Classic Italian Meatballs (Tender and Juicy!)

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A 30-minute family-style meatball recipe with thousands of 5-star reviews! This recipe makes a batch of tender, juicy Italian-American-style meatballs to serve up to 6 people. Bake the meatballs in the oven or cook on the stovetop. Serve them with quick homemade marinara or your favorite sauce.

If you’re looking for an authentic Italian-American meatball recipe, these juicy beef and pork meatballs are the real deal. Based on my mother’s recipe, I can honestly say this recipe makes the best homemade Italian meatballs ever.

These easy-to-make meatballs are made with ground beef and pork, strewn with fresh parsley, garlic and grated cheese. But the “secret” to good meatballs comes down to their juicy, delectable texture. And that is the result of including soft, milk-soaked breadcrumbs.

My mom’s stellar meatballs really set the standard. For Sunday dinner, she would serve a large platter of meat that had spent the better part of the day braising in the “gravy” — a/k/a rich, long-cooked tomato sauce. I always made a beeline for those meatballs.

Like any childhood comfort food, a good Italian meatball represents a time, place and taste that never fails to be delicious. Sure, give me a big bowl of pasta carbonara and I’ll be happy. But I’ll still want a meatball!

• Ingredients
• How to make and cook meatballs
• Best meat to use in meatballs
• How to freeze meatballs
• Breadcrumbs in meatballs

Best meat for Italian meatballs

To make the juiciest, tastiest meatballs, our family stands by using cuts of meat that have generous fat marbling. This old-school meatball recipe uses an equal mixture of beef and pork.

• Ground beef chuck: We’re not talking generic ground beef here. Look for ground chuck, which has 15-20 percent more fat than lean beef and makes the best meatball.
• Ground pork: Ground pork usually comes from the meaty pork shoulder, also called Boston butt or pork butt, and has more fat than meat from the loin.
• Ground veal (optional): There are many old-school traditional meatball makers who swear by an equal mix of beef, pork and veal. By all means add it to your mix, if that’s you!
• Italian sausage: I sometimes make meatballs with bulk Italian sausage meat instead of pork. Since it’s already seasoned, use about 1/2 teaspoon less salt.
• Ground turkey: If you’re not into red meat, you can make very delicious turkey meatballs with ground turkey. I recommend using turkey thigh (dark meat) for the best flavor.

About the ingredients

• Meat: Some say that it’s more old-school for traditional Italian cooks to use a combination of beef, veal and pork to make meatballs (and you can too). Because ground veal isn’t as readily available, I prefer to use a half-and-half mixture of ground beef and ground pork for the best texture and flavor. If possible, buy meat that’s freshly ground in the store. I find it releases less water, and it’s definitely fresher-tasting than vacuum-packed ground meat.
• Fresh bread crumbs: This is a key ingredient to use as a binder in light, tender meatballs, fresh breadcrumbs have more moisture than the fine dry breadcrumbs that come in a can. You can just use a slice or two of good white bread, with the crusts removed and the bread torn into small pieces.
• Milk: Use dairy milk or a full-fat plant based milk to blend with the breadcrumbs — this is called a “panade”, which is basically a mixture of starch and liquid that makes the meatballs light and moist inside.
• Egg yolks: Eggs help bind the meat and other ingredients.
• Grated cheese: My first choice is sharp, salty pecorino Romano cheese (our family is southern Italian) but you can also use freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• Garlic: Please use fresh garlic, and grate it with a rasp grater, finely chop or use a garlic press.
• Fresh herbs: 1/3 cup fresh Italian flat leaf chopped parsley or basil (or a mixture of both), roughly chopped. Dried herbs will work in a pinch — use 2 teaspoons.
• Olive oil: Use a good everyday olive oil or extra virgin oil.

How to make fresh breadcrumbs:

I’m going to be honest with you — good breadcrumbs are key to a great meatball. Fresh crumbs made from are my top choice because they’re light, moist and fluffy, which is the texture you’re going for in a tender meatball.

Trim off the crust from a few slices of hearty country or Italian-style bread. Tear the bread into large pieces and pulse in a food processor until you see coarse pea-size crumbs or just tear them into pieces with your hands.

If you don’t happen to have fresh breadcrumbs on hand, you can still make great meatballs using these options:

• Dried breadcrumbs: Adjust the amount to 1/3 cup instead of the 1/2 cup of fresh crumbs. I recommend unseasoned dried breadcrumbs. If yours are seasoned, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/2 teaspoon.
• Panko: Use the full amount (1/2 cup), adding more by the tablespoon if the mixture doesn’t hold together.
• Gluten-free breadcrumbs: Fresh or dried will work fine, following the tips above.

How to make meatballs, step by step:

How to freeze meatballs

• Cool the cooked meatballs completely.
• Arrange them in a freezer-proof container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
• Label the container with the contents and date.
• Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then gently heat in your favorite tomato sauce on the stovetop.
• Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen up to 2 months.

Serving ideas

• Serve these babies as a dinner entree with your favorite long pasta or short pasta shapes. Sauce with homemade marinara, spicy arrabbiata sauce, or your favorite red sauce.
• Make a meatball sandwich! Slice leftover meatballs in half, layer them on a large roll and top with grated melting cheese (such as mozzarella, provolone or fontina). Heat at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes.
• Serve them as a starter or appetizer with a sliced baguette.

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Raisins in meatballs?

Funny story: In my family, I learned that each person’s meatball is as unique in form as their own fingerprint. It was always immediately apparent to me when someone other than my own mother or grandmother had shaped meatballs and surreptitiously slid them into the family gravy pot.

One Sunday gravy incident traumatized me for life. I can’t remember the distant relative who’d prepared them, all I know is this: One hopeful bite of her meatball revealed something dark, chewy and slimy-sweet, an alien nugget that could only be… a raisin.

A raisin. Who would go and put a raisin in an innocent-looking meatball? And why? Later, my mother explained to me in a stage whisper that it was because great aunt Carmella was Sicilian. Ohhh.