I love this dish for the tantalizing flavors that surprise you at every bite. Dark, beefy gravy encases tender meatballs accented with the punch of sweet peppers in this delectable Cajun recipe.
Bold flavors jump from the skillet in this delicious dish. (All photos credit: George Graham)
When sweet bell peppers begin flooding the market, I load up. Red, green, yellow, orange, I love how they paint my culinary world with flavor and liven up the most humdrum dish. Cut into strips and sautéed down with aromatics and spices, these peppers are at the heart of this gravy and bring tons of flavor to my meatballs.
Make my Cajun Meatballs and Peppers dish and wow your guests with unexpected taste.
- 1 ½ pounds (80/20) ground chuck
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups plain Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
- 2 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (if needed)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Add the meat to a mixing bowl along with the diced onion, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, and salt. Mix and combine.
- Add the egg and half of the breadcrumbs. Mix and add more breadcrumbs until the meat is firm enough to shape into golf-ball-size balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until done, about 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, and rosemary; cook until the onions turn translucent, and the peppers begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and sauté to remove the raw taste of the flour, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the beef stock, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; if not, thicken with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water).
- Serve over white rice or mashed potatoes.
A hearty meal in a skillet.
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Sounds as if I have found a new meatball recipe to add to my rotation! It’s different from my Italian meatballs, but this looks like a keeper. Thanks for the “receipt” as my late father would call “recipes.”
Hey Bro, my daddy was raised in Metairie, so I like your cooking.
Thanks.
George, thank you for this! We live in North Louisiana and crave South Louisiana Creole / Cajun Cooking. The meatballs were tender, moist, and had a good Cajun kick. I may have been a little heavy-handed on the seasoning blend! The bell peppers add a great flavor to the gravy. Could not find any nice looking red bell peppers, but we used green, yellow, and orange peppers. Thank you again!
Hey Danny- Glad you liked the meatballs. It really is an easy recipe that delivers maximum flavor. All the best to my North Louisiana friend.
Hi George, really enjoy your recipes. Do you have a recipe for cornbread dressing possibly using andouille? This is for my north Louisiana in laws. Looking forward to it.
Hey James- I do not have that recipe, but it sounds delicious. Let me know if you find a good one. All the best.