Italian Baked Meatballs

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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 love that this easy meatball recipe creates a great crust on each meatball without me having to stand over a frying pan with hot, splattering grease to create it! Skip the frozen meatballs!! You won’t believe just how delicious these are.

I’ve been making these baked Italian meatballs for years—a whole lot of years! They’re my absolute favorite meatballs! I use them in everything, including 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 (super easy new method!), 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.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• They’re so tender and juicy.
• No Grease Splatter All Over The Kitchen!
• 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 ♥

SECRET FOR THE BEST MOIST + TENDER 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 soaks bread crumbs in milk to absorb 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 or Rachael Ray make, 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.

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

BAKED MEATBALLS VS. FRIED

Meatballs are traditionally fried to create a crusty exterior and a moist, tender inside, but we found that baking them at a high temperature 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 these Italian herb baked meatballs, that is entirely too low!

The meatballs need to be baked at a high temperature of 475°F (246°C), which 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).

BAKED ITALIAN MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS

• Oil: We use olive oil.
• Onion: Yellow onions work best.
• Garlic: Please use fresh garlic, not the stuff that comes pre-minced and suspended in that awful-tasting liquid.
• Herbs: We make it easy by using Italian seasoning, a fabulous herb blend containing all the herbs you’re looking for in Italian flavor.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: This adds a bit of heat. Increase, decrease, or omit for your own personal taste.
• Bread: We use white sandwich bread. Sourdough bread makes delicious breadcrumbs. Skip the Panko breadcrumbs; plain sandwich bread is cheaper and healthier.
• Milk: We like whole milk best for flavor.
• Beef + Sausage: We love this combo! Some recipes call for ground pork, but we like the flavor our pork Italian sausage adds. No ground veal in our recipe,
• Cheese: Parmesan to be exact! Grated seems to work best in the meatballs.
• Eggs: This binds our ingredients together and helps them hold their shape.
• Salt + Pepper: Good old table salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
• Garnish: Fresh herbs are a wonderful topping for these cooked meatballs! Fresh basil or fresh parsley are my fav’s.

RECIPE NOTES FOR BAKED ITALIAN MEATBALLS RECIPE

• Onions and Garlic: Our Italian baked meatballs are a little unique and different from 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 flavorful. When making baked meatballs, lean ground beef or ground 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. By the way, this is one of the most-used jars in my spice rack.
• Use Two Rimmed Sheet Pans: 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 was so 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.

STORING + FREEZING + 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 grab as many meatballs as you need, flash-freeze them on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
• Make-Ahead Tips: Cook the meatballs ahead and go the refrigerator 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 our Sunday Gravy, simple homemade Marinara sauce, or crockpot spaghetti sauce will work very well. Don’t miss out on these meatballs! They’re really good, and they are even served with a commercial-premade Marinara sauce.

I serve them sliced in a delicious, hearty sub sandwich, 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 a fully loaded Mediterranean salad rounds out the meal perfectly. 

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN BAKED MEATBALLS

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. Scoop 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

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
• Chopped Italian Sandwich

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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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 1332kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 76g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 41g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 360mg | Sodium: 2523mg | Potassium: 1593mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1239IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 566mg | Iron: 9mg

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