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.
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 protein. 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!
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.
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:
- It creates uniform meatballs, so they bake evenly.
- It’s a lot faster than pulling out meat for the meatballs by hand.
This is the cookie scoop I have. I love it.
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
- 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.
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and then fill it about a half of an inch full of extra virgin olive oil.
- Heat the oil and then brown the meatballs in batches, turning them after about two minutes.
- 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
- Fill your cast iron skillet almost an inch full of extra virgin olive oil and heat.
- Cook the meatballs in batches (about 10 around the outer edge).
- Cook for three minutes and then flip, cooking the second side for an additional two minutes.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet.
- 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:
- After baking and cooling, place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Put the baking sheet in the freezer.
- Flash freeze for 1 hour.
- Transfer the meatballs to an airtight container for up to three months.
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.
The BEST Italian Meatballs
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.
Ryan says
The best meat balls I ever had
Glad to hear you liked them!
Linda says
These were perfect!
I’m so glad you liked them!
Charles Walker says
I usually add my own spin to recipes. This one, however, I pretty much follow down the line. I cook the meatballs in a bit of oil in the skillet until they are browned and crisp on the outside. At this point, they can finish while simmering in the sauce. I make my own pomodoro sauce and these meatballs are perfect with it!
I’m glad you like them!
Nica says
So much flavor! Loved these meatballs in the subs we made tonight! The spices were just the right amount and the meat was tender and not dry. They took 14 minutes in my new Emeril toaster oven. I scooped them with my small cookie scoop (heaping) so they were probably on the small side.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them, Nica!
MaryAnn Alek says
Do you have the recipe for the sauce you made to go with these meatball ?Thank you so much MaryAnn !
I do have a spaghetti sauce recipe, you can find it here: Spaghetti Sauce.
Paul says
my wife and I love these baked meatballs with spaghetti and simmer in sauce. we make them slightly larger that recipe. We freeze the leftovers in 3-6 meatball packets and use as needed. Just as good fresh or after freezing.
I’m so glad you like them, Paul!
Sally says
Can you use regular sandwich bread ?
Yes!
Jamie says
Hi Lisa, does it have to be a cast iron skillet? My grandmama always made them in a regular skillet.
A regular skillet will be just fine.