(Large Batch & Freezer-Friendly)

Add a little Italian love to your dinner (and freezer) this week with these homemade meatballs that pair well with sauce smothered over noodles!

I love a good meatball! I’m fortunate enough to have grown up with a mother who embraced her Italian heritage and cooked with that influence. From spaghetti and meatballs, homemade pesto, to holiday antipasto. I grew up eating almost every Italian dish, including these meatballs.

We used to have a storefront where we sold our beef and homemade goodies like jams and jellies, jerky meat, pot pies, and meatballs. Many things of which I plan on sharing with you all on here to make in your own home! They are tried and true tested recipes that not only filled my family’s bellies growing up but also those of many happy customers. This is the same meatball recipe that we made there.

These Italian meatballs are exactly what you picture a classic meatball to be: big, round, full of flavor, and ready to compliment any pasta sauce layered over noodles. They are also a great thing to have on hand in the freezer for easy pull-together meals. Didn’t have anything ready for dinner? Pull the meatballs out and toss them in some sauce. Only have bread on hand and no noodles? Mix it up and make meatball subs. 

The amount of these meatballs may seem overwhelming for you, which if thats the case, you’re welcome to halve the recipe. I personally enjoy making a large quantity at once, so I can have some stored up in the freezer for a while. And if I’m being honest, my husband can eat a whole pound of meatballs to himself for dinner, so I’ve adapted to making larger quantities of food! These meatballs are very simple in terms of putting together, and if you can fit both baking sheets on the middle rack of your oven, they’ll only take 20 minutes to bake. If you can’t fit them both, I suggest just baking one sheet at a time to prevent burning them if they’re too close to the top or bottom of the oven. I sometimes like to rush things and it never usually turns out well for me. So middle rack in the center of the oven is best!

In the pictured instructions below you’ll see that I included an approximate measurement for a meatball in grams, if you choose to weigh them. You can either use your best judgment and make somewhat similar meatballs by sizing them in your hands, or you can weigh the meatballs out. I personally just go by feel and what makes my heart happy, but sometimes its good to know the exact size of one and then that can help you make the rest into a uniform size.

I hope you enjoy these meatballs as much as my family does, and you can add a little Italian love to your dinner this week!

Ingredients:

How To Make Italian Meatballs:

FAQS

What is the difference between regular meatballs and Italian meatballs?

The difference is the ingredients and their taste. They also differ in size and shape. Italian meatballs contain Italian seasoning, onion, and sometime milk or cheese. Meatballs are such a versatile dish that you can find them in many cultures and countries across the world, and they all taste different!

Why do you put milk in meatballs?

Milk adds moisture and helps keep them tender. Some recipes call for cheese like parmesan or ricotta, but this recipe uses milk.

Common mistakes while making meatballs:

Under seasoning the meat. 

Not adding enough moisture, like milk or cheese.

Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.

Overbaking and drying the meatball out.

You might hear that overmixing can be bad, but in my experience with meats and sausages that require you to mix by hand to incorporate ingredients, they take time to get everything together. I’ve never had a fear of overmixing meatballs. You’ll be able to see when all of your ingredients have come together nicely and be ready to form the balls. It usually takes me about 5 minutes.

Can I mess up these meatballs?

In my unprofessional opinion, not really. It takes a lot of effort to really mess up a meatball! Messing up in my experience just means over-baking. Where they are hard and dry. Just like meatloaf, its very forgiving and it can be fun to experiment with different ingredients and amounts. If you find yourself wanting some more of one ingredient or thinking that you have another ingredient that might compliment the rest well, then do it! That’s the fun in cooking and making it your own.