So simple and so versatile, these Baked Meatballs can be used in so many ways! Serve them up with pasta, with your favorite sauce, or even as an appetizer. Plus, they can easily be frozen for a later use!
Make up a batch of these meatballs then use them for these Crockpot BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs or in this Meatball Cottage Pie.
I don’t know what it is about meatballs, but I’m absolutely obsessed with them. But up until this point, I had not shared my basic, versatile meatball recipe.
I’m here to do that today.
I used to always love to keep a bag of frozen meatballs in the freezer. But several times, they would end up having a weird texture or aftertaste. So I made my own.
And guess what? They are super easy to make. And the beautiful thing is that this makes a lot of meatballs – enough to serve for one meal, then freeze the rest for another meal. It’s a great way to always have meatballs on hand!
Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I prefer to use a lean ground beef when making these meatballs. I’ll go for between 90-95% lean. You can use a fattier ground beef, but you will have more grease to deal with and I don’t like the meatballs to sit in grease as they are baking.
- Eggs: This will bind your meatballs together.
- Breadcrumbs: I usually use store-bought breadcrumbs for these, but you could use homemade breadcrumbs, as well.
- Parmesan Cheese: I like to use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Onion & Garlic: These are both for flavor. You will want to make sure you finely chop the onion and finely mince the garlic.
- Seasonings: I use Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to season the meatballs. They are pretty versatile this way, but you can always adjust the seasonings depending on what you are using the meatballs for.
How to Make Baked Meatballs
STEP 1: Add all of your ingredients to a large bowl.
STEP 2: Use your hands or a large spoon to mix everything together until completely combined. I prefer my hands because I feel like I can incorporate everything easier than with a spoon. You don’t want to overwork the meat – just mix until combined.
STEP 3: Scoop the mixture into about 1 tablespoon sized balls. I like to use a spring loaded scoop, and then go back and roll them into balls with my hands. It’s easiest to roll them when your hands are slightly wet, so I keep a bowl of water next to me as I work.
STEP 4: Place the balls on two baking sheets, an inch or two apart. Place in the oven to bake and cook, turning them once about halfway through the bake time. You don’t want to turn them too early because they will stick to the tray. Once baked, they are ready to serve or turn into another meal!
Tips and Tricks
If you want to cook both trays of meatballs at the same time, I would suggest rotating them halfway through the cook time. You may need to add on a few extra minutes for them to cook through.
You can serve the meatballs right away, or they can easily be frozen for a later use. To freeze, place the cooked, cooled meatballs on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a freezer safe container or freezer bag to store.
More Meatball Recipes
Asian Meatballs
Teriyaki Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
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Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Use clean hands to gently mix everything together.2 pounds ground beef, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Shape the mixture into 1 tablespoon sized meatballs. I find that this is easiest using a spring loaded scoop, and then going back with slightly wet hands to roll each one into a ball.
- Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet, placing them about 2 inches apart. You will need to do this on 2 pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning the meatballs about halfway through the cook time.
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