This is hands down the best meatball recipe you will ever try! Made with the perfect blend of seasonings and baked using a special technique, these Italian-styled baked meatballs are crispy on the outside, yet tender and juicy on the inside.
You may think your great aunt or your grandma made the best meatballs. And while I am sure they are delicious, I am not afraid to state that my meatballs recipe is the best.
I know that is a bold claim, but whether you serve these baked meatballs with pasta and spaghetti sauce, in Italian Wedding Soup, or on a meatball sub, after one bite, I think you will agree, that this is truly the BEST meatball recipe!
Reasons This is the Best Meatball Recipe
- Packed with Flavor. Don't be alarmed by the amount of dried spices and minced garlic. That is key to the most scrumptious, flavorful Italian meatballs you have ever had.
- Perfect Texture. This meatball recipe results in meatballs that are tender and juicy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.
- Baked not Fried. Instead of frying the meatballs, they are baked at a high temperature, which allows the outside to crisp up, as though they were fried. But to keep the meatballs tender and moist, they are baked in a bath of beef broth. I know that sounds crazy, but it works wonders! The meatballs absorb the broth while they bake, keeping them from drying out, as they crisp up.
- Freezer-Friendly.
Notes on Key Ingredients
The lineup of ingredients to make flavorful Italian meatballs may look extensive, but most of the ingredients are staples you will find already stocked in your pantry.
- Ground Meat: I recommend using 90% lean ground beef for the best results. However, ground pork, veal, sausage, turkey, or chicken Just stay between a fat content of 10-20% regardless of the type of meat you use, as higher fat content than 20% would result in greasy meatballs and a lower fat content than 10% may result in dried out meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs: Use either plain bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs will keep the meatballs a bit lighter in texture than traditional, but use what you have on hand.
- Seasonings: These meatballs are seasoned with fresh parsley, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, pepper, and minced garlic. use lots of dried oregano and red pepper flakes to add serious flavor to these oven-baked meatballs. The amounts are NOT typos!
- Kosher Salt: Use kosher salt, not table salt, as kosher salt will help to enhance the flavor, while table salt will result in meatballs that taste salty. Keep in mind this meatball recipe calls for quite a bit of kosher salt because the recipe uses plain, unseasoned bread crumbs and low-sodium beef broth. If you are using regular beef broth, seasoned breadcrumbs, or Italian sausage in your meatball mixture, decrease the salt to 1 teaspoon.
- 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.
- Milk: Adding a bit of milk will add another rich element to your meatballs.
- Eggs: The addition of eggs will help to bind the meatballs together.
Substitutions/Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free Meatballs: Replace the breadcrumbs with an equal amount of gluten-free oats or your favorite gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Control the Spice Level: This meatball recipe stands out as the best due to the amount of seasonings used. However, if you are sensitive to spice, feel free to cut the amount of crushed pepper flakes in half and/or cut the amount of minced garlic in half.
- Lower-Sodium Meatball Recipe: Be sure to use unseasoned breadcrumbs, and low-sodium beef broth, and cut the amount of kosher salt in half.
- Egg-Free Baked Meatballs: Omit the egg and add in a flax egg, by whisking together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Egg-free meatballs will work but are much more apt to fall apart if not carefully handled, so work with a gentle touch.
- No Milk on Hand? Milk is a classic ingredient in meatballs, but feel free to use additional beef broth in place of the milk. Just cut back on the salt by ¼ teaspoon.
- Dairy-Free Meatballs: Use beef broth in place of the meatballs and omit the parmesan cheese, or use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Tips for Making the Best Meatballs
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect baked meatballs. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tip #1: Don't Overwork the Meatballs. It is crucial to handle the meat as little as possible when making meatballs to ensure the meatballs do not become tough. The best way to ensure that the meat is not overworked is to first combine the spices and binders and then add in the meat and mix lightly just to combine the meat with the spices, eggs, and breadcrumbs.
Tip #2: Evenly Shape the Meatballs. The meatballs must be the same size so that they bake up evenly. Using either a tablespoon measuring spoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture and then gently roll it into a circle to shape.
Tip #3: Bake Meatballs in Beef Broth. My hack for baking meatballs in broth will change how you bake meatballs forever! The broth will be evaporated and absorbed into the meatballs as the exterior becomes crispy. The process is quite simple, yet produces phenomenal results.
How to Serve Meatballs
These oven-baked meatballs are so flavorful, that you can enjoy them plain, straight from the oven. However, the following suggestions are some of my favorite ways to serve these baked meatballs.
- Serve these Italian-style meatballs on top of cooked spaghetti with a generous topping of homemade spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.
- Use the meatballs as a base for hearty Meatball Subs.
- These meatballs are also featured in my recipe for Italian Wedding Soup--so good!
- Toss the meatballs in a barbecue sauce or a mixture of cocktail sauce and grape jelly, for a flavorful appetizer.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow any leftover meatballs to cool to room temperature. Then place them into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Once the meatballs have cooled to room temperature, place the meatballs onto a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. This will take about 30 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: From the refrigerator, reheat the meatballs for 45 seconds on a heat-safe plate in the microwave. From frozen, either simmer the frozen meatballs directly in spaghetti sauce for 20-25 minutes or bake them at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until warmed through.
Step-By-Step Video
If you are looking for a detailed step-by-step video, be sure to check out my YouTube video for Baked Meatballs.
More Italian-American Favorites
- The Best Stuffed Shells
- Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta
- Restaurant-Quality Chicken Marsala
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Easy Skillet Lasagna
- Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli
- Easy Baked Rotini
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
I can't wait for you to try out this meatball recipe. I truly believe it is the best! And I would love for you to leave a comment letting me know how much you enjoyed this recipe.
The Best Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk any fat percentage
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth DIVIDED
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt see notes
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉. Coat a baking sheet with rimmed edges with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, milk, egg, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ¼ cup of the beef broth. Mix until well combined.
- Add the meat to the mixture and just combine. Do not over mix, but be sure seasonings are well dispersed.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture, using a tablespoon measuring spoon or medium cookie scoop, and then gently shape into 1-inch meatballs.
- Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. Pour the remaining ¾ cup beef broth around meatballs, it is okay if the broth does not fully cover the pan.
- Bake the meatballs for 22-25 minutes, or until the broth is evaporated and the meatballs are browned.
Jackie
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!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Jackie! We love this recipe so much and I am so glad your family enjoyed as well.
Abbey
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Angelina
Amazing recipe!! They are awesome even without sauce. No more frozen or store bought meatballs for me ever!! Thank you ❤❤❤
Kristen Chidsey
Angelina, this makes my heart so happy! We adore these meatballs and I am so glad your family did as well!
Christy
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?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christy--I usually get about 36 meatballs per recipe--so 3 large meatballs per serving. If you make them smaller you will get closer to 48 🙂
Jade
Do I need to divide ALL of the ingredients in half if I'm using only 1lb of beef?
Kristen Chidsey
For best results Jade, I would suggest doing so 🙂
Andrea
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Lauren
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.
Kristen Chidsey
YAY Lauren! I am so glad you enjoyed. These are a family favorite here for sure.
Amy
Question - can I bake in a glass lasagna pan or so I need to use a jelly roll pan?
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Pauli Gregg
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!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Pauli!! So glad you loved these meatballs so much! And yes--isn't it crazy what bread crumbs have in them?! I love making my own at home as well.
Gary Clites
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)..
Kristen Chidsey
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!