The Best Authentic Italian Meatballs
Tender, flavorful and easy to make I am not exaggerating when I tell you this is the Best Authentic Italian Meatballs Recipe Ever! Browned for flavor, then slow simmered in pasta sauce your family will be begging you to make these in large batches just to keep up with demand.
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My Mother-In-Law Lina makes the best sauce and meatballs in the world. I have tried lots and lots of versions to see if anyone can compete and have yet to find an Italian Meatball Recipe as good as hers.
Now being Sicilian and 80 written down recipes are not exactly her strength. So getting this recipe nailed down as an act of charades and visual aids to get a grip on the amounts needed. But bingo bango I nailed it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lean Ground Beef – Not too fatty but fatty enough to keep the meatballs tender and flavorful. She uses ground beef only but if you really want you can always swap a 1/2 lb out for lean ground pork or veal. But her recipe is pure ground beef.
- Bread Crumbs – Use the kind without seasoning because we will be adding our own.
- Mint – Fresh is best. This is the secret ingredient that gives these homemade Italian meatballs an unmatchable flavor. If you do need to use dried mint cut the amount down to 2-3 tablespoons.
- Garlic – Fresh, not the powdered stuff
- Eggs – The glue that holds it all together and also keeps them tender
- Milk – Adds a little moisture
- Baking Powder- A little leavener to help with tenderizing
- Salt and Pepper
- Pasta Sauce – Make the sauce using this recipe but leave out the ground beef. You will need lots of sauce so that the meatballs can be fully submerged to simmer for about an hour.
How to Make Italian Meatballs
- Start by finely chopping the mint and fresh garlic.
- Add the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, mint, baking powder and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Add the ground beef, eggs, garlic and milk to the dry mix and use your hands to blend. Do not overmix. The meat should feel sticky and almost like a paste. If it is dry and crumbly and doesn’t stick together add a little more milk.
- Roll about 2 tablespoons of the Italian meatball mixture into balls until smooth and round.
- Place the formed meatballs onto a parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheet. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes per side turning halfway until they are browned.
- Add the browned meatballs to the large pot of sauce and simmer. If making fresh sauce you would be adding the meatballs instead of the browned ground beef and would let the meatballs simmer to cook with the sauce.
- Let the meatballs and sauce simmer to cook together for 1 1/2 – 2 hours before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Italian Meatballs in Italy are rarely served over pasta. This is more of an Italian American dish usually known as Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Traditionally these easy Italian Meatballs are served as the main dish smothered in sauce alongside bread with a salad to finish and a nice glass of red wine. Using the meatballs and bread as a way to sop up the delicious pasta sauce. A match made in heaven!
My family usually serves meatballs with pasta and then more meatballs in a bowl on the side because the meatballs are always the main attraction.
Do The Meatballs Need To Be Cooked In Sauce?
Yes! This makes all the difference. Not only do the meatballs add great flavor to the sauce but the sauce adds flavor to the meatballs and also keeps them tender and moist and never dry. There is a synergy between the sauce and the meatball that can’t be overlooked.
But, If you are not planning to cook these in sauce (even though you should) broil them to brown first then turn the oven to bake at 375°F for 15-20 more minutes or until they are cooked through and serve with sauce.
Storage and Freezing
browned but uncooked meatballs
If you don’t plan to make sauce the day you make the meatballs you can let the meatballs cool completely after brewing them store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Then when you are ready to make the sauce pop them in the pot and let simmer for 1.5-2 hours to cook with the sauce.
cooked meatballs
To store the cooked meatballs you can do it one of two ways.
The first way is to store the Italian meatball recipe with the sauce. To do this split the sauce recipe and meatballs into 3-4 servings in a large container. The meatballs and sauce are good in the fridge for up to 3 days but usually when I do this we have pasta and meatballs the day I make this recipe and then I freeze the servings in resealable containers to eat over the next 3 months.
The second option is to scoop out the meatballs from the sauce and store the meatballs and sauce separately in freezer-safe containers. I do recommend adding sauce to the container with the meatballs though because you will always want sauce to serve with these homemade Italian meatballs.
Can Store Bought Sauce Be Used?
I would like to say yes because that may be easier but really no. The magic of this recipe is the flavor and moisture they get when cooked with the sauce.
But if you cook the meatballs with the sauce and then need more sauce later to eat with them using store-bought sauce to fill the void is perfectly fine.
Can the Meatballs be Pan Fried Instead?
Yes, you can brown the meatballs in a frying pan if you prefer but I find that the outside gets too caramelized and crispy using this method. When baked, they brown well which adds great flavor without getting a hard or crispy exterior.
Can This Recipe Be Halved?
Yes for sure! This recipe makes about 25 meatballs so it is usually enough for 2 meals for my family. Because this recipe is easy but does take time to simmer in the sauce and everything I recommend making the full recipe and freezing the leftovers but halving the recipe works just fine.
The Best Authentic Italian Meatballs Ever
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, mint, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Add the ground beef, eggs, garlic and milk to the bowl. Use your hands to blend the dry ingredients into the meat just until combined. Do not overmix. The meatball mixture should feel sticky and almost like a paste. If too dry and crumbly add more milk a little at a time to moisten.
- Roll two tablespoons of the meatball mixture into balls and place them on a parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheet. You will need to do this in two batches for the full recipe.
- Broil on high for 5-7 minutes per side or until the meatballs are browned.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a large pot of pasta sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours with the sauce to cook through.
- Serve cooked meatballs as a main dish with sauce or over pasta.
Nutrition
Notes
To store the cooked meatballs you can do it one of two ways. The first way is to store the Italian meatball recipe with the sauce. To do this split the sauce recipe and meatballs into 3-4 servings in a large container. The meatballs and sauce are good in the fridge for up to 3 days but usually when I do this we have pasta and meatballs the day I make this recipe and then I freeze the servings in resealable containers to eat over the next 3 months. The second option is to scoop out the meatballs from the sauce and store the meatballs and sauce separately in freezer-safe containers. I do recommend adding sauce to the container with the meatballs though because you will always want sauce to serve with these homemade Italian meatballs.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
