Meatball Recipe
This delicious Meatball Recipe is my family’s go-to recipe whenever we’re craving homemade Italian meatballs. Loaded with classic Italian flavors and simmered in a homemade marinara sauce, enjoy these juicy meatballs as an appetizer, with spaghetti noodles, or as a sandwich.
Servings: 12 servings
Cost: $15
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 2 teaspoon olive oil (plus and additional 3/4 cup olive oil if frying your meatballs)
- 2 small onions diced
- salt and pepper to season (see notes)
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 2 cups milk plus more as needed (see notes)
- 8 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese shredded
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoon fresh herbs minced (basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, etc)
- 3 pounds ground meat (see notes)
For the Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole stewed tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
- 2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and stir well to coat in the olive oil. Cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the breadcrumbs with the milk. Mix well to combine and use a fork (or your fingers) to separate any clumps).
- Transfer the onions, soaked breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, garlic, parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, fresh minced herbs, and ground meat to a large mixing bowl. Gently mix everything together, using your fingertips to break apart any large chunks of meat. Continue to mix until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Add additional milk to the mixture, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture is just slightly wet (translation- more moist than wet).
- Shape the mixture between the palms of your hands into equal-sized meatballs. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Oven-Baked Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Evenly space the pre-formed meatballs on the prepared baking sheets (fitting approximately 18 meatballs on each baking sheet). Transfer to the upper and lower third of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove baking sheets from the oven and use rubber kitchen tongs to flip each meatball over to brown on the other side. Transfer baking pans back to the oven on the opposite rack (if it started on the lower rack, move it to the upper rack and vice versa). Continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F as read with a digital meat thermometer.
- Transfer baked meatballs to simmering marinara sauce (recipe below) and continue to simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Pan-fried Meatballs
- Add approximately 1/2-3/4 cup oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, cook the meatballs for approximately 4-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the bottom. Avoid overcrowding the skillet. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.Note- depending on the size of your meatballs, they may not be cooked all the way at the end of this point. Always check with a digital meat thermometer.
- Transfer meatballs to simmering marinara sauce (recipe below) and continue to simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
For the Marinara Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir well to coat in the olive oil. Cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the onions. Mix well and continue to cook for an additional 30-60 seconds.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Mix in the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously for approximately 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice and sugar and mix well to combine.
- Cook the sauce, mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to come to a low simmer before reducing heat to low. Allow the sauce to cook, uncovered, for approximately 25 minutes, mashing occasionally as needed.
- For a smoother sauce (as in these images), transfer part, or all, of the sauce to a large blender and process until desired consistency is reached. Return the sauce back to the pot and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Salt and pepper - there is no set amount of salt that should (or should not) be added to this recipe. In general, however, I like to add salt to the onions as they cook (approximately 1/2 teaspoon) and at least 1 teaspoon to the meatball mixture before mixing. If your breadcrumbs are preseasoned, consider adding less.
How much milk? You want your meatball mixture to be moist and just a little wet, but not so wet that your meatballs can't hold their shape when rolled into balls.
What meat for meatballs? Use any ground meat you like! Since this recipe calls for three pounds of ground meat, I chose to use a mix,
- 1 pound 85% lean 15% fat
- 1 pound 90% lean 10% fat
- 1 pound ground pork
Nutrition
Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 332mg | Iron: 5mg
