Homemade Italian Meatballs

Looking for a mouth-watering Italian meatball recipe? These Homemade Italian Meatballs are made with a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage, infused with delicious Italian seasonings, and served in a semi-homemade savory tomato basil garlic sauce.

Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, and ‘fancy’ enough for guests, this classic dish can be served over spaghetti or enjoyed on its own.

Italian Meatballs Recipe

Meatballs are a classic dinner recipe that are usually loved by everyone! My kids especially love meatballs so it’s something that I always try to make often for family dinner. 

These homemade Italian meatballs use ground beef, ground Italian sausage, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, dried seasonings, and eggs that help bind everything together. They simmer in an easy jarred spaghetti sauce on the stove top. 

I love a good shortcut meatball recipe that uses frozen meatballs, but sometimes you want that homemade comfort food that is so cozy delicious. 

Ingredients Needed

• Ground Beef – It’s best to use a ground beef that is higher in fat, it will give the meatballs for flavor and moisture, so I recommend using 80/20 or 73/27. If you prefer leaner then try using 85/15 (it works just fine). 
• Italian Ground Sausage
• Italian-Style Breadcrumbs
• Half and Half – Provides moisture and fat for the meatballs. It also gives the meatballs a luxurious texture that is so yummy. Whole milk is an acceptable substitute if needed. 
• Large Eggs
• Italian Seasoning
• Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
• Frying Oil – Use an oil with a high smoke point like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil. 
• Tomato Basil Garlic Pasta Sauce – Use your favorite! I love the Rao’s Homemade brand or try substituting it with homemade pasta sauce. You will need about 3 cups of pasta sauce if using your own. 
• Optional Serving Ingredients – Cooked spaghetti, parmesan cheese, chopped basil.

How To Make Homemade Italian Meatballs with Ground Beef + Italian Sausage

Follow these easy, step-by-step instructions for making this dinner recipe. 

• Step 1 : Gently crumble the ground beef and ground Italian sausage into a mixing bowl. Use your clean hands to gently mix it together. You don’t want to over-mix it, or mix it too hard, it’s not like kneading bread! 
• Step 2 : In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs and half and half, stir together and allow it to sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs can soften. 
• Step 3 : Add in the eggs, Italian seasoning, and salt in with the breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. 
• Step 4 : Pour the breadcrumb mixture into the ground meat mixture and gently stir until combined. I find it easiest to use my clean hands but you can also use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. 
• Step 5 : Form into golfball sized meatballs and set them on a clean plate to get ready for frying. 
• Step 6 : Heat the oil in a large skillet pan until shimmering but not smoking. About medium heat maybe slightly higher. 
• Step 7 : Add several meatballs at one time and fry them on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan, cook them in batches if needed. 
• Step 8 : Wipe out any excess grease or oil from the pan (with a paper towel) and add the pasta sauce. Add the meatballs back into the sauce. Bring everything to a boil, covering the meatballs with the sauce as needed, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I like to cover the skillet pan with a lid to really infuse all the flavor and get the meatballs cooked and tender. 

Italian Meatballs FAQ’s

• What Percent Fat Ground Beef is Best To Use For Homemade Meatballs?

  • It’s best to use ground beef that has some fat in it, I recommend at least 20% fat or 27% fat. It adds juicy flavor, moisture, and just makes them taste really good.
  • But if you prefer a leaner ground meat (sometimes I do!) then try using a 15% fat ground beef or leaner. The meatballs might have a slightly different moisture texture to them, but I have never found it to be bad. I personally prefer the leaner meat, but for the best taste, especially in meatballs, use a higher fat ground beef. 

• How To Store Meatballs

  • Fridge : Store any leftovers inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Add any necessary pasta sauce, broth, or water to help reheat the meatballs if needed. 
  • Freezer : If freezing, place the room temperature meatballs onto a cookie sheet and freeze them individually. Then transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the meatballs to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. You can also throw the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker (LOW for about 6 hours) with some broth or pasta sauce. 

• Can I Bake These Instead of Frying?

  • Yes, you can bake these meatballs inside of frying in a skillet pan. Note that baking the meatballs will give them a slightly different texture than frying. But it is a healthier, still tasty, alternative to the pan frying in oil. 
    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
    • Line a cookie sheet/baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking spray. 
    • Shape the meat into golf-ball sized meatballs and place them on the baking sheet. 
    • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they are fully cooked and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. 
    • In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the pasta sauce until it simmers. Once the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to the pasta sauce and allow it all to simmer for several minutes. 

• What Size Should I Make The Meatballs?

  • Yes, you can make these meatballs to be any size you prefer. Make them larger or smaller, depending on who you’re serving (kids vs adults) or how many people you need to serve. 
  • The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the meatballs. It’s important to have a food thermometer to check the internal temperate as that is the only way you will know if they are fully cooked. 

• Can I Make Changes To This Recipe?

  • Pasta Sauce : Use your favorite! Any variety will work in this recipe. If you ant saucier meatballs then use two jars of spaghetti sauce. 
  • Ground Meat : You can use ground pork instead of Italian sausage, try using the spicy Italian sausage for some heat, or use the sweet Italian sausage for a not so spicy version of the meatballs. Ground Italian sausage is not spicy, but it does have some flavor to it, so for a very mild version use sweet Italian sausage or use two pounds ground beef. You can also use ground turkey + ground beef for a leaner version. 
  • Make It Spicy! : Add some red pepper chili flakes in with the meatballs mixture or add some to the pasta sauce when it is simmering with the meatballs. Use spicy ground Italian sausage. 

Expert Tips

Here are a few of my tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Meat Thermometer : This is something that everyone should have in their kitchen. It’s the only safe way to accurately tell if the meatballs, and other meats like especially chicken, are cooked accurately and to temperature. 
• Cookie Scoop : I love using a large cookie scoop when making meatballs! It allows for all of the meatballs to be the same size, and it’s super easy to scoop up the meatball mixture with it, and put it in your hand to roll into a ball. 

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