Go Back
–+ servings
Chef John's Italian Meatballs

Chef John's Italian Meatballs

Chef John's Italian Meatballs are easy to make and delicious. These meatballs are baked, tender, and pair perfectly with tomato sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 meatballs
Calories 390 kcal

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • skillet
  • mixing bowl
  • rubber spatula

Ingredients
  

Bread and Dairy

  • ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
  • ½ cup milk or beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Vegetables

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Meats

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork

Eggs and Cheese

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Seasonings

  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Gather all ingredients.
  • Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more.
  • Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl. Add onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes; mix together using a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Form mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Some recipes use equal portions of beef, veal, and pork, which is also nice, yet more expensive. These days you can find all sorts of lean-to-fat ratios for ground beef. Most stores sell 90% lean, 10% fat, but I prefer the 80% lean, 20% fat ratio for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatballCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 617mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Baked, Chef John, easy, Italian, meatballs, Savory
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!