Baked Beef Italian Meatballs
*This post may contain affiliate links. See our affiliate policy here.
Homemade baked Italian meatballs are tender, savory and packed full of flavor. This is a cozy dinner that makes the best homemade meatballs.
My grandma was Italian, so I grew up with meatballs and pasta at every family gathering and holiday. There was always a giant platter on the table that had pasta of some sort, Italian sausage and the best meatballs in the world. One of my most vivid memories of my Grandmother is her insisting that there be “baked ziti with a side of Meatballs” for the kids, no matter that she had made a delicious ham too or Italian sausage and peppers. Sometimes if we were lucky jumbo ground beef stuffed shells.
This is my grandma’s easy meatball recipe, and it’s a little different from my pork and zucchini meatball recipe. Whether you are making meatballs for your big Italian family or meal prepping ahead for quick and easy weeknight dinners, these meatballs will become a family favorite in your house too.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Baked Beef Italian Meatballs
- Cozy Family Dinner– Tender, savory meatballs make a delicious dinner whether you are having them with spaghetti or as meatball subs.
- Meatball’s Freeze Well– Make a double or triple batch and freeze. Then when it’s dinner time jsut drop the meatballs in some tomato sauce. Or you can also freeze leftover meatballs for later.
- Meal Prep Made Easy– A little meal prep makes and easy dinner for any busy week.
- Picky Eater Friendly– Meatballs are usually a winner for dinner with most kids.
Ingredients For Beef Italian Meatballs
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- lean ground beef
- dried oregano
- garlic powder or granulated garlic
- onion powder
- salt
- pepper
- breadcrumbs Italian or plain
- milk
- egg
- olive oil
- tomato sauce
How To Make Italian Beef Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add ground beef, oregano, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
- Place the breadcrumbs in the milk and allow them to sit for a minute to soften and absorb some of the milk. Sdd the breadcrumbs to the meat mixture. This milk and breadcrumb mixture is called a panade and helps to keep the meatballs soft and tender.
- Crack an egg and add the egg to the meat mixture.
- Cover your hands with the olive oil generously to keep the meatball mixture from drying out when you mix the meat. Mix the meat just enough that the breadcrumbs and spices are distributed well into the mixture, but not to overmix. Using your hands over a spoon also helps you to keep from overmixing the meat.
- Once the meat is mixed, with oiled hands portion the meat into about twelve equal sized meatballs. Give the meatballs a quick and gentle roll. Then place each meatball on the sheet pan, leaving about 2 inches between meatballs. You want the meatballs to be in a single layer with space in between.
- Bake meatballs for 18-20 minutes. Flip the meatballs after about 10-15 minutes to help them to brown more evenly. Baked beef meatballs should be cooked all the way through and no longer pink in the center.
- While meatballs are cooking, place tomato sauce in a covered pot with a lid on the stove and heat through until it is simmering.
- Toss meatballs in the tomato sauce, and enjoy hot. Top with parmesan cheese or fresh herbs, and serve over spaghetti or as meatball subs.
Can I Use Ground Sausage In This Recipe?
Adding ground sausage or ground pork can add a lot of flavor to baked Italian meatballs.
Usually, if I am adding ground pork I’ll cut them with half beef and half sausage. Making a double batch makes it easier to substitute in half pork. If using Italian sausage in casing remove the casing before adding to the meat mixture.
Can I Use Ground Turkey In This Recipe?
You can use ground turkey in these meatballs. Again I usually will personally do half turkey and half either beef or pork. Turkey tends to be a little drier than sausage is. Mixing ground turkey half and half with another meat such as pork or beef can help make sure you have tender meatballs.
Both the egg and panade in this recipe will help keep ground turkey tender but for best flavor and tenderness I recommend using a mix of turkey with another ground meat for a good meatball.
How Do I Store Meatballs?
Once cool, meatballs can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
You can store meatballs in the sauce or without the spaghetti sauce.
Can I Freeze Meatballs?
Yes, meatballs can be frozen. Often when I am making meatballs I will double or even triple the recipe to freeze extras as they make a delicious meal for busy nights.
Store frozen meatballs in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3-4 months. I usually store meatballs without the sauce so I can reheat them in whatever sauce I choose. While I love a good Italian red sauce, this italian pink sauce is also delicious with meatballs.
When it’s time to eat you can simmer Italian meatballs from frozen in the sauce in a covered pot on the stove until hot all the way through. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to heat meatballs this way.
You can also place meatballs in a slow cooker on low until heated all the way through. It generally takes between two and a half to four hours on low to heat meatballs in a sauce. Meatballs can also be kept warm with the keep warm setting on a slow cooker for up to three hours.
What Is A Panade And How Does It Keep Meatballs Tender?
A panade is a mixture of breadcrumbs soaked in milk. A panade forms a soft mixture that softens ground meat and ensures that your meatballs are tender.
When ground meat cools after cooking, the proteins in the meat can tighten. This can cause moisture in the meatballs to be pushed out as the protein tightens. Most of us have seen this happen with burgers on the grill as we watch hamburger patties shrink as they cook.
Adding a panade keeps the inside of your meatballs tender and delicious. Having an egg in the recipe also helps to ensure the meatballs stay tender. Don’t skip the panade step though, to make sure your meatballs are delicious.
More Recipes You Will Love
Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Homemade Garlic Knots
Easy Italian Wedding Soup
Mom’s Classic Meatloaf
Baked Italian Beef Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs Italian or plain
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 24 ounce tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add ground beef, oregano, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
- Place the breadcrumbs in the milk and allow them to sit for a minute to soften and absorb some of the milk. Drain any excess milk from the breadcrumbs and add them to the meat mixture. This milk and breadcrumb mixture is called a panade and helps to keep the meatballs soft and tender.
- Crack an egg and add the egg to the meat mixture.
- Cover your hands with the olive oil generously to keep the meat mixture from drying out when you mix the meat. Mix the meast just enough that the breadcrumbs and spices are distributed well into the mixture, but not to overmix. Using your hands over a spoon also helps you to keep from overmixing the meat.
- Once the meat is mixed, with oiled hands portion the meat into about twelve equal sized meatballs. Give the meatballs a quick and gentle roll, then place each meatball on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between meatballs.
- Bake meatballs for 18-20 minutes. Flip the meatballs after about 10-15 minutes to help them to brown more evenly. Meatballs should be cooked all the way through and no longer pink in the center.
- While meatballs are cooking, place tomato sauce in a covered pot with a lid on the stove and heat through until it is simmering.
- Toss meatballs in the tomato sauce, and enjoy hot.
Notes
- This recipe makes 12 large meatballs or 18 smaller meatballs. You can cut them down in size and make smaller meatballs but they will cook faster in the oven. Start checking them after about 10-15 minutes of cooking if making the meatballs smaller.
- If serving as meatballs subs, I recommend rolling a smaller meatball as they stay on the bun a little easier.
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Very tasty! I used ground turkey. Also, used an ice cream scoop and never had to get my hands dirty. 🙂