This is my Sicilian family's traditional meatball recipe using beef, pork, and veal. These are the best Italian meatballs you'll ever taste!
Straight from my Sicilian family's traditional recipe using beef, pork, and veal and oven-baked to tender perfection, these are the best Italian meatballs you’ll ever taste! Better than even the best Italian restaurant.
The Best Homemade Italian Meatballs from Scratch
Just like my Beef Braciole, Spiedini alla Siciliana and Crispy Breaded Chicken Cutlets, these old-fashioned Italian meatballs have been passed down from my grandparents to my parents to me. It's a classic family recipe that I've been making since I was a kid, but after working as a chef, I tweaked it to be even better. These authentic Italian meatballs are so flavorful, tender and juicy, they will absolutely melt in your mouth!
Simmer them in homemade marinara sauce or gravy, then serve with your favorite pasta, a big dollop of ricotta cheese and a hunk of fresh bread for a truly delicious homemade Italian dinner.
While a few steps for making the best Italian meatballs are non-negotiable, there is some flexibility with the recipe. My mom always used beef for her homemade meatballs, but I prefer a mixture of beef, pork, and veal, just like in my Lasagna alla Bolognese. What's most important is using high quality fresh ingredients for the best results.
Why This Recipe Works
- Authentic Italian meatball recipe that’s been in my family for generations.
- Easy to prepare and make in large batches – make and freeze them for later!
- Finely grated fresh onion and garlic melt into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.
- Baked instead of pan-fried for beautifully browned meatballs that hold their shape.
- Can be used in a number of different ways – as an entree, with pasta, in a sub, or for an appetizer!
Essential Ingredients
- Ground meat - A mixture of beef, pork, and veal is the traditional way to make old-fashioned Italian meatballs. The combination of meats is creates an incredibly flavorful, savory, tender meatball. But you can use whatever meat you prefer - homemade Italian meatballs are delicious made with all beef, all pork or a combination of the two. Just avoid super lean meat - 80/20 is recommended.
- Cheese -The key to the best Italian meatballs is using a lot of freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese. It adds the perfect sharp and salty flavor to the meatballs. Locatelli is the best brand if you can find it. You can also use a good quality parmesan cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, or a combination of parmesan and pecorino. Always grate your cheese fresh for best results.
- Milk - Any type of dairy milk will work. I wouldn’t recommend using plant-based milk. If you avoid dairy, just use water - many Italian cooks do.
- Breadcrumbs - Using Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs adds an extra pop of flavor, but you can also use fresh breadcrumbs or day-old bread torn into pieces and soaked in the milk for a few minutes before adding other ingredients. You can add a ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning or omit the seasoning altogether.
- Tomato Sauce - I always simmer my meatballs in my homemade Marinara sauce. It's really easy to make while the meatballs are baking, but you can use your favorite jarred tomato sauce if you prefer.
Helpful Equipment
- Cookie Scoop - This little scoop is perfect for to portioning out the meatballs - it makes evenly sized balls and helps the job go really fast.
- Microplane Grater - This is super helpful for grating the onions and garlic so that they add tons of moisture to the meatballs without big chunks. You can also use it to freshly grate the parmesan cheese.
- Danish Dough Whisk - I recently started using one of these tools to mix my meatballs and it does a really great job of quickly creating a homogeneous mixture.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Use a microplane grater to finely grate in the garlic and onion into the mixture.
- Add the salt, egg, grated cheese, and parsley, then use your fingers to mix until everything is combined and smooth.
- Add the meat to the breadcrumb mixture and mix with a fork or your hands until the breadcrumbs are evenly distributed and the mixture is well combined.
- Wet your hands and form the meat into whatever size balls you desire - I like them to have around ¼ cup of meat in them. Space them out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, then turn to the other side and bake for an additional 7 minutes. The meatballs should brown nicely on two sides. While the meatballs are baking, prepare your sauce or heat it up on the stove.
- Place the meatballs directly into the sauce after cooking. Simmer on the lowest heat setting possible for approximately 1 hour, stirring every so often to make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
Note: If you’re not ready to eat them immediately, turn off the heat and just let the meatballs sit in the sauce until ready to serve, then gently bring them back up to temperature over medium heat.
Tips for Making the BEST Italian Meatballs
- If the breadcrumbs and milk get hard while sitting in the bowl, add a few splashes of milk until it’s looser and easy to mix together.
- Adding the meat at the end is key! Mix all other ingredients together first, and be careful not to overmix the meat, or it will become tough.
- I can’t say this strongly enough: use parchment paper! Parchment paper on your pan will keep the meatballs from sticking to the pan, which will ruin their shape and make a huge mess to clean up.
- Let your meat get to room temperature, or at least sit out for 10-15 minutes. Everything will be easier to combine if the meat isn’t too cold (just out of the refrigerator).
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs before rolling them out with your hands.
- I like to rub my hands with a little oil when forming the meatballs. You don’t need any extra oil as long as you use parchment paper!
- Be gentle with the meatballs. Roll them firmly, but don't pack them too tight.
- It's okay if the meatballs don't cook all the way through in the oven, they will simmer in the sauce. The key is to get them browned on the outside.
- For an extra indulgence, add some of the brown bits and drippings from the pan to the sauce.
- If you're not ready to eat the meatballs when they're finished cooking, turn off the heat and let them sit in the sauce until ready, then warm them back up before serving. They will continue to get more tender as they sit and soak up all of the delicious sauce.
How to Serve Meatballs
How you eat your meatballs is entirely up to you, but here are a few delicious ways to enjoy them!
- On a plate with extra sauce, a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil and a dollop of ricotta cheese.
- WIth a simple green salad or Caesar Salad
- Rigatoni is traditional to serve with meatballs in my family, but spaghetti or any pasta will be great!
- On a meatball sub with buttered garlic bread and melted mozzarella.
FAQS About Baked Italian Meatballs
I prefer baking meatballs over frying them on the stove. They still get browned (just bake at high heat) but have none of the mess and hold their shape much better than they do when frying them!
Bake your meatballs at a high temperature until browned on the outside, then let them simmer in the sauce for at least an hour.
Yes! They turn out wonderful in the air fryer. Cook them at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned on the outside.
Yes! You do not have to simmer the meatballs on the stove, they work incredibly well in a crock pot.
Related Recipes
Did you LOVE this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and comment to let other readers know! I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all questions and comments. I love seeing your creations so please tag me on Instagram @ColeyCooks!
PrintThe BEST Italian Meatballs
This is my Sicilian family's traditional meatball recipe using beef, pork, and veal. These are the best Italian meatballs you'll ever taste!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes, plus simmering
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: about 16 meatballs, depending on size 1x
- Category: Meat
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- ¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs (or the equivalent in roughly torn stale bread)
- ¾ cup whole Milk (you can sub half and half or water), plus more as needed
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ small onion
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 ½ pounds ground meat (50% beef, 25% pork, 25% veal, or whichever combination of meats you prefer)
- tomato sauce, for simmering
- pasta, for serving
- ricotta, for serving (optional)
- basil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Use a microplane grater to finely grate in the garlic and onion (you want about 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of onion pulp).
- Add the salt, egg, grated cheese, and parsley, then use your fingers to mix until everything is combined and smooth. If the breadcrumbs and milk have seized up and gotten hard, add a few splashes of milk until it loosens enough to easily mix.
- Add the meat and mix with a fork or your hands until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly distributed and the mixture is homogeneous. Be careful not to overmix or it will cause the meatballs to become tough.
- Wet your hands and form the meat into whatever size balls you desire - I like them to be about ¼ cup big. Space them out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, then turn to the other side and bake for an additional 7 minutes. The meatballs should be nicely browned on two sides. While the meatballs are baking, prepare your sauce or have it heating up on the stove.
- Place the meatballs directly into the sauce after cooking. Simmer on the lowest heat setting possible for approximately 1 hour. If you need to keep them for longer, turn off the heat and just let them sit in the sauce until ready to serve, then gently bring them back up to temperature.
- Serve meatballs with al dente pasta,, extra sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of ricotta and a sprig of fresh basil.
Notes
Tips for Making the BEST Italian Meatballs
- If the breadcrumbs and milk get hard while sitting in the bowl, add a few splashes of milk or water until it’s looser and easy to mix together.
- Adding the meat at the end is key! Mix all other ingredients together first, and be careful not to overmix the meat, or it will become tough.
- I can’t say this strongly enough: use parchment paper! Parchment paper on your pan will keep the meatballs from sticking to the pan, which will ruin their shape and make a huge mess to clean up.
- Let your meat get to room temperature, or at least sit out for 10-15 minutes. Everything will be easier to combine if the meat isn’t too cold (just out of the refrigerator).
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs before rolling them out with your hands.
- I like to rub my hands with a little oil when forming the meatballs. You don’t need any extra oil as long as you use parchment paper!
- Be gentle with the meatballs. Roll them firmly, but don't pack them too tight.
- It's okay if the meatballs don't cook all the way through in the oven, they will simmer in the sauce. The key is to get them browned on the outside.
- For an extra indulgence, add some of the brown bits and drippings from the pan to the sauce.
- If you're not ready to eat the meatballs when they're finished cooking, turn off the heat and let them sit in the sauce until ready, then warm them back up before serving. They will continue to get more tender as they sit and soak up all of the delicious sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 377
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 1118.9 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.3 g
- Protein: 49.7 g
- Cholesterol: 163.4 mg
Keywords: Italian, Sicilian, meatballs, sauce, gravy, sugo, marinara, beef, pork, veal, sunday, dinner, easy, recipe, baked
Bruce
I like the new format if I am trying to cook along. Sometimes I just like to sit and watch some of your quick vids, but it is difficult to cook along with them. and hard to keep replaying when your hands have olive oil on them. what to do.....what to do....both!
Coley
Thanks Bruce! I will keep doing both styles of video. Look out for more soon. 🙂
Bruno
Coley – First things first: Loved the hair worn up. Seriously, look at pics of Gina Lollobrigida when she was in her 20s. I’ve seen you in person, watched most of your clips and seen you on TV and you looked bellissimo in this video and VERY Italian. Oh, and the kitchen looked terrific. Nice job by you and your husband. Clean lines, smooth textures, looks easy to maintain and clean and basically - modern without being garish.
Now – I find the extended video version easier to follow than the shorter 2 ½ minute versions. I found that if I wanted to, I could follow along while prepping this dish and I enjoyed being able to understand more about the recipe and how you feel about it. What’s important to me is that these are mostly YOUR recipes so how you came to this particular version or iteration of it is important to serious home cooks. And yes, it is a bit jerky but a single fixed camera doesn’t give you a whole helluva lot of options. I could imagine how good this would have been with a professional editor, three cameras running and a budget like the one that Food TV has to work with. For a relatively new blogger, I thought it was funny, convivial, friendly but not goofy and instructive with instructive being the key issue. (The milk additions are a part of that point: cooking is not baking – there are rarely strict, unbending rules on ingredients, merely guidelines to achieve a certain flavor profile. Most of my recipes are moving targets – my wife asks ‘how did you prepare the chicken this time? It’s terrific this way!’ And I say – ‘got me...’ You’re a professional so you can’t get away with that but I’m retired – I can do what I want!
This was a nice first try but I’m anxious to see subsequent pieces because you seem to learn very quickly in your writing, your photography and your ability to be honest with your readers. (That was the best part of this whole Meatball post for me – your being honest about being rushed, sometimes being uninspired or occasionally just being worn out. We all do it and when you put out a product that you love only to realize that the result is only half-assed and then regretting it forever – that sucks. Honesty, on the other hand, I like a whole lot. “One thing I can promise is that they won’t be forced. Ever.” Nice.)
I promise to stay tuned and keep watching if you promise to keep working at it with the same level of intensity as you’ve given this project in the past two years. Oh, by the way, we had a big shindig at the Borgata last Saturday so we went out for a ‘fix the hangover breakfast’ on Sunday – a rarity these days. But it gave me a chance to stop by Soulberri after going to a local joint to get pancakes (which I eat about once every thirty years!) and two gallons of coffee. An electrician was doing some final hookups and it looks as if you’re about ready to go. We wish you the best and I’ll be stopping in as soon as we get back to Jersey in late May. Best wishes on a seamless start up. Opening day will make you crazy but you’ll survive, of this I am certain. (And the architect’s sign caught me by surprise! Kewl.)
Coley
Thanks so much, Bruno! I always love reading your comments and appreciate all the support you give me. I'm glad you're diggin' Soulberri's look - we can't wait to have you there for some grub! See you in May.
Dan Woo
Hi Nicole!
I love the new video format. This is what I'd follow along with while actually cooking (or in my case TRYING to cook). It's like hanging out in your kitchen, watching you create some masterpiece and learning something in the process. There are a lot of valuable tips and details here and I like how they just popped up naturally in the context of what you were saying. I thought the length was good. I think it should be as long as it needs to be to cover what you want to share, as opposed to any set length. This one seemed about right for meatballs. I could see others being longer.
I really like the somewhat unplugged, unscripted nature because I think it allows more of "you" to come through. This longer format allows more time for those oh-so-relatable references to family/experiences, that signature Coley wit, and, yes, a couple flailing arms and a few “uhhs” thrown in here and there for good measure. Speaking of, I wouldn't worry about that at all. Never forget, that “you" are who we follow. So, if that's how you explain things, then that's what we enjoy seeing/hearing. We want unabashed Nicole because that is what sets you apart from the others.. No one wants a generic Stepford chef with cookie-cutter dialog..we have the Cooking Channel for that. ????
I can imagine it can be hard to come up with new dishes so frequently. With such a substantial amount of recipes you've already shared here, there's no reason you can't create longer videos on something already in the portfolio. For example, I'd love to see a long version on your mom's chowder or your grandpa's linguine with the clams.
And as lovely as your hands are, we don't want to see them disembodied, working in a bowl. So forget that option, lol. As far as the old format, it might be good to still make those every once in a while too. They are some of the best produced and well executed clips out there. Pretty amazing you did those all on your own. I never saw them as how-to videos, so the newer longer videos don't really replace them. The short ones are great for giving a general sense of the complexity of a recipe, and a preview of what one would be rewarded with by reading the blog. In that sense, they still serve a purpose. Besides, I think they are a great showcase of your on-camera, brand representation, and media production skills.
Now where can one find fresh ground Parisian unicorn meat? Or do I have to ask Ina?!?
Coley
Wow, Dan! Thank you for such a long and thorough comment. I think I will continue to make videos in both styles moving forward. 🙂 As for that unicorn meat, you can only find it at the finest markets... which I'm pretty sure only exist in the Hamptons. 😉
Danielle
I second everything Dan said. The out-takes of your old videos were always my favorite part, and this has them built right in!
A couple weeks ago our cousin decided to bake some gluten-free carrot cake at my in-laws' house. She brought her tablet in the kitchen and followed along as she watched this woman bake the recipe. That's the first time I've ever seen a cook-along in action. Now I get it. It's so much more than a recipe.
Jacky Esteron
This recipe is very delicious...Ill be sure making it again😊😊😍😍
Coley
Thank you Jacky! So glad you enjoyed them!
Carla
Delicious meatballs. Loved baking them, so much easier than frying and didn't think there was any loss in flavor. I used all beef but would like to try next time with the mix.
★★★★★
Coley
So glad you loved them! The mixed meats make the meatballs even more tender
Jessie
So I am definitely one of those people who is guilty of dropping the meatballs right into the sauce to cook, but I followed your method here because I trust your recipes: you were right, these are excellent. You get so much more flavor with those few minutes in the oven! I did 75% beef/25% pork and it was perfect.
★★★★★
Coley
Yes!! So glad you loved them!
Corie
This was my first time baking meatballs instead of frying and I have to say, Im impressed! They turned out just as browned and flavorful without the mess. Don't think I'll be going back!
★★★★★
Coley
Thanks Corie! So glad you loved the recipe.
Samantha
These are the best meatballs ever!! I used a combination of beef, pork and veal and the Pecorino gave just enough saltiness! I'll be making another batch to freeze for later. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!!
★★★★★
Coley
Thanks, Samantha! So glad to loved the recipe.
Priscilla Dempsey
I used this recipe and the meatballs came out delicious, easily the best meatballs I have ever made! The texture, shape and flavor were perfect. I air fried them for 15 minutes at 425. I just wish I had found this recipe sooner!!
★★★★★
Coley
That makes me so happy to hear!