These are the most perfect Italian styled meat balls I’ve ever made (and I have made a lot). They are tender, super juicy and generously sized – everything you want in a traditional meat ball. This recipe delivers what you want: huge, juicy and tender meatballs which are ideal for any variety of dishes.

What Makes These Italian Meatballs So Scrumptious?

Our Italian meatball recipe contains authentic Italian ingredients and plenty of Italian herbs. While bread is commonly used as a binder in conventional recipes, we combine crushed saltine crackers with milk. The lightness from the saltines adds moistness to the mixture and helps keep these meat balls soft in texture.

Some of our main ingredients include:

Ground Beef (85/15) and Ground Pork: This is the best combination for making traditional Italian meatballs. The 85/15 lean beef ratio keeps them nice & juicy while adding pork increases their richness & tenderness. With this blend, there’s a flavor balance & texture that is very important for good meatballs.
Onion and Garlic: These must be present if your aim is to add taste to your meatballs. You will fry these aromatic ingredients so as to extract their natural sugariness bringing out their flavors deepening the taste of the meatballs.
Fennel, Italian Seasoning, Parsley And Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: They bring about amazing sweet herby salty Italian tastes. The fennel in this recipe is especially wonderful and gives the meatballs a slight anise-like flavor that enhances their overall taste.

The Best Homemade Tomato Sauce

Make our easy homemade tomato sauce—it goes so well with these meatballs and is very quick to prepare. The sauce is delicious, rich in taste and an excellent match for our meatballs. See the recipe below; it works great with variety of other meals too.

How to Make Italian Meatballs

This recipe yields highly flavorful Italian meatballs characterized by a soft texture. Here’s what you’ll get:

1. Soak Saltine Crackers in Milk: This is my favorite trick for keeping meatballs tender. The milk softens up the crackers as they absorb it, making them squishy enough to hold the balls together without weighing them down.

2. Mix Ingredients: Add sautéed onion, garlic, ground fennel, Italian herbs, and plenty of cheese to ground beef and pork. Mix well using your hands until all flavors are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. It’s important to use your hands here because through hand-mixing you will add all ingredients evenly into the mix while not overworking it which may cause your meat-patties being tough.

3. Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into generous-sized meatballs. One pound of ground meat makes about four large meatballs, but you can make them smaller if you prefer.

4. Bake the Meatballs: The meatballs get a nice delicious crust and stay juicy when quickly baked on the oven. They will remain shaped and cook evenly through baking.

5. Make the Tomato Sauce: While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare our tangy but light tomato sauce. These go well with these delicious balls of meat – shallots, garlic, wine splash, stock, crushed tomatoes and fresh basil. Let it boil until it’s thick and rich enough to serve as a bed for your meatballs.

6. Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Nestle half-baked balls into some sauce. They must be fully cooked before being served with this sauce; that is why I prefer finishing them in the oven or simmering them gently on the stove..This step helps to add more flavors to the meatball making itself even tastier than what it was before.

Ways to Serve Italian Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs: A classic favorite! After cooking your meatballs remove from skillet then drop your cooked pasta noodles in the sauce pan right before serving. These pasta dishes are accompanied by this type of sausages having their sauces merged together hence makes a very excellent dish.

Meatball Subs or Sliders: Serve on sub rolls or slider buns with some marinara sauce and melted cheese on top. . For lunch or informal dinner, these are perfect.
Stand-Alone Dish: Serve with bread. I love Homemade Focaccia or Garlic Bread. A good option for a simple and delicious meal.
On top of grits: Not traditional but really tasty. Creamy grits fit well with the juicy meatballs and sauce, makes this dish unique and tasty.

Tips for Making the Best Italian Meatballs

Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh herbs, garlic, and onions will make a big difference in the flavor of your meatballs.
Don’t Overmix: When you combine the meat and other ingredients, do it gently or else they will become tough.
Bake Instead of Fry: Baking allows them to retain their shape better while cooking evenly all through as opposed to deep frying which uses more oil hence healthier balls.
Finish Cooking in the Sauce: This way, your meatballs will stay moist and absorb all the wonderful flavors from the sauce as they continue cooking in it.

Storing and Reheating Meatballs

In the Refrigerator: These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently on the stove or in the microwave..

In the Freezer: To keep them longer, store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the freezer for three months at most (with sheets of wax paper between each row). To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm gently on the stove.