Oven Baked Meatballs (Old School Italian Meatball Recipe)

Oven Baked Meatballs Recipe – Classic Italian Meatballs are made with a combination of ground beef, pork sausage, and veal for a perfectly tender texture and incredible flavor. They’re baked in the oven before simmering in a simple tomato sauce to serve as a delicious dinner or appetizer.

We love the versatility and tastiness of homemade meatballs… Of all kinds. From tangy Asian Meatballs with Edamame to Saucy Greek Lemon Meatballs, tender morsels of seasoned meats are great to feature as the star of nearly any delicious dinner!

Now we want to share with you a classic “old school” Oven Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe. By far this creates the best, softest, most flavorful Italian meatballs ever. Seriously, grandmas will give you a round of applause for this one.

We use a trinity of ground meats that are hand-formed and baked for structure, then simmered in a thin luxurious tomato sauce. The result is a delicious batch of perfect meatballs to serve over pasta, in sub rolls, or as an appetizer.

The Best Oven Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe

These meatballs have ultra-rich Classic Italian flavor from the combination of 3 meats: ground beef, Italian pork sausage, and veal.

They are SO soft, due to 3 Key Secrets:

1. Including milk-soaked breadcrumbs (the enzymes in the milk break down the texture of the meat.).
2. NOT over-mixing the meatball mixture.
3. Baking the meatballs before adding them to the sauce.

The sauce is a very simple tomato-butter-onion blend that tastes bright and comforting without overpowering the meatballs. Perfection.

Why Bake Meatballs Before Simmering

If you are wondering whether it’s really worth it to bake your meatballs before simmering, the simple answer is a very loud YES! A quick bake beforehand helps “set” the meatballs, so they retain their juices and stay moist on the inside.

When you cook them directly in the sauce, most of the moisture works its way out into the sauce, creating flavorful sauce but bland meatballs. Plus, if the meatballs don’t have an exterior skin/crust they will fall apart easily.

Baking first, therefore, helps hold in the meatballs’ moisture and flavor, so it doesn’t all escape into the sauce.

Sacrificial Meatballs

Pro Tip: If you love the taste of ultra-rich unctuous sauce that has meatballs cooked in it, you can mimic this by “sacrificing” 3-4 meatballs, cooking them directly in the sauce while you bake the rest. That way, you have a robust meaty-flavored sauce base, yet still have soft tantalizing meatballs to add in at the end.

The sacrificial meatball can then be discarded, or simply mixed in with the rest. (Yes, 3-4 meatballs will be slightly tougher and less tasty than the others if you keep them.)

Ingredients for This Baked Italian Meatball Recipe

To make the meatballs you need:

• Ground beef chuck
• Ground veal
• Ground pork Italian sausage
• Bread Crumbs (regular/fresh breadcrumbs or panko)
• Milk
• Garlic
• Eggs
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

To make the easy tomato sauce for simmering the meatballs you need:

• Canned tomato sauce
• Butter
• Onions

How to Make Tomato Sauce

First, set a large 7-8 quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the onion wedges and sauté for several minutes to caramelize, soften, and release the onion juices.

Then add the canned tomato sauce and stir. Partially cover the pot and simmer on medium-low for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

These three ingredients create a rich and tangy sauce that is thin and inviting!

How to Make Oven-Baked Meatballs from Scratch

Meanwhile, set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in the bowl. Then add in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, eggs (including the egg yolks), grated parmesan, parsley, 2 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.

Next, add in the ground beef, veal, and Italian sausage. Gently break the ground meat into small chunks with your fingers.

Then toss it with the milk and herb mixture to coat the meat chunks. This pre-mixing process helps to get the ingredients evenly distributed, without over-mixing.

Now mix the meatball mixture with your hands until evenly combined, but not a moment longer.

Pro Tip: Over-mixing meatballs makes them tough! You want the mixture to be even, but not packed down.

If you are cooking right away, now is when you should preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set out a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Then use a 2 ½ – 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs. Roll them well, but do not press and pack them tightly. If needed, use your fingers to pinch any cracks together. Set them on the baking sheet.

At this point, you could cover and chill the meatballs for up to 2 days before cooking. Or, you could freeze them and keep them stored for up to 2 months.

How Long to Bake Meatballs in the Oven

Bake the meatballs for only 20 minutes to set. They should be lightly golden on the inside but not cooked all the way through: the Italian meatballs will finish cooking in the tomato sauce.

Pro Tip: If you plan to use the meatballs in a different way and are not going to simmer them in sauce, bake them for 25 minutes to fully cook.

Simmer the Meatballs in the Sauce

Use tongs to pull the chunks of onion out of the tomato sauce, and discard the onions. Then use tongs to carefully move the meatballs into the tomato sauce. Pour the savory baking pan juices into the sauce, and gently stir to combine.

Simmer on low for about 10 minutes, until the baked Italian meatballs are cooked throughly.

Suggestions for Serving Oven-Baked Italian Meatballs

Serve bold and zesty Italian meatballs as a cocktail party appetizer with toothpicks or as cute little sliders on rolls.

Load them into sliced baguettes with mozzarella or provolone cheese for full meatball subs. Give your assembled subs a quick bake in an oven for extra deliciousness!

And, of course, they are perfect to enjoy as part of a classic Italian spaghetti and meatballs dinner.

Buon appetito!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you freeze meatballs?

You can freeze meatballs raw for up to 2 months before baking. Once you’ve formed the meatballs and placed them on a baking sheet, flash-freeze them for one hour until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer safe bag before putting them back in the freezer to store.

Baked meatballs can be cooled, stored in an airtight bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Plus the entire dish – meatballs and sauce – can be transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months as well.

How long do homemade meatballs keep well in the refrigerator?

Meatballs baked, but not simmered, will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just be sure to bake them a bit longer though if you’re not planning to simmer!

The meatballs and sauce will keep well together for up to 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

How many meatballs does this recipe make?

This Italian meatball recipe makes roughly 45 golfball-sized meatballs. However, you can double or halve the recipe as needed to make smaller or larger batches. I love to freeze half of what I make to enjoy later!

Can I substitute almond milk for dairy and rolled oats for fresh bread crumbs?

Yes, you can. However, it’s good to remember that the dairy enzymes break down and soften the texture of the meat, so the meatballs will be slightly tougher without the cow’s milk.

You can also substitute ground turkey for ground veal, however, that does change the authentic old-school flavor.

How To Serve This Dish?

You can serve this dish with a garnish of fresh herbs (like fresh parsley) or a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Serve this sauce and meatballs…

• Over your favorite pasta (Ahem, like Spaghetti and Meatballs) after boiling the noodles in water with a dash of olive oil and salt. 
• Over fresh hoagie rolls with cheese.
• As an appetizer with grilled baguettes.

Can I Make These Meatballs In a Skillet?

Yes, you could cook them in a skillet, although that would take a longer time, working in small batches. Plus, they would have a crunchier exterior. Baking them and then allowing them to finish cooking in your homemade marinara sauce will ensure the best textural results.

Looking for More Classic Italian-Inspired Recipes?

• Instant Pot Italian Chicken Orzo
• Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe
• Italian Beef Recipe
• Ricotta Stuffed Shells
• Nana’s Best Meat Sauce (with Spaghetti)

Let Us Know How You Serve Homemade Meatballs and Tomato Sauce in the Comments Below!

Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.

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