbs and Ranch seasoning. Toss until combined.
  • Roll meatballs into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place into a coated baking dish. You’ll have about 30 meatballs.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Remove and serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce.
  • Come back and let us know how they were!

Notes

Ranch meatballs can be frozen after being cooked. Place into an airtight bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
They can be prepared ahead of time and reheated in the oven. Place aluminum foil over the dish to reheat so they don’t dry out.
Ranch meatballs can also be made into big meatballs. This recipe will make about 12 large meatballs suitable for spaghetti and meatballs or any other dish you might want to make with them.

Nutrition

Calories: 50 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 16 mg, Sodium: 63 mg, Potassium: 48 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 8 IU, Calcium: 8 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 50
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ranch meatballs
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. These meatballs look so moist and I am sure the ranch flavors makes them so delicious! I can’t wait to make this for my family!

  2. 5 stars
    These meatballs are delicious and I love that it’s using basic pantry ingredients. Perfect for these days when it’s harder and not convenient to get fresh produce.

  3. 5 stars
    These are so easy to create. I couldn’t believe it. Meatballs will be on the menu a lot now.