No matter what new recipe I create, these classic Italian Meatballs will always remain my family’s absolute favorite. These meatballs are tender, juicy, and made with simple ingredients for the best flavor. Serve them over spaghetti, baked in a sub, or with some zoodles for a healthier dinner.
THE BEST ITALIAN MEATBALLS
When I say that this is my most famous (and the most asked) recipe, I’m not exaggerating. Just about every one of my co-workers and family member have tried these meatballs and immediately asked how I make them.
Every party that we host, I have to include this as an option no matter what else I make. All of my family and friends fell in love with these meatballs at first bite and it’s the only recipe they now use.
As a matter of fact, this was one of the first recipes that I posted on this site 7 years ago, when I first started my blog. Through the years, I’ve posted hundreds of recipes and this is still the first one my husband asks for.
I wanted to resurrect this classic dish from the years of newer recipes and share it with all my new readers. It’s a dish worth re-sharing over and over again.
TIPS FOR HOMEMADE MEATBALLS:
For juicy, tender meatballs it’s best to combine ground beef and ground pork together. Ground beef on it’s own can be tough and dry, adding pork will give you juicier and softer texture.
When choosing ground beef, don’t get lean ground beef but get about 85% lean to 15% fat ratio. (It will say the lean to fat ratio right on the package label.)
Either bread crumbs or milk soaked bread can be used. I prefer to use milk soaked bread because there is something about this old traditional way that creates a tastier, more tender meatball.
Finely dice yellow onion and press fresh garlic for the meat mixture to infuse more flavor and again, it will create the best texture over using powder onion and garlic.
Adding fresh herbs will give you more flavor in the meatball as well rather than dried herbs. Fresh ones are more potent than dried.
When choosing marinara sauce, use your favorite one. Whether it’s homemade or store-bought, your favorite sauce will always taste the best to you.
For the last flavor enhancing step, add sauce when the meatballs are only about half way cooked and then finish cooking them in sauce.
HOW TO SERVE IT:
The most classic way to serve Italian meatballs is of course, over spaghetti. You can’t get more traditional or comforting meal than that.
Second place goes to the Meatball Sub. Click on the link to get the best recipe for a delicious, comforting sub.
You can always cut the leftover meatballs and make a Cheesy Meatball Dip.
If pasta is not your friend, you can serve meatballs with a side of mashed potatoes or rice.
For a healthier options, serve them over zoodles,quinoa, or in a lettuce wrap.
MORE EASY RECIPE TO TRY:
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The BEST Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 thick slice of whole wheat bread soaked in a little milk (milk squeezed out)
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 cup yellow onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tbsp fresh basil minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley minced
- 3 cups Marinara sauce (24 oz jar)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil for cooking
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh basil minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced onion, pressed garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in large mixing bowl. Squeeze out the slice of bread, break it up, and add it to the bowl. Mix everything very well.
- Preheat a large cooking pan that is also oven-safe over medium heat. Add a little oil for cooking meatballs.
- Grease your hands with some cooking spray. Scoop out some meat using a cookie scoop and roll meatballs. (You can make meatballs bigger or smaller according to your own preference. Just remember to adjust cooking time if making bigger or smaller meatballs.)
- Roll all the meatballs before adding them to the pan. Once all the meatballs are rolled, add them to the hot pan.
- Cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes, then flip.
- Pour marinara sauce over the meatballs and slowly stir.
- Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes.
- Add a little more minced basil over the top once the meatballs are done.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally posted on Will Cook For Smiles on March 4, 2011. Updated May 27, 2020.**
Megan says
These sound delicious. My hubby loves meatballs.
megan
craftycpa.blogspot.com
Mayje says
Look and sounds so yummy! – Bloghopping from C.R.A.F.T! Have a nice day!
Miz Helen says
Your meatballs look delicious. Thank you for sharing and you have a great day!
shopannies says
we love recipes like this at my house believe I will save recipe and share it with my family
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says
This looks yummy. I need a link to my party added in your post please. Not just on the sidebar. No one knows what party you are linked, too. Thanks for joining WUW.
Humble Homemaker says
Hi! I hope you are having a wonderful day. I loved this recipe so much that I featured it on Yummy Thursday over at Humble Homemaking. Thanks so much for sharing your inspirational recipe! Head over to the link below to check it out and collect your featured button. 🙂
Humble Homemaking
Christy says
i do love a good meatball…i think i would stuff 2 or 3 of those bad boys into a roll and chow down. boy am i craving these now! thank you for sharing with tuesday night supper club.
Grace says
WOW!!! We made these the other night and they are AWESOME!! Even my extremely picky 9 year old loved these. Thank you so much for sharing. I am new to your blog and cannot wait to cook more of your recipes 🙂
lyuba says
This makes me to happy! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Amanda Meyer says
Lyuba thanks for this recipe, my boyfriend looooooves meatballs! We can make these together! 🙂
lyuba says
He will be happy then 😉 It would be such a fun date night!!
These meatball have been popular at every party I’ve ever brought them. Thank you, Amanda!!
Andy says
We
Andy says
My wife and I loved the recipe! She is not a fan of meatballs but with these she is hooked. We did a “Godfather” dinner and enjoyed them and then a few months later cooked up some of the meatballs we froze and made meatball subs. OMG! Thanx for the recipe!
lyuba says
Haha, that’s awesome!
I’m so glad she liked them 🙂 that makes me happy!
Amanda Meyer says
These are truly the best homemade meatballs ever! My boyfriend and I both agree 🙂 Thanks for a wonderful recipe Lyuba!
lyuba says
Awe, thank you, thank you, thank you!
And thank you for coming to tell me!
Connie S.Macmillan says
I made these today! They’re in the oven right now. I can’t wait to try them! Will let you know how they turned out later. I usually put cheese in my meatballs so I’m curious to see how these come out tasting…
lyuba says
Thank you, Connie! How was it? You can definitely add Parmesan cheese to it right inside if you wish 🙂
Veronica Venable says
I am making now and I just realised no where in the recipe does it say how much salt and black pepper to use. So do I assume it’s a.dash ???
lyuba says
Hi Veronica!
I really hope you enjoyed the meatballs! I don’t usually put how much salt and pepper because people have such different salt and pepper tolerance. Even in my own family, we like different amounts of salt. It’s easy to adjust the sauce because you can taste it but in meatballs, I always estimate. And remember, it’s better to under-salt because you can always add more but you can’t take away 🙂
Emerson says
This is very similar to recipes I’ve made over the years for stuffed cabbages or meatballs. Very very good and very close. To my homemade. The pork or ground lamb is the thing that holds them together and keeps them tender I just add a little bread and a little milk and eggs it works fine for me.
lyuba says
Thank you, Emerson!
You reminded me of stuffed cabbage and now I really want some 🙂
Milisa says
Seriously delicious comfort food. My guys would eat this every night of the week!
lyuba says
I hope you will like it as much as your boys 🙂
Christy Denney says
These meatballs look so good!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Christy! I hope you will like the taste as much 😀
Erin says
I am such a sucker for meatballs and these are perfect!
lyuba says
I’m so glad you liked them, Erin! These are my family favorite as well 🙂
Nicole Jacobs says
Hi!
Do I leave the lid on when I put them in the oven?
Rachel says
I have the same question but figured it was just me who was uncertain.
Bev says
I normally don’t comment on recipes even if they are 5 stars but I had too.
Made these meatballs tonight and they were beyond fantastic.
I added grated parmigiana reggiano to the meatball mixture & used dried basil because I didn’t have fresh.
Super easy one pot recipe since the covered pan goes into the oven.
Will definitely make more and freeze.
Pam says
Confusing video. You have us preheat oven and say to “bake” for 20 min but you show frying pan in which you have seared them. As if that’s how you complete the task. But you have to transfer to baking pan to put in oven do you not? Why skip final step? If we’re making them in frying pan why did we preheat an oven and use term “bake”?
Paul says
Oven safe pan on stovetop to start….Finish in oven…”Preheat a large cooking pan that is also oven-safe over medium heat.” Hope that helps,making these today
lyuba says
Hello Pam!
I’m sorry, the video is a bit fast I can see how it can be confusing.
Paul is correct, you start on the stovetop by searing the meatballs and then, after adding the sauce, the meatballs in the pan go into the oven to be baked. Make sure to use an oven-safe pan that can go from stovetop to oven (no plastic handles and that can go into high heat).
Sheila says
I made these tonight and they were delicious,!! I wouldn’t change anything about this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
lyuba says
I’m so happy to hear that, Sheila! Thank you 🙂