• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Family Dinners

Delicious Dinners Families Love

  • Browse Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
      • Cake
      • Cheesecake
      • Cookie
      • Pie
    • Drinks
      • Alcoholic Drinks
      • Non-Alcohol
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dish
    • Salads
    • Soup
  • Ingredient
    • Apple
    • Bacon
    • Beans
    • Beef
    • blueberry
    • Cheese
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Cranberry
    • Egg
    • Lemon
    • Pasta
    • Peanut Butter
    • Pork
    • Potato
    • Pumpkin
    • Seafood
    • Tomato
    • Turkey
    • Vegetables
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Fried
    • Grill
    • Instant Pot
    • No Bake
    • No Cook
    • Oven
    • Slow Cooker
    • Stovetop
  • Kitchen Tips
  • About Us
Home » Course » Appetizers

The Best Italian Meatballs

Pin RecipeRate Recipe

November 30, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details.

Delicious classic recipe for large Italian meatballs. They pair well with spaghetti, pizza or meatball sub sandwiches.
Jump to Recipe
spaghetti and meatballs with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top piled on a white plate
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: meatballs in marinara sauce
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: meatballs in marinara sauce
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: meatballs in marinara sauce
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: meatballs in marinara sauce
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: raw meatballs
text: the best meatballs everyone loves: image: meatballs in marinara sauce
collage - top left image of hand holding large uncooked meatball. Tray of 3 rows of 5 meatballs below the hand. Bottom left image of cooked golden meatballs on baking sheet. Right image of black large pan full of marinara sauce and meatballs with bits of basil.

You’re in for a treat! Stef’s famous meatball recipe is here! This Italian sausage meatballs recipe makes the best spaghetti and meatballs, ever. They’re large homemade meatballs and 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 homemade marinara sauce as an appetizer or spoon them over spaghetti. You can also use these for meatball subs or any of your family favorite quick meals. YUM!

collage - top left image of hand holding large uncooked meatball. Tray of 3 rows of 5 meatballs below the hand. Bottom left image of cooked golden meatballs on baking sheet. Right image of black large pan full of marinara sauce and meatballs with bits of basil.
Making these amazing meatballs is easy.

Table of Contents

  • What Are Italian Meatballs?
  • Ingredients
  • Recommended Tools
  • Instructions
  • WAYS TO USE LEFTOVER MEATBALLS
  • WHAT TO SERVE WITH MEATBALLS
  • MORE MEATBALL RECIPES
  • Common Questions
  • Italian Sausage Meatballs Recipe

What Are Italian Meatballs?

Italian meatballs are usually ground beef and Italian ground sausage mixed with bread crumbs, cheese and spices then formed into little balls and cooked. Italian meatballs have their origins in the United States. They’re not originally an Italian recipe.

birds eye view of a black large saute pan on a dark gray counter. Pan is full of red marinara sauce, large cooked meatballs and sprinkled with fresh slices of basil.
  • Notable: Stef’s famous classic Italian sausage meatballs are filled with Italian seasonings and just the right amount of spice. They have a little bit of Italian spiciness that’s perfect for any pasta or meatball dish.
  • Main Ingredients: round beef, ground Italian sausage, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, milk
  • Cooking Method: Oven Baked
  • Cooking Time: 25 minutes prep time, 30 minutes cook time
  • Pairs well with: marinara sauce, pasta, garlic bread, crusty white bread
birds eye view of a black large saute pan on a dark gray counter. Pan is full of red marinara sauce, large cooked meatballs and sprinkled with fresh slices of basil.
Famous meatball recipe with marinara and fresh basil.

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this Italian meatball recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making these homemade meatballs and marinara you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Meatball Ingredients

  • ½ lb ground pork
  • ½ lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp onion (minced)
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp coarse black pepper
  • ¼ tsp coarse sea salt (plus more for seasoning pasta water)
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ⅓ cup yogurt or buttermilk
  • ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)
  • 8 oz. spaghetti noodles
  • 1 recipe Homemade Marinara Sauce (or your favorite jarred sauce)

Optional Garnish

Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley or fresh basil

Variations and Substitutions

Ground Meat: We are using a 1 to 1 ratio of beef and pork. You can substitute pork sausage for the ground pork, or use only beef, if you prefer. You can also substitute ground chicken or ground turkey, in case that is your personal preference.

Breadcrumbs: Regular or panko breadcrumbs will work.

Consider one of our other types of meatballs: air fryer meatballs, chicken meatballs, turkey and spinach meatballs, mozzarella stuffed meatballs.

How To Make Gluten Free (doesn’t apply to all recipes– might also add section about dairy free if that applies)

info.

Stef's famous meatball recipe ingredients on a dark gray counter. Ingredients include ground pork, ground beef, brown sugar, spices, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, parmesan, yogurt and worcestershire sauce
Gather your meatball ingredients

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Baking Sheet — We recommend lining the sheet pan with parchment paper, that way the meatballs do not stick to the pan and clean up is quick and easy. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can spray the baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with foil.

Cookie Scoop – Using a cookie scoop helps to ensure each meatball is the same size.

I prefer Italian style bread crumbs to panko breadcrumbs in this meatball mixture. Choose pre-seasoned breadcrumbs which add a ton of flavor. Mixing the breadcrumbs with the yogurt or buttermilk prior to adding in the other ingredients really adds a lot of extra moisture to these perfect meatballs.

Italian sausage meatball recipe stacked on a bed of spaghetti and topped with parmesan cheese.
birds eye view of an oval personal serving plate full of cooked spaghetti noodles covered in marinara and 6 meatballs. Serving spoon sits next to plate as well as saute pan with meatballs.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook Italian meatballs in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, preheat the oven to 400°F. TIP: you can also make these in the air fryer. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt/buttermilk and breadcrumbs. Then, stir together and allow them to sit for a few minutes. This will help make a moister meatball.

birds eye view of medium sized glass bowl on a dark gray counter. Bowl has raw meat, shredded parmesan cheese, a pile of bread crumbs, a raw egg, yogurt and spices inside it.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Clear glass bowl on a gray counter. Bowl is full of raw meat. Two whole garlics next to
Mix ground beef and pork together.

FINISH MEATBALL MIXTURE: Afterwards, add ground pork, ground beef, onion flakes, oregano, black pepper, salt, Worcestershire 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.

SHAPE MEATBALLS: Using a 2 tablespoon (or desired size) cookie scoop form large meatballs from the meat mixture. Roll them in your hands for a tighter, more uniform meatball if desired.

birds eye view of a large ice cream scoop full of uncooked meatball meat.
Use a scoop to measure meatballs and make them even.
hand holding large uncooked meatball.
Use your hands to roll meatballs into a ball.

BAKE: Place meatballs on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Then, bake for 13 minutes. (Don’t cook your meatballs all the way through; they will cook the rest of the way while simmering in the pasta sauce.)

Gray counter. Overhead birds eye view of black decorative baking sheet with 15 uncooked meatballs.
Place uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet.
gray counter. Overhead birds eye view of black decorative baking sheet with 15 cooked meatballs with a little cheese dripping out.
Baked meatballs.

PREPARE MARINARA AND PASTA: Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions to al dente and drain. Prepare marinara sauce or add 1-2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce or tomato 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.

ADD MEATBALLS AND SERVE: 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 to make the best spaghetti and meatballs ever. Finally, garnish with parmesan cheese and/or fresh parsley or basil.

birds eye view of a black large saute pan full of red marinara sauce and 11 large meatballs.
Place your cooked meatballs in the marinara sauce.
birds eye view of a black large saute pan on a dark gray counter. Pan is full of red marinara sauce, large cooked meatballs and sprinkled with fresh slices of basil.
Top meatballs and marinara with fresh basil.

WAYS TO USE LEFTOVER MEATBALLS

You ate 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.
Birds eye close up view of a large saute pan full of marinara, meatballs and fresh basil.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH MEATBALLS

Serve your tender meatballs with spaghetti and marinara sauce for classic spaghetti and meatballs. Or serve with your favorite sauce, vegetables and bread.

  • skillet full of pesto fettuccine pasta and meatballs

    Easy Basil Pesto Pasta With Meatballs

  • italian salad in a bowl with wood salad utensils

    Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing

  • 2 halves of a french bread open and toasted with garlic and parmesan

    Garlic French Bread

  • Gold ladle scooping up marinara sauce from white large dutch oven pot.

    The Best Marinara Sauce

MORE MEATBALL RECIPES

Make one of our other delicious meatball recipes. Our ground chicken meatballs, ground turkey meatballs with spinach, mozzarella stuffed meatballs or air fryer meatballs are great alternatives to this delicious recipe.

  • chicken meatballs stack

    Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

  • meatball with mozzarella cheese oozing out of the middle

    Easy Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

  • meatballs lined up in an air fryer

    The Best Air Fryer Meatballs

  • wood bowl full of turkey and spinach meatballs with tongs picking up one on top

    Turkey Meatballs with Spinach

Common Questions

What is the difference between Italian meatballs and Swedish 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.

How long can you refrigerate meatballs?

Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Can you freeze meatballs?

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.

How do you make this Italian sausage meatball recipe dairy free?

Use a dairy free yogurt substitute instead of yogurt and omit the parmesan cheese.

Is it safe to put raw meatballs in marinara sauce?

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 do you make BBQ meatballs?

We love to make BBQ meatballs. Cook these meatballs, as directed. Toss them with this delicious BBQ sauce, or make them in the crockpot.

Can you make this Italian sausage meatball recipe on the stovetop?

You can! Follow the recipe instructions as written. Form meatballs and set aside. Heat some canola or olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, place the meatballs in the pan, rotating them gently as they cook until they are browned on all sides. Proceed with the recipe instructions to add a simple marinara sauce to the skillet and then simmer until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

spaghetti and meatballs with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top piled on a white plate
4.9 from 49 votes

Italian Sausage Meatballs Recipe


Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Print
Pin
Rate
24 large meatballs
Delicious classic recipe for large Italian meatballs. They pair well with spaghetti, pizza or meatball sub sandwiches.
Prevent your screen from going dark

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

Store remaining meatballs in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  Meatball recipe makes enough for 2 standard meals.
If you’re going to make a big batch of spaghetti and meatballs, you may want to skip the oven baking part of the instructions and do the initial browning of the meatballs in the skillet (to reduce dishes).  Heat a bit of oil in the skillet and brown meatballs on all sides for a few minutes.  Work in batches.  Continue by adding the sauce to the pan and then adding the meatballs back in to finish cooking.
**Nutritional information is for meatballs only. 

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you create this?

Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes.

Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
Pin
Share
Tweet

posted in: Appetizers, Beef, Cheese, Course, Cuisine, Game Day Party Snacks, Ingredient, Italian Inspired, Main Dish, Method, Occasion, Oven, Pork

Previous
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
Next
Easy Cottage Pie

Reader Interactions

    Leave A Reply! Cancel reply

    Share your thoughts!
    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

    Recipe Rating




    Comments & Reviews

  1. Shawn says

    November 11, 2021

    When do you add the sugar?

    Reply
    • Andrea + Stef says

      February 21, 2022

      Add the sugar when you add the other seasonings.

      Reply
  2. veenaazmanov says

    June 2, 2022

    5 stars
    This looks mouth melting delicious. Perfect Happy Meal for Dinner.

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline says

    June 2, 2022

    5 stars
    So many gorgeous flavours added. Yum!

    Reply
  4. Mirlene says

    June 2, 2022

    5 stars
    My family loves these meatballs over spaghetti! The Worcestershire sauce is a great touch to the flavor!

    Reply
  5. Casey says

    June 2, 2022

    5 stars
    PERFECT!!! These were so flavorful! I love how the recipe makes enough to freeze, too!! Can’t wait to have these again!

    Reply
  6. Tayler says

    June 2, 2022

    5 stars
    These really are the best meatballs! We had them for dinner last night and my whole family loved them!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Stef and Andrea - Authors of Family Dinners.

Meet Stef + Andrea

We are women who love to cook! Our goal is to make life easier for other parents by sharing our tried and true recipes, meal plans and kitchen tips.

More About Us

Family Dinner Recipes Straight To Your Inbox!

When you subscribe to all the latest recipes!

    Featured Recipes

    • stacked chocolate chip cookie bars.
      Better Than Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
    • opened breakfast biscuit bite with egg, bacon and cheese inside.
      Air Fryer Breakfast Biscuit Bites
    • stack of cherry cheesecake hand pies
      Cherry Cheesecake Hand Pies
    • easy lasagna recipe
      Easy Lasagna
    • air fryer fried fish on a plate.
      Air Fryer Fried Fish
    • Plate full of air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs cooked perfectly.
      Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
    Spoon scooping bbq meatballs.
    cooked bbq chicken nachos with all toppings and garnish

    Easy Family Dinners

    It’s been a busy week and you need dinner on the table? We have you covered. Browse hundreds of favorites straight from our table to yours.

    Browse Dinners
    Family Dinners Logo

    Browse Recipes

    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Main Dish
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Keto Friendly
    • Air Fryer
    • Fried
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven

    Family Dinner Recipes Straight To Your Inbox!

      ©2023, Family Dinners. About Privacy Policy Back To Top
      Design by Pixel Me Designs
      ×

      Newsletter

      Family Dinner Recipes Straight To Your Inbox!

      When you subscribe to all the latest recipes!

        2.6K shares