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Home Recipe Index Lunch & Dinner

Baked Italian Meatballs

4.9 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 4/10/23Updated: 4/10/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These moist, flavor-packed Baked Italian Meatballs are a weeknight meal staple in our house. They are done in 40 minutes or less and will make everyone happy. If you prep ahead using our freezing instructions, this meal is even faster!

Baked Italian meatballs on a white plate with marinara sauce this …


 
Table of Contents
  • 4 Reasons to Make This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Make Italian Baked Meatballs
  • How to Freeze Meatballs
  • What to Serve with Italian Baked Meatballs
  • How Long to Bake Meatballs?
  • Baked Italian Meatballs
  • More Meatball Recipes

4 Reasons to Make This Recipe

  1. Fast: Perfect for busy weeknights. If you prep them ahead of time, dinner is even quicker!
  2. Moist and Delicious: My kids go gah-gah over these and many of them get eaten straight from the sheet pan before they ever make it atop whole wheat spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce or on a Meatball Sub.
  3. Freezer-Friendly: This is one of the best meals to double and freeze a batch for later. Use our freezing instructions in the recipe.
  4. Less Mess: We skip the messy, greasy method of searing on the stovetop. Just pop these directly in the oven for crispy, perfectly cooked meatballs every time.
fork twirling spaghetti that is topped with Italian meatballs and sauce

Ingredients Needed

Another benefit of this recipe: You likely already have most of the ingredients for these easy, baked meatballs. I’d suggest doubling this recipe, so you can make an extra batch for the freezer.

  • Lean ground beef – I use grass-feed, grass-finish ground beef from ButcherBox for these but you could also use ground turkey.
  • Panko bread crumbs – These Japanese-style bread crumbs are crispy and work well as a binder. You can use store-bought whole wheat or regular Panko breadcrumbs. If you are gluten-free, look for gluten-free Panko.
  • Grated Parmesan cheese – This adds saltiness, and savoriness, and acts as a binder in addition to the bread crumbs.
  • Egg – Be sure to beat this large egg before adding to the meat mixture.
  • Milk – Helps to add moisture. Plain, dairy-free milk works fine.
  • Tomato Paste – Adds some extra umami flavor to the meat mixture.
  • Garlic powder – I use the powder form so you don’t bite into a chunk of garlic in the meatballs.
  • Italian Seasoning – This dried herb blend often includes oregano, rosemary, basil, savory, thyme, marjoram, and sage…and it just smells like Italian food. 🙂
  • Salt and pepper – Key to adding the right balance of flavors.
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How to Make Italian Baked Meatballs

I promise, this really couldn’t be easier. I also promise that doubling this recipe and freezing one batch for later will be a really good decision. 🙂

Prep Oven & Pan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.

Combine Meat Mixture

Using clean hands, gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

meatball mixture in a bowl

Roll Meatballs

Use a medium dough scooper or a spoon to scoop and then roll about 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Line up meatballs on the sheet pan, leaving room between each.

baked italian meatball on a sheet pan

Bake in the Oven

Bake for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside (160°F internal temperature).

baked italian meatball cooked on a sheet pan

Serving Ideas

Optional: Serve with warm Marinara Sauce or Pesto on the side for dipping, over spaghetti with marinara, or on a Meatball Sub. You could also serve them alongside our Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta.

Overhead shot baked meatballs
fork twirling spaghetti that is topped with Italian meatballs and sauce
a homemade meatball sub cut in half on a plate

How to Freeze Meatballs

One of the best parts about this meatball recipe is that it is freezer-friendly. Meatballs work beautifully to assemble and then freeze before baking for a meal down the road.

Below is one way to freeze these meatballs, but sure to read our whole article about Freezing Meatballs: Raw or Cooked for more expert tips.

Freeze For Later:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and line up the rolled, uncooked meatballs on the pan. Flash freeze uncooked meatballs by placing on the sheet pan (or in a baking dish) in the freezer for about an hour or so.

How to freeze baked italian meatballs

Once they are frozen, dump the meatballs in a gallon-sized freezer bag, seal, and place in freezer.

Italian Baked Meatballs

Prepare From Frozen:

Thaw meatballs using one of these safe thawing methods. Cook according to instructions.

The beauty of freezing meatballs is that you can now pop out as many as you need for future meals. No need to bake them all at once. These can be a great freezer meal for 1-2 people.

What to Serve with Italian Baked Meatballs

Here are some ideas that baked meatballs would go well with…

Roasted broccoli on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Wilted Lettuce Salad with dressing being poured on top.

Wilted Lettuce Salad

Texas toast stacked up on a plate.

Texas Toast

Oven roasted asparagus on parchment paper.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Cheesy Pesto Bread

Cheesy Pesto Bread

Autumn Salad tossed with apple cider vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Fruit salad in a white serving bowl with a wooden spoon.

Classic Fruit Salad

Baked cheese tortellini with a spoon serving some from the glass dish.

4-Ingredient Baked Tortellini

How Long to Bake Meatballs?

The length of time it takes to bake meatballs can vary depending on the size, the ingredients, and the oven temperature. As a general guideline, 1 1/2-inch round meatballs should be baked at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes. Note: Larger meatballs will likely require additional cooking time, while smaller meatballs may be done a bit quicker.

One way to make sure you bake your meatballs perfectly is to use a meat thermometer. They are done when the internal temperature is at least 165°F (74°C), which is the minimum safe temperature for ground meat according to the USDA.

Baked italian meatball on a fork

Baking Italian Meatballs is a simple, healthy, and fast way to make delicious weeknight meals. Your family will love this one!

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Overhead shot baked meatballs
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 14 reviews

Baked Italian Meatballs

Everybody loves a good meatball! These delicious, moist ones may get eaten before they ever make it atop spaghetti or a sub sandwich. You’ll want to make this baked version of meatballs again and again.

Yield: 4–6 servings (about 25 1–1/2 inch meatballs) 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
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Units:
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (This is where we get our favorite grass-fed ground beef.)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs (or sub gluten-free breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or sub more breadcrumbs)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons milk (your choice)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Combine: Using clean hands, gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
  3. Roll: Use a medium dough scooper or a spoon to scoop and then roll about 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Line up meatballs on the sheet pan, leaving room between each.
  4. Bake: Bake for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside (160°F internal temperature).
  5. Serve: Optional: Serve with warm Marinara Sauce on the side for dipping, over spaghetti with marinara, or on a Meatball Sub.

Freeze For Later:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Then, complete Steps 2 and 3. At this point, flash-freeze uncooked meatballs by placing on the sheet pan (or in a baking dish) in the freezer for about an hour or so. Once frozen, dump meatballs in a gallon-sized freezer bag, seal, and place in freezer.

Prepare From Frozen:

Thaw meatballs using one of these safe thawing methods. Cook according to instructions, beginning with Step 4.


Notes/Tips

Gluten-Free Version: Use almond meal or gluten-free bread crumbs in place of the whole wheat bread crumbs. (Tip: I make my own bread crumbs by toasted gluten-free bread and then tosses pieces into my high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until they are fairly fine bread crumbs.)

Dairy-Free Version: Use more bread crumbs in place of the Parmesan cheese, plus add 1/4 teaspoon more of salt.

Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: Italian Method: Baking

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.

More Meatball Recipes

We love meatballs because people of all ages love them, they are easy to make, and super easy to freeze for later. Try some of our other favorites.

for picking up a turkey meatball

Baked Turkey and Veggie Meatballs

Baked healthy meatballs on a platter with pesto in a small bowl.

Baked Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies

Chop sticks holding an Asian turkey meatball above a small bowl of sweet soy dipping sauce.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Meatball subs that have been under the broiler, side by side.

Easy Meatball Subs

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Brianna says

    Posted on 6/9/24 at 8:06 pm

    Made a double batch tonight. Baked half according to the instructions and will freeze those for future easy meals. The other half I simmered in tomato sauce for about 30 minutes. We had that with spaghetti tonight. Everyone loved the meatballs! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 6/10/24 at 12:43 pm

      Glad you enjoyed these and have some put away for the future Brianna! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

      Reply
  2. Jen says

    Posted on 10/9/23 at 9:58 pm

    Definitely an easy go-to for our family!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 10/10/23 at 9:13 am

      Thanks Jen! They are a favorite around my house and easy to make a bunch and freeze too.

      Reply
  3. Peter C. Anderson says

    Posted on 10/4/23 at 5:26 pm

    easy fast i like not frying all the mess. these meatballs compare favorably with fried

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 10/5/23 at 11:53 am

      Glad you enjoyed them Peter. Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply
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