Recipes Main Dishes Meatball Recipes Italian Meatball Recipes Chef John's Italian Meatballs 4.8 (2,401) 1,844 Reviews 315 Photos These Italian meatballs are very easy to make, and since we skip the messy step of pan-frying the meatballs, it becomes downright simple! Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. Once the meatballs are baked, add them to your favorite prepared tomato sauce and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on September 30, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 315 315 315 315 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Additional Time: 1 hr 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs ½ cup milk or beef broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl. Add onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes; mix together using a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Form mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. Enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Chef's Notes Some recipes use equal portions of beef, veal, and pork, which is also nice, yet more expensive. These days you can find all sorts of lean-to-fat ratios for ground beef. Most stores sell 90% lean, 10% fat, but I prefer the 80% lean, 20% fat ratio for this recipe. More About This Recipe: Chef John’s Italian meatballs are tender, juicy, and oh-so flavorful. They’re baked instead of fried, so cleanup is breeze. How to Make Italian Meatballs You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the Italian meatball recipe above, but let's go over the basics: Italian Meatball Ingredients These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Italian meatball recipe: Bread crumbs: Use store-bought bread crumbs or make your own at home. Milk: Milk adds moisture, ensuring the meatballs don’t dry out during the cooking process. Onion: An onion lends bold flavor. Meat: You’ll need a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground pork. Egg: An egg adds moisture and helps bind the meatballs together. Cheese: For the most delicious results, grate your own Parmesan cheese. Seasonings: The meatballs are seasoned with fresh parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, dried Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes. How Do You Make Italian Meatballs? Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade Italian meatballs: Cook the onion. Mix all the ingredients together. Cove and chill. Form the mixture into balls. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven. What to Serve With Italian Meatballs Chef John suggests serving the Italian meatballs with homemade tomato sauce and polenta. They also work well as an appetizer, in a sandwich, or served over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. How to Store Italian Meatballs Store your leftover Italian meatballs in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Can You Freeze Italian Meatballs? Yes, Italian meatballs freeze well. Flash freeze the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet for a few hours or up to overnight, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. If you prefer, you can also freeze the meatballs before cooking. You can easily cook them from-frozen on the stove whenever you want to whip up a quick dish. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise “The meatballs are wonderful,” raves Andrea Wojack. “We are kicking ourselves that we didn’t make a double batch! But how could we know they’d be so full of flavor, so juicy, so tender?” “These are fantastic. Great flavors. Perfect texture!” says princesspearl. “I didn’t have Italian seasoning blend so I used a mixture of dried oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil. My son and his friends ate them up and husband thought they were just as good or better than any restaurant.” “These meatballs are the best I ever made,” according to Kay. “My husband loved them. I used an ice cream scoop to make them and they were a perfect size. The texture was very moist and they had great flavor.” Editorial contributions by Corey Williams I Made It Print 4,540 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 390 Calories 31g Fat 5g Carbs 21g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 390 % Daily Value * Total Fat 31g 40% Saturated Fat 12g 58% Cholesterol 91mg 30% Sodium 617mg 27% Total Carbohydrate 5g 2% Dietary Fiber 1g 2% Protein 21g 42% Vitamin C 4mg 4% Calcium 62mg 5% Iron 2mg 11% Potassium 349mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.