Juicy Italian Baked Meatballs in a rustic tomato sauce are soft and tender. You’ll love this easy recipe!
It may be hard to get the texture and taste right out of a humble meatball, but I’m here to tell you it’s super easy. Dry Meatballs are a thing of the past, and that homemade Marinara sauce is crazy good.
EASY MEATBALL RECIPE
There’s nothing more cathartic than rolling meatballs, and nothing easier than giving them to your oven to cook through and brown while your sole focus is creating a rich and rustic sauce. This is the case here.
The best meatballs are tender, baked and browned in a hot oven to seal in all the juices. Simmered in robust sauce for a couple of minutes ensures they soak up all of those saucy flavours, this is an easy dinner recipe that will be a hit with your family!
HOW TO MAKE BAKED MEATBALLS
Meatballs are hard to master for some people. It’s easier to buy cooked meatballs in throw them in a bottled sauce. However, great meatballs start with a great meat mix.
There are two key elements crucial to a good meatball recipe:
- Texture
- Flavour
Baked meatballs are well-seasoned first to get the flavours started, including aromatics such as onion and garlic. Herbs are just as important to get those classic Italian flavours in each bite. Our recipe calls for fresh parsley or basil, purely taking seasonal availability into account. Feel free to mix it up with your own favourite combination.
WHY ARE MY MEATBALLS TOUGH?
Using milk is the secret to getting juicy, moist meatballs every single time. The same method we use for our Meatloaf recipe. An egg is also added to bind the meat, breadcrumbs and parmesan together, making them light and spongy.
The next step is mixing your meat mixture until the ingredients are just incorporated with your hands. Use gloves if you have an aversion to touching raw meat, or mix lightly with a wooden spoon. Full pieces of ground meat should still be visible.
Roll your meatballs with lightly oiled hands to prevent the meat from sticking to your fingers, while adding a little extra moisture into each meatball. Alternatively, you can spray meatballs generously with cooking oil spray.
BUT CAN YOU BAKE MEATBALLS INSTEAD OF FRY?
Absolutely! For perfectly browned baked meatballs, space them out in a single layer on a baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You want to avoid them steaming.
WHAT TEMPERATURE DO MEATBALLS NEED TO BE COOKED AT?
Bake meatballs in a preheated oven at 410°F (or 210°C) and bake for 12 minutes, or until just cooked though. Broil (grill) on high heat in the last 2 minutes of cooking time to get them nicely browned.
MARINARA SAUCE
Our sauce recipe is easy, starting with onion and garlic to get those aromatics in. Simmer tomatoes along with tomato paste, herbs, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar to cut through some of the bitterness, or use ¼ teaspoon of aluminium free baking soda to help neutralise the acid.
Add baked meatballs into the sauce along with any pan juices for added flavour, simmering for only a couple of minutes to avoid overcooking them. You want to get those flavours in the sauce absorbing evenly into the meat.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED MEATBALLS
Serve oven baked meatballs over spaghetti or zucchini noodles; mashed potatoes or buttery mashed cauliflower; or with crusty bread!
MORE MEATBALL RECIPES
Cheesy Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs
Teriyaki Meatballs
Turkey Meatballs with Garlic and Pesto
Italian Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
MEATBALLS
- ½ pound ground beef mince
- ½ pound ground pork mince or beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup milk
MARINARA SAUCE:
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed, optional - adjust to your preference
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
TO SERVE
- 1 pinch fresh parsley chopped
- 1 pinch fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese or freshly grated
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, (about 2 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for a further minute, until fragrant. Set aside.
BAKED MEATBALLS
- Preheat oven to 410°F (210°C). Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine half of the sautéed onion and garlic mixture with the ground meats, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs and basil (or parsley). Mix the milk into the meat mixture with your hands until all of the ingredients are just combined (don't over mix or meatballs will be hard/tough).*
- Lightly oil your hands with cooking oil to prevent the meat from sticking to your fingers. Scoop out 1 tablespoonful of meat per meatball and roll into balls, placing meatballs on a lined baking pan as you go.
- Spray generously with cooking oil spray and bake for 12 minutes, or until just cooked though.
- Broil (grill) on high heat in the last 2 minutes of cooking time to get them crispy and browned.While meatballs are baking, make your sauce.
SAUCE
- Return the pan with the remaining onion/garlic mixture to the stove over medium heat. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, herbs, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.
- Transfer baked meatballs and pan juices into the sauce. Stir to evenly coat and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes to let the sauce infuse into the meat and completely cook the meatballs.
- Serve over pasta of choice. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
Charise says
These are my go to meatballs forever now. However, I want to make them today in preparation for a family reunion tomorrow. could I just put the cooked meatballs in a crock pot on low to warm up or will these overcook and the cheese on melt out and stick to the crock pot? Have you ever made these ahead and put in the crockpot?
Phil says
Amazing meatball recipe….our meat comes in 500g tubs so I just double everything except the chilli flakes (it’s spicy enough)
For us it makes 32 meatballs using a medium ice cream scoop. That’s 4 meals (8 per meal, 4 each)
The milk is the key I’m sure, as these are the softest meatballs ever! I do everything it says but I like basil so I put a small bag in the meatballs and another in the sauce, it smells like an Italian restaurant in our kitchen.
The sauce is just perfect too, but like I say don’t over do the chilli flakes until it’s had half hour simmering then taste to see if you’d like more.
You won’t go to any other meatball recipe after this one!
Laurel says
This meatball recipe is amazing!! Crunchy bottom, browned exterior and soft center! I am going to venture into the world of meatballs more now. Thank you for sharing!
Chantelle says
These were so wonderful! Can i bake and freeze these? Whats the best way to defrost them when ready to use?
Sarah says
Best Meatball Recipe!! The recipe was easy to follow. The meatballs were delicious. My whole family enjoyed them.
Lee says
Both the meatballs and the sauce are phenomenal. This is my goto from now on, as everyone who has tried these is blown away.
Teresa says
Can these meatballs be made and eaten without the marinara?