Italian Meatballs Recipe: How to Make Italian Meatballs
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 14, 2024 • 2 min read
Classic Italian meatballs are easy-to-make proteins that home cooks brown in the oven, then simmer in a traditional pasta sauce on the stovetop. Learn how to make a cozy, protein-packed dish that the whole family will enjoy.
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What Are Italian Meatballs?
Italian meatballs consist of a combination of ground meats (like pork, beef, turkey, Italian sausage, and veal), breadcrumbs, cheeses, herbs, and other pantry staples. Home cooks mold this meat mixture into little balls, bake them, and then simmer them in a simple marinara sauce.
Enjoy this classic Italian-American dish as an appetizer or main course. Try the protein on a meatball sub, on top of a plate of spaghetti, or with creamy polenta.
3 Tips for Making Italian Meatballs
Making this classic Italian-American comfort food is straightforward. Follow these tips to make the best Italian meatballs possible.
- 1. Experiment with ingredients. Adapt a classic Italian meatball to include your favorite Italian-inspired spices, dried and fresh herbs, cheeses, condiments, and breadcrumbs. Substitute lean ground beef for ground turkey for a lighter meatball. Use a breadcrumb mixture pre-seasoned with Italian seasoning for extra flavor. Finish the dish in a simple store-bought tomato sauce, homemade marinara sauce, or another Italian red sauce (like puttanesca) to complete the recipe.
- 2. Use a scoop for portioning. It’s important to keep the size of your meatballs consistent to prevent them from cooking unevenly. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to measure out the exact portion size of each meatball.
- 3. Store properly. Store cooked or raw leftover homemade meatballs in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer (with or without marinara sauce) for up to 3 months. Alternatively, freeze raw meatballs for later use by flash-freezing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer until they are solid, then transferring them to a freezer bag. Frozen raw meatballs will keep for up to 3 months.
Easy Italian Meatball Recipe
makes
35-40 meatballsprep time
20 mintotal time
55 mincook time
35 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed sheet pan (or two medium sheet pans) with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, using your hands or a wooden spoon, add the pork and beef and mix until they are well combined.
- 3
Add the breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, onion, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the meat mixture and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- 4
Using an ice cream scoop or your hands, break off a palm-sized portion of the meatball mixture and roll it into a 1½–2-inch meatball. Place the meatball on the baking tray and repeat this process with the remaining meat mixture, leaving 1 inch of space between each meatball.
- 5
Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the top of each meatball with a thin layer of olive oil.
- 6
Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake the meatballs until lightly browned, about 20–30 minutes. A meat thermometer should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted inside any of the meatballs.
- 7
While the meatballs bake in a large pot over medium heat, warm the marinara sauce.
- 8
Remove the meatballs from the oven and nestle them into the sauce. Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving them with pasta, polenta, or inside a meatball sandwich.
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