Valentina's Corner
An easy meatball recipe with a homemade marinara sauce. The classic Italian meatballs are ready in no time and may be served in so many different ways.
We love serving these meatballs on top of spaghetti but don’t forget to try them in our meatball sub recipe!
For a complete Italian-inspired dinner, we serve the meatballs with easy spaghetti, a caesar salad, and homemade breadsticks.
MEATBALL RECIPE-
Whenever we want to serve a homemade dinner that is comfort food and kid-friendly, meatballs are our go-to recipe. The meatballs are crispy when cooked but retain all the juices and flavors. Though the meatballs themselves are delicious, I love the extra flavor from the marinara sauce making it a fantastic recipe.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE MEATBALLS-
Meatballs are so easy to make and can be prepared in no time. They are the perfect dinner recipe for busy evenings.
- Season meat: Add ground meat to a bowl, and create a well. Add the onion, garlic, bread crumbs, whisked eggs, mayo, cheese, seasonings, and herbs.
- Shape meatballs: Mix everything until well combined. Roll the mixture into round meatballs, be sure to pack the meatballs tightly.
- Cook meatballs: Fry meatballs in a frying pan until all sides are browned.
- Prepare marinara: Prepare the homemade marinara sauce. Pour over meatballs in a baking dish.
- Bake: Cover the dish and bake.
HOW TO COOK MEATBALLS-
The meatballs may be baked or sauteed in a skillet.
- BAKE: To bake meatballs in the oven: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Space meatballs on the baking sheet; the meatballs shouldn’t be touching each other. Bake meatballs at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.
- SKILLET: Cover the bottom of a frying pan or Dutch oven with oil. Cook the meatballs until browned on all sides; there is no need to cook all the way through.
MEATBALL SAUCE-
Though you can just use your favorite store-bought marinara for this meatball recipe, we love this homemade version.
- Saute the onion with oil and butter.
- Add the diced tomatoes, water, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer on for five minutes.
- Puree the marinara until desired consistency.
- Return to the skillet. Add the basil, oregano, and parsley.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Frequently asked questions-
You want to use beef with about 90% lean to 10% fat content. You can use all beef in this recipe or mix the meat with other meat. One pound of ground beef may be combined with one pound of ground pork, chicken, or turkey with great results.
The meatballs may be served over pasta of choice, over mashed potatoes, in sliders for parties, or as a sub sandwich with your favorite toppings.
Prepare and shape meatballs. Arrange on a baking sheet and freeze meatballs. Once solid, transfer the meatballs to a freezer container. To cook, thaw the meatballs completely.
The meatballs are easily reheated. Cover the dish with foil and foil and reheat in the oven.
I hope you love this recipe for classic homemade meatballs. Don’t forget to tag us on social media if you try this recipe; we enjoy seeing your creations. #ValentinasCorner
Try these other dinner recipes:
- Chicken Parmesan – a classic Italian dish.
- Stuffed Peppers – so unexpected and packed with flavor.
- Chicken Scampi Recipe – live Garden copycat recipe but so much better.
- Philly Cheese Steak Sliders – So popular for an easy dinner.
Easy Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
homemade meatballs-
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 large onion, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbsp whole milk
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- oil for sautéing
Sauce-
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried parsley
Instructions
prepare meatballs-
- Grate onion on the small protruding holes’ side of the grater.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for meatballs.
- Form 1 – 1 ½ inch round meatballs, packing meatballs tightly. Yields about 30 meatballs.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Once hot, add the meatballs. Cook meatballs until all sides are browned, flipping as needed.
- Remove and place the meatballs in a casserole dish.
prepare sauce-
- In a skillet, sauté the finely chopped onion with oil and butter.
- Once onions are cooked, add diced tomatoes, water, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
- Puree the marinara with a hand mixer or blender until desired consistency.
- Once tomato sauce is smooth, add back to the skillet. Add the fresh basil, oregano, and parsley. Allow to cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cover with foil.
- Bake at 375°F covered 45 minutes. Remove foil, bake for another 5 minutes.
- Enjoy with your favorite side.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.