These meatballs are a staple in my kitchen. They are so easy to make and use ingredients that I almost always have on hand. I love that they’re so simple but versatile. You can make a giant batch of these meatballs and have a different meal every night.
You can serve this homemade meatball recipe as an appetizer or as a main course. You can enjoy them on their own with a side of garlic bread or simmer them in sauce, serve them over noodles, in hoagie rolls, in soups, meatball subs, and more. This recipe is also freezer-friendly, so it’s perfect for making a double batch to save for another day.
I love this recipe as it uses two different types of ground meat, so the meatballs are beyond flavorful. It also uses a panade, meaning the breadcrumbs are soaked in milk, giving you the most juicy meatballs. And whether you bake them in the oven or cook them in a skillet, these meatballs are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you want another easy weeknight dinner recipe, then try my pasta carbonara, stuffed peppers, or taco salad.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Breadcrumbs — I’m using panko breadcrumbs for this meatball recipe. The breadcrumbs absorb the moisture in the meatballs, so they stay super moist. You can also use fresh breadcrumbs if you don’t have panko breadcrumbs. Plain breadcrumbs will work just fine.
Milk — adding milk to the breadcrumbs adds extra moisture to them and keeps them tender.
Egg — the egg acts as a binder for your meatball mixture. Use large eggs.
Onion and garlic — finely chopped onion and minced garlic add flavor and texture to the meatballs.
Ground meat — this recipe uses a combination of ground beef and ground pork. You can use all beef or all pork, but I find the combination yields the best juicy and flavorful meatballs.
How to Make Meatballs
1. Add the breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to moisten the breadcrumbs.
2. Add the egg, onion, parsley, and garlic.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Add the beef and pork. Shaping your hand like a claw, massage the mixture together, making sure not to squeeze it together while mixing.
5. Divide the mixture into 24, 2-ounce balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of each meatball registers 160°F. Increase the oven to broil, and broil until they are browned, about 1 to 3 minutes more. Serve immediately or toss with pasta sauce.
7. To make this recipe on the stovetop, heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.
8. Cook, turning about every 1 minute until all sides are browned. Once all of the meatballs are browned, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add all of the meatballs back into the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 165°F. Serve immediately or toss with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- It is important for the texture to not overwork the meat. Avoid squeezing and pressing the meat when mixing and shaping the meatballs. I twist my hand like I’m screwing on the lid of a jar in order to mix everything together but still keep the mixture light.
- Try to roll the meatballs so that they are all the same size for even cooking. I recommend using a cookie scoop to keep them uniform.
- If you have difficulty finely chopping your onion small enough to blend into the meatball mixture, then you can grate the onion instead.
- Avoid using ground beef that is too lean to ensure your meatballs are moist and juicy.
- A helpful tip to make shaping meatballs easier is to wet your hands. Moistening your hands with water creates a barrier on your skin, preventing the meat from sticking and allowing you to roll it into a ball without making a mess.
- This recipe is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with some tomato sauce or marinara sauce. You can also serve them with Alfredo sauce or bbq sauce.
- If you do not have fresh parsley, then you can use four teaspoons of dried parsley instead. Fresh herbs are my preference.
- You can add a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes to the meat mixture to give it a bit of heat.
- It doesn’t take too long to bake or to cook these easy meatballs. If you’re wondering how long to bake meatballs or how long to cook meatballs, then I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to insert into the center of each meatball to check its internal temperature for doneness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use several different types of ground meat to make homemade meatballs. Just keep in mind that different types of ground meat have different amounts of fat, so if you substitute the meat, you might change the texture and flavor of the meatballs. You’ll also have to be mindful of how long it takes to cook the meatballs if you use a different type of meat. Using leaner meat, such as ground chicken or ground turkey, requires less cooking time as they cook through quickly and can easily dry out.
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days once they’ve cooled to room temperature. You can reheat leftover meatballs in the microwave or simmer in a sauce if you’re serving them with sauce.
You can freeze these meatballs before or after cooking. After cooling them to room temperature, flash-freeze them on a lined sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Flash-freezing them ensures that they don’t stick together, and you can pull out however many meatballs you need. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can flash-freeze uncooked meatballs as well. When ready to cook, you can cook them from frozen for a couple of extra minutes or thaw them in the fridge before cooking.
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If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Meatballs
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Large skillet
- Large rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup bread crumbs (fresh or panko) (120g)
- ¾ cup whole milk (180ml)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20) (450g)
- 1 pound ground pork (80/20) (450g)
- ¼ cup olive oil (60ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, milk, oregano, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to moisten the bread crumbs.
- Stir in the egg, onion, parsley, and garlic. Add the beef and pork. Shaping your hand like a claw, massage the mixture together, making sure to not squeeze it together while mixing.
- Divide the mixture into 24, 2-ounce meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
For the Oven:
- Arrange the meatballs 1½ inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of each meatball registers 160°F.
- Increase the oven to broil, and broil until the meatballs are browned, about 1 to 3 minutes more. Serve immediately or toss with pasta sauce.
For Stovetop:
- In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add meatballs in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the skillet. Cook, turning about every 1 minute until all sides are browned.
- Once all of the meatballs are browned, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add all of the meatballs back into the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of each meatball registers 165°F. Serve immediately or toss with pasta sauce.
Notes
- It is important for the texture not to overwork the meat. Avoid squeezing and pressing the meat when mixing and shaping the meatballs. I twist my hand like I’m screwing on the lid of a jar in order to mix everything together but still keep the mixture light.
- Try to roll the mixture so that they are all the same size for even cooking. I recommend using a cookie scoop to keep them uniform.
- If you have difficulty finely chopping your onion small enough to blend into the meat mixture, you can grate the onion instead.
- Avoid using ground beef that is too lean to ensure your meatballs are moist and juicy.
- Wetting your hands is a helpful tip to make shaping the mixture easier. Moistening your hands with water creates a barrier on your skin, preventing the meat from sticking and allowing you to roll it into a ball without making a mess.
- This recipe is delicious on their own, but you can also serve them with some tomato sauce or marinara sauce. You can also serve them with Alfredo sauce or bbq sauce.
- If you do not have fresh parsley, you can use four teaspoons of dried parsley instead.
- You can add a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes to the meat mixture to give it a bit of heat.
- I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to insert into the center of each meatball to check its internal temperature for doneness.
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