This Oven Baked Meatballs Recipe is a classic. Baking meatballs for dinner is easy and makes little mess. These meatballs are tender and juicy and are perfect for both an appetizer or for the main course.
My family makes such wonderful Italian recipes, including my stuffed meatballs and meatballs with ricotta.
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Why this Baked Meatball Recipe is a Keeper
I love this recipe because it’s easy and delicious and makes the best baked meatballs ever. Easy baked meatballs are perfect to add to any easy dinner recipe stash.
- Versatile: Great italian baked meatballs can be enjoyed in many ways, from appetizers to main courses. You can make with chicken or turkey if you like.
- Easy to customize: Add your favorite flavors and spices to create unique variations. This recipe makes these great meatballs moist and tender.
- Perfect for meal prep: This traditional italian meatballs recipe is great for making a big batch to enjoy them throughout the week. This is one of my go to recipes for meal prepping.
- Crowd-pleasing: This easy and flavorful, delicious recipe is always a hit with family and friends. I have made this simple recipe for many family parties.
How Many Easy Baked Meatballs Per Person?
I like to estimate 4-5 moist meatballs per person, depending on the size of your meatballs. If you’re serving the delicious meatballs as an appetizer, you can estimate 3-4 per person.
Pro Tip for this Easy Meatball Recipe
Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the meat mixture can lead to tough meatballs. Gently combine your ingredients just until they’re mixed.
Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions Meatballs in the Oven
This homemade meatballs recipe is so versatile. I like to experiment with flavors by using different blends of ingredients for this classic recipe.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Ground Meat: For this recipe we are using lean ground beef, ground pork and ground veal.
- Seasonings: For this recipe I’m using Italian Seasoning and All Purpose Seasoning.
- Spice Things Up: Add red pepper flakes, crushed red pepper or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the meatball mixture.
- Italian Herb Infusion: Add dried oregano, basil and thyme to the meatball mixture for extra flavor.
- Cheesy Meatballs: Add grated Parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture.
- Asian-Inspired: Use soy sauce, ginger and garlic for an Asian-inspired flavor.
- Mediterranean Flavors: Add feta cheese, olives and dried oregano to the meatball mixture.
How to Make Oven Baked Meatballs with Ground Beef
This is the best meatball recipe and it comes together in just 4 easy to follow steps. This easy recipe is so good, it’s a staple in my weekly meal rotation.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Ingredients: Mix the bread crumbs and milk. In another bowl, mix the veal, beef and pork, grated onion, fresh garlic, eggs, parmesan, Worcestershire and seasonings.
- Make the Meat Mix: Add soaked bread crumbs to the meat mixture. Using your hands, carefully mix the meat until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the meat.
4. Bake Meatballs in the Oven: Use a cookie scoop to form the meat into 30 medium meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs in the oven for 12 minutes.
Prep Ahead Suggestions to Make Meatballs in the Oven
Preparing a recipe ahead of time can be the best way to go. Make a recipe in advance to be able to enjoy it whenever.
- Make the Meatballs Ahead of Time: Form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Cook meatballs from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
How to Store, Freeze, Reheat and Use Leftover Homemade Meatball Recipe
- Storing: Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container or zipper bag in the refrigerator. Freeze baked meatballs for a future meal.
- Reheating: If using frozen meatballs, let thaw in the refrigerator until fully thawed then, reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. I can also reheat in a pan.
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy these juicy meatballs in Spaghetti Casserole with Meatballs, as meatball subs, Meatballs and Gravy or Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole.
Common Questions About This Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe
Yes, to include more veggies make sure they’re shredded before trying to incorporate them.
In the refrigerator, the meatballs will keep for up to 3 days. Freeze baked meatballs so they can last for up to 6 months.
Of course, try other ground meats for meatballs like ground turkey, ground chicken or Italian sausage.
If cooking the home made meatballs in oven at 400 degrees, they need to cook for about 20-24 minutes. If cooking the meatballs at 350 degrees, they need to cook for 25-30 minutes.
Expert Tips to Make Baked Meatballs Recipe
- Don’t Overcrowd: Leave some space between the meatballs to allow for even browning.
- Room Temperature: Let your eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before mixing into the meat.
- Size: Use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scooper to form evenly sized meatballs, which helps ensure uniform cooking times.
- Temp: Insert a meat thermometer into the center of a meatball to check for doneness rather than cutting them open.
- Serve this Recipe With: Serve these meatballs with tomato sauce such as spaghetti sauce or Homemade Marinara Sauce, Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus, Instant Pot Meatloaf Recipe or Cheesy Garlic Stuffed Bread.
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Oven Baked Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup Milk
- ¾ pound Ground beef
- ¾ pound Ground pork
- ½ pound Ground veal
- ¼ cup Yellow onion, grated
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning Blend
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Blend
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk; Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the beef, pork and veal, grated onion, minced garlic, eggs, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, All Purpose Seasoning, Italian Seasoning and red pepper flakes.
- Add soaked bread crumbs to the meat mixture.
- Using your hands, carefully mix the meat until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the meat.
- Use a cookie scoop to form the meat into 24-30 medium meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Christina’s Notes
- Don’t Overcrowd: Leave some space between the meatballs to allow for even browning.
- Room Temperature: Let your eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before mixing into the meat.
- Size: Use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scooper to form evenly sized meatballs, which helps ensure uniform cooking times.
- Temp: Insert a meat thermometer into the center of a meatball to check for doneness rather than cutting them open.
- Serve this Recipe With: Serve these meatballs with tomato sauce such as spaghetti sauce or Homemade Marinara Sauce, Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus, Instant Pot Meatloaf Recipe or Cheesy Garlic Stuffed Bread.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
I’ve made these meatballs a few times now and they are a fav when I do. Are the calories you have listed per meatball?
It is per meatball. You can adjust the size if you like. This recipe is for 24 meatballs.
Great Recipe! Made them twice. I replace real onion and garlic with the powder version.
Great Changes!
I don’t know how you define medium, but I used less than 2lbs of meat and ended up with 44 good-sized (1.5 inches) balls. Also, I’m not sure about soaking the breadcrumbs in the milk. By the time I added it to the meat it was like concrete and very difficult to incorporate.
We make a good size meatball. But if you have to many, you can freeze them. Milk and breadcrumbs is a very standard way to keep meatballs moist.
Hello! I’m new at this cooking stuff lol so when you say 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese are you referring to the cheese you put on pizza or freshly grated cheese? I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Honestly you can use either but as the canned cheese can have fillers and additives it is always better to fresh grate your own.
Ok thank you!
These are going on the repeat list! Loved them!
They definitely come in handy! Enjoy!
Flavor, texture spot on, just like my babcia made.
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks
While we didn’t have all the ingredients in this recipe (no cheese, no veal, etc.) I used this to make some pork/beef meatballs and they turned out really well. Don’t skip the onion grating! It takes a few more minutes than chopping but adds flavor and texture and is such a protip. Gonna use that from now on. Also don’t skimp on the salt. Def making these again.
I like that these are oven baked since they have pork in them. It assures me they get perfectly done. Plus, they are so tender and flavorful.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!