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The Best Homemade Italian Meatballs

Say hello to the ultimate Sunday feast. These homemade Italian meatballs are fork-tender, packed with flavor, and simmered to perfection in a rich tomato sauce. It’s the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table and tastes even better the next day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 1 Large Cookie Sheet Lined With Foil
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Small Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Large pot For simmering sauce
  • Oven With Broil Setting

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Ground Beef - The fattier, the better
  • 1 lb Ground Pork - The fattier, the better
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • ⅓ cup Grated Pecorino Cheese
  • 1 cup Unseasoned Breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup Spanish Onion - Thinly Diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic - Crushed
  • 1 handful Parsley - Small Handful, Thinly Chopped
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • ⅓ cup Whole Milk
  • Pepper - To Taste
  • Pasta Sauce - 2 Jars or Homemade Sauce With at Least Two 28oz Tomato Cans

Instructions
 

  • Set oven to "High Broil"
  • Turn on the burner to medium-low & simmer the pasta sauce
  • In a small bowl, whisk the two eggs
  • In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all the meatball ingredients together
  • Roll the raw combined ingredients into a preferred size and evenly space the meatballs on the foil-lined cookie sheet
  • Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the meatballs have a dark brown color
  • Flip the meatballs and brown the other side
  • Submerge the meatballs in the simmering sauce
  • Simmer for at least 50 minutes
  • Serve with grated parmesean

Notes

Mix Everything Together Once: Toss all your ingredients into the bowl at the same time. Doing this in one go ensures an even texture and prevents you from biting into a dry, unmixed chunk of breadcrumbs later.
Watch the Clock: You can let the sauce simmer past the 50-minute mark, but try to cut the heat before you hit 2 hours. Any longer and you risk losing that juicy texture.
Prep It Early: Save time by prepping the meatballs a day ahead. Just be sure to grease your foil with oil spray before arranging the raw meatballs on the sheet so they don't stick while resting in the fridge.
Frying vs. Broiling: If you prefer, you can brown the meatballs in a skillet with oil before adding them to the sauce. I stick to the broiler method, though—it saves the stovetop from getting messy!
How to Serve: These are a classic match for spaghetti, but they are great on subs, too.
 
Keyword Dinner, Easy, Kid Friendly, Meatballs, Minimal Mess, Quick, Sunday