Classic Oven-Baked Italian Meatballs With Ground Beef and Pork (2024)

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European Food
Italian Food
Italian Sides

Danilo Alfaro

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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Updated on 05/5/21

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Ingredients

1 large slicesourdough bread, crusts removed, or 2 slices regular white bread
1/2 cupbuttermilk, or wholemilk
1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground veal
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the bread into cubes and combine it with the milk in a bowl. Mash it up until it forms a thick paste.
In a heavy Dutch oven, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and heat over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside so that they have a chance to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the egg, cheese, and parsley.
Add the bread mixture and the onion-garlic mixture and combine until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. We find our bare hands are best for this.
Gently form the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2inches in diameter. Don't pack them too tightly. If you make them slightly more oval-shaped rather than perfectly round, browning them will be a bit easier.
Heat about 1/2cup of vegetable oil to your Dutch oven. You'll want about 1/4 inch of oil in the pan.
When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown them for about 10 minutes, rolling them around with a pair of tongs so that they brown evenly all around.
Remove the meatballs, drain excess oil onto paper towels, and then transfer them to an oven-safe dish or the wiped clean Dutch oven.
Bake the meatballs in the oven for another 10 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Enjoy!

How to Store and Freeze

Store leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze cooked, cooled meatballs for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge before using and reheat in the oven, a pan, or simmer in hot tomato sauce.

Tips

Don't simmer sauce in the cast iron pan.
Shape the meatballs very gently. If you pack them at all tightly, you'll end up with meat rocks instead of meatballs.
We like to use half a pound of ground beef (ground chuck is our favorite) and a quarter-pound each of ground pork and ground veal. But you can use equal parts (1/3 pound of each) if that's easier. Or you could skip the veal and just use half beef, half pork.

What Is the Best Way to Brown Meatballs?

You can brown meatballs in the oven or in a skillet. For the crispiest exterior, use a heavy skillet with hot oil. You can finish cooking in a simmering sauce or the oven.

What Is the Best Oil For Frying Meatballs?

Use a neutral, high-heat oil for frying meatballs, such as canola or vegetable oil.

Italian Sides
Side Dishes
European Food
Italian Food
Ground Beef Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
521	Calories
40g	Fat
10g	Carbs
29g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories	521
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g	52%
Saturated Fat 9g	43%
Cholesterol 122mg	41%
Sodium 572mg	25%
Total Carbohydrate 10g	4%
Dietary Fiber 0g	2%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 3mg	15%
Calcium 110mg	8%
Iron 3mg	15%
Potassium 411mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

meatballs
dinner
italian
family dinner

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