How to Make the BEST Meatballs

This simple meatball recipe is so flavorful and easy to make since the meatballs simmer right in the homemade tomato sauce.

I can’t think of Italian meatballs without conjuring images of red and white checkered-clad tables and drippy candles, with accordion music playing (a la Lady and the Tramp). This meatball recipe is the epitome of what I imagine when I think of the ultimate Italian meatballs in red sauce. It comes from blogger friend and author, Andie Mitchell, and is in her book Eating In the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook. This meatball recipe with tomato sauce is full of amazing flavor, and best of all, the meatballs are low-maintenance. There’s no frying or baking—the meatballs cook directly in the simmering sauce! They’re perfectly tender, too. I love serving these up with my favorite garlic bread, Caesar salad, or this simple Italian salad for the perfect, quintessential Italian-American dinner.

Why You’ll Love It

• This meatball recipe is so easy to make, and healthier too, since there’s no frying involved
• You can serve these meatballs with pasta like I did to make a meal or serve them plain as an appetizer
• This meatball recipe freezes beautifully (you just freeze the meatballs right in the sauce)—easy peasy

See more: Click here to check out more meatball recipes

What’s in the BEST Meatball Recipe

The best beef meatball recipe has two main parts: The Italian meatballs themselves and the addicting meatball sauce they’re cooked in. The meatball recipe comes from Andie’s stepfather, Paul Joseph, who Andie nicknamed PJ. He included an unusual ingredient addition to classic Italian meatballs: dried mint (don’t be afraid, I swear it’s a game-changer).

Here’s what you’ll need for the sauce:

• Extra virgin olive oil—for sautéeing the onion
• Onion—a small yellow onion works great
• Garlic—for seasoning the sauce
• Crushed tomatoes—for the perfect texture
• Tomato paste—lends depth and complexity to the tomato sauce
• Sugar—this isn’t noticeable, it just helps balance out the flavors in the sauce
• Dried mint—lends a unique herbaceous flavor to our tomato sauce
• Dried oregano—this spice really imparts a nice Italian flavor to the sauce
• Kosher salt—always, for flavor
• Parsley—for serving (optional), and you could also use basil if you wanted

And here’s what you’ll need for the meatballs:

• Ground beef—I recommend a fat-to-leanness ratio of 80/20. You could use ground turkey instead of beef, just be sure to use a grind of meat that has a bit of fat in it or the Italian meatballs will be really dry no matter what you do. Also, be sure not to overcook them or they will be dry. You could also try a mix of ground beef and ground pork if you wanted.
• Egg—helps bind the meatballs together and lends moisture
• Italian breadcrumbs—these also serve as a binder (and the Italian variety has more flavor since there are dried herbs). Panko breadcrumbs would also work fine if you’re in a pinch.
• Dried mint—lends a unique herbaceous flavor to the meatballs that really makes them special!
• Dried oregano—for more herby flavor
• Pasta—I suggest rigatoni, or another fat, wide, tubular-shaped noodle

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Tomato Sauce

Cooking meatballs in sauce couldn’t be simpler. Here’s how:

• Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook to deepen the color for more flavor. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer and build the flavor. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn and the flavors develop.

How to Make the Meatball Recipe

• Break the beef apart in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Gently mix with your hands until blended. Don’t overwork the beef or the meatballs will be tough.
• Shape the meatballs. Form the meat mixture into about 12 1 ½-inch meatballs.
• Simmer the meatballs in the tomato sauce. Drop them into the sauce and stir gently to cover in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cook your pasta. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
• Serve it all up. Remove the meatballs from the sauce and add the pasta. Gently stir to coat the pasta then add the meatballs back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Storage

These homemade meatballs in tomato sauce will keep stored in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. The meatballs can be frozen in their sauce (I don’t recommend freezing them with the pasta) for 2-3 months.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t sleep on the mint. Similar to flavors of Middle Eastern-style meatballs, I love the minty flavor and next time will likely add just a bit more, rounding up to 2 teaspoons or even 2 ½ on the next go around, just because I liked it that much.
• Sweeten the sauce to taste. Andie also notes the tomato sauce is sweeter than most, and it is. The sweetness comes from a whole can of tomato paste, plus a dose of extra sugar. Personally, I loved the sweetness of the sauce, it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes. My husband thought it could use a touch less. This is a spot to taste for yourself and use your own judgment.
• Don’t use just any noodle shape. Not all pasta shapes are created equal. Like Andie, I used a short tube pasta. Tube pasta holds the sauce and makes it easy to get a forkful of noodles with each bite of meatball. If you wanted to serve this with spaghetti or fettuccine, you could, but I highly recommend rigatoni or ziti.

FAQ

• Is it better to bake or fry meatballs? I have several recipes where I bake meatballs, but in Andie’s recipe, they actually aren’t baked or fried—they simmer directly in the sauce.
• What is the secret of a tender meatball? First of all, you need a binding ingredient and an ingredient that will help keep the meatballs moist. In this case, the egg doubles as both, and the breadcrumbs work as an additional binder. You also need to have a certain amount of fat in the meatballs so they have sufficient flavor and moisture, which is why we’re using ground chuck (80/20 is an ideal fat and leanness ratio). Finally, you want to take care not to overcook the meatballs.
• Can I freeze meatballs in sauce? Yes! Let these delicious meatballs in the sauce cool completely, then seal them in freezer-safe bags or containers. Freeze just the meatballs in their sauce, then reheat from frozen and stir in freshly cooked pasta.

What to Serve With the BEST Meatball Recipe

• Italian Salad
• Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
• The BEST Garlic Bread
• Italian Chopped Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
• THE BEST Roasted Asparagus Recipe

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 27 votes

The BEST Meatball Recipe

This simple meatball recipe is so flavorful and easy to make since the meatballs simmer right in the homemade tomato sauce.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword meatballs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 903kcal

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion , finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
• 4 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
• 1 28- ounce can crushed or puréed tomatoes
• 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chuck beef
• 1 large egg , lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried mint
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces tube pasta , (such as penne or ziti)
• Parmesan cheese , for serving
• Chopped parsley , for garnish

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the sauce:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook to deepen the color for more flavor.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn and the flavors develop.

For the meatballs:

• Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. Break the beef apart in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Gently mix with your hands until blended. Don't overwork the beef or the meatballs will be tough.
• Shape the mixture into about 12 1 ½-inch meatballs. Drop them into the sauce and stir gently to cover in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
• Remove the meatballs from the sauce and add the pasta. Gently stir to coat the pasta then add the meatballs back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Reprinted with permission, Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 903kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1188mg | Potassium: 1720mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1342IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 9mg

More Easy Italian Recipes to Master

• Easy Chicken Piccata
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta
• Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Whole Wheat Pasta
• Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni
• Homemade Chicken Parmesan
• Mom’s Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

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