This Easy Meatball Recipe is the perfect staple for any kitchen! It’s easy to prep and these meatballs come out juicy and full of flavor every time.
These meatballs can be used for just about anything. Swedish meatballs, grape jelly meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, or even used as dippers or appetizers!
Meatballs are a classic recipe, perfect in soups, casseroles or meatball sandwiches. I make up big batches of meatballs and freeze them, adding them to a pot of boiling soup or into a bubbling pot of Marinara Sauce creates a homemade meal in minutes!
These easy meatballs are made with beef and pork for the perfect blend of flavors. You can use any ground meat including veal, lamb or sausage. If your meat is very lean (like in my Turkey Meatballs) I sometimes add a little bit of extra fat like a tablespoon of olive oil or some raw chopped bacon.
This meatball recipe adds both Italian Seasoning and a bit of parmesan cheese creating an Italian meatball flavor. If you’re using them in another recipe you can easily change the seasonings to match the ingredients in your dish.
The egg and breadcrumbs act as binding agents to help the meatballs keep their shape.
How To Make Meatballs
- Do Not Overmix:
- The trick to keeping meatballs extra tender and juicy is not over mixing when you combine the ingredients. Overmixing makes them tough so when making this meatball recipe, mix just until combined!
- Size Matters:
- Ensuring the meatballs are the same size will ensure they cook at the same rate. I use a cookie scoop to keep them even.
- Don’t be Lean:
- Making sure your meat has a bit of fat helps keep them tender. If you’re using extra lean meat, a dash of olive oil or fat can be added.
- Season and Flavor:
- In this meatball recipe Parmesan Cheese and Italian breadcrumbs add extra seasoning and flavor. You can change the seasonings or spices based on what you have on hand or how you’ll be eating the meatballs. For example, if you’re making sweet and sour meatball dish, you might like to change the Italian seasoning for ginger and garlic.
This meatball recipe makes about 48 meatballs which is perfect for parties. I like to batch cook them and put them in the freezer in a plastic bag. They can be reheated in the oven quickly to be enjoyed again!
How To Cook Meatballs
Meatballs can be cooked many different ways from pan frying to dropping them into boiling soup or sauce or baking them in the oven. My favorite way to cook them is to bake in the oven as there is no splattering, no flipping the meatballs and they come out perfect every time!
How to Bake Meatballs
Most meatballs will contain a bit of fat so lining your pan with foil is optional but makes cleanup a breeze. Preheat your oven and spray your pan (or foil) with cooking spray.
Roll the meatballs and place them on the pan about 1/2″ apart. Remember to try to keep your meatballs the same size so they all cook evenly.
How Long To Bake Meatballs
When you make this meatball recipe, bake them at 400°F for 18-20 minutes. I usually break one open to check for any pink color. A meat thermometer inserted into a meatball should read 165°F.
Meatballs are pretty forgiving when it comes to oven temperature. If you have something else in the oven at a different temperature, you can add them in and keep an eye on the meatball temperature.
How to Freeze Meatballs
Once cooked and cooled, these meatballs can be frozen for quick meals on busy weekdays! Simply place them on a baking sheet and freeze for a few hours. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to a few months.
More Meatball Recipes You’ll Love
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs – Reader Favorite
- Juicy Lucy Meatballs
- Cheddar Meatball Poppers – Party Appetizer Idea!
- Mac & Cheese Stuffed Meatballs – Kids LOVE this recipe!
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole with Meatballs
Easy Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup onion diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup parmesan shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until just combined.
- Shape mixture into 48 meatballs, approximately 1 ½ tablespoons each.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Thanks for helping me make my first meatballs last year. Your recipe is now my go-to for delicious meatballs everyone like with plenty of leftovers for lunches.
Very easy and turned out great!
I want to make sweet and sour meatballs for New Years Eve. How much ginger should I use if replacing the Italian seasoning?
If using fresh ginger, I would suggest about 2 teaspoons per pound. If using dried ginger, I would suggest about ¼ teaspoon.
First time making homemade meatballs and the recipe was so easy and they turned out delicious!
easy and delicious!! thank you
Undoubtedly the best meatballs I have ever made or eaten!! So flavorful! So easy to make! I used parchment paper to bake them on, so cleanup was a breeze! Definitely will make again!
Best meatball recipe!
Holly- Your recipes are superb! They are not only tasty but time efficient to prepare and practical.
I’ve made a number of recipes with the latest being Swedish meatballs just yesterday. Excellent- I used ground almonds as a substitute for breadcrumbs to deal with my wife’s gluten intolerance.
Thank you so much Dave, I’m glad you have enjoyed the recipes. Great tip on the almonds!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My only edit was I used Italian sausage with the ground beef. Will certainly make this again!
I made this recipe and used ground turkey instead of what it called for. I was both surprised and amazed at how easy it was to make them and how delicious they came out. I recommend this 100%
Loved this! We omitted the pork for these as we didn’t have any and they came out great
These are great meatballs. I love making a big batch to freeze. They make great meat accompaniment, for leftover sides when you don’t want to cook. Pop a few out of the freezer, heat and eat. I do use “milk soaked”, bread instead of breadcrumbs because I think that makes a moister meatball, and on occasion, I make them without any Italian seasoning or cheese, (instead I use some other basic seasonings), so they will be a bit more versatile for other type meals.
Do yourself a favor and freeze a batch or two. You’ll be glad you did.
I definitely second freezing a batch or two. It is so nice to have on hand and they freeze perfectly. Glad you enjoyed them too, Jesse!
These are delicious. I make them at least once a month now. My kids rave about them.
i luv meatballs
Oh my goodness! Who knew I could make meatballs! Probably made them at least 6 times now – even brought them to our Christmas (finger – food) at the in-laws! Thank you so much for sharing! Love all your recipes!
These are REALLY GOOD!! I substituted 2 slices of day-old bread for the Italian crumbs and used fresh minced garlic rather than powdered. Used a Ice cream scoop for the meatballs (about golf-ball size) 19 total. These are some if not the best I have ever had/made!! Defiantly a Keeper
How long did you bake them?
Hi Olivia, we bake these for 18-20 minutes as listed in step 4. Hope that helps!
Can I make this recipe with just ground beef and no Pork?? Does that change the measurements of the rest of the ingredients?
You sure can, nothing else will need to change.
Would you need to double the amount of ground beef then?
Yes, you will need 2 pounds of ground meat in this recipe. So if not using ground pork you will want to increase the amount of ground beef you are using instead.
Excellent meatballs. I only changed it by using 2 garlic cloves. The flavor is amazing. Fresh parsley certainly added to the flavor!
That post was supposed to be 5 star.
Best meatballs ever. To make them lower carb i used 2 slices of 1 net carb bread toasted. Minced dried onions. Half and half instead of milk. 1 T. of Italian seasoning(I misread the recipe) 2 T of minced garlic,1/8 cup of dried parsley. So good and quicker than I thought. It made 48 meatballs. I used a 1T measuring spoon and just mounded it a little. I used a low carb marinara and soy bean pasta. I couldn’t make myself put those delicious meatballs in the sauce to simmer, so we ate them on the side. I just had a meatball sandwich for lunch. 10 star recipe even though I didn’t have the exact ingredients
So happy you loved this recipe, Tena! It is a favorite for us too!