The Best Meatball Recipe Ever

This Homemade Meatball Recipe is jam-packed with beef, pork, cheese, bread, and herbs for a delicious classic Italian meal. Many have told me that this is, hands down, the best meatball recipe they have ever eaten. It’s that good.

We love Italian food because I’m clearly Italian—see Parisi. If you want to try new dishes from my beloved ancestral country, try my Chicken Parmigiana or Pasta Carbonara.

 

Meatballs

Meatballs consist of finely minced meat, vegetables, seasonings, and binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep them together. They are then cooked and served in a myriad of ways. These can be made from chicken, fish, beef, or pork. In addition, almost every country has its own version of meatballs, but my recipe is Italian.

I believe the secret to maintaining a juicy, flavorful meatball is using “wet bread” instead of breadcrumbs. I have found that breadcrumbs absorb too much of the moisture from the meat and can often dry them out.

There isn’t much in the food world that is more traditional than spaghetti and meatballs. They’re easy to make and delicious, and when they’re homemade, there’s absolutely nothing like them.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beef – I use a 90/10 lean-to-fat ground sirloin. However, you can also use ground chuck, which is 80/20. Feel free to use homemade ground beef as well.
• Pork – Ground pork is what you will need for this.
• Bread – Any good artisan loaf of bread, such as Italian or French bread, will work.
• Onions – You can use a red, white, sweet, or yellow onion. In addition, you’ll need fresh whole garlic cloves.
• Herbs – I used fresh basil, parsley, and rosemary in these meatballs.
• Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is best, but you can also use pecorino Romano.

How to Make Meatballs from Scratch

1. Submerge some Italian or French bread in water for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Prep up onions and garlic and add to a bowl.  I usually do this stage while the bread is soaking.
3. Squeeze as much liquid from the water-soaked bread as possible and add it to the bowl with the onions and garlic.
4. Add ground beef and ground pork to the bowl as well.  I like to use ground sirloin at a 90/10 ratio of lean to fat.
   
5. Add the eggs, parsley, rosemary, basil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the bowl.  Use all fresh herbs, and you can add fresh oregano to the mix as well.
6. Mix everything in the bowl until thoroughly combined.
7. Form golf ball-sized meatballs using your hands and place them on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes. This recipe makes 40 meatballs, so be sure to freeze the remaining uneaten meatballs.

How to Cook Meatballs in Sauce

• Start by browning all sides of the meatballs in a large sauté pan over medium heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, which takes about 6-8 minutes.
• Next, add them to the pot of sauce and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until they are thoroughly cooked. I prefer to pan-sear the meatballs or cook them directly in the oven.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These can be made 2 to 3 hours ahead of time. Just keep them warm and covered at very low temperatures.

How to Store: Cover in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The meatballs freeze well covered in plastic for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the meatballs to a casserole dish and cover them with foil.  Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 375° or until warm. If serving with spaghetti and sauce, simply place them in a saucepot along with the sauce and cook over low heat until warm.

More Italian Recipes

• Chicken Milanese Recipe
• Wedding Soup
• Frittata
• Ricotta Cheesecake
• Pasta Primavera