homemade italian meatballs

These easy oven-baked Italian meatballs are incredibly tender and juicy with irresistible flavors that will have you craving for more. Made with ground beef, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and parsley, these meatballs are seasoned to perfection and ready to be served in just 30 minutes!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs

bread crumbs

milk (or beef broth)

beef

onion (finely diced or grated)

garlic (minced)

tsp black pepper

parmesan cheese (preferably real Parmigiano-Reggiano)

parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

In a large mixing bowl, add Italian bread crumbs and milk. Combine well and set aside while preparing the other ingredients, for at least 5 minutes.

Add ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, salt, black pepper, parmesan cheese, and parsley into the soaked bread crumb mixture, and mix with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.

Portion onto the prepared baking sheet (using a cookie or ice cream scoop will make it easier). Wet your hands with water, and roll meatballs into 2&quot; diameter balls.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165˚F (74°C). Remove from oven and drain off any excess fat. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Learn how to make classic homemade meatballs! For the BEST authentic Italian meatballs and sauce mix together ground beef with fresh bread crumbs, parmesan, and spices then then pan fry and braise until tender.

The Best Italian Meatballs - Authentic and Homemade

olive oil

garlic, (minced)

kosher salt

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

28 oz can whole tomatoes, (pureed in the blender)

oregano

bay leaf

lb ground beef, (or half ground beef and

garlic

oz parmesan cheese, (shredded)

fresh parsley, (finely chopped)

fresh bread crumbs, (plus another 1/2 cup if needed)

milk

egg yolk, (optional)

tsp kosher salt

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Before you start the meatballs, get the sauce done and simmering.

Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-low heat and add garlic and a sprinkle of salt. Saute for 1 minute and then add tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaves.

Increase heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil, reduce to low and let simmer while you make the meatballs.

Tomato Sauce

Move oven rack to lower middle position. Heat oven to 300F.

Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, but gently. If you think it needs some more breadcrumbs or the egg yolk, add them now and mix in the additions.

To portion out the meat, I like to use a cookie scoop. It goes very fast and they all end up the same size. However you portion them, take each portion and roll it between your hands until it is well shaped and then lay it out on a cookie sheet or a plate.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs in batches and brown them all over, about 5-6 minutes per batch. (One pound of meat takes me two batches.)

As you finish browning, add to the sauce. Once all have been browned and added to the sauce, cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise the meatballs for at least 2 hours, but they can sit in the oven at that temperature for 4-6 hours.

When you are ready to eat, serve with pasta, on rolls, or by themselves as an appetizer or on a buffet.

Meatballs

These Homemade Italian Meatballs are so easy to make and we're whipping up a big batch, so that we can freeze them for quick meals during the week. They are made from scratch with pork and beef, and the flavors are incredible. 

Homemade Frozen Italian Meatballs (Big Batch)

beef (85/15)

lb pork

garlic cloves,

cheese,

salt

black pepper

garlic powder

basil

parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl or in the stand mixer, add in ground beef, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese and spices. Mix together with hands or the beater attachment until just combined.

Prepare a rimmed cookie sheet by spreading the olive oil out on the surface. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon from the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on cookie sheet and repeat. You should get between 60-70 meatballs. Note: You want to use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent grease from dripping off into the oven.

Bake until the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 165 degrees, between 17-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

I made these earlier in the day, so I separated one batch of meatballs to keep fresh by using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet. Then, I allowed them to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes before storing in a sealed container and placing in the fridge for dinner that night (see freezer instructions next.)

To freeze Meatballs

Allow the meatballs to cool on the counter for 15 minutes. Give the meatballs a quick spatula scrape to loosen them from the pan. Transfer the cookie sheet with meatballs to the freezer (or place them on plate if it's too big). Freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove from the freezer and place the meatballs in freezer bags (use within 3-4 weeks) or vacuum seal.

My Vacuum Sealer is my best friend and I swear this thing saves me so much time and money. Once the meatballs are partially frozen, separate them into two freezer seal bags and vacuum seal. It will get the air out of the bags, so they don't freezer burn and you can keep them fresh way longer. If vacuum sealed, use within 2-3 months. 

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