Let me show you how to make the best Oven Baked Meatballs that everyone will be talking about! With just 6 simple ingredients and 30 minutes of your time, you will have perfectly juicy and tender meatballs! To make the whole dish extra special, serve it with homemade marinara sauce and a bowl of spaghetti. Even your Italian Nonna will love them!
If you are looking for an easy recipe for Oven Baked Meatballs, I have you covered! Made with ground beef, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, milk, and breadcrumbs, they are tender inside with a lot of flavor!
This is a perfect recipe for a weekend family dinner, like Braised Short Ribs, Instant Pot Pot Roast, Dutch Oven Beef Stew, Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe, or other comfort meals.
Why this recipe works
One of the main problems you can come across when making meatballs, is that they come out tough and dry. Nobody wants that!
What we want is soft and juicy meatballs with a bit of crispiness on the outside. And don’t forget about the flavor! This is exactly why this recipe is so special! You will have perfectly cooked tender and delicious meatballs every single time!
One of my favorite tricks to keep the meat juicy is to grate the onion. The extra juices from the onion, together with the milk, will provide enough moisture to the meat. While the meatballs are baking in the oven and getting an outside crisp, the inside will stay juicy and tender.
Adding good quality Parmesan cheese (I like Parmigiano Reggiano) will help to enhance the flavor. Plus, it will make the meat softer.
I use the same trick for my Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe and Turkey Zucchini Meatballs and it works every single time!
Ingredients:
- Ground Beef. It’s important to use good quality meat for the best result. It will have more flavor and will be tender. Also, I prefer to use 85% lean ground beef.
- Bread Crumbs. I prefer to use already seasoned bread crumbs, as it adds more flavor. Although, you can use unseasoned or even grind some fresh bread in a food processor.
- Onion. I like to grind it in a food processor or grate it. This way you will have lots of juices. It will help the meat stay tender.
- Egg. It’s an important ingredient that works like a binder and will keep the meat together.
- Milk. Will help to keep the meat moist. There is nothing worse than dry meatballs.
- Parmesan Cheese. I like to use Parmigiano-Reggiano to have a classic flavor.
- Salt, Pepper. You will need about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Though, feel free to adjust these measurements to your taste.
How to bake Meatballs in the oven
Preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, put all the ingredients (ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, salt, and pepper). Using your hands or a spatula, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
To make the meatballs, I like to use a 1 ½ tablespoon ice scream scoop to make sure they are all the same size. Roll them in the balls and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature is 160°F.
When done, take them out of the oven.
How to serve:
My favorite way to serve these oven baked meatballs is with spaghetti and Marinara Sauce form Scratch. While the meatballs are baking you can make marinara sauce or reheat a store-bought one. Also cook the spaghetti according to the instructions. When the meatballs are done, place them in the pan with sauce and stir to cover. To serve, place spaghetti on the plates and top it with meatballs with marinara sauce.
I love combining meatballs with tomato sauce, like Tefetli and Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs, as they perfectly compliment each other.
Tips for best results
Don’t overwork the mixture. To keep the meat tender, don’t overmix the ingredients. I like to mix the meat mixture by hands. This way you can mix everything fast, without overworking the mixture.
Use 85% lean meat. If you use 90% lean meat, it won’t have enough fat and most likely will come out dry. I found that 85% lean meat works the best for this recipe, keeping the meatballs juicy and tender.
Even size. To make the meatballs the same size, I like to use a 1 ½ tablespoon ice cream scoop. Then roll it into balls.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How long do they last in the fridge? You can refrigerate them in an air tight container or a zip-lock bag for up to 5 days.
Can you Freeze them? Absolutely! When properly stored, they will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Keep them in an air tight container or a zip-lock bag. To defrost, place them to a refrigerator overnight.
How to reheat? You can reheat them in the oven or in tomato sauce.
- For the oven, preheat it to 350°F. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- If you want to serve with the marinara sauce, place the meatballs to the simmering sauce for about 10 minutes.
More Dinner Ideas:
- Greek Meatballs
- Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Tortellini in Tomato Sauce
- Instant Pot BBQ Ribs
- Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe
- Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Oven Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 85%
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup onion grated with juices
- 1 egg
- Salt Pepper to taste
- Marinara sauce optional for serving
- spaghetti optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, put all the ingredients (1 pound ground beef, ½ cup bread crumbs, ¼ cup milk, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup grated onion, 1 egg, salt, and pepper). Using your hands or a spatula, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- To make the meatballs, I like to use a 1 ½ tablespoon ice scream scoop to make sure the meatballs are all the same size. Roll them in the balls and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature is 160°F.
- While the meatballs are baking you can make a homemade marinara sauce or reheat a store-bought one. Also cook the spaghetti according to the instructions.
- When the meatballs are done, place them in the pan with marinara sauce and stir to cover.
- To serve, place spaghetti on the plates and top it with meatballs with marinara sauce.
Notes
- For the oven, preheat it to 350°F. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- If you want to serve them with the marinara sauce, place the meatballs to the simmering sauce for about 10 minutes.
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