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.
If you’re looking for an authentic Italian-American meatball recipe to serve with spaghetti or pasta, 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!
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 good 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:
1. Put the ground pork and beef in a large bowl. 2. Combine with a fork or your hands until blended.
3. Put the bread pieces in a bowl, cover with milk and soak 5 minutes. 4. Add the egg yolks, cheese, garlic and salt and pepper. 5. Mash with a fork to make a coase paste (panade).
6. Add the bread mixture and parsley to the ground meat. 7. Blend together with your hands or a large fork until evenly mixed. Hint: You can also use a standing mixer on low speed to mix.
8. Form into 1/4-cup portions with an oiled cookie scoop or measuring cup. 9. Expert tip: Lightly form into balls without overworking the meat, which will toughen the texture of the meatballs.
10. Cook meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until browned all over, then cover the pan, lower the heat and cook 8-10 minutes. 11. To bake meatballs: Arrange on an oiled baking sheet and bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees, turning halfway.
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 over spaghetti, or your favorite pasta.
- 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.
- Check out my recipe for ricotta meatballs, a light and fluffy version of Italian meatballs.
Classic Italian Meatballs (Tender and Juicy!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (54 g) fresh breadcrumbs, from 1-2 slices white bread (crust removed)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup (50 g) grated pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon (8 g) salt, or 2 teaspoons Diamond brand kosher salt (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef chuck
- 1 pound (450 g) ground pork, or veal
- ¼ cup grated onion, optional
- ⅓ cup (30 g) chopped parsley, or basil
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the milk over. Let them soak for 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mash together to form a coarse paste.
- Put the beef, pork and onion (if using) in a large bowl and mix with a fork to blend. Add the bread mixture and parsley. Blend everything together well, using your hands, large wooden spoon or large fork. You can also mix in a standing mixer on low speed, just until blended. The meatball mixture can be mixed and refrigerated 2 days ahead of shaping and cooking.
- Form the meatballs: Use a ¼-cup measuring cup or cookie scoop to portion the mixture and roll lightly into balls. They don’t have to be perfect — craggy meatballs have character and hold the sauce better!
To cook on the stovetop:
- Pour enough oil into a large skillet to coat the bottom and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add as many meatballs as will fit in the pan without crowding. Note: They should sizzle as soon as they hit they pan or the pan isn’t hot enough.
- Brown the meatballs on all sides. Cover the pan, lower the heat and continue cooking and until the meatballs are firm and cooked through (165 degrees on a instant thermometer), which should take about 15 minutes total. Repeat the frying with remaining meatballs, pouring out the oil and adding a fresh layer each time.To finish cooking in tomato sauce:If you'd rather finish cooking the meatballs in tomato sauce (my preference), transfer them to a pot of simmering sauce just after browning on all sides. Simmer until they're cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
To bake the meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Arrange the meatballs on an olive-oiled coated rimmed baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, then turn the meatballs over with a spatula or pair of tongs. Continue baking until nicely browned and cooked through, another 10-12 minutes.
- Serve the warm meatballs with marinara sauce or your favorite prepared tomato sauce.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim off the crust from one or two slices of hearty white bread. Tear or slice the bread into small pieces or pulse in a food processor to make coarse pea-size crumbs.
- To use 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.
- Note on salt: Kosher salt has a larger grain than regular table salt. Because the granules are fluffier than fine salt, there’s less salt per volume in a teaspoon of kosher salt than there is fine salt. The brand of kosher salt that I use for all recipes on this site is Diamond Kosher. If you use Morton kosher salt or another brand of kosher salt other than Diamond, reduce the amount of salt specified by one-half.
- Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen up to 2 months.
- An electric standing mixer is handy to blend the meat and seasonings if you’d rather not do it by hand.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
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Fantastic! Probably the best meatballs I’ve ever had. The recipe is well written and the options are explained well. I used fresh bread, 1.5 pounds of beef and a half pound of sweet italian sausage for the meat, and I included the optional onion. I cooked them as described in the oven in a large pyrex casserole with a heavy pour of olive oil.
This is a fantastic recipe. I suggest rolling your meatballs and refrigerate them for about hour so they don’t deform as easily.
Best meatballs I’ve ever made and I make a good meatball. Family loved them
These were very easy to make and very delicious.
I think this was the best batch of meatballs I’ve ever made and I used ground venison. The breadcrumb mixture really makes them so tender!
Can I simmer the meatballs in the spaghetti sauce that I’m using for spaghetti?
Yes, absolutely! You can reduce the frying time by about 5 minutes, then transfer the meatballs to your sauce. Enjoy!
This is the best easy recipe for real Italian meatballs, I have made it several times and always comes out great,I never liked making meatballs before,but with this recipe and a cookie or ice cream scoop,it’s a breeze,Thank You! Dennis A.
I have made these several times abd they are easy to make and delicious.
My only substitution was using meat loaf mixture.
The original recipe is 16 meatballs but the Nutrition info doesn’t say what the serving amount is…the number of meatballs that equal the nutrition figures.
Will you please clarify this. THANK YOU
Dolores – The nutrition info is for one meatball (I just updated to make that clearer). So happy you enjoy them!
OMG!!!! I’ve always liked meatballs and have had them at many restaurants and have made them myself a few times. I liked meatballs, but never really loved them.
I made your recipe today. I used Italian sausage instead of the pork , used ground 80/20 beef and used whole eggs and added grated onion.
These are to die for!!!! I’ve never had another meatball that could come even close! Totally juicy and luscious! These are the only meatballs I will make from now on! Excellent!!
They sound amazing! So happy you enjoyed them Bethany
Decided to try this recipe today to make meatball subs for the game and they were huge hit with my family! This will now be my go to meatball recipe. Thank you!
While in Italy they had raisins in the meatball and it was magnificent
Best meatballs I’ve ever made! This will be the only recipe I use from now on!
They look fantastic — thanks for sharing Paula!
Delicious 😋 I have never had homemade meatballs this good! Family loves em! Thank you for sharing
These were absolutely delicious and tasted very authentic. Love loved this recipe thank you!!
These are the best meatballs!!
Good recipe. With food prices so high in the last yr or 2, I now sub ITALIAN sweet or hot TURKEY SAUSAGE. Same texture as veal, BUT cheaper & more flavor.. Just reduce the salt. To remove casings off Turkey Sausage links, easier, just run a THIN SHARP KNIFE down the center of the links in a SHALLOW cut, then peel.
Thanks – great tip!
Tried the recipe today and loved it, however added a few more seasonings also added onion, and Bell peppers. Needless to say meatballs came out perfect and juicy will definitely make again!!!
Looks wonderful – thanks for sharing!
Which tastes better….baked or pan fried meatballs? Both sound delicious. Your favorite?
I prefer them fried and then transferred to the simmering sauce!
Me too. Takes a tad more time and clean up…..but tastes better. Finish cooking in the sauce.
Absolutely loved this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Made these tonight for the first time. I’ll definitely be adding these to the rotation. These were the best I’ve ever had!