Italian Meatballs Recipe

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, Published Aug 13, 2025

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Simply the best Italian meatballs recipe! Tender, juicy meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce. Serve over spaghetti for a truly comforting family dinner.

Close-up of Italian meatballs in rich tomato sauce, garnished with fresh basil leaves and parmesan shavings, with a spoon resting in the sauce.

If there’s one recipe that feels like a warm hug in a bowl, it’s Italian meatballs. These juicy, flavor-packed beauties are the best kind of family dish – hearty, delicious and enjoyed by all. Spoon over spaghetti, stuff into subs, or sneak a few straight from the pan (I had to shoo my husband away). These homemade meatballs bring that nonna-style comfort – without needing an Italian grandma on speed dial.

Authentic Italian meatballs (polpette) are small and served as part of a meal, but most people are familiar with meatballs in tomato sauce served with spaghetti. The meatball-pasta combo evolved when Italians emigrated to the US in the early 20th century. It has now become a staple of Italian-American cuisine and popular the world over.

The secret to tender Italian meatballs? It’s called panade, that’s milk-soaked breadcrumbs to you and me – and yes, we’re doing that here!

A plate of spaghetti topped with meatballs in tomato sauce, garnished with basil, sits next to a pan of meatballs, a glass of red wine, and small bowls of grated cheese and salt on a tiled surface.

Here’s What You’ll Need
How to Make Italian Meatballs
Serving suggestions
Recipe Tips and Notes
Leftovers and Storage
Italian Meatball Recipe

Here’s What You’ll Need

Meat: Ground beef with a good percentage of fat (85% lean is about right). You can also use a ground pork and beef combo if you like. Ground veal is another popular option.
Breadcrumbs: Make your own fresh breadcrumbs using whatever leftover white bread you have, including gluten-free bread. I used brioche burger buns, blitzed in a food processor. Fresh breadcrumbs absorb moisture better than panko and prevent the meatballs from becoming dry as they cook.
A little milk: Adds moisture to the breadcrumbs.
Egg: Acts as our binder, helping keep the ingredients together so the meatballs don’t fall apart when simmered in tomato sauce.
Flavor Boosters: Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and finally pancetta or Italian sausage will take this dish from good to WOW!
Tomato Sauce: I am using my homemade San Marzano tomato sauce. A good store-bought marinara sauce is a time saver, especially if you have meatballs stashed in the freezer. You can also make my quick tomato sauce – recipe is in the card below.
Onion and plenty of garlic: You simply gotta have these!
Seasoning: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

A top-down view of labeled ingredients on a light surface, including ground beef, onion, parmesan, pancetta, milk, egg, basil, garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, and a bowl of spices and seasoning.

How to Make Italian Meatballs

Prepare the meatballs

Cut the bread into cubes and blitz in a food processor until you have fine breadcrumbs. Place in a bowl, add the milk and egg and stir to combine. Leave to soak for a few minutes.
Place the onion, garlic, pancetta and basil in the food processor, no need to clean first!, and pulse until the ingredients are minced. Add to the bowl with the panade together with the parmesan and seasoning. Stir to combine.

Side-by-side images show hands mixing meatball ingredients in metal bowls: the left bowl contains a breadcrumb and seasoning mixture, while the right bowl contains the same mixture with raw ground beef being combined.

Add the ground beef mix well until the ingredients are properly combined.
Use a cookie scoop to portion out the meatball mixture and then roll each in your hands. Place on a platter, cover and chill for 30 minutes if you can. Chilling the meatballs helps them keep their shape better when cooked.

A white oval plate holds several evenly spaced, uncooked meatballs made with ground meat and herbs on a light-colored surface.

Make the Tomato Sauce

My homemade San Marzano sauce would be perfect here, so use that if you have some prepared. You can also make this quick tomato sauce. Sauté finely diced onion in olive oil until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and seasonings and cook for 30 seconds or so.

Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes and splash water or stock. Simmer for 30 minutes or so, stirring once in a while, until the sauce thickens. Use an immersion blender to blitz the sauce if you like it smooth.

A pot of San Marzano tomato sauce garnished with basil leaves sits on a tiled surface. A wooden spoon rests inside the pot. Fresh basil, a wedge of cheese, salt, and olive oil are arranged nearby.

Cook the meatballs

Searing the meatballs before cooking in sauce helps them keep their shape and stay juicy. At this point they don’t have to cooked all the way through as they will finish cooking in the tomato sauce.

Pan-fry: Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. Cook the meatballs over medium-high heat, in batches, until well browned on all sides.
Broiler: Line a large baking sheet with paper or a silicone mat, grease with olive oil and add the meatballs, spaced slightly apart. Preheat the oven to broiler (grill) and cook the meatballs for about ten minutes, flipping over once.
Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes per side.
Air Fryer: Preheat 400°F (200°C) and cook the meatballs, in batches depending on your model, for 8-10 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Two side-by-side images show meatballs cooking in a pan: the left side displays raw meatballs in oil, while the right side shows the same meatballs browned on the outside as they cook.

Simmer in the sauce

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and bring to a low simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and simmer over the lowest heat for 30 minutes, using tongs to turn the meatballs over so that they are covered with the rich sauce. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

Split image showing two pans of meatballs simmering in red tomato sauce. The left side has browned meatballs with a thicker sauce, while the right side has smaller, more evenly coated meatballs in a thinner sauce.

Serving suggestions

Spaghetti and meatballs – can’t beat that classic! Spoon meatballs and sauce over pasta, check the seasoning and add salt and cracked black pepper. Sprinkle with plenty of parmesan and garnish with chopped basil or parsley. Pair with garlic dough balls or garlic bread for a truly comforting Italian feast!
Low-carb: Zoodles (zucchini noodles) are a good option that still soak up all that sauce.
Meatball subs: Pile into toasted rolls with melty mozzarella.
As appetizers: Roll them small and serve with toothpicks and the tomato on the side as dipping sauce.

A pan of meatballs in tomato sauce garnished with basil, surrounded by a plate of spaghetti, a bowl of tomato sauce, a dish of grated cheese, and a plate with extra meatballs on a tiled surface.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Searing the meatballs creates a crust that helps them hold their shape as their cook. By activating the Maillard reaction you are also developing rich complex flavors that will have you coming back for more! Avoid crowding them in the pan – they need space to brown properly. Cooking a big batch? Pop them in the oven or broil before simmering in the sauce.
Use ground meat with a bit of fat to keep the meatballs tender and full of flavor – 80-85% lean works best. You can also use different types of meat such as a pork and beef combo, veal or even bison!
Add pancetta, Italian sausage or bacon for extra flavor.

Leftovers and Storage

These meatballs keep really well and this recipe makes a big batch, about 30 if you don’t roll them out too big. Pop any leftovers (with the sauce!) into an airtight container and stash them in the fridge for up to 4 days. They actually taste even better the next day.

You can also freeze them, with or without the sauce. To freeze the meatballs on their own, space them out in a single layer on a tray, freeze so they don’t stick together, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to three months.

To freeze cooked meatballs in sauce, cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the meatballs and sauce overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot throughout.

A blue and white floral plate filled with golden-brown meatballs, garnished with fresh basil, sits on a tiled surface. A spoon rests on the plate, with bowls of tomato sauce and grated cheese nearby.

If you try my Italian Meatball recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below—I love hearing how your dinners turn out! Follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram and TikTok so I can see your creations.

Italian Meatballs Recipe

Table of Contents

Here’s What You’ll Need