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The BEST Authentic Italian Meatballs (with sauce recipe!)

Apr 15, 2021 · 43 Comments

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These authentic Italian meatballs are so juicy and flavorful, smothered in a rich and delicious homemade pasta sauce. This is a recipe passed down from my Italian grandmother with a few tweaks here and there to make it EVEN better! This is truly the only recipe you’ll EVER need for both meatballs and sauce! Trust me.

Meatballs in sauce on a bed of spaghetti.

There is TRULY nothing better than juicy, fork-tender, flavorful meatballs smothered in a delicious sauce with your favorite macaroni on a Sunday evening! Or any night of the week, really, but I typically make this recipe on Sundays for my family for a special treat! This will be your new favorite Sunday sauce recipe.

Do you call it gravy or sauce? I honestly call it both depending on the situation or who I’m talking to, but I gravitate more towards gravy because that’s what my family has always called it. It’s pretty much engraved in my brain to be called gravy. Gravy or sauce, who cares. It’s a DELICIOUS gravy-sauce recipe. Hehe.

Meatball half bitten to reveal tender inside on a fork.

Why this is the best authentic Italian meatballs with sauce recipe:

  • The meatballs come out SO soft and SO tender. There’s nothing worse than fighting to cut through a meatball with your fork. You want them to be soft so that your fork just pushes right through!
  • The best tip I have is to cook them until ALMOST cooked through. You want them to still be a little pink in the center when done because they will finish cooking in the sauce and be ultra tender!
  • My meatballs have a combination of beef, pork and veal to ENSURE optimal tenderness! You can buy a 1 lb of all three or you can cheat and buy 3 lb of meatball mix from your local grocery store. I sometimes do this!
  • Both the meatballs and sauce are anything but bland! I have been perfecting these recipes for so long that I KNOW you are going to love it as-is. With all recipes though, play around with the amount of seasoning to suit your personal taste and use my seasoning choices as a guide to make YOUR perfect recipe. I guarantee you won’t change a thing, though!
    • In my sauce, I always like to add a mixture of hot and sweet sausage for even more flavor! This is optional, but really adds another layer of flavor that we love and are delicious to eat alongside the meatballs.

Italian Meatball Ingredients

  • Ground beef: Don’t go any higher than 80-85% lean. You want a little bit of fat to keep the meatballs juicy and tender.
  • Ground pork: Provides the fattiness needed for the most tender and juicy meatballs.
  • Ground veal: Adds delicious flavor and an almost creamy texture to the meatballs. Sometimes ground veal is hard to find so you may also use a mixture of just beef and pork with great results. I recommend just buying meatloaf/meatball mix from the store, though, if you can’t find ground veal! Same delicious results.
  • Egg yolks: I only use egg yolks in my recipe to produce ultimate richness and taste. Using whole eggs can make the meatballs rubbery and the whites really have no benefit to the meatballs.
  • Salt and pepper: For flavor. I make sure my meatballs are seasoned very well. You can tweak these measurements to your liking.
  • Garlic Powder: Using garlic powder over minced fresh garlic is just a personal preference of mine. You can absolutely substitute fresh garlic if you’d like. I just don’t like the pieces of garlic in my meatballs but maybe you do!
  • Basil: Lotssssa basil for flavor.
  • Parsley: Lotssssa parsley for flavor.
  • Italian seasoned breadcrumbs: I like using these for… you guessed it, extra flavor!
  • Whole milk: I recommend using whole milk for richness but you can also use 2%.

Meatball Recipe tips:

  • If for some reason you cannot find one of the ground meats, you can buy meatloaf mix at the store, which is a mixture of the three. I sometimes do this in a pinch and they come out just the same. Sometimes ground veal is hard to find so you may also use a mixture of just beef and pork with great results.
  • Be sure not to over-work the meatball mixture! This can make the meatballs tough.
  • To ensure tender and SOFT meatballs, you cant your meatball mixture to have almost a wet texture. If the mixture feels too dry, add a tablespoon more of milk at a time to make sure it is wet enough.
  • I like to use a cookie scoop, to portion out my meatballs. I’ll typically use 1 1/2 scoops from my cookie scoop. You can also use an ice cream scoop, to make large meatballs. Make them whatever size you want! Just be sure they are all close to equal in size so they cook evenly.
  • Be sure to flip the meatballs as soon as you see the bottoms browning so they don’t burn. If they do brown more than desired, don’t freak out too much because they should be fine and will soften up a lot while simmering in the sauce after.
  • Lightly grease your hands while forming meatballs to make it easier.

How to make the best meatballs

  1. Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Mix until very well incorporated. Add more milk as needed. You want the mixture to be wet and pliable to ensure you will have soft and tender meatballs.
  3. Roll into 1-2″ balls and place on prepared baking sheet. For ease, lightly grease your hands with cooking oil to roll them.
  4. Bake at 400˚ F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway to ensure all sides brown evenly. If making sauce, add meatballs to sauce immediately out of the oven.

Homemade Sauce Ingredients

  • Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for browning the meats and onions for the best tasting results.
  • Onion: For flavor.
  • Garlic: Minced fresh garlic is best. You can never have enough garlic!
  • Basil, parsley, oregano: Spices that give this sauce so much flavor.. Play around with the measurements, if you’d like.
  • Salt & pepper: For flavor. Use your personal taste to gauge how much you want to use. I think the measurements I have provided are just the right amount.
  • Sugar: I use a small amount of granulated sugar in my sauce recipe to counteract the acidity from the tomatoes. It makes such a huge difference, don’t skip it!
  • Crushed tomatoes: I think the texture and flavor of crushed tomatoes gives the best of both worlds. It’s chunky and smooth at the same time! Brand also matters here! Tuttorosso is my absolute favorite and the only brand I will buy!
  • Additional meats to add into sauce:
    • Sausage: Hot or sweet sausage are both great options. I always use a mixture of both. I never, ever skip the sausage! It lends SO much flavor to the sauce that otherwise wouldn’t be there without it. If you think your sauce recipe is missing that “something”, I bet it’s this.
    • Pork: Bone-in pork chops are my favorite to use. Discard bones before serving.
    • Beef short ribs: Another delicious option. Be sure to discard bones before serving.

Bake or fry meatballs?

You can prepare them either way! I actually prefer to fry my meatballs (mostly because I love eating the browned meatballs plain while I cook! Ha) but most of the time I’m pressed for time and they come out just as tender and delicious with WAY less effort by popping them on a rimmed baking sheet and baking them so that is what I do 99% of the time. Plus, this recipe makes a ton of meatballs so you’d be frying them forever!

  • If you want to fry, just fill a heavy skillet with a small layer of olive oil and fry each side until golden brown. Pop them into the simmering sauce to cook all the way through for 45 mins-2 hours.
Baked meatballs on pan.

Freezing & Reheating Instructions

  • To freeze raw: Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet. Put the pan in the freezer to flash freeze. Once frozen, remove from baking sheet and put meatballs in a large resealable freezer bag. They will keep for up to 3 months. To thaw: Remove from freezer and place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator over night. Bake as directed in the recipe instructions next day.
  • To freeze cooked: Prep and cook meatballs. Store in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the sauce with the meatballs! Dump the meatballs and sauce in a large resealable bag and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw: Thaw in refrigerator over night and dump mixture into a large pot to heat up next day.

What to do with leftover meatballs

  • Just reheat in the microwave or on the stove and eat the meal again for up to 3 days!
  • Make meatball subs: These meatballs make the absolute best meatball subs!
    • To prepare: Line your sub roll with meatballs and top with a good amount of mozzarella and/or provolone cheese. The trick is to make sure the cheese is surrounding the meatballs, not just sprinkled on top. Broil them in the oven for a few minutes and serve.
  • Meatball parm: Grease a casserole dish and fill it up with leftover meatballs. Top with sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake @ 375 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melty and bubbly. Serve over pasta or however you’d like.
Meatballs on a bed of spaghetti with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

What can I add to my sauce to make it heartier and more flavorful?

  • Sausage: you can use hot or sweet sausage or a mixture of both. Cut them up and brown them in the beginning with the onion. They will cook through in the sauce.
  • Pork: You can really use any kind of pork you want. Sometimes I have pork chops I have to use up and I’ll throw them in my sauce Sear them at the same step mentioned above and cook until fall-apart tender in the sauce. Just be sure to remove bones before serving!
  • Beef short ribs: Sear them, same as above, and cook through in the sauce.

If you make this recipe, I’d LOVE to know what you think below! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment. Also, please don’t forget to share a photo of your delicious finished recipe on Instagram or Facebook and give me a tag so I can see!

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  • My Favorite Fail-Proof Pizza Dough
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Meatballs in sauce on a bed of spaghetti.

The BEST Authentic Italian Meatballs (with sauce recipe!)

These authentic italian meatballs are so juicy and flavorful, smothered in a rich and delicious homemade marinara sauce. This is a recipe passed down from my Italian grandmother with a few tweaks here and there to make it EVEN better! This is truly the only recipe you'll EVER need for both meatballs and sauce! Trust me.
5 from 14 votes
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 40 2″ meatballs

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef 80-85% lean
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tsp salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
  • 3 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 3 tsp parsley
  • 1 cup pecorino romano cheese finely grated
  • 1 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup whole milk divided

Sauce

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 2 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar or to taste
  • (4) 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 lb hot and/or sweet sausage optional
  • 2-4 pieces boneless pork* optional

Instructions
 

For the sauce

  • In a very large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent. If you are using sausage and/or pork in your sauce, you will also brown these at this point with the onion. Stir in minced garlic, cooking just until fragrant.
  • Turn heat down to medium-low and add all 4 cans of crushed tomatoes, stirring well. Stir in all spices. Allow mixture to become very hot, but not boiling.
  • Turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes-2 hours. The longer you simmer the better the flavor, but you need at least a minimum or 45 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to ensure the bottom of the sauce will not stick and burn.

For the meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease well with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add ground meats, egg yolks, grated cheese and all spices.
  • In a separate bowl, stir breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup milk. Add to meat mixture along with the second 1/2 cup of milk and mix until evenly distributed and fully incorporated. Add more milk as needed to create a wet and soft texture. You do not want the mixture to be sopping wet, but wet enough to create soft and tender meatballs.
  • Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, portion out 1-2 tbs of meat and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through to brown both sides. Turn oven to broil and broil for 3-5 minutes, if needed. If you are finishing them off in the sauce, you just want to sear the outside. They do not need to be fully cooked in the center. If you are serving them without sauce, cook them a little longer so they are cooked all the way through!
  • FOR FRYING: Portion out meatballs as directed above and fry in a thin layer of olive oil on both sides until browned evenly. Again, you don't want to fully cook them in the center if you are finishing them off in the sauce. If you are serving them without sauce, be sure to cook them all the way through!
  • Add meatballs to simmering sauce and simmer for 45 minutes – 2 hours, until soft, fork-tender, and cooked through. Internal temperature of meatballs should read 160˚F. Be sure to stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pot, so the bottom of the sauce does not burn.

Notes

  1. To freeze raw: Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet. Put the pan in the freezer to flash freeze. Once frozen, remove from baking sheet and put meatballs in a large resealable freezer bag. They will keep for up to 3 months. To thaw: Remove from freezer and place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator over night. Bake as directed in the recipe instructions next day.
  2. To freeze cooked: Prep and cook meatballs. Store in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the sauce with the meatballs! Dump the meatballs and sauce in a large resealable bag and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw: Thaw in refrigerator over night and dump mixture into a large pot to heat up next day.
  3. Pork cuts: I like to either use boneless pork chops or country style pork ribs in my sauce. 
 

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Comments

  1. Melyssa Braman says

    October 2, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    I’m assuming you add the cheese with the breadcrumbs? I don’t see it in the directions

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      October 6, 2021 at 7:00 am

      The grated cheese is added in step 2 with the other ingredients, just before the breadcrumb/milk mixture. I apologize! The recipe is updated to reflect the change.

      Reply
  2. BETTY WALK says

    October 9, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    How many meatballs does this make? How many meatballs per serving?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      October 26, 2021 at 10:43 am

      This recipe makes about 40 2″ meatballs.

      Reply
  3. Peter S says

    October 16, 2021 at 10:23 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe sounds great.
    Meatballs are not Italian, but Italian-American.

    Reply
  4. Marlon izzo says

    October 18, 2021 at 7:19 am

    Unfortunately..I don’t agree with cooking the meatballs before putting them into the sauce
    Also making spaghetti sauce takes much longer than your 45 minute recipe..mine simmers for at least two days before I even would want to serve it to friends and or family
    I got my recipe from my mother who got it from her mother in law many years ago and she was from Italy
    I’ve handed down this recipe to both of my two sons
    Thanks for reading my rant.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      October 26, 2021 at 10:41 am

      At the 45 minute mark you do still get a very delicious sauce BUT I do mention and recommend in the recipe that the longer it simmers the better. I’m sure your sauce is delicious simmering for 2 days but unfortunately not everybody has that much time to make a spaghetti sauce. I try to aim to make my recipes approachable for everyone and that just isn’t realistic for everyone. I can imagine how tasty yours must be though!

      Reply
      • Actually Made It says

        December 21, 2022 at 2:51 pm

        Best meatballs and sauce I’ve ever had. I typically stay away from anything with marinara. This recipe is easy, practical, and 🔥 (have made 4 times now in 2 months)

        Reply
    • Don’t have time to cook sauce 2 days says

      January 12, 2022 at 2:09 am

      Wow. What a comment. I wonder why it is you ended up here at this recipe if yours is so amazing? Just to tell us you cook your sauce for 2 days?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 7, 2022 at 8:40 am

        ❤️

        Reply
    • GIOLITTI says

      September 12, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      I think it’s not a matter of agreement more so then American recipes and how they very from home to home, Same thing in Italian, Indian, German, polish home cooking as well, however; Fresh tomatoes and whole tomatoes will take longer. 3 days isn’t necessary, it is definitely a preference-choice, just like serving some soups stews are better the next day, after they sit. These are the things that make family recipes so special.

      Reply
  5. Joe Conlon says

    October 25, 2021 at 3:16 am

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday and it’s the best I’ve ever made. Well done.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      October 26, 2021 at 10:33 am

      Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Joe!

      Reply
  6. Nicole H says

    November 19, 2021 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    Making for tonight ( meatball subs). Yum. Thanks

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 4, 2022 at 11:24 am

      These make the bessssst meatball subs!

      Reply
  7. Mark Schmitz says

    November 20, 2021 at 11:35 am

    5 stars
    I don’t want to make such a big batch of sauce. Do you have a breakdown of 12 meatballs for 2 people ?

    Reply
  8. Gabriella Cæsarsen says

    November 20, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good. I mean really really good.
    The only change was adding a big spoon Rondele cheese (I always do when I cook tomato sauce).
    Thanks for sharing, it’s a keeper.

    Reply
  9. Melyssa Braman says

    December 12, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    For the meatballs, are you using dried basil and parsley, or fresh?
    I made this before and it was superb, but I honestly can’t remember what I used lol
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 4, 2022 at 11:16 am

      I use all dried herbs in this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Liz says

    December 22, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! I made the meatballs for Christmas and I just had to taste test. OMG! I will never make meatballs any other way again!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 4, 2022 at 11:13 am

      Yay! So happy they were enjoyed, I made them for Christmas also! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Hilary Manion says

    February 4, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    These have to be the best meatballs and sauce I have ever had or made. I served them to guests and they said the meal was better than the popular Italian restaurant in our city. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It is one of my favorite and a total KEEPER! I love that it makes so many meat balls that I can make several meals out of it even after having guests.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 7, 2022 at 8:38 am

      Love this! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
  12. Tim says

    February 5, 2022 at 4:30 am

    For your best Italian meatball and sauce recipe. Are the measurements all dried bottle herbs snd seasoning or are there any fresh. And how much fresh sausage do you recommend in addition to the already cooked meatballs. I can get bulk or in casings, like a pound ?,,,
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 7, 2022 at 8:38 am

      I use all dried herbs in my recipe. I would recommend about 1-2 lbs it all depends on how many people you are feeding honestly – the sausage adds SO much flavor to the sauce!

      Reply
  13. Laura H. says

    March 1, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars
    I used this recipe for the first time I ever made meatballs, and I am so glad I did!!!!
    The recipe was easy to follow and make, didn’t require an excessive amount of time, and the TASTE was – WOW! I made it for family and everyone overate because it was all so scrumptious.
    I didn’t have Italian breadcrumbs and used Panko, and I used fresh herbs. It’s so good I already convinced my aunt to try making it for church. Thank you – sincerely – for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  14. Melanie says

    March 29, 2022 at 10:02 am

    This sounds wonderful. In the event I cannot find ground veal, can I substitute with more ground beef or ground pork?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 7, 2022 at 8:35 am

      Yes! I would just substitute either 1/2 lb ground beef + 1/2 lb pork OR just 1 lb ground beef for the veal if you cannot find it. I don’t think you can really go wrong!

      Reply
  15. Patricia says

    May 13, 2022 at 6:37 pm

    5 stars
    My 15 years old son is in LOVE! Thanks for sharing, it’s totally a BIG KEEPER!

    Reply
  16. Sandy B says

    June 20, 2022 at 11:01 am

    THANK YOU 🥰
    IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

    Reply
  17. J.D. says

    July 3, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    Jess, please forgive my ignorance but is sauce simmered covered or uncovered? .

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 14, 2022 at 9:20 am

      I like to simmer mine uncovered. 🙂

      Reply
  18. Linny says

    August 2, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic!!!

    Reply
  19. Laura says

    September 5, 2022 at 11:09 am

    Do you still bake the meatballs for 20 minutes if you are planning to put them in the sauce? This part is confusing to me.

    I also added a couple of bay leafs to the simmering sauce. We will see how it works out 🫣.

    Reply
  20. ILZE says

    January 3, 2023 at 3:05 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe, thank you! I used 2 lbs ground beef (93%/7%), 1/2c raw oatmeal instead of bread and it came out without any problem. Lovely and flavorful, just enough spices and everything you need in a good meatball. This will be my new go-to recipe!

    Reply
  21. Katherine A Dietz says

    January 10, 2023 at 3:23 pm

    I don’t care for Romano cheese can I use grated Parmesan instead?
    Thanks
    Katherine

    Reply
  22. Katherine A Dietz says

    January 10, 2023 at 3:25 pm

    Can I make the panade out of water instead of milk?
    Thanks
    Katherine

    Reply
  23. Katherine A Dietz says

    January 10, 2023 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    Can i use water instead of milk and how long should I soak the bread crumbs for?
    Or could I make the panade out of italian bread and break it into pieces then soak?
    Thanks
    Katherine

    Reply
  24. Mayzee says

    January 10, 2023 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    I googled “Authentic Italian Meatballs”. This sounds so Tasty.
    Regarding the Meats for the “Sauce”. How much “Sausage” should I
    use? Do I cut the “Links” in pieces? Re the “Pork Chops” … how much?
    Re the “Ribs” … how many?
    Thanx-o-x, in advance.

    Reply

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