Meatball Sub Recipe

4.63 from 40 votes

Meatball Sub is a hot delicious sandwich packed with tender Italian meatballs, marinara sauce, and gooey, melted Mozzarella Cheese. I'm sharing lots of tips to make my famous Meatball Subs right at home.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: lunch, Main Course, sandwich

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: (3 subs)

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

For Meatball Subs:

3 deli hoagie rolls
12 Italian Meatballs (12-15 meatballs)
1/2 cup Marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups thick shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tsp dried oregano

For Homemade Meatballs:

1/2 lb ground beef 85%/15% preferably
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg
1 thin slice of whole wheat bread soaked in milk squeezed
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves pressed
1 tbsp fresh minced basil
1/2 tbsp fresh minded parsley
1/2-1 tsp kosher coarse or sea salt to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce TO COOK meatballs (homemade or store-bought)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Homemade Meatballs:

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced onion, parmesan cheese, 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.
Try to mix quickly but thoroughly.
Expert Tip: Grease your hands with some cooking spray.
To get even meatballs, use a cookie scoop. I use #40 scoop but you can use a slightly larger one. Try to keep the meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. (You can make meatballs a little bigger or smaller according to your own preference. Just remember to adjust cooking time if making bigger or smaller meatballs.)
Quickly roll all the meatballs and place them on a parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Preheat a large cooking pan that is also oven-safe over medium to medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive or avocado oil for cooking meatballs.
Add all meatballs to the pan. Sear the meatballs for a couple of minutes, then flip. Let them sear on that side for a few seconds and pour in marinara sauce. Transfer into the oven and bake the meatballs for 18-20 minutes, depending on the size.

To Assemble Meatball Subs and Bake:

Slice hoagie rolls in the middle, on top, but not all the way through. Place hoagies in the baking dish or rimmed baking sheet side by side. Depending on the dish, you may need to lightly grease it.
Spread a couple of tablespoons of marinara sauce on the bottom of each hoagie and sprinkle some fresh grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
Depending on the size of the hoagie roll and size of the meatballs, you can fit 4-5 meatballs in each roll. Place the sauced meatballs inside the roll, side by side.
Generously spread shredded Mozzarella cheese over each hoagie and sprinkle some dried oregano.
Bake for about 15 minutes. (If using cold meatballs and marinara sauce, you would need to add about 5 minutes to bake time.)

Video

Notes

Quick Ingredient Swaps: Use store-bought marinara if needed or preferred.
Technique Clarifications: Cooking time of the meatballs may vary slightly depending on the exact size of your meatballs.
Party Serving Suggestions: For party-style subs, slice each finished hoagie into 3-4 smaller pieces and feel free to double the recipe.
Make ahead suggestion: you can cook meatballs and sauce ahead of time, store in the refrigerator, and assemble the subs when ready.

Nutrition