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Home / Recipes

Italian Meatballs

1 hour 10 minutes
4.74 from 30 votes
7 Comments
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
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by: Joanna Cismaru
02.18.21

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pin for italian meatballs.

These Italian Meatballs come complete with marinara sauce and are a classic comfort food! Juicy meatballs made from scratch, smothered in a delicious homemade marinara sauce. Serve over pasta for the perfect Italian dinner.

italian meatballs with sauce in a white bowl.

During the winter, one of my favorite things to make for dinner are meatballs! Not sure why but I associate meatballs with winter food, it’s probably because of how comforting they are!

Easy Baked Italian Meatballs

  • Easy To Make
  • Simple Ingredient List
  • Juicy & Flavorful
  • Versatile & Comforting
  • Baked Not Fried
  • Come Complete With Marinara Sauce

These meatballs are so simple to make, but they are full of flavor! This recipe requires a simple list of ingredients and very little effort, making it perfect for weeknight meals! Who can turn down a bowl of meatballs in marinara sauce?

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of all the ingredients needed for italian meatballs.

Meatballs

  • Meat – I used ground beef but many times I like to use a combination of ground pork and ground beef. Feel free to use one or other, or chicken or turkey!
  • Breadcrumbs – For these Italian meatballs I chose classic Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, but plain or even Panko breadcrumbs will work. These are going to help bind the meatballs together.
  • Egg – The egg is also going to act as a binding agent for our meatballs.
  • Parmesan Cheese – I recommend using freshly grated parmesan.
  • Seasoning – Smoked paprika, chili powder (optional), salt and pepper.
  • Milk – Any type will do! Dairy or non dairy.
  • Basil – Dried basil is what we need for this recipe! You can also add other herbs such as dried parsley or oregano.

Sauce

  • Butter – I always use unsalted to control the sodium level!
  • Onion And Garlic – Essential flavor enhancers to any homemade sauce.
  • Tomato Sauce – This is the base for our marinara sauce.
  • Sugar – To balance the flavors in the sauce, it helps cut through the acidity from the tomatoes.
  • Beef Broth – You can substitute this with some good red wine.

How To Make Italian Meatballs

process shots showing how to make italian meatballs.
side by side shots of before and after baking italian meatballs.
  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Make Meatballs: In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together so that everything is well incorporated. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls. Use a small cookie scoop to make this easier. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Make Sauce: In the meantime melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium, add chopped onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Stir in the tomato sauce including the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Add the meatballs to the saucepan and make sure to toss them around a bit they are fully covered in sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve: Serve with mashed potatoes, spaghetti or your favorite side dish.
process shots showing how to make sauce for italian meatballs.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

What Type Of Meat Can I Use?

I’ve made meatballs out of chicken, turkey, beef, and pork! Any of these proteins can be used, just keep in mind the more fat in the meat, the juicer the meatball! Pork and beef are most commonly used because of how fatty they are, which is why some people may find chicken or turkey meatballs dry. It all depends on the type of meat and cook time!

Can I Make These In Advance?

Absolutely! Meatballs are great to make ahead and freeze for easy future meals. Scroll down to “storing” section for full instructions on how to store your meatballs and sauce in the freezer!

How To Serve

Serve over pasta for a classic spaghetti and meatball dinner, over mashed potatoes, or eat the whole bowl as is! However you choose to serve these Italian meatballs, it’ll be a winning dinner for sure.

italian meatballs in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon and garnished with parsley.

Tips

  1. Make sure when you’re cooking your garlic, not to burn it! This will throw the entire flavor of the dish off.
  2. You can use different proteins such as ground pork, ground chicken or turkey, or you can even combine them.
  3. Feel free to incorporate any of your favorite spices/seasoning to make these to your liking!
italian meatballs with sauce in a white bowl.

Storing

These Italian meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.

Freezing

You can also freeze these meatballs with the marinara sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

italian meatballs in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon and garnished with parsley.

More Great Recipes To Try

  • Meatball Parmesan
  • Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
  • Healthy Turkey Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
  • Cheesy Chicken Meatball Rolls
  • Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

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italian meatballs with sauce in a white bowl.

Italian Meatballs

4.74 from 30 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 1 hr 10 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 7
Print Pin Rate
These Italian Meatballs come complete with marinara sauce and are a classic comfort food! Juicy meatballs made from scratch, smothered in a delicious homemade marinara sauce. Serve over pasta for the perfect Italian dinner.

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1½ lb ground beef
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chili powder optional
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp pepper or to taste
  • 1 tsp dried basil

Sauce

  • 3 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2½ cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup beef broth or red wine
  • ¼ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp pepper or to taste
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Make Meatballs: In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together so that everything is well incorporated. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls. Use a small cookie scoop to make this easier. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Make Sauce: In the meantime melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium, add chopped onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the tomato sauce including the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Add the meatballs to the saucepan and make sure to toss them around a bit they are fully covered in sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Serve: Serve with mashed potatoes, spaghetti or your favorite side dish.

Recipe Notes

  1. Recipe yields around 28 meatballs. Nutritional information assumes 4 meatballs and sauce per serving.
  2. Make sure when you’re cooking your garlic, not to burn it! This will throw the entire flavor of the dish off.
  3. You can use different proteins such as ground pork, ground chicken or turkey, or you can even combine them.
  4. Feel free to incorporate any of your favorite spices/seasoning to make these to your liking!
  5. These Italian meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
  6. You can also freeze these meatballs with the marinara sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1servingCalories: 327kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 15g (5%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mg (36%)Sodium: 992mg (43%)Potassium: 722mg (21%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 753IU (15%)Vitamin C: 8mg (10%)Calcium: 148mg (15%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Keyword:italian meatballs
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Rachel says

    February 21, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    5 stars
    We just made these for dinner and they were SO GOOD! I always thought meatballs would be super difficult but this was pretty easy! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      February 22, 2021 at 9:51 am

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Debbie Smith says

    November 17, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! Everybody here loved it – we’ll definitely be making it regularly. Love your recipes, Jo! So many have been incorporated into our menu. 🙂

    Reply
    • Fenne Kieken says

      November 17, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      Thanks Debbie, I love to hear back from followers who try the recipes and enjoy them. Have you tried the swedish meatballs yet? Yum!

      Reply
  3. Carol says

    August 7, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    This looks delicious, just like the dinner had during my culinary tour of the Amalfi Coast with Delectable Destinations.

    Reply
  4. Jenny says

    October 3, 2014 at 1:12 am

    I have tried many times to make meatballs….without success. I made these and omg they were amazing….thank you so much Jo, your the best.

    Reply
    • jo says

      October 3, 2014 at 1:46 am

      Thank you Jenny! I’m so glad you liked them 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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