How about some classic comfort food tonight? These Italian Baked Meatballs are just that!
Tender, perfectly seasoned meatballs are drenched in a simple homemade marinara sauce, and then baked to succulent perfection.
Serve them with your favorite pasta or some crusty bread, and you’ve got a dinner that will be loved by all.
Meatballs are always a fun meal that brings out everyone’s inner child, and we’ve cook plenty of them from all around the world in our kitchen. Swedish Meatballs, Spanish Meatballs, Vietnamese Meatballs, and so much more.
But I bet when most people in the states think about meatballs, the first thing that pops into their mind is mouthwatering little spheres smothered in tomato sauce. Well here they are!
Our Italian Baked Meatballs recipe is just what you need to put smiles on all the faces at the table.
Why We Love This Easy Meatball Recipe
- They are pretty simple to make, and the oven does most of the work.
- We love to make a quick homemade marinara, but in a pinch you can use jarred.
- You can easily double the recipe to feed a crowd.
- They refrigerate and freeze well, and can be served a number of ways, so great meal prep option
- They are literally loved by everyone!
Italian Meatball Ingredients
This recipe has two main components, the meatballs and the sauce:
Meatballs
- Ground meat – We are using a mix of ground beef and ground pork.
- Binders – Eggs and breadcrumbs.
- Milk – It’s helps keep the meatballs moist and tender.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, pepper.
Marinara Sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic – It wouldn’t be Italian without it.
- Whole canned tomatoes – We prefer San Marzano. You can also use crushed tomatoes.
- Tomato paste – To amp up the tomato flavor.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, pepper.
- Sugar – To balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. If using San Marzano, you may not need any.
Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe
Create the sauce: Add the tomatoes to the bowl and crush them with your hands. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, then add in garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add in tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a low simmer while you prep the meatballs.
Roll the meatballs: Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into spheres, about 1½ inches in diameter. You should get about a dozen meatballs.
Finish the dish and bake: Taste and adjust the sauce for seasonings, and add sugar if necessary. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and smother with sauce. Cover and bake at 375°F for 30-45 minutes, until the meatballs measure 165°F with an instant read thermometer.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Variation: If you wish to top them with mozzarella cheese, bake for 30 minutes, then cover with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Bake an additional 15 minutes. You can broil for a few minutes at the end if you want to brown up the cheese.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture, or pack the meatballs too tightly, otherwise they can become tough.
- Chilling the meatball mixture makes it easier to form the meatballs.
- You can first brown the meatballs in a skillet if you wish. It adds a layer of flavor, but even without browning them they taste great.
- You can easily make either, or both, the meatballs and the sauce a day ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. If starting with cold sauce, you may need to add to the cooking time.
- Don’t use too big of a casserole dish, otherwise the meatballs won’t be properly smothered in sauce. We use a 2½ quart dish.
- Try using different meats. You can make these baked meatballs with just ground beef, though we prefer the mixture. Ground lamb also works well. For a lighter dish, use ground turkey or ground chicken. Sometimes we even like to add a little ground Italian sausage to the mix.
- This is a very simple marinara. Use fresh herbs if you have them. We have a full post for Marinara Sauce.
How to Serve Italian Baked Meatballs
Baked Italian meatballs can be served a variety of ways. We especially love them over pasta. Spaghetti and meatballs, YUM!
Sometimes we just have them with a loaf of our easy No Knead Bread to sop up that sauce with. Or, you could treat yourself to a hearty meatball sub.
Also try a side of Caesar Salad or Antipasto Salad.
Leftovers and Storage
Italian baked meatballs are great as leftovers. As they sit for a few days in the refrigerator, all the saucy flavors seep into meatballs, making them extra delicious. Store them in an air tight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave.
You can also freeze the leftovers for 2-3 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat when ready to serve. You can even use them as meal prep and make a big batch, and store them in individual meal sized containers.
Make it a super satisfying Italian night with these easy and delicious baked meatballs. No matter how you serve them, you’re in for a fantastic meal!
Italian Baked Meatballs, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
For even more meatballs, check out our…
Greek Keftedes
Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Meatball Chicken Noodle Soup
Creamy Chicken Meatballs
Meatball Minestrone
Greek Soutzoukakia
Mexican Albondigas Soup
Italian Baked Meatballs
These Baked Meatballs in homemade marinara sauce are total Italian comfort food! Serve them with pasta, bread, or make a meatball sub. Any way you have them, it'll be an amazing meal!
Ingredients
Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 28oz whole canned tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- sugar to taste
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add tomatoes to a bowl and crush them with your hand.
- Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, then add in garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add in tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a low simmer while you prep the meatballs.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into spheres, about 1½ inches in diameter.
- Taste and adjust the sauce for seasonings, and add sugar if necessary. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and smother with sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the meatballs measure 165°F with an instant read thermometer.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Optionally, you can top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese after 30 minutes of cook time, then bake an additional 15 minutes.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
Get griddling! Try these Blackstone Recipes!
Never miss a recipe!
Join the GypsyPlate mailing list and get easy dinner recipes right in your mailbox. From homestyle comfort food to exotic dishes from around the world.
