Get FREE weekly meal plans!

· 114 Comments

The World’s Best Oven Baked Meatballs

Kid Friendly· Main Courses· Real Food

Share
Tweet
Pin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The World’s Best  Oven Baked Meatball Recipe: An authentic recipe for Italian style baked meatballs. There are a few tricks and tips in this recipe that will make making meatballs in the oven more delicious than any pan-fried meatball out there. 

White bowl with spaghetti and meatballs with red sauce and meatballs on a tray in the background

Oh I know that post title may make you roll your eyes, because you thought your great aunt or grandma made the best meatballs or a local Italian joint.

And yes, I am sure they are delicious, but you have not tried my recipe for oven baked meatballs.

I take a simple classic meatball recipe and pump so much flavor into the mix that these Italian meatballs are anything but bland. They pack so much flavor into such a small bite, that your taste buds start doing a crazy little happy dance.

They are stay perfectly tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. And in sticking to my healthy eating philosophy,I have found a perfect trick to making these meatballs the healthier than any restaurant’s version or your Great Aunt Barb’s recipe.

But they what they have lost in fat and preservatives, they sacrifice NOTHING on flavor. When these meatballs top spaghetti and are smothered in my homemade tomato sauce, all my cares melt away while I savor the perfect combination of comfort.

White bowl with meatball with red sauce with parmesan to the side and oven baked meatballs to the side

But don’t limit yourself to only having these meatballs on just spaghetti.

They are fabulous topped on a whole grain hoagie or hot dog bun and smothered with sauce and cheese, or simmered into Italian Wedding Soup or tucked into pizza bread, as a marvelous little surprise.

Let your imagination run wild and share with me your uses for these meatballs–I always prepare a huge batch so I always have some to pull from my freezer.

Easy, Healthy, Frugal Meal plans.

Key Ingredients for the BEST Meatballs:

The line up of ingredients are extensive, but they are simple and your will find most of it already in your pantry.

  • The Meat: The base of your meatballs is truly up to you–you can use ground pork, ground veal, ground beef, ground italian sausage or even ground turkey for meatballs. I personally use  grass fed ground beef with a 15% fat content (85/15). As long as you stay between a fat content of 10-20% you can use any type of meat you like in this recipe for meatballs. I would not increase or decrease the fat any more than this though or you will either end up with a grease fire in your oven from too much fat or a dry meatball from not enough fat.
  • Breadcrumbs: I use whatever bread I have leftover and grind it up in my blender or food processor to control the quality of ingredients. You can purchase store bought bread crumbs, but watch for added corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. It is easy to take leftover bread you have lying around and store in a large freezer bag in the freezer and at any time you can easily whip up homemade bread crumbs. If you need gluten free meatballs, I would suggest using an equal amount of gluten free oats in place of breadcrumbs. While I was gluten free, I did that quite often and never felt like the texture or flavor of the meatball suffered.
  • Dried Herbs: I use lots of dried oregano and red pepper flakes to add serious flavor to these oven baked meatballs.
  • Kosher Salt: I use a LOT of kosher salt in this recipe because I am using homemade plain, unseasoned bread crumbs and low sodium beef broth and you need salt to season food properly. If you are using regular beef broth or store bought bread crumbs or Italian sausage in your meatball mixture, decrease the salt to 1 teaspoon.
  • Parsley: The only fresh herb I use is parsley–which is what 80 cents a bunch? A cheap but extremely worthwhile investment to bump up the flavor in these meatballs.
  • Garlic: The fresh garlic gives these meatballs incredible flavor with a bit of spice. You can use jarred minced garlic or fresh minced garlic but I would not recommend using dried garlic.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Be sure to use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-grated. There is NO comparison in the taste between fresh Parmesan and the stuff you find in a jar.
  • Beef Broth: Beef broth is one of my secret ingredients in these meatballs. The beef broth gives a rich flavor to the meatballs and is my secret to steaming these meatballs while they bake–more on that in a minute. If you are opposed to beef, use vegetable or chicken stock in these meatballs and turkey or pork as your base.
  • Milk: Milk is a classic ingredient
  • Egg: The egg binds the meatball together, if you are egg-free, omit the egg and add in a flax egg and work more delicately when shaping the meatballs. Egg-free meatballs will work, but are much more apt to fall apart if not carefully handled.

How to Make Oven Baked Meatballs

Silver lined tray with baked beef meatballs and fresh parsley to the side

Step One: Mix together all the ingredients except for the meat until well combined.

Step Two: Add in the meat and gently mix–not with a spoon, with your hands.  Your hands are your best tools for mixing meatballs!! The mixture will wash off your hands, I promise!!

clear mixing bowl with ground meat and spices ready to make meatballs

Step Three: Scoop the meatball mixure with a medium cookie scoop, rolling gently to shape if needed after scooping unto greased sheet pan with sides.

By using a cookie scoop, it helps ensure all the meatballs are the same size which is key to delicious meatballs.

Remember to handle the meatballs as little as possible–this will ensure tender meatballs.

Step Four: Bake the Meatballs.

Onto my secret tip for the BEST meatballs: Steam the meatballs in beef broth at a high temperature in the oven.

To steam your meatballs while they bake in the oven is easy.

  • Set your oven to 450 degrees.
  • Pour beef broth (or another type of stock) around your meatballs and place in the oven.

The broth will be absorbed into the meat and evaporated some in the oven, so that after a short baking time, the broth is gone and meatballs will have a chance to sear and get a crunchy exterior without being fried or covered in oil to bake.

It is insane how well this works. Try it out–I promise you will be a believer.

A few notes about Homemade Oven Baked Meatballs:

  • Oven Baked Meatballs are delicious served on spaghetti or served up on a hoagie bun with melted provolone cheese for a Meatball Sub.
  • You can FREEZE these Italian meatballs to use for quick meals. I make a double or triple batch of oven meatballs and then once cooled, I place on cookie sheet and freeze until solid (about 30 minutes.) Then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen meatballs, either drop into simmering sauce for 20 minutes or reheat in an oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.
  • Remember to use a lined baking sheet for these meatballs so that you pour stock around them to steam as they cook.

So whether you are looking for a comforting meal, something delicious to stock your freezer with that is versatile, or you just want to eat something delicious, this meatball recipe is for you. I can’t wait for you to try it and be pleased.

If you liked these Baked Italian Meatballs you may like:

Let’s Make Meatballs in the Oven:

Bowls of homemade spaghetti meatballs
4.87 from 38 votes
Print

The World's Best Meatballs

An authentic recipe for Italian meatballs that are oven baked with a secret tip to create crispy oven baked meatballs. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Meatballs
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 228 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk any fat percentage works
  • 1 cup beef broth divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Combine the ingredients except for the meat well, using only 1/4 cup of the beef broth. Add the meat and just combine. Do not over mix, but be sure seasonings are well dispersed.
  2. Coat a baking sheet with rimmed edges with non stick spray and roll meatballs into 1 inch circles. Pour reserved beef broth around meatballs and bake at 450 for 25 minutes
Nutrition Facts
The World's Best Meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 228 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 489mg 20%
Potassium 240mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 0.9%
Vitamin C 0.3%
Calcium 6%
Iron 10.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

To Make The Best Meatballs Ever, you may need:

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Thanks so much for being a part of A Mind Full Mom!

 

More From A Mind "Full" Mom

Slow Cooker Chili
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
Share
Tweet
Pin

Comments

  4. Dear Kristen, this dish is right up my alley. Nothing compares to a nice dish of spaghetti and meatballs. This looks perfect. xo, Catherine

    Reply

    • Hi JJ!! You can totally add in bit more breadcrumbs and leave out the cheese! I would add in 2 more tablespoons and up to 1/4 cup. Enjoy!!!

      Reply


  6. You’re making me hungry! I love the idea of crispy meatballs with extra flavour from the broth, but you’ve kept them nice and simple, too.

    Reply


  7. Great tips!! We never pan-fry meatballs. We always bake them and freeze them for later use. And we do like them garlicky!! By baking them they never fall apart and yet they are still tender and flavorful on the inside. You’ve made the perfect meatballs!!

    Reply


  9. I love your tip for steaming the meatballs – so tender and juicy. I’ve found my go-to recipe for meatballs now. Thank you!

    Reply


  11. Good Day Kristen,
    I’m giving this recipe a try for the first time. I really like the beef broth twist. I actually used bone broth and rather than coating the sheet pans with cooking spray, I used a layer of rendered fat from a three pepper bacon I purchase from a Wagyu beef farm. Also I used a blend of parmesan, asagio and romano cheeses.

    Reply

    • Oh my goodness Douglas, with you Wagu Beef and fresh cheese and bacon, I want to come for dinner!! I hope you enjoyed and, yest that beef broth makes a world of difference in steaming the meatballs to keep them tender yet still crisping them up.

      Reply


  13. Yowza, these meatballs are delicious! Easily the best I’ve ever tasted. We had meatball subs and everyone raved about them! Will never make them any other way again.

    Reply

    • Oh thank you so much for sharing your success Denise! I LOVE these meatballs so much myself, it makes my heart so happy to share the recipe with others.

      Reply


  14. I made these earlier today and they very good! I’ve tried other meatball recipes, but these are moist & meaty, and will be good over zoodles. Thank you

    Reply

    • I am SO glad you enjoyed this recipe Eileen! I think you are right, these will be delicious over zoodles.

      Reply


  15. Our favorite meatball recipe by far. Our compliments to you! This recipe has turned out great meatballs each time. Now we make a couple of batches and freeze for later.

    Cheers!

    5 stars!

    Reply

    • This makes my HEART so incredibly happy! I love sharing my favorite recipes with you and when you enjoy them I just am filled with joy! Thank you so much for sharing your success!!! -Kristen

      Reply


  16. I did make these last night, and they were every bit as amazing and delicious as the recipe sounded! I froze half for later. Will definitely add this recipe to the “Good Grub Book” I will give to my kids for when they leave home. Thank you so much!

    Reply


  17. Oh. I used Progresso Italian Seasoned bread crumbs, but went ahead and used all the seasonings the recipe called for. Next time I won’t use the crushed red pepper as I am highly sensitive to it, I’ll let each diner add their own! Again, we all loved the taste and texture of these! 😋

    Reply

    • No question is stupid! Yes, you would cook the meatballs first. Then let them cool fully and place on cookie sheet and freeze until solid (about 30 minutes.) Then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen meatballs, either drop into simmering sauce for 20 minutes or reheat in an oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.

      Reply

  19. Made these last week with 1 lb of beef and 1 lb of ground italian sausage. My granddaughter says, you have to make these all the time instead of store bought. She even took them in thermos to school for lunch.
    Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Oh that just made my day Mike!! Thank you so much for sharing and I am so glad your family loved this recipe as we do.

      Reply

  20. Can u bake them and then put them in the sauce? I like my meatballs cooked in the sauce so it gives the sauce flavor.

    Reply

    • Yes absolutely! I love to steam the meatballs in the beef broth for the same reason, but this way all the grease can be discarded and then just left with the meatballs–which still flavor the sauce 🙂

      Reply


  21. I made these for a poker game on Saturday night. I used nearly four pounds of meat. I thought there would be tons left over. The guys kept going back for seconds and thirds and fourths. By one a.m. when we quit, there were nine meatballs left. My guests absolutely loved these meatballs. Thank you for the winning recipe which I, a not very proficient cook, was able to make (with some help from my wife)..

    Reply

    • Hi Gary! I love that your friends enjoyed these meatballs so much! And I am also glad you and your wife were easily able to follow the recipe. I hope you and your friends enjoy them again soon!

      Reply


  22. YUMMY!!! The only problem is trying to resist popping them in your mouth one after another! I didn’t have the exact ingredients but it didn’t matter – they came out soooo delicious!! I was doubling the recipe and used 3 # ground beef and 1# Jimmy Dean pork sausage. I only had dried parsley so I used 1/2 of what your recipe called for. Next time I will make my own bread crumbs. I had NO IDEA there was so much other stuff in “Plain Breadcrumbs”. Read your labels people. I used vegetable broth as I didn’t have beef. Also I had Parmesan / Regganio. These meatballs are amazing. I highly doubt that any of the 4 pounds I made will even make it to the freezer!

    Reply

    • Hi Amy! As long as your glass pan is safe for a 450 degree oven, which varies by brand. I use a jelly roll pan for the rimmed edges so the beef stock will stay in the pan. So any oven safe casserole dish will work as well.

      Reply


  24. Sooo good. I did half turkey, half grass fed beef and they had great flavor and consistency. I also did beef bone broth instead of regular beef broth.

    Reply


  25. Loved the texture but way too much black pepper for our taste. It may have been off because I used ground turkey only (I also reduced the recipe by half as I had only 1 lb of ground turkey on hand). I think using beef or pork (or adding one to turkey) might help with the black pepper – if I use only turkey I plan to reduce the amount of pepper. Will definitely try this recipe again!

    Reply

    • Hi Andrea! I am sorry the pepper was strong–it is pretty heavy on seasonings. I will say turkey is more mild so that may have been part of the issue. Although, did you remember to half the pepper since you halved the meat? That could have been an issue as well.

      Reply

  27. Just wondering if you can tell me how many this recipe makes? It says 12 servings but just wondering how many meatballs is a serving?

    Reply


  28. Amazing recipe!! They are awesome even without sauce. No more frozen or store bought meatballs for me ever!! Thank you ❤❤❤

    Reply


  29. These meatballs were delicious!! They didn’t really get crispy with the amount of broth I used, but they were a hit nonetheless. Simple recipe and so yummy. Will definitely be making again!

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing Abbey!! I am so glad you enjoyed. In the future if you would like crispier, you can cook a bit longer to evaporate liquid or broil, but it may dry the meatballs out a bit.

      Reply


  30. Was looking for recipe for a tender not hard meatball. Made last night with just ground beef, came out great! Delicious! Will definitely make again!

    Reply


  31. These meatballs were amazing! Didn’t have beef broth so skipped that (may try in the future) and still were moist. Used my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix the dry ingredients, then the meat. Loved that since I hate actually mixing the meat with my hands. After oven baking, placed in a crock pot, in sauce, to simmer awhile, Stayed, in the crockpot, on warm all day (family get together)
    Had many compliments from most of the family, including my husband. He said he’s always wanted to make meatballs just like those! Best meatballs I ever made! Will definitely be making again!

    Reply

    • Maureen, your husband’s compliments mean so much! YAY! And thank you for taking the time to share your review. I love the tip of using your kitchen aid mixer–it is great as long as you don’t overbeat your meat (which may make it tough) Sounds like you nailed it though 🙂 Take Care!

      Reply


  32. I’ve made these 3 times, I have 4 tweens/teens!! I double the recipe and freeze into four meals. Spaghetti & meatball subs every busy Wednesday. I use 2 lbs hamburger & 2 lbs ground pork.

    Reply


  33. OMG!! I am so happy I discovered this recipe! I found it about a month ago and I’m making it for the 4th time today! I even made them for my daughter and son in law while I was visiting them in Vegas. They are the most amazing meatballs I have ever had! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  34. Just made these, came out juicy and flavorful. I didn’t have all ingredients and baby was sleeping, it was raining, full of excuses!
    My tweaks:
    I used half beef, half completely mild chorizo meat. It made up for not having enough garlic and herbs. Added fresh thyme and oregano. Crackers instead of bread, soaked in milk. Other than that followed the recipe and came out so good. Wish I made more.
    Thanks for great recipe!

    Reply

  35. I have been making a very plain recipe for oven baked meatballs for years and I’m ready to up it a notch. I can usually make a large batch and use half for spaghetti and meatballs and half for sweet and sour meatballs. Would these be too heavy on the Italian side to use in a sweet and sour recipe?

    Reply

    • Hi Melissa! I have used this recipe for sweet and sour meatballs and love it. I would probably cut out the oregano–these meatballs will still be full of flavor without an overwhelming Italian taste. Enjoy!

      Reply


  36. Delicious recipe! I’ve been in a dinner rut and I made this tonight! My kids loved it (2 and 8 year old). The only thing I did was decrease the red pepper flakes to half of what was called for…glad I did! I love a good spice but it may have been too much for my kiddos.
    Thank you again for sharing this truly amazing recipe! I know it will be in my family for generations!

    Reply

    • Hi Betty! I really recommend searing in oven first to seal in some of the flavors, and render off some of the fat. You bake for 10 minutes then finish cooking in the sauce for another 10-15 minutes. Or if you really want to cook from start to finish in sauce, cook meatballs in the sauce for 30 minutes but the meatballs won’t hold their shape as well. Hope those tips help.

      Reply


  38. Great recipe, although next time I would like to make the meatballs about double the size, does anyone have any advice?

    Reply

    • Hi Michelle! Once the meatballs are browned in the oven, they will keep great in the slow cooker covered in sauce. Just heat through on the low setting, then leave on keep warm. Enjoy!

      Reply


  40. Made these meat balls with spaghetti… the family loved them!! They were so delicious! I used 3/4 part ground sausage to 1/4 ground chuck. Will be adding to my recipe book for year to come!

    Reply


  42. I made these today however I didn’t know how many were in a serving. I looked at your pics and saw 12 meatballs thus I thought there were only 12 in a serving. Not sure if they will turn out now.

    Reply


  43. I made these and it will be the only way 8 make meatballs from now on. The broth adds so much flavor. Great recipe.

    Reply


  44. My husband and I are on a low-carb diet after the New Year. I had some hamburger that I needed to use up and thought meatballs might be good. Your recipe was one of the first that popped up and the only one for which I had most of the ingredients.. Although I used cilantro instead of parsley, chicken broth instead of beef and store-bought bread crumbs, they turned out great! I love the moist inside and crunchy outside. My husband said they were even good cold for lunch the next day! Just bookmarked this recipe!

    Reply


  45. I just made these for lunch, used a mix of ground beef, veal and pork.. used about 1/2 the pepper and they are delicious!!! Also made about 2” balls at 425 for 25 mins. A keeper indeed! No need for sauce!

    Reply


  46. Delicious!! Great meal for busy nights. Some are going in the freezer for next week. I didn’t have fresh parsley or garlic on hand so I substituted with 1/4 cup dried parsley and minced garlic from a jar – and left out the pepper completely. So tasty! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  47. Hi Kristen,

    I am excited to try this recipe! Stupid question… do you add the beef broth to the actual meat mixture, or just in the pan for the steaming process? It says to add all ingredients to the except the meat in the first step. If you do add it to the meat is it the full cup? Thank you!

    Reply

    • No stupid questions!!! I am sorry my directions were unclear. It says “Combine the ingredients except for the meat well, using only 1/4 cup of the beef broth.” So you use 1/4 cup of the broth for the actual meatball mixture and then the remaining 3/4 cup for the pan for the steaming. I hope that clears it up for you 🙂

      Reply


  48. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe – I am a meatball snob and have been searching many years for the perfect meatball recipe. I can honestly say, my search is over! They are fabulous, hot, cold, sauced, plain. Haven’t frozen them yet (never any left). Thanks again!

    Reply

  49. I pulled up your recipe looking for something different. The ingredients sparked my interest. I realized during prep there was no parsley in house, and decided to add a bit more garlic. OMG they are absolutely delicious. My new hand me down recipe. Absolutely fantastic. I love it. Thank you for sharing Kristen. Kudos to you

    Reply

  50. They didn’t really get crispy with the amount of broth I used, but they were a hit nonetheless. Simple recipe and so yummy. Will definitely be making again!

    Reply


  51. My oven element litterally broke when I made this recipe. But for some reason my broil element still worked. I broiled them 9 min a side. They turned out nice and crispy and absolutely delicious!

    Reply

  52. Holy cow! Literally, the hamburger meatballs I made tonight are flipping amazing! I made extras to try on a hoagie as a meatball melt. I tried them plain after cooking and totally mouth watering. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply


  53. These are amazingly perfect!!! I’ve made them with all combos of meats including all ground turkey OR beef with sausage and they are fantastic every time! I hold the red pepper since the kiddos don’t like spicy but thank you for my go to recipe! Love this!!!

    Reply

  54. Ok. I’ve tried so many recipes on meatballs in the past but this one my most certainly is the winner in my cookbook. The meatballs are so incredibly tender and FULL of flavor. I used 1lb of ground Chuck beef, the 80/20 mix is perfect for this recipe in my opinion. Followed the recipe to the T except I used Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a bit more garlic. Felt zero guilt in tasting one, then another and another lol. They barely made it into the pasta sauce. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. From your cookbook to mine. Gracias.

    Reply


  55. Just made these. Some of the most amazing meatballs I’ve ever tasted and definitely THE BEST meatball I’ve ever made!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FEATURED ON

Left Menu Icon