It may sound like an opinion, but I say these are The Best Homemade Meatballs Ever. And when you have an incredible Homemade Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe, it's only natural that you also have an Amazing Meatball Recipe! The texture is exactly what a meatball should provide, and the flavors all come together perfectly.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Making Italian Meatballs at home is really the only way to get the best results.
Compared to the alternative of frozen meatballs, these are SO much better and really very easy to make.
Above and beyond the great taste and ease of preparation comes cost-effectiveness. This is a great way to stretch your dollars on meat and make it go further. Topping a beautiful plate of spaghetti with three to four of these meatballs is plenty for a full-grown man. So when considering this recipe makes 30 meatballs...invite the whole family for a hot Sunday dinner without breaking the bank.
Ingredients
Meat: I use my own Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage for this recipe. (See Expert Tips)
Liquids: You'll need Eggs, Whole Milk, Beef Broth/Stock, and Worcestershire sauce.
Bread: I use a Fresh Baked Rosemary Bread Loaf. (See Expert Tips)
Herbs and Spices: You'll need Crushed Red Pepper, Garlic Powder, Dried Parsley, Kosher Salt, and Ground Black Pepper.
Cheese: The silkiness and light flavor of the gruyere cheese add a wonder texture and flavor to these meatballs, all while adding some extra moisture and keeping them very tender but well held together from the fresh bread crumbs.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First things first, preheat the oven to 400°f, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray the foil-lined sheet with cooking spray. This will make for easier cleanup later and ensures that your meatballs don't stick to the foil during baking.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine Italian Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper, Garlic Powder, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Cheese, and Bread Crumbs.
Stir all of the spices together to make sure everything is well-mixed.
Step 2: Add in the egg, milk, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce.
Stir again to get everything fully combined.
Step 3: Add the Italian Sausage to the mix.
Using your hands, loosely combine the meat with the mixture. Be very careful not to over-mix. The biggest issue with over-mixing is that it causes the meat to get too warm in your hands, which will begin to break down the fats in the meatballs.
Step 4: Portion two tablespoons per meatball of the mixture onto your foil-lined sheet pan.
You should get about 30 meatballs out of this batch.
Once they are all portioned out, quickly form them into balls, again being sure not to hold them in your hands for too long.
Bake the meatballs at 400°f for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer not to make Homemade Italian Sausage, the store-bought sausage will work fine.
- The fresh breadcrumbs help add moisture to the meatballs and bind everything together much better than dry breadcrumbs. If you don't want to make homemade bread, buy a loaf from the store and make your crumbs.
Recipe FAQs
Italian-style meatballs are different than American or Swedish meatballs due to the herbs, spices, and cheeses used within the mixture. The flavor is significantly different and quite noticeable.
There are many different recipes for Italian meatballs, but you'll need ground Italian sausage, seasoning, herbs, and spices such as parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper, fresh bread crumbs, eggs, milk, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and gruyere or parmesan cheese.
Traditional Italian meatballs are typically fried, but baking with a short broil at the end can save you some time while you prepare other parts of the dish.
Italians traditionally serve meatballs as a standalone dish, such as a side, appetizer, or snack. They are normally fried and not served with a sauce. In addition, Italian meatballs are much smaller than what you'll find at most American restaurants.
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📖 Recipe
The Best Homemade Meatballs Ever
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Italian Sausage
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ Cup Dried Parsley
- ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Gruyere Cheese
- ½ Cup Fresh Rosemary Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg beaten
- ⅓ Cup Milk
- ⅓ Cup Beef Broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400°f.
- Line a baking sheet in foil and spray with cooking spray. (Makes for easier clean up)
- Place all ingredients except for the Italian Sausage in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add Italian Sausage to the bowl and mix all ingredients together using a fork or spoon.
- Portion about 2 tablespoon worth of the meatball mixture onto the foil lined tray.
- Form the balls being sure not to over work the meat.
- Bake at 400°f for 30 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you prefer not to make Homemade Italian Sausage, the store-bought sausage will work fine.
- The fresh breadcrumbs help add moisture to the meatballs and bind everything together much better than dry breadcrumbs. If you don't want to make homemade bread, buy a loaf from the store and make your crumbs.
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