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Home » Eats » The BEST Italian Meatballs

The BEST Italian Meatballs

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These are the BEST Italian Meatballs! My Italian grandmother’s recipe, the word perfect doesn’t even begin to cover it. Check out the reviews on this recipe, your family will be sure to fall in love.

a close up of 6 meatballs on red sauce on spaghetti with fresh parsley as a garnish

This recipe for classic Italian meatballs is one of my favorites on my whole blog. Out of all the recipes I’ve posted, I am in love with this one perhaps most of all.

It is my grandmother’s recipe and just the pictures alone are enough for me to conjure up memories of sneaking meatballs out of the serving bowl before it was time for lunch.

My grandmother’s recipe, filled with her restless love, is the absolute best and I think the reviews on it back that claim up perfectly.

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Grandma started her amazing meatballs by soaking some Italian bread in cold water. Some simple white Italian sandwich bread works perfect.

Other recipes instruct you to soak the bread in milk. I tried that and it messed with the flavor. I’m sure Grandma did water because they were pinching pennies and milk has never been cheaper than water, but I really think it’s the way to go.

WHY SOAK YOUR BREAD IN WATER

I’ve since learned this:

When bread is soaked in liquid, it releases the gluten. The gluten wants to bond to a portion. When soaked in water it bonds with the protein in the meat, keeping the flavors of the meat in the meatball. This makes for a delicious meatball! When soaked in milk, it bonds with the protein in the milk instead.

Choose water!

overhead view of a clear glass bowl filled with meat, eggs, soaked bread, fresh parsley, and breadcrumbs to make Italian meatballs

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

Besides the soaked Italian bread, we have some other delicious and important ingredients:

  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Pork (see notes below)
  • Eggs
  • Soaked Bread (that has been well squeezed)
  • Breadcrumbs (yes, you need bread and breadcrumbs)
  • Parmesan
  • Garlic Salt
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley

USING GROUND PORK

It is really important to the flavor of the recipe that you use both ground beef and ground pork. If you use just one or the other, you won’t get the right taste.

Pro Tip! If you are only able to find a 1 pound package of ground pork, divide it in half and freeze the other half. It will freeze well for up to three months.

Though I bet you will make these again sooner than that.

close up of a parchment lined baking sheet where a cookie scooper has formed six Italian meatballs before baking

COMBINE INGREDIENTS AND SCOOP

I always use clean hands to mix up the meatball ingredients. You want to mix until they are just combined. No need to over mix.

After that I like to use a cookie scoop to make my meatballs. There are two reasons for this:

  1. It creates uniform meatballs, so they bake evenly.
  2. It’s a lot faster than pulling out meat for the meatballs by hand.

This is the cookie scoop I have. I love it.

a white bowl filled with spaghetti and topped with red sauce and five Italian meatballs

THREE DIFFERENT WAYS TO COOK ITALIAN MEATBALLS

There are three different ways you can cook your meatball recipe. They all come with their pluses and draw backs, so find the one that works for you. I’m going to start with the one that is in the recipe you can print.

COOKING METHOD ONE

  1. Put all of the rolled out meatballs on a cookie cooling rack and put that rack on a baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil.
  2. Bake the meatballs in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a meatball in the middle of the pan is cooked through.

Pro: It is clean and easy.  

Con:  You don’t get those crispy outside edges.

COOKING METHOD TWO

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and then fill it about a half of an inch full of extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Heat the oil and then brown the meatballs in batches, turning them after about two minutes.
  4. Transfer them to a baking sheet and finish cooking (about 10 minutes) in the oven.

Pro:  You get the crispy outside edges without deep frying them.

Con:  You have a two step process and that’s annoying.

COOKING METHOD THREE

  1. Fill your cast iron skillet almost an inch full of extra virgin olive oil and heat.
  2. Cook the meatballs in batches (about 10 around the outer edge).
  3. Cook for three minutes and then flip, cooking the second side for an additional two minutes.
  4. Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet.
  5. And then serve or keep warm in a covered baking dish in an oven set at very low heat.

If you cut into them immediately after removing from the oil they won’t be cooked, there is some carry over cooking that happens on the plate. You can put your mind at ease by using an instant read thermometer.

Pro:  They are ridiculously amazing with their crisp fried outer edge and their soft amazing inside.

Con:  It is very easy to over cook the outside while trying to get them cooked enough on the inside.

My grandma went with cooking method three, and she rocked it every single time. I loathe frying, so I always opt for cooking method number one. I skip the frying all together and bake them like in my Baked Turkey Meatballs.

HOW TO SERVE

Traditionally, Italians do not serve meatballs on top of spaghetti. Grandma put them in a big bowl in the middle of the table.

Even though Grandma served these on their own, but you can feel free to top your spaghetti with some homemade spaghetti sauce and then throw on these meatballs.

FREEZING

These meatballs do freeze well. Here’s how:

  1. After baking and cooling, place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  2. Put the baking sheet in the freezer.
  3. Flash freeze for 1 hour.
  4. Transfer the meatballs to an airtight container for up to three months.
These are the BEST Italian Meatballs! My Italian grandmother's recipe, the word perfect doesn't even begin to cover it.

WHAT TO SERVE THEM WITH

If you are making these for your family, here are some ideas of things that would help round out the meal.

My Zucchini Salad, has flavors that would compliment this well, and it’s very easy to make.

We almost always have Roasted Broccoli when we have meatballs.

Finally, I love this Arugula Salad Recipe so much, and it is super simple.

If you make this meatball recipe, I would be honored if you came back and let me know what you think. It’s such a treasured recipe.

Print Recipe
4.87 from 44 votes

The BEST Italian Meatballs

These are the BEST Italian Meatballs!  My Italian grandmother’s recipe, the word perfect doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings: 24 meatballs
Calories: 111kcal
Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chuck 85/15
  • 1/2 lb ground pork (unseasoned) If you can only get a pound, save half in the freezer.
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 4 slices of Italian bread 5 ounces
  • 1 cup bread crumbs I used Italian seasoned
  • 4 TBSP grated parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 2 TBSPs chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Soak the bread in cold water for about five minutes, ringing out the excess water and pulling the bread apart with your fingers.
  • Combine the meat, eggs, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread. Then add the dry bread crumbs, parmesan, garlic salt, and salt.
  • Using a cookie scoop scoop out the meatballs onto wax paper and then roll them into into consistent balls. Place them on a cookie cooling rack. Place that rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can cut into a meatball in the middle of the rack and not see pink.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 4.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 29.4mg | Sodium: 262.8mg | Potassium: 14.9mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 54.5IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24.5mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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Comments

    • They are perfect meatballs … especially made in the oven! In our stay-at-home world, I am trying to find different things to cook every night with a husband, son and grandson in the house. This was perfect with home made marinara and spaghetti! They (we) ate every last meatball!
      Thank you for the great recipe!

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    My daughter and I experienced the best Italian meatballs on a recent visit to London and your recipe was a perfect match! I agree with the frying–the crisp texture is fantastic–but I wanted to make a big batch for freezing and sharing and the skillet method would take too long, so here’s what I came up with: use the oven method (the double batch requires three large casserole dishes) and bake as instructed. Cool the meatballs just enough so you can put them on baking sheets to freeze and then transfer them to freezer bags in desired batch sizes. Here’s the great part—when you’re ready to use them, do a quick “fry” in a lightly oiled pan and you’ll be VERY close to the texture of the deep-fried version.
    Thank you for your wonderful recipe!! Cosi delizioso!!

    Reply

  4. Hi these look relish. I couldn’t find anywhere how many the recipe makes? I’m going to make meatball subs for 7 adults and one child. Thanks, can’t wait

    Reply

  6. I love Italian foods…each and every one of them. Ahhhh…pasta….meatballs. But I have a question with this recipe. Can you bake them, then plop them into a simmering sauce? My kids are notorious for going and “tasting” the meatballs in the sauce so I don’t hold out much hope of them getting onto the pasta! Love the recipe though.

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Best meatballs literally ever! These have quickly become a new family favorite and have made it to my recipe book! We fry them in a cast iron! Delicious!!! I just use beef because that’s all I have on hand but still amazing!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Almost the same as mine. They are most excellent. I do the first method and also hate frying. I use unbleached parchment paper on my baking sheet. A few more fresh herbs. I cook them in the sauce after draining and draining well in the paper towels so the sauce doesn’t have grease. Gonna look at any sauces grandma enlightened you with (?)! I’m not Italian just able to learn by taste.

    Reply

  11. Do you have a favorite Italian red sauce for the spaghetti and meatballs? My husband is Italian and I want to surprise him ????

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    I made these meatballs for dinner this evening and they are indeed special. My husband and son could not say enough good things about them. Thank you for sharing a treasured family recipe.

    Reply

  13. These are, basically, what my Calabrese grandmother made, with just a couple of changes. First she’d add 1/2 pound of ground veal, along with the beef and pork and, in place of the garlic salt, 1 – 2 cloves of finely minced garlic. Then in place of the salt she’d grate in either fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese, to “her” taste.

    Reply

    • Hi. This is how I make mine. I use beef, pork and veal… I think the veal helps in the tenderness of the meatball. I also fry mine a little and then put in the “gravy”…

      Reply

      • 5 stars
        Not true. I bake mine at 475 degrees for 20 minutes and they are very brown and crisp on both sides. I immediately pour off the grease, before it solidifies. Your recipe is very similar to mine. I use more garlic and more cheese, but pretty similar to yours. I also add 1 tsp sugar per pound. It helps the outside caramelize and get nice and crusty. You are right. They are the best meatballs.

        Reply

    • 5 stars
      I use a broiler pan and bake them at 350-375. The fat drips through the slots on the top. I think they crisp up pretty well.

      Reply

  16. This is so close to my recipe however I use a meatloaf mix which is ground pork , veal and chuck , I add about 1/2 cup of cheese . Come to my house on Sundays and you will smell them frying up in olive oil , To me that is the best way to cook them! So delicious!

    Reply

  17. 5 stars
    Made these meatballs last night. They were excellent and did taste like the ones my first generation Italian grandmother used to make. It was also my first time making meatballs in general. I used cooking method 2. A bit more work but that is how Nana used to do it. The only thing that I would do next time is to cut the bread slices into small squares instead of sliced. It was hard to break them down small once they where wet. Delicious!

    Reply

    • My favorite part about your comment is that they tasted like your grandmother’s. Isn’t it amazing how food can bring back feelings? It’s my favorite part about cooking and the best part of family recipes. Thank you so much for coming back to tell me!

      Reply

  18. Have u ever tried fresh garlic instead of garlic salt? I kind of like a garlic-my meatball and wonder if the garlic salt adds enough garlic flavor. This recipe looks really great, though!

    Reply

    • I don’t know about too spicy. I’m sure if you like the sausage on their own you would like it in the meatballs. But it will definitely make for a different tasting meatball.

      Reply

  20. Yummy! I made these tonight and came up with method 4. ???? While preheating my oven I preheated a cast iron skillet. Once preheat I pulled my skillet out, drizzled in some olive oil, added meatballs and threw them in the oven. Halfway through cooking time I flipped them and continue baking. Crispy outer crust & nice and tender center.

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    These meatballs were just like my grandma’s and hers were awesome. However, I did not soak the bread & I did add more Parmesan cheese. Placing them in the fridge for 30 mins. before cooking helped them keep their shape. If you crave that crispy browned crust on the outside – sauté in a little olive oil. For a moist inside take them off the heat & cover for 5 mins. Heaven!

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    Authentic! This is how my Italian mother taught us to make them…….cooking method 3, but after browning both sides, set on paper towels to absorb grease, then put them in your sauce to finish cooking. They will absorb the sauce more and also flavor your sauce, just a little. ????

    Reply

  29. So to be clear…you use Seasoned Breadcrumbs as well as Italian Bread? What kind of Italian bread and do you leave out to get stale first…and then put in food processor to make crumbs or just break it up into cubes?

    Reply

    • Hi Sandi! Yup, you are using both! So really any white bread will work for the Italian Bread. Though there are loaves in the grocery store, marked “Italian Bread.” You want to take it out of the package fresh, soak it in water, and then ring it out. Then pull the pieces apart and throw that in with your other ingredients. Grandma’s secret ????

      Reply

  31. 5 stars
    I made these the other day for the first time….my family LOVED them. They are so moist and flavorful. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!! They are a keeper.

    Reply

  33. 4 stars
    I’m with your Grandma, milk not water for soaking the bread. I use a mixture of beef, pork and veal rather than just beef and pork though, don’t fry as I and family prefer meatballs meant for pasta to be tender throughout. I simply put them on foil lined sheet pan to partially cook, then finish them off by simmering in homemade sauce.

    As for the garlic question asked above, yes you certainly can use fresh garlic over garlic salt or powder as fresh garlic is best whenever possible, especially to an Italian Grandma. Bit surprised you’d veto that idea.

    Reply

  34. 5 stars
    These were the softest most tender meatballs I’ve ever made, did the oven bake method. Loved the flavor, it made a ton so I froze some after cooking. Delicious!

    Reply

  35. 4 stars
    I use just garlic powder for less salt. And fresh parsley, plus only bread soaked in milk with everything else. I try to keep the potassium and salt down. My husband has kedney desease. Then I make each meatball 2 oz.

    Reply

  36. 5 stars
    These meatballs are perfection! They are perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful! My husband calls me a meatball snob because I always find something wrong with meatballs at restaurants (we’ve even had meatballs that were voted the “best” in the state, he liked them, I didn’t) and still haven’t found a recipe that meets my expectations, until I found your recipe. They were everything I have been looking for. My children have asked me to make them for the second time this week. I have a huge pot of them cooking now! I used the oil frying method of course lol and omg the smell in my house is divine! It smells of meatball heaven????

    Reply

  37. 5 stars
    I made these meatballs tonight but I didn’t follow the recipe exactly – I thought I had – ha ha! I added chopped onion and fresh grated garlic. I also added a little pepperoncino. They were delicious. They were moist and very tasty indeed. I put one batch raw into a tomato sauce which also contained sweet peppers which I stuffed with the meatball mixture and I fried the other batch in a cast iron pan. We only ate the fried ones. They were perfect. I think next time I will bake them though. I hate frying but because my stuffed peppers took much longer to cook, I had to fry the second batch so we would have something to eat. I didn’t have Italian bread but used some french bread that I had in the freezer. I soaked this in water and it was just fine. Anyway, great recipe – can I say that although I didn’t follow it exactly – I think I can because 90% of it was almost true to the recipe – ha ha! Thank you.

    Reply

  38. 5 stars
    Fantastic! Thank you so much for publishing your recipe. Served them up on roasted garlic bread and I’m so proud of myself! Tender and delicious!

    Reply

  39. 5 stars
    These are amazing. I make them exactly as the recipe calls for and they always turn out delicious. I use the first method to bake them and they still get brown and crispy on the outside. So freaking good. My go-to recipe!

    Reply

  41. That is so true! My grandmother was an amazing cook. I have only a couple of her recipes handed down and actually written down, but oh how I wish I had so many more. It’s a great idea to get them while you still can.well Traditional family recipes are priceless!!

    Reply

  42. 5 stars
    These are my go to meatballs. I made them in the morning and then transferred to a slow cooker with marinara sauce to keep warm all day!I served them with my roasted vegetable sauce.

    Reply

  43. 5 stars
    Just did your recipe it is fantastic my son and I enjoyed this very much. No variations with the exception of not having fresh parsley. We did the water soaked Italian bread instead of the milk and it turned out awesome putting these meatballs over a little bit of Mostcholli and a nice garlic basil pasta sauce and that should be the bomb.

    Reply

  44. Well I’ve read all the comments & most were helpful . I’m all st to go except my son ate the Italian bread????
    If I use plain white bread will it affect the flavor much.

    Reply

  48. 5 stars
    Sounds delicious, easy to make and really good with eggs, my kids loved it, I’m definitely going to try to make this weekend, hope it’ll as good as you do :)). Five stars for you and thanks so much for sharing Lisa!

    Reply

  49. 5 stars
    I tried these tonight using cooking method 2. My family loved them! They are definitely going into the “rotation”. Thank your Grandma for me!

    Reply

  52. 5 stars
    I don’t use any of those cooking methods when I make my homemade Italian spaghetti sauce and meatballs! I make my meatballs similar to yours but I put the balls into the hot Italian sauce to cook! The meatballs soak up the delicious seasonings of the sauce as they cook!meatballs
    That’s how my grandmother and them!

    Reply

  54. 5 stars
    Thank you for such a great recipe. I tried this last night with a couple of tweeks and it was amazing. Next time I will fry, as these meatballs are so tender they need the texture of frying.

    Reply

  56. On the topic of using water vs milk, it has to do with basic chemistry.
    When the bread is soaked in liquid, it releases gluten (this is why boiling pasta turns the water cloudy and why the pasta is tacky after cooking). Gluten and protein like to bond to one another, so if you use water, the released gluten will bond with the fat and protein excreting from the cooking meat. This helps hold the ball together (along with the egg) and helps to hold more flavor.
    When you use milk, the released gluten will bind with the milk protein and fat instead. By biding the gluten with milk protein, less of the flavorful proteins and fats from the meat are held on to and lost through cooking. Thus, changing the overall flavor of the meatball.

    Reply

    • The no garlic cloves are because that’s the way grandma did it and she was masterful. Water is because they were poor. But now I much prefer the taste when made with bread soaked in water rather than milk. Another commenter educated us that it is actually chemistry related: When you use milk, the gluten released in the bread binds to the protein in the milk instead of the proteins in the meat and the egg, which really changes the flavor (and not in a great way). So water does in fact yield a better flavor.

      Reply

      • This recipe is the best! Thank you so much! Makes me think of my Mom and I thought we lost her recipe with her!

        Reply

  59. 5 stars
    The recipe is excellent. I am 88 years young and been making meatballs as I watched my Sicilian mom make them. She used the beef, pork and veal. Only difference. she minced fresh
    garlic.

    Reply

    • Do you use equal amounts of minced vs the garlic salt? I would love to know how you make your sauce. My Mom cooked hers all day and I have no idea what she put in it. It was the best tho and I miss it as much as I miss her!

      Reply

  61. 4 stars
    Good recipe. But, my nonna used milk, real garlic, a bit of basil and, like everybody’s Italian nonna back in the day, she fried her meatballs (baking? What the…). You just can’t get that taste and crust from frying meatballs in olive oil. Since I don’t want nonna haunting me, I stick with her recipe.

    Good Italian meatballs are deceptively hard to get right. People think it looks easy (just meat and spices, right?) Ha! Get the texture wrong, or too much or not enough cheese, breadcrumb, etc, and you have meatballs that come apart in sauce or are as hard as hockey picks, with weird flavoring.

    So, all in all, well done. (Quit being lazy! Fry those meatballs and make your nonna proud)!

    Reply

    • I fried mine then baked slow and they are melt in your mouth amazing! My Mom died and we never got her recipe so with some tweaking of this one, I finally got it! I know my Mom is proud of me 🙂

      Reply

  64. I’ve made these twice and they are amazing! The second time I added some Italian seasoning and used grated Parmesan because it was all I had and I made them smaller than the first go round. They were melt in your mouth delicious and exactly like my Moms that she made me every birthday. And I did use water when I soaked my bread and I browned them in a skillet in olive oil and transferred them to a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I’m so happy to find my Moms recipe. She died unexpectedly and we never got her recipe. These remind me of her so much!

    Reply

    • Amy, this comment makes my week! Finding recipes that remind of us of loved ones – especially moms – are priceless. I also lost my mom and I regret not getting a lot of her recipes, but I truly treasure the ones I do have. Much love to you!

      Reply

  66. I found this recipe on Pinterest and WOW! It did NOT disappoint. Such a good crust such a good flavor. The only cheat I do is when recipes call for breadcrumbs I use stove top! Hahha don’t hate! It adds SO MUCH savory flavor!

    Reply

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