These easy oven-baked Italian meatballs are incredibly tender and juicy with irresistible flavors that will have you craving for more. Made with ground beef, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and parsley, these meatballs are seasoned to perfection and ready to be served in just 30 minutes!
The best Italian meatballs in the comfort of your home!
One of my favorite indulgences growing up was a plate of spaghetti and meatballs served at our small local Italian restaurant, which I still reminisce about to this day.
There’s nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of meatballs in marinara sauce served over spaghetti noodles, and coupled with a side of garlic bread, it was the perfect meal that I always daydreamed about.
The meatballs served at the restaurant were particularly larger in size and so unbelievably tender that every bite of the meatballs practically melted in your mouth, and it was truly one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
At the beginning of my cooking journey, I would often resort to buying frozen meatballs from the store to complement my quick weeknight meals.
It wasn’t until when I started to make them at home that I realized how easy they actually are to make, and how insanely delicious they are when made from scratch.
Although there are countless different methods to make meatballs, I personally wanted to share the best Italian meatball recipe I have developed over many sessions of trial & error.
These flavorful baked Italian meatballs are so tender that they practically melt in your mouth, and pair perfectly with a bed of pasta or in a scrumptious sandwich, to make up for the ultimate comfort meal to brighten your day.
What do I need to make melt-in-your-mouth Italian meatballs?
This Italian meatballs recipe calls for simple ingredients that are easily found in your fridge and pantry, hence why they are often my go-to for my emergency meals. Here is everything you’ll need:
- Ground beef: This recipe calls for all ground beef, but please feel free to add in a half ratio of pork, sausage, or veal if you prefer. Using fresh (not previously frozen) meat will produce the best results.
- Italian breadcrumbs: Many recipes call for day-old bread or plain bread crumbs, but I found that using seasoned breadcrumbs adds wonderful flavors to the mix all without the extra effort.
- Milk: I recommend using milk instead of water to soak the breadcrumbs, as whole milk adds more flavor and rich moisture than using plain water.
- This milk-and-bread paste is called a panade which is commonly incorporated into ground meats to keep them extra tender and moist during the cooking process.
- Based on your dietary preference, you can also use almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or low-sodium beef broth to soak the breadcrumbs instead.
- Egg: Adds extra moisture to the meatballs, and acts as a core component to bind the mixture together.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds heavenly, cheesy flavor to the meat mixture. I recommend using fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano for the best authentic flavor. I like to use my handy box grater to get the job done quickly & seamlessly.
- Onion & garlic: Many recipes call for sautéing these ingredients, but I personally find that so long as these aromatics are finely chopped, they blend in just perfectly to the mixture.
- Parsley: I highly recommend using fresh herbs, but if you don’t have them on hand, using dried parsley will work as well (for 1 tbsp of fresh herbs, use 1 tsp of the dried alternative).
- Salt + pepper: to season the overall mixture.
Tips & tricks to make the best homemade meatballs
Use as many fresh ingredients as possible.
Freshly packaged ground beef, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh onion and garlic (instead of powders), and fresh parsley will work best with this meatballs recipe.
Although it may not seem necessary, using high quality ingredients will produce the most flavorful results.
Try not to use super lean meat that has a low-fat percentage.
The fat is a core component in making the beef meatballs tender and juicy, in the same fashion as hamburger patties. I recommend using beef that is 80-85% lean to make the best meatballs.
Avoid overmixing.
Instead, mix them with your hands or a spatula until just combined. Overworking the mixture will result in tough meatballs.
Use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs.
Making equal-sized meatballs will ensure they are cooked evenly in the oven, and using a trigger release scoop also makes the overall process a lot easier. This recipe will yield about 12 large meatballs.
Wet your hands & gently roll your meatballs.
Working with damp hands will prevent the mixture from sticking all over your fingers, allowing you to work quickly with each meatball.
I also suggest gently molding the meatballs with enough pressure to hold them in place, as squeezing them too tight will result in dense meatballs.
Avoid overcooking.
For large-sized meatballs, they will take about 15-20 minutes at 400°F (200°C) depending on your oven.
Meatballs are done when they are golden-brown on the outside and register 165°F (74°C) in the middle on an instant-read thermometer.
If you are planning to serve them in marinara or cream sauce, I recommend simmering them lightly for about 15-20 minutes to release the flavors into the sauce, but not so long that they become too dry and overcooked.
Can you prepare meatballs ahead of time?
Baked Italian meatballs make for great make-ahead dinners and meal prep as they store well in the fridge or freezer. This recipe can also be easily doubled or tripled to be made in advance.
To freeze your meatballs, simply cook them as per regular instructions, and let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They will be good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
How do you reheat frozen meatballs?
To serve make-ahead meatballs, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and reheat them in sauce or in the oven for about 8-10 minutes at 350°F.
If you are in a time crunch, you can also microwave them on high for about 2-3 minutes or until they are fully heated through.
What to serve with meatballs
These Italian meatballs are also incredibly versatile and can be served in many different ways.
Some of my favorite ways to serve these gems are with spaghetti (highly recommend using a homemade sauce or a four-cheese sauce), in a meatball sub loaded with mozzarella cheese, as a topping on homemade pizza, or drenched in a savory cream sauce with some mashed potatoes.
The possibilities are truly endless, so please feel free to be creative with this!
In any way that they are served, these homemade Italian meatballs make for an excellent option for dinner, and one that the whole family can enjoy.
Can you make these meatballs in the air fryer?
Definitely! As pan-frying is not required for this recipe, you can certainly use an air fryer instead of an oven to cook your meatballs, without making any special adjustments to the recipe.
Especially for busy weekdays, using an air fryer can be an absolute lifesaver as it significantly reduces the cooking time and does not require any preheating in most cases.
To cook your meatballs in the air fryer, place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and cook them for 10-12 minutes at 400ºF (200°C) or until they reach an internal temperature of 165˚F (74°C).
Whichever cooking option you decide to go with, I promise you that this may be the best Italian meatball recipe you’ll have ever tried, all without the extra effort!
This is one of my most cherished recipes to date and one that has been highly requested on the blog, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. ツ
I hope you enjoy this easy & delicious meatballs recipe, and as usual, please feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram with any questions you may have. Happy cooking everyone!
Other easy Dinner recipes you may like:
- Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce
- Spicy Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- 10-Minute Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- 15-Minute Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
- The Best Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 lb ground beef or your choice of meat
- 1/4 medium onion finely diced or grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add Italian bread crumbs and milk. Combine well and set aside while preparing the other ingredients, for at least 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, salt, black pepper, parmesan cheese, and parsley to the breadcrumb mixture, and mix with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Portion onto the prepared baking sheet (using a cookie or ice cream scoop will make it easier). Wet your hands with water, and roll meatballs into 2" diameter balls.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165˚F (74°C). Remove from oven and drain off any excess fat. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Notes
♥ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a comment below to share your experience, or tag @cookerru on Instagram to showcase your creations!
347 comments
These meatballs are my new go-to! Tasty and moist. Salty enough, but not overly salted. I was afraid they would fall apart, but they did not! Thanks. YUM! I tripled the recipe and am freezing a bunch. Best meatballs I have made!
Friggin delicious.
Best meatballs ever taste good texture is amazing and goes well with any sauce or on its own!!
I made your delicious meatball recipe. What flavor!!! Easy to prepare. Thank you for sharing .
This is a great recipe! I made them tonight in advance for family that is coming for Christmas, and I think they’ll really enjoy them. Loved that I could do them in the oven and not get my stove all dirty. I had 2 meatballs for dinner tonight and even without any sauce on them they were delicious. I added 1 more clove of garlic as I like things like this to have more of a garlic flavor. Definitely will keep this recipe and make it again.
To tell you the truth I need MORE STARS!!
I can’t give enough STARS for a recipe that comes out as TASTY and Delicious every time. Thanks again.
BEST EVER MEATBALLS
I made these for my Sicilian (very particular) in-laws and they devoured them like they were cheesecake!! Everyone said they were the *best* meatballs they’ve ever had! That went down as a highlight in my life reel I’m going to make these anytime I want to impress people.
So yummy! Melt in your mouth!
Thank you so much firm and tasty
Positively the best meatballs …. Ever!
I made them yesterday for our Christmas dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. They were “melt-in-your-mouth” amazing! For lunch today we had meatball sandwich on French bread! My husband is still thanking me!
Very tasty recipe. Next time, I would decrease the salt to less than a teaspoon, since the Parmesan adds saltiness. I used panko instead of breadcrumbs. I suggest you add the milk last, in case you want to use less because you want the meatballs moist but not wet. I also used Italian seasoning instead of dry parsley because it’s what I had.
Excellent, they do melt in your mouth!
Unbelievable
Excellent meatballs! The only thing I had to do was add more bread crumbs because the mix was a little too wet (might have been my fault). But cooked perfectly, tasted just the way you would expect a good meatball to taste. Thanks for the recipe – will definitely be making again!
These were delicious! I will be making these again and again!
These meatballs were melt in your mouth and had amazing flavor! Thank you for a quick, easy and delicious recipe!
Great meatballs, I tried this for the 1st time. Definitely will utilize this recipe again.
Excellent meatball recipe, I have used same recipe and used half pork half beef and also very good. I cut down on the salt a little but otherwise perfection. Great to make a huge batch and freeze.
Best meatball recipe EVER! I have tried many & this gets requests from my family all of their time. So easy for such fabulous taste..won’t disappoint!
Hey, simple and good, and the air fryer is awesome. Have one, but never thought of using it – duh.
I’m experimenting with a meat grinder to give the beef-pork mixture I use a finer and more mouth-friendly texture. The meat grinder was in a box under the Christmas tree under today, and it most friendily grafted on to our Kitchen Aid mixmaster – who knew!
I’m lookin’ forward to these meatballs tonight…
Made this recipe 5 different times for different guests and have had raves every time. All have agreed on them being the best meatballs ever !
I JUST LOVE THIS RECIPE. THE MEATBALLS CAME OUT SO NICE AND TENDER. THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!
really yummy!
absolutely the best !
The meatballs are great. Since I don’t use milk at all, 1/4 cup buttermilk, which was the only thing I was able to drink as a baby during the war in Holland…I had panko and used herbes de Provence for spice. It turned out great.
DELICIOUS!!
So much flavor, whole family loved them.
Fabulous recipe! Yum. For my version I used Panko bread crumbs seasoned with dried Italian herb mix and salt. Also I pan fried the meatballs to brown 2 sides, then oven baked them. YUM!
I just love, love, love these meatballs and they are now the only recipe I make. My daughter also now makes these for her family. Big hit! Tender, tasty, perfect. Thank you!
I’m always looking for a simple but delicious meatball recipe and this is defiantly it they are perfect. My husband is a full Italian and he’s use to his mom frying them and he even said their delicious but still wanted me to fry some thank you for sharing a great recipe this will defiantly be my new go to!!
Best meatballs I ever had!
Best meatball recipe. I have been trying for years. Finally found the right one.
FANTASTIC RECIPE!!
love these meat balls we make them once a week in my house now thank you
best everrrrrr as always superb!!!
Best meatballs I’ve ever had! My son cannot have dairy so I used almond milk and No Parmesan, but everything else was exact to the recipe. I love that it only takes 20 minutes to cook. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe.
Awesome what else can you say when your mouth is full!
Excellent,just like mom used to make
great recipe, I use three different ground meats, but use the info in the recipe as it is printed. Have used this recipe many time, it comes out perfect, family loves, easy to work.
I have never made good meatballs….ever.
These are amazing and I am So Happy!
Thank you Thank you!!