This homemade Baked Meatballs recipe is incredibly versatile. Serve them over pasta in their sauce, tuck them into meatball subs, or enjoy them on their own as I like to do with crusty bread and a big salad. They’re also perfect for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and easy to customize with beef, turkey, or a blend of meats.
Love cozy Italian food and want more? Then try our Sausage Pepper Pasta or our Spinach Mushroom Lasagna.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Love a great meatball
- Like to serve them right out of the pan
- Easy to make
- Like to brown first and then bake for a tender meatball
- Great in a sub or over pasta, versatile!
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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Casserole Dish with Lid, Ceramic 9×13
Mixing Bowls Set, 2.1/1.5/1.0/0.5 Qt Ceramic Nesting
12″ Non Stick Frying Pan with Lid, Stainless Steel, Deep & Large
Ingredients for Baked Meatballs
These easy baked meatballs are simply delicious. I wanted to give you a recipe that you will go back to again and again.
Ingredients
Meatballs
Olive oil – Divided’ you will need this for the onions and for frying the meatballs.
Onion – Finely diced, you can use a white, sweet or yellow onion.
Cloves Garlic – Minced, this adds so much flavor and I like lots!!
Italian bread crumbs – These have been around forever, but they work great!!
Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated is best unless you get it grated from an Italian store that you trust doesn’t add any anti-caking agents to it.
Fresh parsley – Chopped, this adds a fresh note to the meatballs themselves.
Dried oregano, Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper – The usual culprits are here.
Milk and large egg – These add moisture and binding with the egg.
Lean ground beef and ground pork – I like a mixture of both for flavor and to keep the meatballs tender.
Sauce
Olive oil – This is used for flavor and for frying. Use a fairly good quality oil, extra virgin for sure.
Garlic – Minced, this adds loads of flavor.
Red chili flakes – Just a bit of heat adds an interesting dimension to the meatballs.
Crushed tomatoes – I like using crushed tomatoes as opposed to a passata, which is much smoother.
Kosher salt and sugar – A little saltiness and a little sweetness to combat the acid in the tomatoes.
Parmesan cheese – Grated fresh, don’t buy pre-grated.
Fresh basil leaves – Torn for garnish.
How to Make Baked Meatballs
Meatballs
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 4 – 5 minutes; stir often. Once the onions are softened but not browning, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and chopped parsley, and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk. Add the egg-milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth paste. Add in the cooled onions and garlic and stir to combine.
Place the meat into a large bowl and add the breadcrumb mixture to the meat. Use your hand shaped like a pitchfork, gently mix together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the meat, or the meatballs will be tough.
Roll the meat into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter, just slightly smaller than a golf ball. And place on a baking sheet.
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches. Turn the meatballs so they are nicely browned on all sides. The meatballs should be 75% cooked, but will still be raw in the very middle. Set them aside for the moment.
Sauce
To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes to the pan and cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the crushed tomatoes, Kosher salt, and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Baking the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large casserole dish with a lid, spoon enough sauce into the dish to cover the bottom. Place the meatballs in the casserole dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the meatballs.
Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.
Serve with a crusty bread for dipping in the sauce.
Recipe Pro Tips
Tips for the Best Baked Meatballs
- Don’t overmix the meat
Mix just until combined. Overmixing makes meatballs dense instead of tender. - Use a binder for moisture
Breadcrumbs, panko, or crushed crackers soaked with milk keep baked meatballs juicy. - Add an egg for structure
One egg helps the meatballs hold together while baking without drying out. - Use a cookie scoop for even size
Uniform meatballs cook evenly and look better for serving or photos. - Leave space between meatballs
Crowding traps steam. Spacing allows them to brown instead of boil. - Flip halfway for even browning
Turning the meatballs midway gives you golden color on all sides. - Finish in sauce for extra flavor
Simmer meatballs in the sauce in the oven to soak up flavor without overcooking. - Let them rest before serving
A short rest helps the juices redistribute so every bite is tender.
Bonus Make-Ahead Tip
- Freeze baked meatballs once cooled for easy weeknight meals; they really reheat beautifully!
DO YOU LOVE MEATBALLS AND WANT MORE?
We love a great meatball and have many recipes for making them. Here are some of our favorites.
Baked Meatball Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chop
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 4 fresh basil leaves torn for garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, stir often. Once the onions are softened but not browning, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute; remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and chopped parsley and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk. Add the egg-milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth paste. Add in the cooled onions and garlic and stir to combine.
- Place the meat into a large bowl and add the breadcrumb mixture to the meat. Use your hands to gently mix together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the meat, or the meatballs will be tough.
- Roll the meat into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter, just slightly smaller than a golf ball. And place on a baking sheet.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches. Turn the meatballs so they are nicely browned on all sides. The meatballs should be 75% cooked, but will still be raw in the very middle. Set them aside for the moment.
Sauce
- To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes to the pan and cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Kosher salt, and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Baking the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large casserole dish with a lid, spoon enough sauce into the dish to cover the bottom. Place the meatballs in the casserole dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the meatballs.
- Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.
- Serve with a crusty bread for dipping in the sauce.
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