Updated on June 26th, 2022
If you’ve been searching the net for the perfect recipe for Italian meatballs, your search has officially come to an end. Look no further because today I have for you the best Italian meatball recipe on the face of this earth.
Now before I continue I already know what your thinking, “but Bobby everyone claims to have the best meatball recipe,” and as true as that may be, these meatballs really are the best!
With their amazing flavor, they are sure to impress anyone, and they are great for eating for a casual dinner or to make on any special occasion. If you’re feeding a large crowd, make sure to make a lot because these are going to disappear.
I usually bake these in the oven, but you can also simmer them in pasta sauce for about 40 minutes and you will be amazed at the perfect texture it gives them. These meatballs can also be pre-made and then frozen, so you can just pull them out of the freezer and cook them whenever you like.
They go great with noodles and pasta sauce topped with mozzarella or parmesan cheese. Enjoy.
Italian Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
- 750 grams of beef or pork mince (you can mix)
- 1/4 cup crushed parmesan cheese
- 1 chicken egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt (can be less)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (oregano)
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients in one large bowl.
- Mold small meatballs from the mixture. If you are not going to cook them right now, put them in the freezer to cook later.
- Preheat your oven to 175 ° C and place the meatballs on a baking sheet (I used the pizza shape as a baking tray).
- Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
i just finished dinner and wanted to say that these were the best meatballs i have tasted, i will definitely pass this on! THANK YOU
I just happened to stumble across your blog while looking for a recipe for meatballs( I’ve been craving them for a whileee). I this is the first time I’ve ever made meatballs and I just wanted to let you know I’ll be making these for a more dinners to come. 🙂
This recipe was great! My meatballs always do something funky — fall apart or are too crumbly or too hard. These were perfect. Because I like spicy, I added about 1/3 cup of dried onion flakes and about 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. The recipe made 18 meatballs — I cooked all of them then froze half of them to heat up for sandwiches or pasta. Many thanks!
I love to cook but have never made meatballs. I am hoping its ok to use some garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because thats what I have.
Wish me luck.
These meatballs were delicious. Excellent recipe, easy to find ingredients and easy preparation. Thanks for sharing!
These meatballs reminded me of my(recently deceased) aunt Nuncy’s recipe- she used to put larger chunks of Italian bread soaked in milk and some mozzarella bits in hers, then baked on a full sheet pan. When I was young, we couldnt visit her without sitting at the table and eating some meatballs and sauce. What great memories you stirred up!
any recommendations for tweaks on this recipe if im not using lean pork/beef? does it need more egg/breadcrumbs as a binder?
Carol – What exactly are you planning on using? No meat at all?
How many is this recipe supposed to serve?
The flavor was VERY good. I used 85/15 ground chuck. However, even after baking them, draining the grease, and simmering them in marinara they were SO HEAVY. I might want to a mix of beef and ground chicken next time to decrease the fat. Also, salt content is a bit much.
I DO like them, don’t get me wrong. I just need to modify a bit so they are not in my stomach 6 hours later!
Jessica – I would say it serves about 4.
Excited about making them, but curious to know the sauce you serve with it.
I found one of yours on this site, but it calls for italian sausage.
What would you make to go with these meatballs?
Thank you!
Jerrilyn – You could use that sauce recipe, just leave out the italian sausage. I usually cheat and get a can of spaghetti sauce from the store 🙂
truely classics. authentic. great recipe.
Me & my 11 year old daughter made these with my grandmothers Mothers Spagetti recipe and they go together so nice, thanks for the recipe
ps awesome pics too, Sincerely, Anna,Md
Wat other recipes u have? Tryin out the meatball recipe, waitin 4 outcome, let u no da outcome
evelyn – many, take a look around. 🙂
I have made a very similar recipe to this. I used a little beef broth on the pan, and it made great “drippings” to add to my sauce, using the renderings from the meatballs and the broth. It only takes about a can to make two cookie sheet pans… and the bonus is that it helps the meatballs not to stick…
I made these last night, they were so flavorful! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe, I finally found the perfect meatball recipe, and the ingredients were so simple (which is what I was looking for) and easy to make too. I will definately be keeping this recipe and using it in the future. My picky daughter even loved them. I was wondering, what does the milk do in the recipe? I was a little unsure of adding it, so I only added 1/4 cup, and it started to look a little mushy so I stopped, but they still came out good. I also didn’t add the oregano or parsley, and only a little minced garlic but still wonderful.
christina – milk is used to keep them from drying out. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
This turned out to be the best meatball recipe I’ve every tried. I used beef with veal instead of pork. I will try pork next time. I also opted for 1/2 the salt. Rather than baking, I chose to simmered them separately in a generic pasta sauce. I didn’t use my cherished homemade sauce in case the fat drippings changed the flavor. They were so delicious. My family insists we have ended our search for the perfect meatball. Thanks for this!
Yes, these are indeed the best! Made them last night and the family raved over them.
Thank you.
I’m very new to the whole concept of home cooking and preserving food in the fridge/freezer (my husband and I order out every night). How long are the meatballs good for in the freezer? Also, are regular ziplock bags enough? Or will I need to get the freezer types? Lastly, if I have leftover spaghetti, how long will that last in the fridge? *sorry for my ignorance on the basic stuff
I am planning to cook meatball tomorrow. I will use ground turkey instead, should the cooking time be adjusted? Can I just simmer meatballs in sauce for 40 mins? The taste is still great, right? Thanks!
Cindy – I would say you can keep the meatballs for up to 3 months frozen. Regular ziplocks should work just fine but I am not positive. I personally do not like left over spaghetti noodles, if they are more than a day old, I would make new ones. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe.
Wendy – Yes, you can just simmer them for 40 minutes.
I totally enjoyed this receipe, it is great and easy to make.
this is an awesome recipe. i made these for my mother for mothers day. by far the best meatballs ive ever had. i added a 1/4 cup chopped onions for a little extra flavor. but what a great meatball. thank you!
Hi i just had a question, could you brown the meatballs in a frying pan with a little oil and then add them to the spaghetti sauce?
Johnny – Yes, you can.
Just wanted to let you know your the best!! I have made these for my gf like 4 times already… she LOVES THEM… and i always use your recipe and the always come out great… thanks again!!
hai..can i substitute the parmesan cheese with mozarella cheese?coz i had none..and may i know whats the different?thanks for your help.
miz_afzan – You could but the flavor and texture would be different. Parmesan cheese is finely grated and dry. Where as mazerella is going to melt. They are also of course, different flavors. Over-all, mazerella will taste good in these meatballs.
I LOVE DA MEATBALLS SO DOES DA KIDS!I MADE MEATBALL SANDWICHES AN THEY JUST MUNCHED THEM DOWN(;
I have made this recipe three times now, and my boyfriend absolutely loves them, and requests them! Awesome recipe! Thanks!
These meatballs are MAGIC! My personal tweak was to add the filling of 2 fresh italian sausages and use a big handful of chopped fresh italian flat leaf parsley. Oven baked in home made tomato sauce with chunks for fresh mozarella melting throughout, torn fresh basil leaves with scatter of parmesan on top.
These are easy and absolutely fabulous!! You could use these with myriad sauces, make little bitty ones for appetizers or big herkamer ones for a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Thanks for the great recipe!
Added a little spice (I’m from New Orleans) and these meatballs ROCKED!
Did this one last night with 1 lb. group turkey and 1 lb. groud italian sausage. Came out perfect, even our two picky boys ate it.
I love your recipe for Italian Meatballs. I substituted fresh oregano and parsley from the garden.
I bake these first so I won’t have so much grease from the meat in my sauce. Bake for twenty minutes, drain and add to sauce.
These balls were the greatest ever.I put fresh chopped herbs from my garden and the flavor was wonderful.
These were really good. I used 2-1-1 ratio of ground turkey to sweet Italian sausage to ground chuck. I used half-n-half instead of milk because I didn’t want to use skim (what we usually drink). I added some fresh spring onions and herbs from the garden and I thought that gave it a freshness.
When they were finished baking, I couldn’t stand to throw away all of that delicious fond (the brown bits in the bottom of the pan), so I made a milk gravy on the stove top right in my pan. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! These may or may not make it into the marinara sauce because they’re so good in their own gravy.
Thanks for a great recipe!
waiting for them to bake….looking good so far…first time making them…Wow great mix to work with…I was amazed i use my hands and I never touch raw meat….Thanks
Bobby,
My husband loved your meatballs and I was so lucky I found the recipe again. I am making them again tonight for dinner. Yes, I printed the recipe this time.
Thanks again
They ARE the best!! I thought “meatballs are meatballs”…….but these were great. Thanks!
Hey Bobby, Thanks so much for the recipe! The meatballs are amazing. The simplicity makes it an anytime meal and the flavor was perfectly balanced! Great job!!!!
Bobby,
I just read through the posts and I know you recommend baking the meatballs, but if I bake them as stated in the recipe for 25 minutes, do I still simmer them in the sauce for 40 minutes, or less? I am making them for the 2nd time tonight, and both times I have browned them in pan with olive oil, then slow cooked w/sauce in crock pot.. but next time I would like to try baking them. I am just not sure how long to cook them, is there a way to tell if a meatball is done. I have just been guessing with the crock pot. Thank you!
I tried the recipe and we all loved it..specially my son! Thanks a lot! 🙂
T – Sorry, This comment got sent my spam folder. You can either bake for 25 minutes or simmer for 40, you would do one of the other, not both. What is good to do is a combination of baking and simmering. You could brown them in the oven and then finish cooking them with a simmer in the sauce.
Four year old approved!!! Delicious! Instead of the ground beef/pork I used ground turkey. They were wonderful. I have been unsuccessful in the past at making meatballs that actually held together-these were perfect. I will definitely make them again!
Thank You for a great recipe. I hate to spend time scouring the internet for a recipe only to pick one that winds up being average. Your testimonial won me over and I tried them. This is the best meatball recipe I have ever made. I also love that it makes a large batch. I baked some for dinner and froze the rest. I love to cook in bulk like that.