Meatballs
intro
Juicy, herb-infused beef and pork meatballs slow-simmered in rich marinara, perfect for pairing with pasta or crusty bread for a cozy family meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep breadcrumb base
In a small mixing bowl, combine 120g soft fresh breadcrumbs with 80ml whole milk, stir to fully coat, and let rest for 5 minutes at room temperature until breadcrumbs absorb all milk and form a soft, paste-like consistency.
Mix meatball base
In a large mixing bowl, add 450g 80/20 ground beef, 225g ground pork, the soaked breadcrumb mixture, 1 beaten large egg, 50g grated Parmesan, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Gently fold ingredients together with clean hands for 2 minutes until just combined; do not overmix to avoid tough, dense meatballs.
Portion and shape meatballs
Lightly coat your hands with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent sticking, then portion the meat mixture into 12 equal 50g (approx 2 tablespoon) rounds, rolling gently between your palms to form smooth, evenly sized balls. Set shaped meatballs on a parchment-lined baking tray, leaving 1cm gaps between each to prevent sticking.
Sear meatballs until golden
Heat 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat (175°C/350°F pan surface temperature). Working in 2 batches to avoid crowding the pan (which causes steaming instead of searing), add meatballs and sear for 2 minutes per side, turning gently with tongs, until all sides are deep golden brown. Note: meatballs will not be fully cooked through at this stage. Transfer seared meatballs to a clean plate.
Simmer in marinara sauce
Pour 720ml (3 cups) marinara sauce into the same skillet used for searing, scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the pan bottom for extra flavor. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (160°C/320°F). Nestle the seared meatballs into the sauce, spoon a small amount of sauce over the top of each meatball, then cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring the sauce gently once at the 10-minute mark, until meatballs reach a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Rest and serve hot
Turn off the stovetop heat, let the meatballs rest in the warm sauce for 5 minutes to lock in juices, then serve hot. Top with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired, paired with al dente pasta or crusty artisan bread.
Tips
2.Avoid crowding the pan when searing: too many meatballs in the skillet at once drops the pan temperature and causes steaming, which prevents a flavorful golden crust from forming.
3.For the most tender texture, use soft fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk instead of dry packaged breadcrumbs, which absorb less moisture and produce firmer, drier meatballs.
OMG these meatballs are SO good! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single parent asked for the recipe. The trick with soaking the bread in milk really makes them so tender, no tough dry hockey pucks here! I doubled the batch and froze half for quick weeknight dinners, total game changer.
Took a shot at these for our Sunday family dinner and they did not disappoint. I used a mix of ground beef and sweet Italian sausage like my grandma used to, and the marinara came out perfectly rich. Only note is I added a little extra garlic because we’re garlic fiends over here, 10/10 will make again.
I make a big batch of meatballs every Sunday for meal prep and this is my new go-to recipe. They hold up really well in the fridge all week and don’t get mushy when you reheat them in the marinara. Cook time was exactly as listed too, which is so rare for medium difficulty recipes I try off the internet! Took off one star because I wish there was a note about what size to scoop them for even cooking, but I eyeballed it and it worked out fine.
Super nervous to make these since I’m still pretty new to cooking and the difficulty is listed as medium! I followed the steps exactly but my meatballs fell apart a little when I was browning them. Any idea what I did wrong? They still tasted amazing, just looked a little rough.
As someone who grew up eating Italian-American meatballs at every Sunday dinner in Queens, I can confirm these are the real deal. Tender, flavorful, not overloaded with breadcrumbs, the marinara has that perfect balance of sweet and tangy. My nonna would definitely approve.
I tried making these with gluten free panko last night and they were fantastic! The only tiny issue is they were a little more dense than the regular version I made a few months back. Any tips to keep them extra tender with GF bread?
Made these for my college football watch party over the weekend and served them on slider buns with a little melted mozzarella. Absolute home run, people were going back for thirds even with all the other food on the table. So easy to make ahead too, just kept them warm in the slow cooker on the low setting during the game.
I was so scared my kids would turn their noses up at these because they usually only eat frozen chicken nuggets, but they both asked for seconds! My 7 year old even said these are better than the ones we get at our favorite Italian restaurant. Total win for dinner time.
Wait, do you really have to brown the meatballs first before simmering them in the sauce? I’m super lazy and was wondering if I could just plop the raw meatballs straight into the simmering marinara to cut down on dishes? Would that mess up the texture?
I’ve tried so many classic meatball recipes over the years for neighborhood potlucks and this one is officially my new #1. The only tweak I made was adding a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes to the marinara for a little background heat, everyone went crazy for it. 10/10, no notes.
Made these for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner last night because she’s been craving good Italian-American food and she said they were better than the meatballs we had on our trip to Boston’s North End! I will say, I accidentally used lean ground beef (93/7) instead of the 80/20 the recipe recommends and they were still tender, which I was shocked by. Definitely a keeper recipe.