Melt-In-Your-Mouth Ground Beef Italian Meatballs (Soft and Juicy)

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Check Out More Delicious Recipes Using Ground Beef:

1. Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice
2. Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
3. Ground Beef Quesadilla
4. Skillet Beef Enchiladas
5. 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