Italian Baked Meatballs (2024)

If you've never baked meatballs before, you're in luck! This easy baked meatball recipe is quick, mess-free, and full of Italian flavor.

How to Bake Meatballs In the Oven

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Baked Meatballs Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe for baked meatballs:

· Bread crumbs: Buy Italian-seasoned bread crumbs at the store or make your own at home.
· Cheese: This recipe calls for Romano cheese, but you can use Parmesan if what you have on hand.
· Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a welcome pop of color and flavor.
· Seasonings: These baked meatballs are seasoned with salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
· Eggs: Whole eggs lend moisture and help bind the meatballs together so they don't fall apart.
· Beef: This classic recipe calls for ground beef, but you can use ground turkey if you'd rather.

How to Bake Meatballs

Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade baked meatballs:

1. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and seasonings together.
2. Stir in the water and eggs, then add the ground beef.
3. Form the mixture into balls and place them on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs until cooked through and evenly browned.

Tip: If serving in sauce, add baked meatballs 20 minutes before serving time.

How Long to Bake Meatballs?

In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, these meatballs should be fully cooked through and evenly browned in about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatball should read at least 165 degrees F.

How to Store Baked Meatballs

Store your leftover baked meatballs in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can You Freeze Baked Meatballs?

Yes! These baked meatballs freeze well. Flash freeze the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet for a few hours or up to overnight, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months.

If you like, you can also freeze the meatballs before cooking. Cook them from-frozen on the stove whenever you want to whip up a quick dish.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I love the nice crispy brown bottom of these and won't fry meatballs again," according to ljonesma. "Everyone loved them!"

"Absolutely delicious," says Deborah Terrill. "I didn't have pre-seasoned bread crumbs so I used what I had in my pantry to season them. A nice flexible recipe as far as seasonings go. I love that they bake in the oven for 30 minutes — time to prepare everything else while they cook."

"Great flavor," says Rebecca Bosch. "These are excellent and so easy to make. This recipe will be my go to for meatballs."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

• 1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

• ¼ cup grated Romano cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ cup water

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a large bowl; stir in water and eggs. Add ground beef and mix until well combined. Form mixture into balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven cooked through and evenly browned, about 30 minutes.

   

Nutrition Facts (per serving)