This Best Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe is freezer-friendly and can be served with spaghetti, as filling for a meatball sub, or used as a pizza topping!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: best italian meatballs, best meatball recipe
Servings: 6servings
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Whitney Reist | Sweet Cayenne
Cost: 10
Equipment
Baking sheet
Microplane/grater
Ingredients
½cupfinely grated Parmesan cheese
2wholecloves of garlic, grated finely on a microplane
1largeegg, lightly beaten
¼cupfinely chopped fresh parsley (add a mixture of basil as well, if you like)
1teaspoonKosher salt
½teaspoonblack pepper
⅔cupPanko breadcrumbs
1pound90/10 lean ground beef
8ouncesground Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)
Cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, garlic, egg, herbs, salt and pepper with a fork.
Add the Panko breadcrumbs and the ground beef. Use clean hands to combine the ingredients thoroughly, being careful not to overmix.
Carefully scoop and roll the meatballs into golf ball-sized balls (about 1 ½ inches thick); you should have about 12 meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until cooked through (must register internal temperature of 160℉ for beef + pork and 165℉ for poultry).
Video
Notes
Serving suggestions: - Add cooked meatballs to a skillet of your favorite pasta sauce. Serve with pasta or on toasted sub rolls with melted cheese. - Serve meatballs hot as an appetizer with a marinara sauce for dipping. - Slice cooked meatballs into thin rounds and use as a pizza topping.Freezer instructions: - Freeze unbaked meatballs on a tray lined with wax paper for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight freezer container or bag and freeze completely for up to 6 months. To reheat, place frozen meatballs in a slow cooker with sauce and heat on low for 3-4 hours until cooked through OR heat frozen meatballs in a simmering sauce on the stovetop for 30-45 minutes until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165℉. You can also thaw the meatballs in the fridge overnight and then bake as directed above in the oven.