Juicy, tender, and full of flavor, this easy meatball recipe is made with ground beef and pork, a handful of seasonings, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. This is one you’ll want to make again and again!
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Tender and juicy with a rich, savory flavor, a hint of garlic and herbs, and a cheesy parmesan finish.
- Difficulty: This meatball recipe is easy with just 3 steps: mix, shape, and bake!
- Freezing: You can bake these meatballs right away or make a big batch and freeze them for easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredient Tips for Mouthwatering Meatballs
- Meat: Use a combination of beef and pork. A little fat keeps them juicy, so I recommend lean ground beef (80/20). Try them with ground turkey or chicken, or swap in veal, lamb, or even a bit of Italian sausage for extra flavor.
- Egg: Helps hold all the meatball ingredients together so they don’t fall apart while cooking. It also adds a little moisture and helps make the meatballs tender.
- Breadcrumbs: Seasoned breadcrumbs add flavor, but you can use any breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs.
- Milk: Milk gives these meatballs a tender texture, and mixed with the breadcrumbs, it keeps the meat from being too dense.
- Onion: Adds flavor. It can be replaced with frozen diced onions, onion powder, or dehydrated onions if you don’t have fresh onions.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese flavor the meatballs. Add extra seasonings like red pepper flakes or basil.
Tasty Meatball Recipes
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Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound lean ground pork or additional ground beef
- ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup finely diced onion *see note, or ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently mix until combined.
- Shape the meat mixture into 48 meatballs, approximately 1 ½ tablespoons each, and place on the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160°F.
- Serve with tomato sauce if desired.
Video
Notes
*Onion: For a milder flavor, soften the onion in a skillet with a little bit of butter before adding it to the meatballs or replace it with ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
Sauce: To serve with pasta sauce, stir the cooked meatballs into the desired amount of sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes on the stovetop.
- To freeze, prepare as directed and freeze on a baking sheet before or after baking. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 4 months.
- To bake raw frozen meatballs, add 6 to 10 minutes to the cooking time and ensure the meatballs reach 160°F.
- To heat cooked meatballs from frozen, add them to a skillet with ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer until heated through, for 10 to 12 minutes, adding more water as needed.
- To heat cooked meatballs in pasta sauce, add ½ cup of water to the sauce and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 235 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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Love this recipe it is my where to go too
Keep up the great recipes . .