CLASSIC BAKED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

I’m sharing my best recipe secrets for these amazing classic baked Italian meatballs.

Classic Baked Italian Meatballs

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Sauce is simmering on the stove and classic baked Italian meatballs are in the oven.

I can literally smell that sentence. This was always on the menu at my house growing up.

Sauce and meatballs were on a constant Sunday dinner rotation.

My siblings and I would look forward to this dinner all week.

Italian meatballs really are the ultimate classic comfort food.

As easy as they are to make, there are a few simple tips and tricks to making your meatballs the absolute best they can be.

Light and fluffy little balls of perfectly seasoned beef. That’s what we’re going for!

This meatballs recipe is a favorite of ours around here.

I’m really excited to share this classic baked Italian meatball recipe with you.

I know if you try them that they will become a favorite in your home, too.

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

Did you know that I have a cookbook called Fast Simple Delicious? 

It’s 60 no fuss no fail comfort food recipes perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Click HERE to order your copy or click the 3 lines in the top right corner and click “Book”. Thank you for the support.

What can I serve these classic baked Italian meatballs with?

Nothing goes better with great meatballs than a delicious pasta, right?

Here are a few that would go perfectly with these.

• Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
• The Best Vodka Sauce
• Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
• Creamy Tomato Ravioli Sauce
• Pink Marinara Alfredo Sauce

Meat Options:

I made these meatballs with beef only this time.

I do like to add some ground veal and pork sometimes, too.

They both add nice flavor to the meatballs.

Grocery stores sometimes even sell packages of beef, veal and pork together.

If you’d like to add those to the meatball mixture, try one pound of beef and a half a pound each of veal and pork.

The Secrets To Making Perfect Meatballs:

Making meatballs themselves isn’t necessarily a complicated task but they need to be done right.

There are a few things we can do to make sure this classic Italian baked meatballs recipe is at its absolute best.

All of these bullet points play a big role in the process:

• Breadcrumbs
• Adding Milk
• Consistency
• Over Mixing
• Baking

I think if you apply these little tips and tricks you will see a big difference in the taste and quality for sure.

Breadcrumbs:

Seasoned breadcrumbs are the best choice for this recipe in my opinion.

It’s a great way to add a lot of extra flavor into the beef.

I also like these because the breadcrumbs are finer then Panko. Those tend to be a little bigger and chunkier.

They’re flavorful and really work well towards with the smooth consistency of the meatballs.

Adding Milk:

Adding milk to the meatball mixture may sound a little strange at first but I promise you that it’s completely necessary.

it will actually do two things.

First, it will soak into the breadcrumbs and soften them up.

This will keep the meatballs from drying out while they’re in the oven and keep them fluffier overall.

The second thing the that the milk does is tenderize the meat.

That’s right, the milk will help keep the beef nice and tender so the meatballs don’t get too tough.

Adding milk to the meatball mixture will overall keep them moist and fluffy.

Consistency:

I just want to address consistency a little bit.

Since I’ve had kids, I generally stopped sautéing garlic and onions to add into the meatball mixture.

It does add a bunch of really nice flavor. So If you’d like to do that, be my guest.

But my kids just don’t care for the texture that it brings. My grown up brother doesn’t like it at all either.

I think some people just don’t enjoy it. So, I’ve substituted them with garlic and onion powder.

It does keep the consistency of the meatballs really nice and smooth for picky eaters.

Over Mixing:

DON’T OVER MIX THE MEAT.

I can’t stress that enough. Mix the meatball mixture until it’s just combined and then stop.

Over mixing can lead to tough dense meatballs and we do not want that.

To keep them light and fluffy they need to be mixed and messed with as little as possible.

Baking:

Classic Italian meatballs need to be cooked before being added to the sauce.

In this recipe, we’re going to bake them but you can use this same recipe and fry them if you’d like too.

Baking the meatballs first will do a couple of things.

The grease that’s produced when baking can easily be discarded. Better all that grease goes in the trash rather then in your pasta sauce.

The meatballs will also develop a really nice little crust around them in the oven.

That crust is the best and I absolutely love it!

Classic Baked Italian Meatballs Ingredients:

• Ground beef (ground veal and pork optional)
• Eggs
• Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian seasoning.
• Milk
• Tomato sauce

Instructions:

First, add the beef to a large bowl.

Now add the eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning.

Next add the Parmesan cheese and the breadcrumbs.

Then pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. Let the milk soak into the breadcrumbs for a minute or two.

After that, mix the meat until it’s just combined and then stop. Don’t overdo it.

Now form the mixture into small equally sized balls about 2 inches wide.

Then add them to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can bake them close together but make sure to leave a little space so they’re not completely touching.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

Then once the meatballs are done cooking, add them to a pot of simmering sauce.

I have a simple tomato sauce recipe that goes great with these classic Italian baked meatballs if you need one. If not, use your own recipe or your favorite jarred sauce.

Now the meatballs generously with more tomato sauce. Let them simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes.

Finally, serve the meatballs over pasta and enjoy!

Classic Italian Baked Meatballs Video