These Italian meatballs are the ultimate side that's flavorful and juicy. This meatball recipe is great for a quick weeknight meal with spaghetti, as an appetizer, or as part of an amazing weekend dish. Make these meatballs ahead of time, freeze extra for later, bake or sautee.
We decided to take the extra effort on our meatball recipe and these are definitely not lacking in flavor as most recipes we tried over the years. Pair these meatballs with Marinara for a Meatball Sandwich or appetizer, or try it with our Pasta Sauce (gravy).
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Ingredients
- Ground Chuck - We prefer 80/20 for moist meatballs
- Italian Pork - Italian seasoning helps with flavoring
- Italian Bread Crumbs - We like the added flavor of Italian bread crumbs. Bread crumbs replaces fresh bread found in some recipes.
- Eggs - Helps hold the meatballs together. 1 egg for each pound of meat.
- Garlic Cloves/Powder - Flavoring throughout.
- Salt/Pepper - Enhances flavor.
- Fresh Parsley - Adds color and flavor.
- Cayenne - Slight amount of spice.
- Heavy Cream - Rich heavy cream adds to the delicious flavor.
- Parmesan - Richness of meatballs. 1 cup for each pound of meat.
- Basil & Oregano - Adds flavor to the amount of meat in this recipe.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. (To fry see directions below photos.
Prepare all ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Mix ingredients with hands. Makes for no more than 2 minutes.
After all ingredients are mixed, prepare baking sheet with silpmat/silicone mat covered with parchment paper (preferred) or non-stick cooking spray.
Use a medium cookie scoop (#40) to form meatballs. Pinch edges to seal but do not compact meatballs. Place 1' apart on prepared baking sheet.
Makes approximately 35 meatballs, depending on the size of scoop used.
Cook Method:
Bake at 400°F for 17-19 minutes.
Sautee: In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons oil. When warm, add meatballs and turn every 2 minutes. Remove when meatballs reach 160°F, using an instant-read thermometer. Cook approximately 8 minutes.
Serve on sandwiches, with pasta, or as an appetizer.
Hint: Flavor is superior when browning in the frying pan, however, healthier version is the baked method.
Substitutions
These variations have not been tested and are not intended to be part of the recipe. Feel free to make adjustments according to your liking and please try the original recipe to rate the recipe. Please let us know your favorite variation in the comments.
- Meat - instead of Beef or pork you can use turkey, all pork or all beef.
- Bread Crumbs - instead of bread crumbs, you may use panko instead. We have not tried gluten-free.
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes into the meatballs.
Equipment
Instant read thermometer - Find My Thermapen One Here. Find Midprice Option Here.
Medium cookie/Ice cream scoop - #40 Medium Size Scoop, Find it here.
Silpat/Silicone Mat - Find it Here.
Parchment Paper - Find precut paper here.
Storage
Freezer Friendly - place uncooked formed meatballs on parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer for approximately one hour. Remove and place in a baggie, removing air. Good for one month. Remove, cook to suggested 160°F.
Make Ahead- place uncooked formed meatballs on parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator up to six hours ahead of time.
Top tip
Oven vs pan frying is a matter of preference. If baked, utilize time on cooking pasta or other side dishes to pair with this recipe.
Italian Meatballs
- Total Time: 25-34 minutes
- Yield: 35 1x
Description
These Italian meatballs are the ultimate side that's flavorful and juicy. This meatball recipe is great for a quick weeknight meal with spaghetti, as an appetizer, or as part of an amazing weekend dish. Make these meatballs ahead of time, freeze extra for later, bake or sautee.
Ingredients
1 lb 80/20 Ground Chuck
1 lb Italian Pork
⅔ cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper -optional
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Parmesan, grated
2 teaspoons Basil
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons oil
Instructions
Bake Method: Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix ingredients with hands. Mix for no more than 2 minutes.
Prepare baking sheet with silpmat/silicone mat covered with parchment paper (preferred) or non-stick cooking spray.
Use a medium cookie scoop to form meatballs. Pinch edges to seal but do not compact meatballs. Place 1' apart on prepared baking sheet - if baking.
Bake at 400°F for 17-19 minutes.
Sautee: In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons oil. When warm, add meatballs and turn every 2 minutes. Remove when meatballs reach 160°F, using an instant-read thermometer. Cook approximately 8 minutes.
Serve on sandwiches, with pasta or as an appetizer.
Notes
Freezer Friendly - place uncooked formed meatballs on parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer for approximately one hour. Remove and place in a baggie, removing air. Good for one month. Remove, cook to suggested 160°F.
Make Ahead- place uncooked formed meatballs on parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator up to six hours ahead of time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-19 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake or Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Italian Meatballs:
Josh says
These have a very good flavor and not dry.
Brandi Dawn's Kitchen says
Glad you like them!