Homemade Meatballs

This homemade meatballs recipe is so simple to make and packed with flavor, you'll be debating on starting your own Italian restaurant.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings meatballs

Calories 112kcal

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 7 minutes or until translucent, stirring frequently. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, milk and parsley. Squish the mixture with your hands until mixed. Add the onion mixture and kosher salt and continue mixing with hands. The mixture should be fairly wet.
Use wet hands or an ice cream scoop to shape the meatballs to desired size, usually golf ball size. Put some parchment paper on a baking sheet and place meatballs in single layer. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meatballs start to brown on top. If using right away, add to the marinara sauce for the last 30 minutes. If not using, you can freeze.

Don’t over-mix! Over-mixing the meatballs will make them tough.
Use an ice cream scoop to make the meatballs equal in size so they all cook the same.
Use cold ingredients to keep the fat from melting before transferring to the oven.
Use freshly grated Parmesan. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
You can replace the milk with water if needed.
You know the meatballs are done when inserting an instant read thermometer and it reads 165°F. I usually just cut one in half and see if there is any pink left. Just throw back in oven for another 3-5 minutes if they aren't done.