Grandma's Italian Meatball Recipe (2024)

Grandma’s meatball recipe has been in our family for over 60 years. If you are looking for an authentic Italian style meatball recipe, these are tender, juicy and have irresistible flavors. Homemade meatballs, just like grandma used to make, ready in about 30 minutes.

Italian meatballs are delicious with spaghetti and meatballs, homemade marinara sauce, meatball subs or on homemade pizza.

This recipe comes from my mom’s kitchen and is by far the best homemade Italian meatballs ever. These easy to make meatballs are made with ground beef, Italian style breadcrumbs, eggs, herbs, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Mom’s meatball recipe is beyond delicious with homemade marinara sauce or on cast iron pizza. Meatballs are one of our go-to weeknight meals and reminiscent of my childhood with this comfort food recipe for Sunday dinners.

Italian meatballs, just like grandma used to make, ready in about 30 minutes. It’s the ultimate comfort food, great with pasta or as meatball subs on a Hoagie roll with melted provolone cheese.

And they’re freezer friendly! So make a big batch and plop them in the freezer for quick and easy weeknight meals!

Why this recipe works

• Uses everyday ingredients – Ingredients for meatballs are readily available at most grocery stores.
• Tender, flavorful and juicy – They are incredibly tender and moist because of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
• Ready in about 30 minutes – Quick and easy to make, dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes.
• Make ahead and freeze – Meatballs can be made in large batches and frozen for several months. They reheat well, maintain freshness and make easy dinners.

What you’ll need

• Ground beef – We recommend using ground chuck 85%. More lean meats will not yield as good of flavor or hold together well enough. The fat content is essential to keeping meatballs from falling apart while cooking.
• Parmesan cheese – Always use fresh Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. It offers the most flavor.
• Breadcrumbs – Italian seasoned breadcrumbs work best and save time.
• Eggs – Eggs are used to bind the mixture together.
• Onion and garlic powder – My mom always used onion and garlic powder in her meatball recipe. But, you can also use 1-2 garlic cloves minced for more fresh flavor.
• Parsley – Mom always used dried parsley in her recipe, but you are welcome to use finely chopped fresh parsley.
• Salt & black pepper – Since Parmesan cheese is has a high salt content, be sure not to use to much salt. Freshly ground black pepper adds the most flavor.
• Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil works best, but you can use regular olive oil too.

How to make Italian Meatballs

• Combine the ingredients – Use your hands to combine ingredients in a large bowl.
• Shape into meatballs – Use a cookie scoop to shape meatballs into rounds. A cookie scoop will help achieve meatballs that are portioned evenly.
• Cook – We prefer to pan sear meatballs in a cast iron skillet for optimum browning and flavor. However, you can also cook meatballs in the oven. (See directions below)

Tips on making homemade meatballs

• Mix by hand only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing ingredients will result in tough meatballs.
• Use a cookie scoop to make perfectly portioned meatballs.
• For optimum flavor, cook meatballs on the stovetop, rather than in the oven.
• Use a cast iron skillet and extra virgin olive oil.
• Turn with a pair of tongs to evenly brown all edges.

Recipe FAQs

How to freeze meatballs

• Cool cooked meatballs completely.
• Place into freezer-safe container or freeze style zip-top bag.
• Use a sharpie pen to label the freezer bag with date and contents.
• Meatballs can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• To defrost; place the bag of meatballs into the refrigerator overnight or place directly into sauce and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook in the sauce until they are warm all the way through.

More Easy dinner ideas

• Meat Lasagna
• Marinara Sauce
• Sausage and Peppers
• Italian Pizza
• Cast Iron Pizza
• Italian Sausage Soup
• Tuscan Chicken

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