The Best Italian Meatball Recipe
Published March 17, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Homemade Italian Meatball Recipe is jam-packed with beef, pork, cheese, bread, herbs, and a secret procedure, making it the best. Many have told me that this is, hands down, their favorite recipe. Don’t believe me? Just check out the comments below.
Who doesn’t love Italian food? It’s one of my favorite cuisines, and not just because of my heritage. The food is rich in flavor and almost always easy to make. Try out some of my favorites, like Chicken Parmigiana or Pasta Carbonara.
Italian Meatballs Recipe
Meatballs consist of finely minced meat, vegetables, seasonings, and binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep them together. They are then cooked and served in a myriad of ways, from pan-fried to baked to poached in sauce. They can be made from chicken, veal, beef, or pork. In addition, almost every country has its version, but my recipe is an Italian-style meatball.
While most folks think of serving these in the traditional spaghetti and meatballs sense, they can also be served as the primary protein in any meal. Feel free to try them over mashed potatoes or rice, with a side of green beans, or even in an Italian Wedding Soup.
What’s the Secret to Tender Meatballs?
I believe the secret to maintaining a juicy, flavorful, tender meatball is using “wet bread” instead of breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs absorb too much moisture from the meat and can often dry it when heated. Wet bread puffs up and creates air pockets, making the meatballs soft, tender, and more delicious.
You can soak the bread in two main ingredients: water or milk. After testing both, I do not see a big difference in flavor, so I recommend saving money and using water.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef – I use a 90/10 lean-to-fat ground sirloin. However, you can also use ground chuck, which is 80/20. Feel free to use homemade ground beef as well.
- Pork – Ground pork is what you will need for this.
- Bread – Any good artisan bread, such as Italian or French bread, will work.
- Onions — You can use red, white, sweet, or yellow onions. In addition, you’ll need fresh whole garlic cloves.
- Herbs – I used fresh basil, parsley, and rosemary in these meatballs.
- Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is best, but you can also use pecorino Romano.
How to Make Meatballs from Scratch
- Submerge some Italian or French bread in water for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Prepare the onions and garlic and add them to a bowl. I usually do this stage while the bread is soaking.
- Squeeze as much liquid from the water-soaked bread as possible and add it to the bowl with the onions and garlic.
- Add ground beef and ground pork to the bowl as well. I like to use ground sirloin at a 90/10 ratio of lean to fat.
- Add the eggs, parsley, rosemary, basil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Use all fresh herbs, and you can also add fresh oregano to the mix.
- Mix everything in the bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Form golf ball-sized meatballs using your hands and place them on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes. This recipe makes 40 meatballs, so freeze the remaining uneaten meatballs. Watch the video below to see all the different ways you can cook the meatballs.
How to Cook Meatballs in Sauce
- Start by browning all sides of the meatballs in a large sauté pan over medium heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, which takes about 6-8 minutes.
- Next, add them to the pot of Pomodoro sauce and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. I prefer to pan-sear the meatballs or cook them directly in the oven.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These can be made 2 to 3 hours ahead of time. Just keep them warm and covered at very low temperatures.
How to Store: Cover in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The meatballs freeze well covered in plastic for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the meatballs to a casserole dish and cover them with foil. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 375° or until warm. If serving with spaghetti and sauce, place them in a saucepot along with the sauce and cook over low heat until warm.
CHEF NOTES + TIPS
- Once the pan-fried or baked meatballs are browned, add them to the sauce and simmer them over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked throughout.
- This is a personal choice, but for serving, I like to coat the meatballs in the Pomodoro sauce and set them to the side. Then, I add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss it around until coated. I then serve the tomato sauce-coated meatballs over top of the pasta with a garnish of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and parsley.
- Feel free also to soak the bread in milk.
- The size of the loaf of bread doesn’t matter. It will not affect the recipe if it’s bigger or smaller than the one I used. Do your best to eyeball it. I used about 10-11 inches of a 16-inch loaf if you need specific details.
- When people say food is bland, in almost 99.9% of cases, it’s because of a lack of salt and pepper. Season it well, cook a small piece, and taste it. From there, determine whether it’s good enough or needs more, and then repeat the process until you get it right.
- These meatballs don’t need to be served in a tomato sauce specifically; they will also work on soups, sandwiches, mashed potatoes with gravy, or pizza.
More Italian Recipes
Video
The Best Meatball Recipe Ever
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2/3 loaf of French or Italian bread submerged in cold water
- 2 small peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1 ½ pounds 90/10 ground sirloin
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 heaping cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons coarse salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
Optional Spaghetti and Sauce
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti noodles
- ½ batch of Pomodoro sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 425°.
- Add the bread to a large bowl or pan and completely submerge it in water. See the video above.
- Squeeze as much liquid out of the water-soaked bread as possible, and add to a large bowl along with all of the meatball ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Next, form golf-ball-sized meatballs and place them 1” apart on cookie sheet trays lined with parchment paper.
- Bake them at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until they begin to get a little brown on top and are cooked throughout. Serve.
- Optional: With 10 minutes left in the cooking process add the spaghetti to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally so that the pasta does not stick.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven, place the desired serving amount for 4 people into the sauce, and coat in the sauce. Remove and briefly set them aside.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve with meatballs over top and garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and parsley.
I have been making meatballs for 20 years and am ditching my tried and true recipe for yours. My husband has always eaten them and likes them but has always said, “They are really good, I’m just not a big meatball fan”. Well, I decide to give this recipe a try because every recipe of yours has been a home run in my house. My husband almost licked his bowl clean, lol. He begged me to make this once a week. It really is delicious and put my Italian mother-in-law’s handed down recipe to shame. Thanks for helping me win the meatball battle 😂
These are the most tender and flavorful meatballs I’ve ever made or even had at my favorite restaurant!
Awesome! Thank you!!
I might suggest a weight or volume of bread to use as loaves vary in size and weight for those who are not as good at eyeing it.
My family has demanded me to make this recipe a few times this year! It is amazing!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
The hubs and I decided to feast on this for Thanksgiving dinner. Incredible! This makes a TON of meatballs, and I’m pretty stoked about all the easy freezer meal options that come with making this recipe! A surplus of magic authentic Italian food? Yes, please! I’m already sharing this recipe, and yummy Pomodoro recipe, far and wide.
Excellent!
Can I use a ciabatta baguette? It’s what I have on hand
sure
Very yummy!
Oh my goodness! I stopped trying to make meatballs because I could never get them right. Made these for dinner. Luscious and melt in the mouth delicious!
Excellent! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
I made these for a family get together and they were so good. They were tender and flavorful. This is my go to meatball recipe now.
Excellent!
Substitute basil for the rosemary and you’ve mostly duplicated my Abruzzo grandmother’s recipe. I watched her make them so often on Sunday mornings before Mass that I can eyeball the ingredients and quantities. Never baked them before, just cooked them in a cast iron skillet, will have to try that.
Love all your recipes, keep them coming…
Thank you!
I make my meatballs the way my Sicilian grandmother taught me 60 years ago and other than using basil instead of rosemary, this is the same recipe. The only problem with this recipe is that once you eat these no other meatball will compare. Enjoy!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely the best also made the pomadora sauce. So good.
Excellent!
I appreciate the nutrition statement but what serving size are these numbers for?
1
This Homemade Meatball Recipe is absolutely unbeatable! Packed with beef, pork, cheese, bread, herbs, and a special technique, it’s clear why so many people rave about it. Everyone I know says it’s the best meatball recipe they’ve ever tasted. It’s truly that outstanding!
Thank you!
This Homemade Meatball Recipe is truly top-notch! With a mix of beef, pork, cheese, bread, herbs, and a secret procedure, it’s packed with flavor and texture. Many people have said it’s the best meatball recipe they’ve ever had—and I believe it. It’s that amazing.
We have been searching for a great meatball recipe and this is it! Ours were a little soft, but they were delicious. Next time we may cut down on the “wet” bread. We also made the pomodoro sauce and paired it with a romaine salad with red wine vinegarette….sooo good! Thank you for the great recipe and detailed directions.
Thanks for giving it a shot!! If it is too soft, try squeezing more water out. It should actually be almost all squeezed out.
Tonight was the third time in a month, I’ve made these meatballs and everyone that eats them cannot get enough. One group of 32 people polished off this batch in no time after bathing them in some marinara sauce for a couple hours in med low. The family makes a request for them frequently. Thanks for a simple and brilliant meal!
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
Thanks for the recipe. It’s very similar to my mom’s recipe. My problem has always been, is to judge the amount of bread and grated cheese. Could you provide, in ounces, the amount of bread and cheese?
Thank you,
Without having Wade them, it’s hard to do that. My apologies. However, in a recipe like this, it is extremely forgiving, so it’s OK if you’re even with a few ounces.
Bread sizes and shapes vary dramatically. How do you know how much to actually use as 2/3 a loaf could vary dramatically?
The size of the loaf of bread doesn’t matter. If it’s a little bigger or smaller than the one I used, it will not affect the recipe. Do your best to eyeball it.
i’m in the midst of making a batch of these for dinner today and, WOW. i made a version of your pomodoro recipe (i made some minor mods to the sauce…i know, i’m banned for life) and these meatballs and that sauce are a perfect pairing… so simple to make and sooooo delicious! made them in the oven and on the stovetop, oven is easier but less browning. i can’t rave about this recipe enuf!!!
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
Absolutley the best meatballs ever. Thank you
Thanks for giving them a try!
These really are tasty. Every other month I make a bag of them and incorporate them into recipes. Great recipe!
Excellent!
The flavor of these was amazing! However, I was so afraid of over-mixing them so I ended up with what you cautioned against: big bites of bread (and big bites of pork too). I wasn’t mad at it but just putting a note for others 🙂
Appreciate you trying it!
Can you substitute ground chicken for the sirloin in this recipe?
without trying it myself, I’m not 100% sure. Give it a shot and let me know!
Billy these meatballs are delicious and so moist and flavorful. I loved the hint of rosemary with the basil and parsley. Soaking the bread instead of dry bread crumbs really makes a difference. I made Caesar salad with your recipe and that was delicious as well. Thank you so much.
Amazing!
I even made ur Pomodoro sauce!!
Delicious!!
Amazing!
Hi there,
Thinking about making these for 38 hungry teenagers. I was thinking I’d make 230 meatballs (about .5lbs of meat per person). Do you have any make ahead tips to make this as efficient as possible?
How many days ahead?
These. Are the best! Only thing I do differently, is to use stale bread and soak it in a little milk. Then squeeze it out and crumble into the meat mixture.
Meatballs seems to be an undertaking so I never do it. But I love geeting meatballs for an app whenever I can when I go out. I had a craving so I deciced to take it on. Absolutely delicious. I fried them in a pan and then let them cook the rest of the way in good red pasta sauce.
This is the best. However it took me a lot longer to prepare. We now roast the garlic and also use pecorino Romano. So good!
I made these and used on a meatball sub , best meatballs I’ve ever tasted !
Love it!
I made these meatballs today and the pomodoro sauce too, they were better than any Italian restaurant I’ve had meatballs from. I will be making these from now on. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Love it!
Love this recipe
Best ever meatballs
This is exactly the way my Sicilian grandmother thought me to make meatballs, and the way I will teach my granddaughters. I’ve never tasted a meatball as good in any restaurant.
I’m new to your website, only my first week. Love Italian, my go to and favorite. Been making my meatballs for 50 years and never went with the pork and I fry mine s well, but your reviews were so amazing I might have to experiment next Sunday.
I’ll let you know. Thanks
I made these and they turned out great! I like really small meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup so it took a minute to roll them all out but was totally worth it!
Made these and they turned better than the ones at the famous family owned Italian restaurant locally!
Awesome recipe,
I’ve made this several times. Christmas Eve dinner for a crowd, everyone raved about them, and so I told them about Billy. Truly the best meatball recipe!!
Great recipe… I added raisins!!!!! Everyone loved them💞💞💞
Best meatballs I ever made! Very moist and tender.
Just made this recipe with beef only! It was super delicious. My family and I loved it. Thank you so much. You are my favorite Chief 👌
Chef…… these are amazing ! Thank you so much for sharing with us and teaching us along the way!
Best meatballs I ever made!!
This was the first meal I cooked for my husband when we were dating
I made the meatball recipe for family and friends on Christmas Eve, since this is the best recipe for meatballs I’ve ever encountered. Everyone raved about them and wanted the recipe! I told them about Billy’s sites to get the recipe!
Through no fault of yours – I am not a meat person. I thought they were okay. High praise from me. However, I made these for our holiday party yesterday and people raved. Like it was nuts. I made twice as much as needed thinking I would have a lot of leftovers but I didn’t!!! I’ve not made one receipt of yours and not had a winner and none were complicated or pretentious. I enjoy watching and learning from you. Thank you!!!
I’ve made meatballs for my family for years and they enjoyed them but when I made your last Sunday they went crazy for them. I have to thank you for all the beautiful recipes you share I truly have never made a recipe of yours I haven’t loved. With many chefs on tv and internet I have tried many recipes some are fantastic and some not so good. When I make any recipe of yours I know not only do I love the food but so do family and friends. That’s saying something for every recipe from one chef. You are my go to for all of my recipes. You are appreciated
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Made this exactly as written. Fabulous!
Thanks!
Delicious! I had been using dried vs fresh spices. Fresh is better!
This meatball recipe is a winner…Most recipes I’ve tried, I did not care for, and my hubby never cared for them. Hubby and I both love these..they are delicious. Thank you for this tasty recipe.
I have been buying meatballs every week for years from a local Italian
Restaurant. I decided to try Billy’s recipe and now we will be eating homemade meatballs. Thank you Billy for making good meatballs!
These are so delicious! I made a huge batch and froze some for later.
awesome!
Hi , I’m trying this recipe tonight using all beef and wondered if need to change any of the seasoning or amount and also how many meatballs in a serving as the recipe makes 40 but recipe says amount for 4 .. just wondering if the full recipe for the Pomodora sauce would be enough for the 4o meatballs
thanks,
Melinda
Are you trying to serve 40 at one time?
Best meatballs ever! We loved them.
so good!!
I made both the meatball and the sauce recipe
It was delicious and easy to make. I will make again for sure
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Best meatballs ever. Easy to make and soooo delicious.
yes indeed!
I will admit the bread-soaking method was unusual, but know Chef hasn’t let me down yet- I decided to try it!
The meatballs were excellent, and my family kept asking for the delicious recipe!
Try this one, friends; so yummy!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
I am a full blooded Italian brought up on my grandparents and parents Italian cooking. I made your meatballs today and am eating one as I write this! These are the Best Meatballs I have ever had! I give them 10 stars! I knew they would be great just by smelling them raw. Thank you so much!
thank you so kindly!!
Best meatballs I ever made. The soaked bread is the magic.
love it!
Made the Spaghetti and Meatballs tonight for dinner. Why did I wait so long? It was so simple and super delicious, like we were eating at a fancy Italian restaurant, but for a whole less money! I love that it made so many meatballs and I froze the rest. This will come in handy when family comes for a visit in two weeks. I can make more spaghetti and/or meatball subs. Just love it!!!
Fantastic!
My whole family loved these meatballs!
excellent
These are the most delicious meatballs I’ve ever made. Had them with pasta and also made the most delicious meatball subs.
I appreciate you trying them!
The best!!
Yes!
The BEST meatball recipe! Exquisite!!
so good!!
I’ve made a lot of meatball recipes and this one was the best so far. Flavor was amazing and meatballs were tender. I baked them first and finished in tomato sauce (Billy’s). I rolled them pretty big as they do shrink quite a bit. Def worth making.
The most delicious meatballs! I baked them in oven and added them to a pot of sauce. They held up in the sauce for meatball subs the next day. Perfect!
so good!!
These were excellent. Very moist inside and great flavor.
Fantastic!
This was yummy! Made the sauce recipe as well. Hubby loved it!!
Perfect!
We love these meatballs! The bread makes the difference!
Agreed!
Best ever!
thank you so kindly!!
Super easy and delicious. I’ve made them in the oven and smoked them. Both are wonderful.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
The best flavor you can get. Thank you Billy
Amazing, thank you!
Deeeelish!
so good!!
I made a double batch of these today. They are delicious!! I froze 3 bags of meatballs, plus made the sauce with meatballs for dinner. A+
Amazing!
I grew up in an American Italian family and the family meatball recipe was handed down to my brothers and sister….thought it couldn’t be improved on? Billy you changed my mind and recipe! The best and I share your recipe with all who come and eat in my kitchen. la dolce vita Angelo
Love it
Best meatballs EVER. That’s ok some time to make but soooooo worth it. I’ve never had meatballs this good
so good!!
Certainly the best meatballs I’ve ever made and, now, best I’ve ever eaten!
I used to think a chef’s recipe is just too complicated. Chef Parisi teaches well, and his recipes are such that confidence is gained with every one I’ve tried. Furthermore, each recipe I’ve done is now a “go to”- including these meatballs!
Thanks, Chef!
This is an excellent recipe. I have made it many times and will never go back to my old recipe for meatballs.
The best I ever made according to my husband. The soaking bread in water was key for me. It also helped my meatloaf. Last night I had family over they all said its the best meatloaf they ever had. Thx!
I forgot to give u 5 stars on previous comment. My bad.
Absolutely LOVE these meatballs!
I think it has to do with the soaked bread.
Flavorful and so easy to make, love the texture. So great to make and freeze for a quick, delicious dinner or a great meatball sandwich. The sauce is a must make as well.
I made these meatballs they were not only delicious they were super moist. Thank you Chef Billy for another great recipe. Next I do want to try your meatloaf recipe as we spoke before it is different than mine but I love trying new things.
These meatballs are not only the moistest, they are the most flavorful I have ever served. I served them with garlic mashed potatoes and a caramelized-onion gravy and cranberry sauce. Next I am going to make the spaghetti sauce. Your recipes and techniques are making me popular, Billy! Thanks.
Oh my gosh! These really are the BEST meatballs! We are making them for a second time, can’t wait!
As Muhammad Ali said, if you can do what you say yoi ain’t bragging. Made this last night, using your meatball, spa, and sauce recipes. The best spaghetti and. Eat all meal we ever had. Only issue we had is we put the meatballs in for 30 minutes at 425 and the bottoms got a little burnt. Our fault the next batch, we made a lot, we put them in for 22 minutes and perfect. Thanks for the recipes
Oh my! The hits just keep on coming. I thought I knew how to make a meatball but I was clearly mistaken. Best I ever had.
These are legit! The aroma they create while I’m putting them together is so wonderful. Thank you Chef. Now I want to make your lasagna!
I tried this meatball recipe and it’s a keeper! I thought I had the best recipe but your Recipe is better! My family loved how’s most the wet bread made the meatballs.
Also tried the spaghetti sauce recipe with the 2 different Italian cheeses and I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the cheese made the sauce.. Thank you for sharing your time and recipes!
Very good, I love the texture of the meatballs. I knew 1 1/2 tablespoons of rosemary was to much for me, next time I’ll use 1/2 of that. Good job and I like cooking your recipes.
I am a seasoned Italian home cook, but sadly, my meatballs were mediocre at best. I made your recipe last weekend and they were fantastic … this will be my go – to recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing it !
Amazing recipe. Best meatballs I’ve ever made. Hits all the right notes, simple yet complex flavors.
These are indeed the best meatballs I have ever had. I have tried many, many different recipes over the years and these are incredible. One my son’s friend said I should sell these! Thanks for sharing your recipe Billy.
It’s early morning here in AZ. I’m enjoying my cup of coffee out on the patio. My husband and I are finally having a coupe of friends over for dinner (while socially distancing of course) this evening. I’ve been making meatballs and sauce for probably as long as you’ve been alive. I started watching you on Facebook about a month ago. So… here is the thing, you really know your stuff and as a lifelong corporate trainer, I can tell you-you really know how to teach! Your level of detail is perfect. But back to dinner tonight. Now I’ve already made your meatballs once and they are delicious and easy to make. This however is the first time I made your sauce. I do have to admit, I still start with about a half can of tomato paste. I learned a year ago that the best thing to do is brown it in some oil first. And I mean brown it super dark. It adds a natural sweetness to the sauce. I then continued with your recipe and OMG, it’s amazing!!! Like I said you know what you’re doing. So thank you for the simplicity of your recipes. BTW, I hope your move went well. Best wishes.
I have made your sauce (2 kinds, Pomodoro and spaghetti), your pasta and your meatballs! Seriously, all great. I am not a stalker, but now I have friends who also follow you!
fantastic!
This is my favorite kind of comfort food!
You can’t beat homemade spaghetti and meatballs! Such a classic that’s always so delicious!
I love homemade meatballs, the ones made with beef and sausage like this are the best. I’m intrigued about the bread, I’ve never seen it soaked before.
Loved these meatballs! I popped about half in freezer to have on hand for next time!