Meatball Cups
on Sep 23, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These meatball cups are a fun and easy twist on classic meatball subs! They’re made with flaky crescent roll dough filled with homemade meatballs, marinara sauce, and melty mozzarella cheese. Serve them with extra marinara for dipping for an easy lunch or dinner!
If your kids love meatballs, these cheesy meatball cups are such a fun way to switch things up! The meatballs are made with a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage for extra flavor and baked right inside crescent roll cups with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. I love serving them with extra marinara for dipping, and they’re easy to pair with fruit or veggies for a simple meal. They’re also a great option for parties or a game day appetizer since they’re already portioned for serving!
Looking for more easy kid-friendly dinner ideas? Try these ground beef taquitos, chicken parmesan meatballs, baked Italian sliders, or creamy tomato pasta. They’re all simple options for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these meatball cups:
- Ground Beef: Makes up the base of the homemade meatballs. I used 90/10 ground beef, but you can use any fat percentage.
- Mild Italian Sausage: Adds extra moisture and lots of flavor to the meatballs. Make sure to use Italian sausage rather than breakfast sausage.
- Italian-Style Breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs together while adding extra flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, savory flavor to the meatballs.
- Egg: Helps bind the meatball mixture together.
- Milk: Adds moisture to help keep the meatballs tender.
- Garlic/Salt/Pepper: Adds flavor to the meatballs.
- Crescent Roll Dough: Forms the flaky, buttery base for each meatball cup.
- Marinara Sauce: Adds tomato flavor and keeps the filling saucy. I prefer using a thicker marinara so the crescent dough doesn’t become too soggy.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Melts around the meatballs for that classic cheesy meatball sub flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions & Additions
- Ground Beef & Italian Sausage: I love using a combo of ground beef and mild Italian sausage because the sausage adds extra moisture and flavor to the meatballs. You can replace the Italian sausage with an equal amount of ground beef if you prefer to use all beef. If using 1 pound of ground beef, increase the salt to ½ teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning for extra flavor.
- Egg: For an egg-free option, swap the egg with a flax egg made from 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit for 5–10 minutes to thicken before adding it to the meatball mixture. You can also use ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt as a binder.
- Milk: Replace the whole milk with an equal amount of unsweetened dairy-free milk. Oat or soy milk would work well, just make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety.
- Cheese: For a dairy-free option, replace the Parmesan and mozzarella with your favorite dairy-free Parmesan and shredded mozzarella. You can also leave the Parmesan out of the meatballs and add an extra 1–2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs if the mixture seems too wet.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use plain breadcrumbs in place of Italian-style breadcrumbs. If using plain breadcrumbs, add a little Italian seasoning for extra flavor.
- Crescent Roll Dough: You can replace the crescent roll dough with refrigerated pizza dough. Pizza dough is thicker and more bread-like than crescent dough, so make sure to press it thin, especially along the bottom of the cups. Assemble the meatball cups as directed and bake at 375°F, adding a few extra minutes as needed until the pizza dough is golden and completely cooked through.
- Garlic: Replace the fresh garlic with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder if needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the ground beef, mild Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Gently mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat (Images 1 & 2).
STEP 2: Divide the meat mixture into 12 equal portions, about 3 tablespoons each, and roll each portion into a ball (Image 3).
STEP 3: Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 8 minutes (Image 4). The meatballs will not be fully cooked at this point since they will finish cooking inside the crescent roll cups.
STEP 4: Remove the meatballs from the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Set the meatballs aside while you prepare the crescent dough.
STEP 5: Unroll the crescent roll dough and pinch the perforated seams together to form one large sheet. Gently press or roll the dough into an even rectangle and cut it into 12 roughly equal squares (Images 5 & 6).
STEP 6: Lightly grease a 12-cup metal muffin pan. Press one piece of crescent dough into each muffin cup, letting the dough come slightly up the sides. Be careful not to stretch the dough too thin on the bottom (Image 7).
STEP 7: Sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella cheese into the bottom of each crescent cup (Image 8). Place one partially baked meatball into each cup and spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of marinara sauce over each meatball (Images 9 & 10).
STEP 8: Top each cup with additional shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (Image 11).
STEP 9: Bake at 375°F for 13–15 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the meatballs are completely cooked through (Image 12). Let the meatball cups cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes before carefully removing them. Serve warm with extra marinara sauce for dipping.
Storage Instructions
Let the meatball cups cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the cooled meatball cups in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing them in a single layer until firm before transferring them to a freezer bag so they don’t stick together.
To reheat, air fry the refrigerated meatball cups at 325°F for about 3–5 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 8–10 minutes.
Tips For Success
- Don’t fully cook the meatballs during the first bake. Baking them for only 8 minutes allows them to develop some structure before being added to the cups without drying out during the second bake.
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Gently combine the ingredients just until incorporated to keep the meatballs tender.
- If you prefer to make these meatball with all ground beef, you can replace the Italian sausage with an equal amount of ground beef and use 1 pound of ground beef total. Since Italian sausage adds extra seasoning and flavor, increase the salt to ½ teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture for extra flavor.
- Don’t stretch the crescent dough too thin. You want enough dough underneath each meatball to support the filling and prevent the bottom from tearing.
- Don’t add too much sauce before baking. About 1 heaping teaspoon per cup is enough and you can serve extra marinara on the side for dipping if you like them saucier.
- Let the cups rest before removing them. Giving them about 5 minutes in the muffin pan helps the dough set and makes them easier to lift out without falling apart.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can replace the Italian sausage with an equal amount of ground beef and use 1 pound of ground beef total. Since Italian sausage adds extra seasoning and flavor, increase the salt to ½ teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture.
Yes! For store-bought meatballs, you can skip the initial meatball baking step and add the cooked meatballs directly to the crescent roll cups. Bake at 375°F until the crescent dough is golden, the cheese is melted, and the meatballs are heated through.
Yes, pizza dough will work! Pizza dough is thicker and more bread-like than crescent dough, so make sure to press it thin, especially along the bottom. Bake at 375°F, adding a few extra minutes as needed until the dough is golden and completely cooked through.
Other Meatball Recipes You’ll Love
Chicken Parm Meatballs
Chicken And Broccoli Meatballs
Chicken Feta Meatballs
If you tried these Meatball Cups, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Meatball Cups
Equipment
- 12-cup metal muffin pan
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb mild Italian sausage
- ⅓ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the Meatball Cups
- 1 (8-count) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
- ½ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the ground beef, mild Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Gently mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat
- Divide the meat mixture into 12 equal portions, about 3 tablespoons each, and roll each portion into a ball.
- Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 8 minutes. The meatballs will not be fully cooked at this point since they will finish cooking inside the crescent roll cups.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Set the meatballs aside while you prepare the crescent dough.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and pinch the perforated seams together to form one large sheet. Gently press or roll the dough into an even rectangle and cut it into 12 roughly equal squares
- Lightly grease a 12-cup metal muffin pan. Press one piece of crescent dough into each muffin cup, letting the dough come slightly up the sides. Be careful not to stretch the dough too thin on the bottom
- Sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella cheese into the bottom of each crescent cup. Place one partially baked meatball into each cup and spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of marinara sauce over each meatball
- Top each cup with additional shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 13–15 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the meatballs are completely cooked through. Let the meatball cups cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes before carefully removing them. Serve warm with extra marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Don’t fully cook the meatballs during the first bake. Baking them for only 8 minutes allows them to develop some structure before being added to the cups without drying out during the second bake.
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Gently combine the ingredients just until incorporated to keep the meatballs tender.
- If you prefer to make these meatball with all ground beef, you can replace the Italian sausage with an equal amount of ground beef and use 1 pound of ground beef total. Since Italian sausage adds extra seasoning and flavor, increase the salt to ½ teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture for extra flavor.
- Don’t stretch the crescent dough too thin. You want enough dough underneath each meatball to support the filling and prevent the bottom from tearing.
- Don’t add too much sauce before baking. About 1 heaping teaspoon per cup is enough and you can serve extra marinara on the side for dipping if you like them saucier.
- Let the cups rest before removing them. Giving them about 5 minutes in the muffin pan helps the dough set and makes them easier to lift out without falling apart.
