You're in for a treat! Stef's famous meatball recipe is here! This Italian meatballs recipe makes the best spaghetti and meatballs, ever. They're large meatballs but they have a couple secret ingredients. These are a mix of ground pork and ground beef and make an amazing cheesy meatball the whole family loves.
Make these with our marinara sauce as an appetizer or spoon them over spaghetti. You can also use these for meatball subs. YUM!
Enjoy Italian meatballs as a full meal with these other recipes:
- Main Dish: Marinara Sauce – This classic marinara pairs perfectly with this famous meatball recipe and makes the best spaghetti and meatballs ever!
- Side Dish: Italian Salad– This classic side dish is colorful and full of flavor!
- Bread: Pizza Dough Garlic Knots – Dip these in your marinara! YUM!
- Drink: Red Wine Sangria – This is one of my all time favorite sangria recipes. Use the rest of the wine leftover from your marinara recipe.
- Dessert: Chocolate Lasagna – This needs no introduction!
THE BEST MARINARA SAUCE
EASY GARLIC KNOTS RECIPE
Stef's Famous Meatball Recipe Ingredients:
You may have many of these Italian meatball ingredients in your pantry already. Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Jump to Recipe- Spices: Dried oregano, black pepper, sea salt, red pepper flakes and minced onion.
- Meat: Use a mixture of ground pork and ground beef.
- Bread Crumbs: Stef loves to use panko bread crumbs. For gluten free meatballs use gluten free bread crumbs.
- Dairy: Use yogurt or buttermilk.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Don't skip this ingredient.
- Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Cheese: We prefer fresh grated parmesan cheese.
- Egg: Use a real egg.
Consider one of our other types of meatballs: air fryer meatballs, chicken meatballs, turkey and spinach meatballs, mozzarella stuffed meatballs.
FAQs About Italian Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs are usually smaller than Italian meatballs. Italian meatballs are usually made with a 50-50 ratio of ground pork and ground beef while Swedish meatballs are usually all ground beef. Swedish Meatballs use spices like allspice and nutmeg for flavoring while Italian meatballs are flavored with garlic, Italian spices and garlic.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Yes! You can freeze meatballs either raw or cooked. Either way, arrange meatballs on a baking sheet so they aren't touching. Place in the freezer. Once they're frozen transfer to a ziplock bag to store. Raw frozen meatballs can be stored for up to 3 months. Cooked frozen meatballs can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Use a dairy free yogurt substitute instead of yogurt and omit the parmesan cheese.
Yes. You can put raw meatballs in marinara sauce as long as they're covered by the sauce and the sauces simmers until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. I don't like this method because it can make the sauce too greasy.
How to the Best Italian Meatballs:
Stef's famous meatball recipe is easy and foolproof. You can make these Italian meatballs even if you've never made meatballs before. Your family will be impressed when you serve the best spaghetti and meatballs ever.
1. Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. TIP: you can also make these in the air fryer. See air fryer cooking instructions in our air fryer meatballs recipe.
2. Mix yogurt and breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt/buttermilk and breadcrumbs. Stir together and allow them to sit for a few minutes. This will help make a moister meatball.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. 
Mix ground beef and pork together.
3 Add the rest of the Italian meatball ingredients.
Add ground pork, ground beef, onion flakes, oregano, black pepper, salt, Worchestire sauce, egg, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese and sugar to the breadcrumb mixture. Use gloved hands to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Adding the grated cheese inside the meatball will make a cheesy meatball that isn't overly cheesy. They're large meatballs so you don't want to overwhelm them with cheese but a little cheesy goodness is perfection.
4. Form cheesy meatballs.
Use a 2 tablespoon (or desired size) cookie dough scoop to form large meatballs from the meat mixture. You can roll them in your hands for a tighter, more uniform meatball if desired.
Use a scoop to measure meatballs and make them even. 
Use your hands to roll meatballs into a ball.
5. Bake the large meatballs.
Place meatballs on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 13 minutes. (Meatballs do not need to be cooked all the way through; they will cook the rest of the way while simmering in the pasta sauce.)
Place uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet. 
Baked meatballs.
6. Prep marinara and spaghetti noodles.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions to al dente. Drain. Prepare marinara sauce or add 1-2 jars of pre-made spaghetti sauce into a large skillet. Heat over medium until sauce warms through and begins to simmer. Cover to prevent it from splattering all over your stove.
7. Add Italian meatballs to marinara sauce.
Add enough meatballs (2 large per person or 4-5 small) to the saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
Place your cooked meatballs in the marinara sauce. 
Top meatballs and marinara with fresh basil.
8. Serve
Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti to make the best spaghetti and meatballs ever. Garnish with parmesan cheese and/or fresh parsley or basil.
Ways to Use Leftover Italian Meatballs
You at the best spaghetti and meatballs ever and now you have leftovers. Here are some great ideas for these large meatballs.
- Appetizer: Serve a cheesy meatball and marinara as an appetizer.
- Meatball Subs Using sub rolls, top with meatballs, marinara and mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted. Try these meatball sliders, meatball sandwich bakes or meatball bombs.
- Pizza: Make a meatball pizza. Use this pizza dough, our marinara as sauce, some mozzarella cheese and sliced leftover meatballs. Or try our meatball calzone.
PARMESAN FRENCH BREAD
ITALIAN SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon minced onion
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt - plus more for seasoning pasta water
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup yogurt or buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese - plus extra for garnish
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1 recipe Homemade Marinara Sauce - (or your favorite jarred sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt/buttermilk and breadcrumbs. Stir together and allow them to sit for a few minutes. This will help make a moister meatball.
- Add ground pork, ground beef, onion flakes, oregano, black pepper, salt, Worchestire sauce, sugar, egg, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. Use gloved hands to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Use a 2 tablespoon (or desired size) cookie dough scoop to form balls from the meat mixture. You can roll them in your hands for a tighter, more uniform meatball if desired.
- Place meatballs on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 13 minutes. (Meatballs do not need to be cooked all the way through; they will cook the rest of the way while simmering in the pasta sauce.)
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions to al dente. Drain.
- Prepare marinara sauce or add 1-2 jars of pre-made spaghetti sauce into a large skillet. Heat over medium until sauce warms through and begins to simmer.
- Add enough meatballs (2 large per person or 4-5 small) to the saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti. Garnish with parmesan cheese and/or fresh parsley or basil.
Notes
Nutrition
CHOCOLATE LASAGNA
SALTED CARAMEL
COCOA
BEST APPLE PIE
Shawn says
When do you add the sugar?
Andrea + Stef says
Add the sugar when you add the other seasonings.