Today I’m channeling my Italian roots and sharing the BEST Meatball recipe! Unbelievably flavorful, tender, and soft, I use special (but simple) techniques and spices to bring you one of my all-time favorite dinner recipes! Includes a how-to video!
I think it’s about time that I introduce you to my Italian side (in the form of a meatball recipe, of course).
My great-grandmother was 100% Italian, born of Italian immigrants (she was born shortly after they landed in America) and growing up I was absolutely and irreconcilably spoiled by her fettuccini and meatball recipe. She. made. the. best. and I turned up my nose at any others I was ever offered, it was just never good enough.
She passed away several years ago at 101 years of age and I regret that I never got her actual meatball recipe, but I did have incredibly high standards and a seriously discriminating palate. I set out to make my own meatballs (and sauce), and while I’ll admit it’s not the same as hers, it passes the test and I always look forward to a big plate of this:
So How Do They Taste?
So what’s so great about this meatball recipe? It yields meatballs that are:
- Incredibly flavorful, good enough to enjoy on their own.
- Super moist and tender inside
- Simple to make! I have a lot of notes in the recipe, mostly due to my tendency to over-explain and because I want to make sure you understand exactly how to make them, but it’s really not a complicated recipe!
I also include my killer sauce recipe (I’ve borrowed from this for many of my Italian recipes, like my rigatoni!). The meatballs are first briefly seared (which gives them BIG flavor then the sauce is built on this flavor. After making the sauce, the meatballs are returned to the pot and simmered until cooked through. This technique makes my meatball recipe incredibly flavorful (as do a few other tricks and techniques I have up my sleeve… starting with the panade)
Panade
If you’ve made meatballs before, it’s possible you’ve made a panade but not realized it. A panade is simply starch and liquid mixed together (here: white bread and whole milk) and its purpose is to add moisture to the meat.
I credit this panade to the incredible flavor and moisture that my meatball recipe has. Well, mostly. Another key factor is the mixing technique.
Tip: Use white bread and remove the crust for the softest meatballs! Do not use breadcrumbs or they won’t be nearly as soft & juicy!
The Secret’s In How You Mix It
Here’s where a lot of people go wrong when making their meatballs: they tend to over-work the meat. It’s necessary to work the panade and the remaining ingredients together, but thoroughly combining these two very different textures so often causes the meat to be over-worked. This causes the meatballs to lose their moist, soft texture.
So, after lots of experimenting and lots of research, I ended up borrowing a technique from Serious Eats. Rather than trying to mix together our panade and our meat all at once (high over-mixing risk!) we first stir together the panade and all of the remaining ingredients except for the meat, then add only a few Tablespoons of the meat.
This we mix together very, very thoroughly (a technique that Daniel Gritzer cleverly refers to as a “temper”). Then we’re safe to gently incorporate the remaining meat, which works together easily. It’s much easier to combine and you’re much less likely to over-work your meatballs this way.
Tip: You want your ingredients, especially your meat, to be as cold as possible (if the meat gets too warm the fat will melt and you’ll lose precious flavor). Keep the meat in the fridge until the last-second, and consider using a chilled metal bowl when mixing things together!
The Perfect Sear (for Best Flavor!)
For the best meatball recipe, I sear them first so the outsides are browned and cooked (the flavor this gives them is amazing) but the insides are still pink. Then I remove the meatballs from the pan, make my sauce, and then drop them back into the sauce where they’ll cook through.
This not only creates the best tasting meatballs but it imparts an incredible flavor into the sauce, making it seriously to-die-for. To properly sear:
- Generously coat the bottom of a large pot with a layer of olive oil and heat until the oil is shimmering.
- Sear in batches of 3-4 at a time (more or less depending on how large your pot is!). You only need to sear on two sides, not the whole way around! They won’t be cooked through and it’s totally OK (/expected!) if you still see quite a bit of pink
- Once browned on both sides (and they should be a pretty brown color, not grey), remove the meatballs to a separate plate while you prepare your sauce.
Tip: The meatballs might stick a bit to the pot, even with the oil. I recommend using a small spatula to gently pry loosen them from the pot before turning them with tongs.
If you have an excessive amount of grease in the pot you can drain some (but not all) of it. I usually aim to have 2 Tablespoons to cook my onions/sauce in.
There will be plenty of browned bits remaining in the pot once you’ve seared all of your meatballs. These are total flavor-bombs and should never ever be scraped out/removed. Never! This is the starting point and a critical building block for the sauce. The browned bits will be loosened from the bottom of the pot as you cook and stir your onions (scrape the bottom of the pan with your spatula). It’s going to taste so good!
The sauce that I include in my meatball recipe is just a slight variation of my homemade marinara sauce recipe. Once the sauce is prepared, the meatballs will be returned to the pot and submerged to simmer until cooked through.
Tip: In a pinch you can substitute 3 cups of your favorite sauce, but if you have the time I highly recommend making the recipe as written!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this meatball recipe freezes well. After making, allow the sauce and the meatballs to cool and then freeze in an airtight container for 3-4 months.
I typically thaw mine in the refrigerator overnight the night before I intend to enjoy.
I don’t recommend baking. SO much of the flavor comes from the sear, so I only recommend making this meatball recipe as written.
A side salad with homemade garlic knots or a thick slice of buttered homemade bread or even biscuits are great options.
I also like to make my burger buns, only shape them into sub rolls and then add a bit of provolone or mozzarella over the meatballs for 100% homemade meatball subs (this is HEAVEN!).
Please don’t! Your meatballs would be much more dry this way.
More Recipes You Might Like
- Baked Ziti
- The BEST Chili Recipe (seriously, it’s won dozens of cook-offs!)
- Stuffed Shells (if you’re looking for something hearty and vegetarian_
- Lasagna Soup
I seriously cannot wait to hear how you like this meatball recipe! Please leave me a comment (and I love seeing your pictures on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @sugarspun_sam!
Let’s cook together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
The BEST Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 3 slices white bread crust removed
- ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk cold
- ⅓ cup (45 g) grated parmesan
- 1 large egg cold, lightly beaten
- 3 large cloves garlic pressed (or minced if you do not have a garlic press)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg¹
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 lb (455 g) ground beef I used 90% lean
- 1 lb (455 g) ground pork
- Olive oil
For Sauce (Or you may substitute 3-4 cups of your favorite, quality marinara sauce)
- 1 cup (145 g) finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic about 3-4 cloves
- 28 oz (793 g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
For Meatballs
- Start by making a “panade”. To do this, tear bread into approximately 1” sized pieces and place in a medium-sized bowl. Pour milk over bread and turn with a fork until completely coated with milk. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until milk is fully absorbed and then use your fork to mash bread until it forms a paste.3 slices white bread, ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
- Add grated parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, onion powder, oregano, crushed red pepper (if using), nutmeg, salt, and ground pepper to panade and stir until well-combined.⅓ cup (45 g) grated parmesan, 1 large egg, 3 large cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg¹, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- Place ground meats in a separate, large bowl. Tear off about 2 Tablespoons of meat each from ground beef and ground pork and add to the panade mixture. Stir very well until well-combined.1 lb (455 g) ground beef, 1 lb (455 g) ground pork
- Pour panade mixture into large bowl with remaining meat and use your hands to gently work ingredients together until completely combined. Do not over-work or your meatballs will be tough!
- Scoop dough into 2-Tablespoon sized balls (I use a cookie dough scoop to make this easier) and lightly grease your hands with olive oil. Roll into a round ball (don't roll too tightly) and place on a wax paper lined plate or baking sheet until you have formed all of your meatballs.
- Grab a large stockpot or enameled Dutch oven (I don’t recommend non-enameled cast-iron as it can cause a metallic taste) and add enough olive oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan so that it is ⅛-¼” deep. Heat over medium/medium-high heat until oil shimmers.Olive oil
- Add meatballs to the pan (I use tongs) in batches of just 3-4. Sear/cook until browned on one side, flip and cook until browned on the other side (if your meatballs are sticking, use a spatula to gently loosen them from the pan), then remove to a clean plate. Meatballs will still be pink inside, this is expected. Repeat until all meatballs have been cooked.
- If you have more than about 2 Tbsp of grease left in the pot, drain excess grease (I use a ladle to remove). If you don’t have any grease left, add a splash more olive oil and allow it to heat and prepare your sauce. Do not remove caramelized/brown bits at the bottom of the pot!
For Sauce
- Add onion to pot and cook until translucent. As the onion cooks, use your spatula to gently scrape the bottom of the pan, loosening any browned bits from the meat (don’t discard these).1 cup (145 g) finely chopped yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (30 seconds)1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- Add crushed tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir well.28 oz (793 g) crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Bring sauce to a simmer and then gently place meatballs back into the pot, submerging in the sauce (it may seem like a lot of meatballs but they should all be able to be submerged into the sauce).
- Cover pot and continue to simmer over low heat until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature should reach at least 165F/75C. This usually takes about 15-20 minutes for me.
- Gently stir sauce and serve alone, with a side salad, on subs, or over pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Nancy
They are great. All your recipes have been fantastic.
Sam
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Nancy! I am so glad you have been enjoying them! 🙂
Bonnie Lea Wallace
I agree with mostly everything and understand why these are the ingredients that you use. But, being Italian American and growing up with grandparents that were directly from Italy, I don’t get the purpose for the nutmeg???? I hope someone can clarify this for me…
Sam
The nutmeg adds some extra flavor. I talk about it briefly in the notes below the recipe. 🙂
Sharon
I’m Italian and so are my in-laws. I use nutmeg in my meatballs and it really does make a huge difference. It just enhances the flavor of the meatball so much. Give it a try. It’s great!
Anne
These are terrific meatballs, can they be cooked in air fryer instead of fried? Thank you.
Sam
Hi Anne! I haven’t tried it but it could work. Let me know how it goes if you do try it. 🙂
Jayro
When you said best meatball recipe, you really meant it. And to top it off, this is quite easy to make 🙂 Is it ok to switch to some of the vegan alternatives for the ingredients and still use this recipe, though? I want to see if that would give the same flavour.
P
These really were the best! The only changes I made were to use a mix of lamb, pork, and beef and butterbread instead of white (it’s what I had on hand). Delicious!
Carolyn
My husband and I made the meatballs today and they are delicious. Please add more family recipes.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Carolyn! 🙂
candycane
love them!
amanda notaris
Hi.. I am looking forward to trying these this week- I love so many of your recipes.. I wanted to know if fresh herbs and sautéed onions instead of onion powder would be just as good. I have never been a fan of dried stuff but I dont want to ruin the recipe either if it is perfect as is. Thank you
Sam
Hi Amanda! You can use fresh herbs, but you will need a little more than what is called for. You can use grated onions here, but personally I like to use the powder and then use the onions in the sauce. 🙂
amanda notaris
Thank you!
Tyra
Hi
We don’t eat pork at home.. is it possible to double up on the ground beef??
Sam
Hi Tyra! You can and they’ll still be great, you will just lose a bit of flavor.
Cynthia
Good morning Samantha: I was wondering if you had a recipe for Brioche….I did try one but was not all that pleased with what I used. Thank you for all your recipies….at the moment I am busy collecting the ones I have tried and making a recipe folder for my Granddaughter for when she is on her own Memories of the past. Thank you Cynthia
Sam
Hi Cynthia! I don’t have one yet but it is something I am working on! Thank you for using my recipes and following my blog, I appreciate it and can’t wait to share a good brioche recipe with you! <3
Amy
I only have homemade sourdough on hand – will that work?
Sam
Hi Amy! I used homemade sourdough just the other day and it worked great. 🙂
Teresa
Hi Sam! I was born in Australia of Italian immigrants and we moved back to Italy when I was 20 and have lived here ever since. Your recipe is authentic except for the excessive amount of garlic in the meatballs. Don’t know why people overseas associate garlic = italian. That is definitely not so! Most italians turn their nose up at garlic. Generally, those who do like it, usually just dose it to get just a slight hint of garlic in the dish. The only exceptions are pasta “aglio e olio” and the typical dish they make in Piemonte called “Bagna cauda”, a hot dish and dipping sauce that is used to dip vegetables in, made with olive oil, chopped anchovies and garlic (lots of garlic, like 12 entire heads of it!) in 1 litre of olive oil and simmered on the stove top for a few hours.
So, I just wanted to say that I make meatballs exactly like you do, minus the 3 cloves of garlic. I just put garlic in the sauce that in our opinion is enough to flavor the meatballs as well once they simmer in the sauce.
Anyway, love your blog and the way you explain the recipes.
Sam
Hi Teresa! Very cool! I’ll definitely take the credit for the garlic obsession, I don’t necessarily consider it an Italian thing (while my grandmother loves garlic, I can’t recall my great grandmother being quite as heavy-handed with it… she also didn’t care for sugar in her sauce and said it was a “Sicilian thing”, so we have a few differences there 😂). I think it’s so neat our recipes ended up being so similar! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for following my blog, I appreciate it! <3
JB
“minus the 3 cloves of garlic”
And here I am thinking, only 3 cloves?
Bonnie Lea Wallace
I totally and completely disagree with you about the garlic. To each their own.
Ariel Ofri-Akman
OMG these were so amazing!!! I didnt have white bread, so I used whole wheat bread and it wouldn’t make a paste so I just used my emersion blender. also, my moms vegetarian so I used beyond meat and it worked great!! Also for the sauce, I added fresh basil and a sachet or the stems. These were juicy, amazing, perfect, I literally cant describe how amazing this was. I saw the vid first on youtube, where you should go and subscribe to sam and turn on the post notifications, then tonight, randomly, my mom was like hey ariel, were making meatballs and I was like YES. she took down the breadcrumbs and I kicked her out of the kitchen 10000000000000/10 rating make these thank you Sam for blessing us with these great recipes!
Sam
Haha! I am SO happy these were such a hit for you, Ariel (and laughed out loud at the image of you kicking your mom out of the kitchen 😂). Thank you SO much for being a subscriber on YouTube, for trying my recipe, and for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you! I appreciate it so much!! <3
Pam
Love these meatballs! So incredibly flavorful! The whole family loved them. Also, greats tips for making the meatballs.
Sam
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Pam! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Kathleen
Re: Meatballs First let me say that I look forward to your newsletter. It is definitely one of my favorite food-blogs. One of my grandson is living with me and follows his religious diet. That being said, meatballs cannot containing milk or any dairy products. I have [with the help of a Jewish Food Site] created a meatball recipe that my grandson able to eat. We both love the taste of these meatballs too. My question is, “Do you have family recipe that you could share that does not contain any dairy products? OR, I thought you might be interested in creating a special segment featuring Jewish Cooking. Thank you. Blessing and may you all stay safe and strong during the trying times. ~ Kathleen
Sam
Hi Kathleen! Thank you so, so much for following my blog! I will be honest, I’m not very familiar with Jewish cooking or dairy free cooking but it is something I will look into, for sure! Thank you for the request, and thank you again for following along with the blog. Your grandson is so lucky to have a grandmother who cares so much! <3
Donna
I love your meatballs this is the best I have ever had my family loves them they’re so delicious and I followed everything you said it was simple thanks for making it so easy your amazing at this I admire you so much and looking for your lasagna recipe just haven’t been able to find one only the soup so ill be patiently waiting on it as well !! 💞
Sam
I am so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much, Donna! Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know how it turned out for you! I actually have a lasagna recipe in the works, stay tuned!! <3
candy
mmm