Published March 17, 2024.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Homemade Meatball Recipe is jam-packed with beef, pork, cheese, bread, and herbs for a delicious classic Italian meal. Many have told me that this is, hands down, the best meatball recipe they have ever eaten. It’s that good.
We love Italian food because I’m clearly Italian—see Parisi. If you want to try new dishes from my beloved ancestral country, try myChicken Parmigiana or Pasta Carbonara.
Meatballs
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. These can be made from chicken, fish, beef, or pork. In addition, almost every country has its own version of meatballs, but my recipe is Italian.
I believe the secret to maintaining a juicy, flavorful meatball is using “wet bread” instead of breadcrumbs. I have found that breadcrumbs absorb too much of the moisture from the meat and can often dry them out.
There isn’t much in the food world that is more traditional than spaghetti and meatballs.They’re easy to make and delicious, and when they’re homemade, there’s absolutely nothing like them.
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 loaf of bread, such as Italian or French bread, will work.
- Onions – You can use a red, white, sweet, or yellow onion. 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.
- Prep up onions and garlic and add 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 add fresh oregano to the mix as well.
- 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 be sure to freeze the remaining uneaten 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 sauce and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until they are 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 refrigerator 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, simply place them in a saucepot along with the sauce and cook over low heat until warm.
CHEF NOTES + TIPS
- Once the pan-seared or oven-roasted meatballs are browned, you can add them to the sauce and then simmer them over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are 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.
- It really doesn’t matter the size of the loaf of bread. If it’s a little bigger or a little smaller than the one I used, it will not affect the recipe in any way. Do your best to eyeball it.
More Italian Recipes
- Chicken Milanese Recipe
- Wedding Soup
- Frittata
- Ricotta Cheesecake
- Pasta Primavera
Video
Save
The Best Meatball Recipe Ever
5 from 52 votes
This Homemade Meatball Recipe is jam-packed with beef, pork, cheese, bread, and herbs for a delicious classic Italian meal.
Servings: 40 meatballs
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
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.
Notes
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 refrigerator 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, simply place them in a saucepot along with the sauce and cook over low heat until warm.
Once the pan-seared or oven-roasted meatballs are browned, you can add them to the sauce and then simmer them over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are thoroughly cooked throughout.
Feel free also to soak the bread in milk.
It really doesn’t matter the size of the loaf of bread. If it’s a little bigger or a little smaller than the one I used, it will not affect the recipe in any way. Do your best to eyeball it.
Nutrition
Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 55IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
Elevate Your Every Day Cooking
Get Chef Billy’s go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant” plus weekly newsletter!
Add a comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
89 comments
- Maria
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!!
- Reply
- Patricia St Amant
Great recipe… I added raisins!!!!! Everyone loved them💞💞💞
- Reply
- Chris
Best meatballs I ever made! Very moist and tender.
- Reply
- Farzaneh
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 👌
- Reply
- Tonda Turner
Chef…… these are amazing ! Thank you so much for sharing with us and teaching us along the way!
- Reply
- Jane Baumgardner
Best meatballs I ever made!!
- Reply
- Debi James
This was the first meal I cooked for my husband when we were dating
- Reply
- Maria
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!
- Reply
- Heidi
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!!!
- Reply
- Catherine Renard
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
- Reply
- Ray Fisher
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
- Reply
- Patricia Naus
Made this exactly as written. Fabulous!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Thanks!
- Reply
- Laura Sutherland
Delicious! I had been using dried vs fresh spices. Fresh is better!
- Reply
- Deborah Ashe Coggins
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.
- Rickie Probert
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!- Reply
- Charlotte
These are so delicious! I made a huge batch and froze some for later.
- Reply
awesome!
- Reply
- Melinda Iqbal
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- Reply
Are you trying to serve 40 at one time?
- Reply
- Linda C
Best meatballs ever! We loved them.
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Judy Hickam
I made both the meatball and the sauce recipe
It was delicious and easy to make. I will make again for sure- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Gisselle
Best meatballs ever. Easy to make and soooo delicious.
- Reply
yes indeed!
- Reply
- Coleen Bowman
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!- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Barbara Bradbury
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!
- Reply
thank you so kindly!!
- Reply
- Muffy
Best meatballs I ever made. The soaked bread is the magic.
- Reply
love it!
- Reply
- Amy
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!!!
- Reply
Fantastic!
- Reply
- Kristi Crisham
My whole family loved these meatballs!
- Reply
excellent
- Reply
- Marina Kofman
These are the most delicious meatballs I’ve ever made. Had them with pasta and also made the most delicious meatball subs.
- Reply
I appreciate you trying them!
- Reply
- Sue
The best!!
- Reply
- Denise
The BEST meatball recipe! Exquisite!!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Lori Barrett
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.
- Reply
- Ronda
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!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Nancy
These were excellent. Very moist inside and great flavor.
- Reply
Fantastic!
- Reply
- Lynée
This was yummy! Made the sauce recipe as well. Hubby loved it!!
- Reply
Perfect!
- Reply
- Terenia Moody
We love these meatballs! The bread makes the difference!
- Reply
Agreed!
- Reply
- Virginia
Best ever!
- Reply
thank you so kindly!!
- Reply
- SHS
Super easy and delicious. I’ve made them in the oven and smoked them. Both are wonderful.
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- leanne r tiller
The best flavor you can get. Thank you Billy
- Reply
Amazing, thank you!
- Reply
- Julie
Deeeelish!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Sue
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+
- Reply
Amazing!
- Reply
- Angelo Jardina
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
- Reply
Love it
- Reply
- Myles
Best meatballs EVER. That’s ok some time to make but soooooo worth it. I’ve never had meatballs this good
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Myra B Smith
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!- Reply
- Linda J Bacha
This is an excellent recipe. I have made it many times and will never go back to my old recipe for meatballs.
- Reply
- Howarth Peg
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!
- Reply
- Howarth Peg
I forgot to give u 5 stars on previous comment. My bad.
- Reply
- Debbie
Absolutely LOVE these meatballs!
I think it has to do with the soaked bread.- Reply
- Eileen Schwaller
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.
- Reply
- Dixie Drouant-Holliday
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.
- Reply
- Sue Davis
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.
- Reply
- Kristy Gagliardo
Oh my gosh! These really are the BEST meatballs! We are making them for a second time, can’t wait!
- Reply
- Pat
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
- Reply
- Rob
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.
- Reply
- Patricia Epstein
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!
- Reply
- Btenda
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!- Reply
- Ken
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.
- Reply
- Toni Price
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 !
- Reply
- Oliver
Amazing recipe. Best meatballs I’ve ever made. Hits all the right notes, simple yet complex flavors.
- Reply
- Charlie McGrath
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.
- Reply
- Edwin
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.
- Reply
- Mary
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!
- Reply
fantastic!
- Reply
- Tanya Schroeder
This is my favorite kind of comfort food!
- Reply
- Taylor
You can’t beat homemade spaghetti and meatballs! Such a classic that’s always so delicious!
- Reply
- Valerie
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.
- Reply
- wilhelmina
Loved these meatballs! I popped about half in freezer to have on hand for next time!
- Reply
