Italian Meatballs

This is the best Italian meatball recipe around! Light and tender and perfect for pairing with sauce over pasta or in a sub sandwich.

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Heat the oven to 400°. Spray a pan with cooking spray or cover with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk. Let sit for 2 minutes to absorb the milk.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, eggs, sea salt and breadcrumb mixture.
Use a large ice cream scoop and scoop out meatballs. Wet your hands with water and roll into balls.
Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Remove from the oven. Either cool and store for later use, or toss in your favorite sauce and serve with pasta or polenta.

Switch up the ground meats for ground pork, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
Make a double batch and freeze some for quick use later. Freeze before or after you cook them. Place cooked or uncooked meatballs in a freezer bag and they will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
The best Italian meatballs are light and airy. To achieve this, do not over mix the meat mixture. Scoop lightly and roll gently.
If you have leftover meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Have fresh herbs available? Use fresh rosemary, thyme and basil instead of the Italian seasoning - 2 teaspoons fresh chopped of each herb.
Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to keep the meatballs the same size. This recipe makes large-sized meatballs, but if you are making these for appetizers you may want to use a smaller scoop.
When rolling the meatballs, wet your hands to keep the meatballs from sticking.
My favorite ways to serve meatballs are over spaghetti with marinara, or in a meatball sandwich, with a marinara dipping sauce. You can buy your favorite jarred marinara sauce use a homemade marinara sauce.