Homemade Italian Meatballs

Name: Homemade Italian Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound each ground beef, pork, & veal ((can also use 100% beef)); 1 heaping teaspoon each onion & garlic powder; 1 egg (Two if using all beef); 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese; 3/4 cup almond flour; 1/2 cup milk or water; Salt & pepper; 1 medium size onion (chopped); 2 carrots (peeled & chopped); 1 stalk of celery (chopped); ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 4 cloves of garlic (finely diced); 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1/2 cup red wine; 28 ounce can whole or chopped san marzano tomatoes; 1 tablespoon honey; Kosher salt & pepper; Olive oil

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The best Italian meatball recipe using a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal. These homemade meatballs are juicy, soft, and full of flavor.

This recipe is Super Easy with main ingredient Beef, Pork

For the second installment of Bobby’s kitchen basics I wanted to share with you my Italian meatball recipe that is easy to make and the flavors are off the chart. The key to making the ultimate homemade meatballs is using a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal. This will make the texture of the meatballs soft and make them incredibly juicy and tasty. If you are really in the meatball mind frame, then you need to check out my Mexican turkey meatballs and my healthy chicken meatball meal prep.

This meatball recipe is incredibly easy. You can even form them and store them in the fridge to cook the next day. Some of the most important tips for making the best meatball recipe is not to over-mix the meatball mixture as this will make the texture tough. The same is true for meatloaf. Only mix until just combined. Also, you need to use breadcrumbs that are soaked in milk. Not only will this make the texture of the meatballs incredibly light, but the milk adds some much needed moisture to the party.

How To Make Homemade Meatballs

To make the tastiest homemade meatballs, combine the ground beef, pork, and veal in a large bowl with onion powder, garlic powder, 1 egg, and some dried oregano. Also, make sure to grate in 1/4 cup of pecorino romano cheese and a shake of red pepper flakes. Here’s the key: soak 1 cup of good quality bread chunks in a bowl of milk for 5 minutes and make sure to cut away the crust before that. Meatballs can tend to be dense, so they need some filler to help lighten up the texture. Instead of using nasty dry breadcrumbs from a can, just use some leftover bread. The texture is way better.

To make these homemade meatballs irresistibly juicy, make sure not to squeeze all of the milk from the breadcrumbs before you add it to the meat mixture – the added moisture is a good thing. Next, use your hands to combine the mixture, but make sure not to over-mix as the meatballs will be tough. Form the mixture into 13 or so meatballs, but make sure to use my mother-in-law’s tip: dip your hands in water and then roll and form the meatballs. This will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands and make them nice and smooth. Best tip ever!

Can I Make Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs?

You can easily make homemade meatballs without using breadcrumbs. The texture may be a little dense, but just make sure not to over-mix when combining the ingredients as that will make the meatballs too dense and heavy. You can also use 1/2 cup of almond flour that been soaked in cream to replace the breadcrumbs in the meatballs. That will make the recipe keto friendly. If you want a meatball recipe that has no breadcrumbs and is served with low carb zucchini noodle marinara, check out my meatballs for weight loss meal prep recipe.

To make homemade meatballs that have serious flavor, I like to sear the meatballs in a hot pan to make a nice crust on both sides before finishing the cooking process in marinara sauce. Heat a pan with some olive oil and working in two batches, cook the Italian meatballs until golden brow and crusty on both sides for about 2-minutes per side. Repeat with the second batch and then transfer to a pot with marinara sauce and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Serve the meatballs with some sauce and grate over some cheese, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. I love the extra virgin from the Olive Oil Club I belong to. They deliver some of the best extra virgin olive oil to your door and they gave me a promo code to share with you guys. You can get 1 bottle for $1. That’s an amazing deal!

How To Cook Meatballs In Sauce

The best way to cook homemade meatballs in sauce is to first sear both sides of the meatballs in a hot pan with olive oil and then transfer them to a pot of sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. This will help form a flavorful crust on the meatballs. You can also bake a tray of meatballs in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes and then transfer them to a pot of marinara sauce to finish cooking for another 15 minutes.

How Many Calories in a Meatball?

A two ounce meatball has 53 calories, 8.9 grams of fat, 1.76 grams f carbs, 10.9 grams of protein, and no fiber. If you want to lower the amount of calories in a meatball recipe, you can omit the breadcrumbs – that will also drop the carbs.

Make sure to check out my other meatball recipes:

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