Making homemade meatballs has never been easier with this easy meatballs recipe; insanely delicious, super flavorful, juicy and tender meatballs that can be eaten in a variety of ways. Perfect for all ocassions and freezer-friendly!

plates of spaghetti and meatballs with wine and garlic bread

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’m certainly no Italian, have zero Italian roots, and don’t claim anything relating to Italy, ha! But what I will tell you is this…friends, I am damn good at making some homemade meatballs.

I feel like I’ve been making meatballs for a long time now; so much so, that I shared a quick snippet on my Instagram stories of me casually making them a few weeks back. Consequently, my direct messages blew all the way up with folks asking for me to share all the deets on these here meatballs. Soooo let’s go!

big red pot of meatballs with tomatoes and basil

Tell Me About This Easy Meatballs Recipe:

The foundation of a good homemade meatball recipe starts with the ingredients. There are a million and one recipes out there floating around but I can guarantee you that this easy meatballs recipe is one that you’ll love.

My recipe calls for both lean ground beef AND mild Italian sausage. I find that the combination of flavors melds well together and compliments the overall meatball texture. The use of ground beef is obviously a no-brainer but paired with the sausage kicks it up a notch and adds a slightly saltier, juicier, and more depth-filled meatball.

In addition, my recipe uses seasoned panko breadcrumbs for a slight crunch/bite, grated romano/parmesan cheese, fresh Italian parsley, and a handful of great seasonings. What makes a bomb tasting meatball is all that FLAVOR, y’all! The last thing someone wants is to bite into an unflavored meatball. Nope, nah, no-sir-ree-bob.

four pictures of uncooked meat and herbs in a bowl

With that being said, we get heaps of flavor from spices like garlic, onion powder, salt/pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper. And as previously mentioned above, all of these spices paired with fresh Italian parsley really do make these meatballs quite delish. You might even fool some people into thinking they came from a fancy Italian joint, who knows. But really you get all the bragging props- ayyyee!

Two large eggs act as the binding agent and helps bring everything together in a large bowl. Once you roll the meat mixture into balls, place them into the refrigerator for at least four hours, preferably and most recommended, overnight. This process allows the flavors to further develop and deepen.

Lastly, once the meatballs have sat, in a large dutch oven with a touch of olive oil; we will brown the outside of the meatballs. Just enough to get a nice crispy sear all around the outside. Lastly, pour red pasta sauce over meatballs and stir. Then transfer pot with lid into the oven to let the internal cooking process begin.

close up shot of spaghetti and meatballs with shaved parmesan on top

A Few Notes Worth Mentioning About This Recipe:

  • If you’re adverse to consuming pork, feel free to use double ground beef or ground turkey. Both will work just fine but taste slightly different.
  • For the grated romano/parmesan cheese, most local grocers should have this in their deli section area. Please stay clear from the grated parmesan in the famous green bottle! You want quality grated cheese when making homemade meatballs, trust me on this.
  • I prefer to use an ice cream scoop, mine is exactly 1 1/2 tablespoon in size, to roll my meatballs. It helps make sure each one is uniform and consistent in size.
  • When searing the meatballs on the stovetop, some meatballs might stick or break up a little, this is ok too.
  • These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for future use. Just thaw and reheat as necessary.
  • My absolute favorite way to eat these meatballs is with thick classic spaghetti noods, plenty of shaved parmesan, and all the garlic bread. However, other ways to consume this easy meatballs recipe include meatball subs, meatball soup (omit the pasta sauce), meatball sliders, meatballs in a casserole, on pizza, with a salad…literally the possibilities are endless! Go meatball crazy!
  • This recipe should make you 40 generously-sized meatballs that are great to have on hand for weeknight lunches and dinners to whip up in a pinch too.
picture of spaghetti and meatballs on a white plate with gold fork

Alrighty now, that’s it. I’m really hoping you all enjoy this meatball recipe and I can’t wait to see you make them!

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!

Until next time…love and butter,

Q.

Looking For Other Italian-Inspired Dishes?:

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big red pot of meatballs with tomatoes and basil

The Best Easy Meatballs Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 1hr
  • Total Time: 1hr 15m
  • Category: dinner, lunch
Print Recipe

Description

Making homemade meatballs has never been easier with this easy meatballs recipe; insanely delicious, super flavorful, juicy and tender meatballs that can be eaten in a variety of ways. Perfect for all ocassions and freezer-friendly!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 lb mild ground italian sausage
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated romano/parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 24-ounce jar of red pasta sauce (I personally love the brand from Raos!)
  • *Optional*: garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves (as pictured)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together except for the oil and pasta sauce. Make sure all seasonings, herbs, and eggs are well combined with meat.
  2. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop or tablespoon, make meatballs. During this step, I like to gather the ball of meat and sort of flatten it in my hands and then roll into ball. I find that when you simply just roll it into a ball, pockets of empty space gets in there and the meatball isn’t as tight together. Repeat this process until all meatballs are formed.
  3. Place meatballs into baking dish and transfer to the refrigerator to let sit for at least four hours, and for best taste, let sit overnight.
  4. Once meatballs have rested: In a large dutch oven or deep pan with high sides (either one with a lid), warm oil over medium-low heat on the stove. Gently brown the outsides of meatballs, about 6-8 minutes. This will have to be done in two batches depending on the size of your pot. At this stage you will see some pink still but this is ok as the meatballs will cook through in the oven. 
  5. After all meatballs have browned, add all meatballs into pot and pour red pasta sauce in and give everything a stir. Place lid onto pot and transfer into oven to bake for 30 minutes. 
  6. Pull pan out slightly to remove lid and give meatballs a stir again. Then push back into oven (without lid) to continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
  7. Allow meatballs to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve meatballs in desired fashion. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to use, microwave, if frozen solid. If meatballs have been thawed, reheat as necessary.