These juicy Italian meatballs are packed with flavor from ground beef, pork, garlic, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and Italian herbs. Baking the meatballs instead of frying makes this recipe easier, less messy, and perfect for family dinners.
Serve them with pasta, tomato sauce, sandwiches, mashed potatoes, or enjoy them as a hearty appetizer.
⏱️ Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Additional Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
- Servings: 8
📝 Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
👩🍳 Directions
Step 1
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2
Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more.
Step 4
Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl. Add onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes; mix together using a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Step 6
Form mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 8
Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. Enjoy!
👨🍳 Chef's Notes
Some recipes use equal portions of beef, veal, and pork, which is also nice, yet more expensive. These days you can find all sorts of lean-to-fat ratios for ground beef. Most stores sell 90% lean, 10% fat, but I prefer the 80% lean, 20% fat ratio for this recipe.
🌟 More About This Recipe
Chef John’s Italian meatballs are tender, juicy, and oh-so flavorful. They’re baked instead of fried, so cleanup is breeze.
🍖 Italian Meatball Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Italian meatball recipe:
Bread Crumbs
Use store-bought bread crumbs or make your own at home.
Milk
Milk adds moisture, ensuring the meatballs don’t dry out during the cooking process.
Onion
An onion lends bold flavor.
Meat
You’ll need a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground pork.
Egg
An egg adds moisture and helps bind the meatballs together.
Cheese
For the most delicious results, grate your own Parmesan cheese.
Seasonings
The meatballs are seasoned with fresh parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, dried Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
🍳 How Do You Make Italian Meatballs?
Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade Italian meatballs:
Step 1
Cook the onion.
Step 2
Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and chill.
Step 3
Form the mixture into balls.
Step 4
Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven.
🍽️ What to Serve With Italian Meatballs
Chef John suggests serving the Italian meatballs with homemade tomato sauce and polenta. They also work well as an appetizer, in a sandwich, or served over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.
🧊 How to Store Italian Meatballs
Store your leftover Italian meatballs in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
❄️ Can You Freeze Italian Meatballs?
Yes, Italian meatballs freeze well. Flash freeze the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet for a few hours or up to overnight, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months.
If you prefer, you can also freeze the meatballs before cooking. You can easily cook them from-frozen on the stove whenever you want to whip up a quick dish.
🥗 Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 390
- Total Carbohydrate: 5g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 21g
- Total Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 91mg
- Vitamin C: 4mg
- Sodium: 617mg
- Calcium: 62mg
- Iron: 2mg
- Potassium: 349mg
