Italian Baked Meatballs

This go-to, foolproof basic Italian baked meatballs recipe will quickly become a family favorite. Beautifully browned on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, they are super versatile, with or without sauce.

I’ve been making these baked Italian meatballs for years. A whole lot of years! They are my absolute favorite meatballs! I use them in everything. I also include them in my Sunday gravy.

The fact is that I’m a sucker for a good meatball. Something extraordinary happens when you mix otherwise dull ground meats with softened bread, herbs, seasonings, and bits of extra ingredients.

Much like Authentic cannelloni, chicken Scarpariello, or steak pizzaiola, just the smell of a pot of Sunday Gravy and baked meatballs simmering on the stove still comforts me and warms me deep inside on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

What I Love Most About This Recipe

• They’re so tender and juicy.
• They’re loaded with so much flavor.
• They freeze beautifully.
• They make amazing meatball sandwiches. One of my all-time favorite foods in the whole world ♥

Baked Meatballs VS. Fried

The reason that meatballs are traditionally fried is to create a crusty exterior and a moist, tender inside, but we found that baking them at a high temper yields the same result! 

Pan-frying meatballs in a skillet creates the desired crusty exterior but, it has to be done in batches so it takes a lot longer than our baking method.

Frying also creates a mess, splattering oil all over the kitchen – nobody needs that!

At What Temperature Do You Bake Meatballs?

Intuitively, you might think that to achieve tender, moist baked meatballs 350°F (177°C) is where you’d set your oven. But for this Italian herb baked meatballs that is entirely too low!

The meatballs need to be baked at a high temperature of 475°F (246°C) will brown the outside and create the desired “crust” just like a fried meatball. The crust helps to seal in the moisture and keep the meatballs tender and delicate.

It also makes them a bit sturdier if you’re adding them to a big pot of sauce.

How Do You Know When Meatballs Are Done

Check the internal temperature of the baked Italian parmesan meatballs with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the probe into the center of the meatball. It should read an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

How To Make Italian Baked Meatballs In Marinara Sauce

1. In a large mixing bowl, add milk and bread and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Mash.
2. Add cooled onion mixture, ground beef, sausage, Parmesan, eggs, salt, and pepper, and knead until ingredients are well combined. Form mixture into 2 1/2 inch meatballs. Bake
3. Transfer meatballs to the pot of sauce and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley!

**See the full instructions below

How to Store and Make Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Cooked baked Italian sausage and ground beef meatballs can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Can You Freeze Baked Meatballs? Yes! And the good news is that they freeze very well! Cooked and cooled meatballs can be stored in an airtight container or in a food storage bag. Both options work well and the meatballs will last up to three months in the freezer.
  • For a fresher taste, try using a vacuum sealer. After storing the meatballs, close the bag or container tightly and label it with a permanent marker indicating what type of meatballs they are and the date they were frozen.
  • If you want to be able to just grab as many meatballs as you need, you can flash-freeze them on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
• Make-Ahead Tips: Cook the meatballs ahead and go to the refrigeration or freezer route.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

Serving Recommendations

Honestly, for me, just about anything! Baked meatballs in the sauce are an obvious no-brainer.

If you don’t have time to make a Sunday Gravy, simple homemade Marinara sauce, or crockpot spaghetti sauce don’t miss out on these meatballs! They’re really good served even with a commercial-premade Marinara sauce.

I serve them sliced in a delicious hearty sub sandwich or in oven-baked spaghetti and meatballs or tossed with whatever red sauce I have on hand over penne pasta.

Then, on the side, garlic bread or copycat Olive Garden breadsticks, a simple green salad tossed with my amazing, easy-peasy, balsamic vinaigrette or fully loaded Meditteranean salad rounds out the meal perfectly. 

Recipe Notes for Oven Baked Italian Meatballs:

• Onions and Garlic: Our Italian baked meatballs are a little unique and different than most because we sauté our aromatics before adding them to the mixture. Instead of the stronger, pungent smell of raw vegetables, you’ll have a sweeter, mellower, and smoother flavor. This step also helps marry the flavors in the meatballs. The picture below shows you the size I chop my onions.
• Meat Combo: The flavor really is in the fat! A combination of fattier meats (80/20) like beef and pork will yield meatballs that are more tender and more flavorful. When making baked meatballs turkey can also be used, but be careful not to overcook them as they can become tough. When seasoned properly, baked turkey meatballs are delicious.
• Sausage: Yes, please remove the casing before mixing the sausage in!
• Italian Seasoning: Typically consisting of dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage, this is the seasoning I use when I want real Italian flavor. And it’s all in one jar. The exact herb combo will vary between manufacturers. This combo also works well when making turkey meatballs baked in the oven. BTW This is one of the most used jars in my spice rack.
• Use Two Rimmed Baking Sheets: Don’t crowd the meatballs on the baking sheet – the space between them is important for even cooking and browning. Spread them out so they have a minimum of 2-2.5 inches between them I use two half-sheet baking trays to make this recipe.
• Line Your Baking Sheets: When creating this recipe, I once forgot to line my baking sheets and I sure was sorry!  Use foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. You can thank me later.
• Don’t Overwork the Meat: You just want to knead the mixture until it is well combined so your meatballs aren’t tough. The only tool you need for this is at the end of your arm.

Secret For The Best Ever Moist Meatballs

I’ve got a secret to making the best meatballs ever! You know meatballs that are moist, tender, and of course, not tough. The secret is employing a little French cooking technique known as panade. It helps food, such as meatballs and meatloaf, maintain their shape and stay moist. 

A panade just takes those bread crumbs and soaks them in milk to absorb the moisture and distribute it throughout the meat mixture. It’s a fancy term for a really simple process that produces yummy results!

If you look at the baked meatballs Giada makes or the baked meatballs Rachael Ray makes, you’ll notice that they add dry breadcrumbs to their meatballs. I feel that this method, using fresh, untoasted bread crumbs, made from simple white sandwich bread, works much better.

And finally, there are the baked meatballs Jamie Oliver makes, he uses smashed crackers as the binder. Try the panade. It really works! 

More Authentic Restaurant Quality Italian Recipes

• Pomodoro Sauce
• Roasted Tomato Pasta
• Stuffed Shells
• Baked Ziti With Ricotta
• Mostaccioli
• Chicken Murphy
• Cavatappi with Creamy Tomato Sauce
• Chicken Lasagna
• Chicken Riggies
• Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta

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Italian Baked Meatballs

This go-to, foolproof basic Italian baked meatballs recipe will quickly become a family favorite. Browned on the outside and tender juicy on the inside.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Serving:

• 4 cups homemade or commercial tomato basil sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 475°F (246°C).
• Heat olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Cook onions (1 ½ cups) until golden and very soft, 10-15 minutes. 
• Add garlic (6 cloves), Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon), and pepper flakes (1 pinch) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside and cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, add milk (3/4 cup) and bread (4 slices) and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Mash. 
• Add cooled onion mixture, ground beef (2 1/2 pounds), sweet Italian sausage (1/2 pound), Parmesan (1 cup), eggs (2), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and knead until ingredients are well combined.
• Form mixture into 2 ½ inch meatballs (you should have approximately 16 meatballs), place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until well browned. 

For Serving:

• Transfer meatballs to the pot of sauce (4 cups) and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley!

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Notes

1. Onions and Garlic: Our recipe is a little unique and different than most because we sauté our aromatics before adding them to the mixture. Instead of the stronger, pungent smell of raw vegetables, you’ll have a sweeter, mellower, and smoother flavor. This step also helps marry the flavors in the meatballs. The picture below shows you the size I chop my onions.
2. Meat Combo: The flavor really is in the fat! A combination of fattier meats (80/20) like beef and pork will yield meatballs that are more tender and more flavorful. When making baked meatballs turkey can also be used, but be careful not to overcook them as they can become tough. When seasoned properly, baked turkey meatballs are delicious.
3. Sausage: Yes, please remove the casing before mixing the sausage in!
4. Italian Seasoning: Typically consisting of dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage, this is the seasoning I use when I want real Italian flavor. And it’s all in one jar. The exact herb combo will vary between manufacturers. This combo also works well when making turkey meatballs baked in the oven. BTW This is one of the most used jars in my spice rack.
5. Use Two Rimmed Baking Sheets: Don’t crowd the meatballs on the baking sheet – the space between them is important for even cooking and browning. Spread them out so they have a minimum of 2-2.5 inches between them I use two half-sheet baking trays to make this recipe.
6. Line Your Baking Sheets: When creating this recipe, I once forgot to line my baking sheets and I sure was sorry!  Use foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. You can thank me later.
7. Don’t Overwork the Meat: You just want to knead the mixture until it is well combined so your meatballs aren’t tough. The only tool you need for this is at the end of your arm.

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