Learn how to make classic ground beef Italian meatballs from scratch that are tender, juicy, and delicious every time. The best quick ground beef recipe that is perfect for weeknight dinners.
Skip the frozen meatballs and make your own ground Italian beef meatballs with simple ingredients today!
Jump to:
- Soft and Juicy Italian meatballs!
- Ingredients You'll Need to Make Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs
- The Easiest, Simplest Way to Make Soft and Juicy Meatballs
- How to Cook Meatballs in an Air Fryer:
- How to Make-Ahead Polpette:
- How to Store Leftover Meatballs:
- How to Reheat Cooked Frozen Meatballs:
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Soft and Juicy Italian meatballs!
These homemade ground beef Italian meatballs taste better than store-bought and are very easy to make. They are so tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. They're also packed with flavors.
You can cook these meatballs in the oven or cook the meatballs in the air fryer. Whatever cooking method you choose, this meatball recipe will never fail you.
You can serve these Italian meatballs with spaghetti or bread.
Ingredients You'll Need to Make Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs
This Italian meatball recipe uses a fresh blend of herbs and spices to add savory flavors to the meat. These meatballs pair well with any recipe from pasta, pizza, or soup to party, and game-day appetizers.
Here's a list of ingredients that you'll need:
- Ground beef. I highly recommend using 80% lean ground beef to ensure that your meatballs stay moist and juicy. Feel free to use blends, such as ground beef with pork, and veal or use 90% or 93% lean if you want to limit your saturated fat intake.
- Egg. Use it as a binder to thicken, improve texture, and keep the dry mixture holding together.
- Milk. It's another binder agent. You are going to use milk for soaking the panko breadcrumbs for softer meatballs.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Panko and regular breadcrumbs can be used interchangeably in many recipes. However, I prefer panko breadcrumbs because it produces a lighter and crunchier texture than regular breadcrumbs. In addition, regular breadcrumbs tend to make meatballs a little tough.
- Yellow onion. Make sure that you grate or finely chop the onion. There is no need to cook the onion separately.
- Garlic. I used garlic to add aroma and umami taste to the meatballs.
- Parsley. Use fresh parsley instead of dried. Dried parsley does not blend well and is not as flavorful as fresh parsley.
- Basil. This aromatic herb is essential to many Italian dishes.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese. Buy a block of parmesan cheese and shred it with a grater. Do not use pre-shredded cheese because they contain preservatives like potato starch to keep them from clumping together. This anti-caking agent makes the cheese shreds don't melt together. As a result, the meatballs may turn grainy and gritty.
- Fennel seeds. A popular spice used in Italian cuisine. The flavor of fennel is slightly sweet and has a licorice-like taste. It's so subtle that it won't overwhelm the other ingredients.
The Easiest, Simplest Way to Make Soft and Juicy Meatballs
This comfort food is not complicated to make. The preparation and cooking process is pretty simple. Here are some cooking steps to follow:
Step 1. Soak the Breadcrumbs
Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl then pour in the milk. Stir to combine, and let the breadcrumbs absorb the milk, and become soggy. This extra step is essential to prevent tough and dry meatballs.
Step 2. Stir in the egg and spices
Add egg, grated onion, garlic, parsley, herb, salt, black pepper, fennel, and cheese into the breadcrumb mixture. Whisk to combine.
Step 3. Add ground beef
Add the minced beef to the mixture. Use your hands to gently combine all ingredients.
Step 4. Roll the mixture into meatballs
Use a cookie scoop to grab some raw meat then gently roll between your hands to make perfectly-sized uniform meatballs so they cook evenly at the same rate. Place the meatballs on a prepared baking sheet. Allow sufficient space between the meatballs so they do not touch each other.
Step 5. Bake in the oven at 450°F
Bake the meatballs for about 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. The internal temperature should register at 165°F.
Or, alternatively, you can cook these meatballs in an air fryer.
How to Cook Meatballs in an Air Fryer:
Step 1. Preheat an air fryer at 350°F.
Step 2. Place half of the meatballs in the basket, and cook for 8 minutes.
Step 3. Shake the basket, then continue cooking for 2 minutes.
I've cooked these meatballs using both an oven and an air-fryer. The results were quite similar! Both methods take almost the same amount of cooking time, so choose whatever works best for you.
How to Make-Ahead Polpette:
If you are a fan of make-ahead recipes, this recipe is perfect for you. The meatballs can be shaped and kept in the refrigerator up to a day ahead.
You can freeze the uncooked or cooked meatballs. However, I highly recommend cooking them first and freeze for later use.
How to Store Leftover Meatballs:
First, let the meatballs cool to room temperature. After that, arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid for about 2-4 hours.
Next, transfer the meatballs into a large Ziploc bag or an airtight container. Properly stored, the leftover can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
How to Reheat Cooked Frozen Meatballs:
You can thaw the frozen meatballs overnight for a faster reheat time or reheat the frozen meatballs directly from the freezer.
In the oven:
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2. Place frozen meatballs in a single layer on a baking tray. Heat for 15 to 25 minutes or until hot.
on the Stove with Your Favorite Sauce:
Step 1. Add the frozen meatballs to the sauce.
Step 2. Cover the pan or pot. Cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Meatball Cooking Tips and FAQ:
For juicier and tastier meatballs, choose ground meat with some fat in it.
The secret is to soak the breadcrumbs in milk and shape the meatballs gently. Do not overmix.
For firmer meatballs, just use breadcrumbs and eggs as binder agents. Skip the milk and chill then form the meatballs before cooking.
Cheap and fatty cuts make the best meatballs. You can use ground chuck, veal, and/or ground pork. For complex flavors, blend different types of meat.
Ground chuck holds itself well during cooking.
To add a bright freshness to meatballs, use fresh herbs. You can use oregano, thyme, basil, and/or rosemary.
If you have some leftovers and don't know what to do with it. You can use the leftover to make meatball sliders, sandwiches, casseroles, soups, stroganoff, or stir fry.
Check Out More Delicious Recipes Using Ground Beef:
- Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Ground Beef Quesadilla
- Skillet Beef Enchiladas
- Korean Beef Bowl
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 whole egg
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (grind or crush with a knife)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl then pour in the milk. Stir to combine, and soak.
- Add egg and the remaining ingredients, except beef into the mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Add the minced beef and mix with your hands until combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a cookie scoop to grab some raw meat then gently roll between your hands to make perfectly-sized uniform meatballs (about 24 balls).
- Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheets. Do not overcrowd.
- Bake the meatballs for about 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Preheat the air fryer at 350°F.
- Place half of the meatballs in the basket, cook for 8 minutes.
- Shake the basket and continue cooking for 2 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Repeat with remaining meatballs.
- Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Patty says
Just the two of us now so I wanted to make something we could snack on now, with chicken wings, and have in sauce w/ pasta tomorrow. My husband won't stop. I hit the nail on the head with this. TY so much for such a yummy, easy recipe.
Rika says
Hi Patty,
Thanks a lot for your nice words! I'm really happy you and your husband liked the recipe. It seems like it was perfect for snacking today and for using in pasta tomorrow. I'm glad it was simple and tasty to make.
Best,
Rika
Amy says
Anxious to try this new recipe! Putting them in the oven now. My only comment is I can’t seem to find the.” prepared baking pan.” instruction I’m winging it and using a Pyrex dish.
Rika says
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry for the confusion about the prepared baking pan. You can either line the pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it to prevent the meatballs from sticking.
Best,
Rika
Judy says
Made this for the first time tonight. It’s a keeper-we were both impressed by the taste and WILL make these again! Followed the recipe to a T.
Thank you.
Rika says
Hi Judy,
You're welcome. That's great to hear! I'm glad you liked them.
Best,
Rika
Nanajee Travels says
This recipe for steamed beef meatballs sounds incredible! The way you describe them—juicy, soft, and succulent—truly captures the essence of authentic Cantonese dim sum. I love that you’ve shared a method to replicate the flavors found in Guangzhou tea house restaurants. It’s such a treat to be able to recreate that dining experience at home. I can’t wait to give this a try and enjoy these delicious bites with family and friends! Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe!
Laurie says
Rika ,I have been cooking a very long time. Yours is my favorite meatball recipe ever! My husband loved them too. I used my own homemade sauce to serve with them. We can only have sourdough bread, so I used that to make my own bread crumbs. I added about 1/3 cup of ground pork. I didn’t even have fresh herbs this time so I had to use dried Italian seasoning and they were still ver good!
Rika says
Hi Laurie,
That’s so great to hear! I love that you used sourdough bread and your own sauce. Your changes sound delicious! Thank you for sharing your thoughts—I’m really happy you and your husband enjoyed the meatballs! If you try any more versions, I’d love to hear about them!
Best,
Rika
Kerri Baune says
Turned out very well!
Rika says
Thank you for your feedback, Kerri! I’m glad to hear that it turned out well!
Best,
Rika
Sila says
hi, I don’t eat beef will chicken work just as good and be juicy
Rika says
Hi Sila,
Hi! Sorry for the late reply so many spam comments lately that real ones sometimes get buried. Yes, you can definitely use chicken instead! Dark meat will give you the most flavor and juiciness, or you can use a mix of dark and white meat if you prefer.
Hui-Ling Liang says
It is sort of easy
I will try
Can I cook on the stove instead of oven?
Thank you
Rika says
Hi Hui-Ling Liang,
Yes, you can cook raw meatballs on the stove by browning them in oil over medium heat for about 5–7 minutes, then covering and simmering on low for 10–15 minutes until fully cooked. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C) for beef or pork.
Best,
Rika
Mickey says
I haven't tried the recipe yet, but it certainly looks wonderful and will do it soon. I did want to share, I often copy and paste the comments that share how they used the recipe and print them on the back of the recipe sheet. The ideas help me to grow as a cook. Thank you for sharing your recipes
Rika says
Hi Mickey,
That’s such a great idea! I love how you’re using feedback to get even more inspiration for your cooking. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the meatballs when you try them—hope they turn out just as great as they look! Thanks for sharing your approach, and I’m happy you’re finding the recipes helpful!
Best,
Rika
DL says
Very good recipe, easy to follow. Simple ingredients develop into a very tasty meatball. I made a few changes, nothing earth shattering. No breadcrumbs handy, used crushed butter crackers. Substitute used 1/8 C milk + 1/8 C beef broth. Added 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
Rika says
Hi DL,
So glad you liked it! Crushed butter crackers are such a great swap, and the Worcestershire sauce sounds like a tasty touch. Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
Best,
Rika