Homemade Meatballs are one of those dinner basics that make everything easier, pasta night, subs, appetizers, you name it. This easy meatball recipe bakes up juicy and flavorful with simple pantry ingredients, and the oven does all the work.
What makes this recipe so reliable is the mix of eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, and seasonings that keeps the meatballs tender, not tough. Make them small for parties, bigger for dinner, and pair them with marinara, BBQ sauce, or even a sweet-and-tangy crockpot glaze.
Not only are they an easy dinner recipe, but they can also be served as an appetizer! We also like to use them as a base for Crock Pot Meatballs and Grape Jelly Meatballs.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Beyond simple! If you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty, you too can make these meatballs in just minutes.
- They’re a quick dinner idea. From start to finish, these guys can be made in 20 minutes.
- Easy to make ahead and freeze. Make several batches and freeze them so you always have meatballs ready to use in other recipes like Spaghetti, Meatball Soup, or Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
Homemade Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground beef, I use 80/20 (2 pounds): The 80/20 ratio adds enough fat to keep the meatballs juicy and flavorful while they bake. We use 80/20 ground beef. You can also try ground pork, veal, or even Italian sausage, or a combination of 2 different types.
- Eggs (2): Helps bind the mixture together so the meatballs hold their shape and stay tender.
- Milk (1 cup): Soaks into the breadcrumbs and keeps the meatballs moist instead of dry.
- Grated parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons): Adds salty, savory flavor and a little richness throughout the meatballs.
- Plain breadcrumbs (½ cup): Gives structure while keeping the texture soft and helps absorb moisture for that tender bite.
- Garlic powder (1 teaspoon): Adds easy garlic flavor that is evenly distributed through the mixture.
- Onion powder (1 teaspoon): Adds a gentle savory sweetness without needing chopped onion.
- Salt, seasoning salt or garlic salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances flavor, and using seasoned salt or garlic salt gives a little extra built-in seasoning.
- Black pepper (½ teaspoon): Adds mild heat and balances the richness of the beef.
- extra spices: Adds some heat by including chili powder, paprika, or red pepper flakes.
How to Make Easy Meatballs
MIX. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and gently mix with your hands, careful not to over-mix. Just squish it all together a few times to combine.
BAKE. Scoop and divide the meat mixture into desired-size meatballs and place on a lined baking sheet. Using a cookie scoop to make a uniform size.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size. Be sure to check for doneness.
SERVE hot or simmer and serve in your favorite marinara sauce. This makes about 50 meatballs!
Crock Pot Directions
- Briefly brown the meatballs in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.
- Place them in the crock pot along with ½ cup of beef broth and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or HIGH for 2 hours.
- If cooking in sauce, increase the time to 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Mix gently and stop as soon as everything is combined, over-mixing can make meatballs tough.
- An easy way to form uniform sizes is to use a cookie scoop and gently roll it to smooth out the shape. You can make them any size and adjust the baking time.
- If the mixture feels sticky, lightly oil your hands before rolling to keep it easy.
- We love to make a double batch and freeze some to cook later. You can even bake them directly out of the freezer!
- Check doneness with a thermometer, beef meatballs should reach 160°F in the center.
Homemade Meatball Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, I use 80/20
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, seasoning salt or garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets (baking pans will work if you don't have rimmed cookie sheets) with foil and set aside.
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl and gently mix with your hands, careful not to overmix. Just squish it all together a few times to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, divide the meat mixture into desired-size meatballs. As long as they are uniform, they can be as large or small as you like.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size. Be sure to check for doneness. Serve hot with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- For tender and flavorful meatballs, stick with fattier meats. The most popular meat choice is 80/20 ground beef.
- An easy way to form uniform sizes is to use a cookie scoop and gently roll it to smooth out the shape. You can make them any size and adjust the baking time.
- Make a double batch and freeze some to cook later; you can even bake them directly out of the freezer!
- These meatballs can be used to make saucey meatball appetizers or in a variety of dinner dishes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Form the meatballs the day before and keep them covered in the fridge until baking, or freeze them for up to 3 months. You can thaw them overnight and bake according to recipe directions, or bake straight out of the freezer at 375°F for 25-35 minutes (depending on the size).
Baked meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
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This recipe was originally published May 2017.
This is my go to recipe for meatballs. My kids love them!!!
It’s always so nice to find a recipe that is a hit with kids! We also love them because they can be eaten alone, or in a variety of sauces.
These were so good-thanks for sharing!!
Happy to share!! Thanks for trying them!
Don’t know if I should thank you or not Kristyn. My granddaughter loves these so much I make a double batch every month. We have a Food Saver so I put about 8-10 in a bag, vacuum seal it and throw in the freezer. She just snips off the top and microwaves on defrost and has a great snack or even a meal. We’ve made spaghetti and meatball subs… delicious. This recipe is perfect the way it is and I love that Krogers has the fresh Italian seasoning herbs. I’m making another batch tomorrow but wanted to drop you a note to let you know how great, and easy, these are.
Have a beautiful holiday season.
Easy and delicious. This is my go to meatball recipe and the one I recommend to others.
When these have been made can they be frozen before cooking? Also does the cooking time change
These recipes are awesome. The videos are also super. Keep bringing more and more recipes to my PC please. Thanks!
Al
Thank you!!
I used 85/15 ground chuck. I followed the recipe exactly. To much egg, to much milk. . With the level of those two liquids this really turned into a mush. I had never worked with a meatball mix like this. After you cook them and refrigerate them, squeeze them. There is no semblance of ground beef. It’s a Pâté at best. A waste of two pounds of beef.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
I totally agree. First thing I thought was “one CUP of milk?!?” Turned out to be way too mushy. I would recommend 2 eggs and a 1/4 cup of milk
Thanks for the feedback!!
In these situations, I add more meat and an egg. Problem solved, enough for another meal in the freezer!
My family loves this recipe! This is such an easy and quick recipe, you will never buy frozen meatballs again! Love it!
great easy recipe – thank you
You’re welcome!! Glad you enjoyed!
I don’t have a cookie scoop. Would a tablespoon work?
Absolutely! I’d do a heaping tablespoon.
Delicious, and my whole family loves!
Love this recipe though looking at pictures of the meat mixture mine looks like there’s too much milk. I followed the recipe exactly. But it looks as if there’s nit enough hamburger itself though I used 2 pounds
Hmmm… hopefully they still turned out alright! I’m not sure if the type of ground beef (fat percentage) may have made a difference? Fingers crossed they still worked for you!
Can you use ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Absolutely!!
Easiest recipe I have ever used, and they are absolutely delicious. Thank you
You are very welcome! Thank you for trying them & letting me know!
Simple to make and delicious.
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
This is a keeper! These meatballs were full of flavor and super easy.
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for trying them!
I made these tonight and they turned out awesome. Thank you for the great recipe. I’ll be adding this into our regular menu rotation!
Happy to hear that! Thank you for trying them!
These are so easy to make. They are my go to when my GRANDKIDS ask for “sketti”. They love to help and this is a perfect recipe to teAch.
Cute! I am so glad they love helping! Thank you for letting me know!
I have never made meet balls but this recipe seemed easy enough. Well, this recipe was extraordinary❣ Better than most meet balls I’ve ever had❣ Thank you❣
Awe, I am so glad!! Thank you for letting me know that!
tHANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS. i TRIED THEM TONIGHT AND THEY WERE GREAT – EASY TO MAKE AND DELICIOUS!
I am glad you tried them & liked them! Thank you!
My son asked for meatballs for his fourth birthday during the shelter in Place order. Not only was this a simple Recipe with things I had on hand, it turned out to be Delish!! Seriously the best meatballs I’ve ever had… And my grandma is Italian. Don’t tell Her! Lol. Will definitely make these Again!
Haha..my lips are sealed! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I am so glad he requested them!
Easy to make and they were a hit with everyone! I will definitely be making these again!
I am glad you will!! That’s why we love them, too! Thank you!
I have been looking for a good easy meatball recipe for a while. This one is it!!! easy to follow directions creates a very good meatball. they freeze beautifully. i have a few friends who want me to share this recipe, and i think that is a very high compliment. thank you so much for sharing.
That makes me so happy!! Thank you so much for sharing that!!
Easy, quick and delicious!!!
I am so glad you think so 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing that!
we love meatballs! this recipe is going in our dinner rotation!! Delicious!!
These make the perfect tasty appetizer!
Perfect weeknight dinner! Yum!
Im such a fan of any recipe that can be made ahead of time. For me it really helps in dEtermining what Im going to make. These meatballs make take a little time puttimg them together but its so worthwhile. They make plenty and very taSty!
YUM!!! These meatballs look so delicious and so easy to make!!! great dinner idea!!
Love a good meatball and this one looks to be fantastic! Thank you!
You are so welcome! I am with ya! Thank you!
I am such a sucker for meatballs, these are so easy and so good!
Haha..me too!! Thank you for sharing!
Meatballs are my favorite. This recipe is absOlutely a keeper!
I am so glad you think so! Thank you!
I honestLy Never knew meatballs were so easy to make. I now maKe a double batch and keep several servings in the freezer to use in pasta dishes or for appetizers.
These meatballs are so easy & so tasty!! We had them over pasta & my family loved them! I didn’t know I was such the meatball fan!
I have a question. In the video the recipe shows that you poured in buttermilk, yet the recipe is written using plain milk. Please advise me.
Thank you!
Nina Boyd
This recipe is from Kristin at http://www.yellowblissroad.com/. You may want to leave her a comment on her site to find out.
Looking forward to making this as a Christmas appetizer in marinara sauce!
Yum! Sure hope you like it!
A great way to make a batch of meatballs that you can use in a recipe or freeze foR later. Easy to put together and ingredients are always on hand.
This was my FIRST time making meatballs!!! Omg thIs recip is grea. It was very easy and delicious. My entire family loved it.
Thank you so much for sharing this tasty recipe
You are so welcome!! I am so glad your family liked it! Thank you!
these meatbALLs are incredibly delicious! I love adding them to spaghetti sauce & noodles. we have had them as appetizers & taste great alone, too.
Love these meatballs however live in Texas and did not want to use oven on hot weather!! So……I cast iron browned the meatballs on stove then finished cooking in spaghetti sauce, so delicious!!!!! To make recipe my own, we like spice, added a little red pepper flakes to meatballs but great recipe!
Sounds perfect!! Thank you for sharing that!!
Is there something that i can use to substitute the bread crumbs?
You can crush chips or crackers or use panko, which is similar to bread crumbs.
I just made these meatballs tonight for my husband after searching for an easy recipe that had good reviews. I was not disappointed!!! They turned out super yummy & moist. The recipe was quick, easy & I’ll be using it for years to come. Thank u for posting. I’ll be sure to check out your other recipes.
Love to hear that!! I am glad you found it! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Oh how I love meatballs! These are soooo much better than store bought meatballs. Perfect for the upcoming holiday parties. Thanks! YUM!
These are super tasty!! We had them as an appetizer & we added toothpicks, which were great for picking up & popping in your mouth.
These were so easy to make. I used half in my spaghetti sauce and put the rest in the freezer for another day. Great Recipe, Thanks!
Can these be made in a crock pot? I’m planning on making some with the bbq sauce and crushed pineapple and I feel like every time I bake meatballs in the oven they get dry.
I am sure it could 🙂 I haven’t done it, but I don’t see why not. Crock pots are great for almost everything!
This looks great! I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering can I substitute ground beef for ground pork? Please let me know. Thanks.
I am sure you can 🙂 I haven’t with this specific recipe, but I bet it would taste great!
These are great! I replaced the black pepper with 1/4 tsp ground Carolina Reaper pepper to make spicy meatballs. It was about 2x as spicy as I wanted (Reaper has the BEST pepper flavor – if you don’t use too much). But they work great when combined with the right dishes to tame some of the fire.
I’ll have to try! Thanks so much for stopping by!
It came out well. Great basic recipe.
Yay!! Thank you so much!
I only had 1 pound of hamburger but, I also had a pound of Italian sausage. So, that’s what I used, half hamburger and half Italian sausage. They turned out really good. Great recipe!!!
That’d be great!! I love Italian sausage! Thank you for sharing!!
These look amazing!! I love a good meatball. I love adding onion pulp too. Makes them so moist and delicious. Awesome recipe!!
Thanks so much for checking them out!! Let me know what you think!
You just can’t beat a good homemade meatball! 🙂 I usually make a smaller batch in my slow cooker, but I love that you can bake up a big batch of these and freeze some for later.
Love that they are made in the oven! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Love meatballs. Your recipe looks super easy and delicious.
I’ve never made meatballs like this before but I love the idea of baking them on a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up. They look delicious!
I love making meatballs! I haven’t baked mine before though, I’ll have to give that a try next time. And that soup looks amazing!!
YES! Definitely give it a try. They are so good!
These are great! Many people are afraid, but like you said, as long as you do not over-mix the meat, you are good 🙂 I also used to fry mine in a pan, but prefer the baking method now.
I haven’t tried frying them, believe it or not! I’ll have to try that (fried food = yum!)
I love love LOVE this recipe! Thanks for sharing x
mypastel-world.blogspot.com
Aaw, meatballs. I just love them to the core. Looks so delicious and mouth watering. Thank you so much Kristin for these precious recipe.
I am sorry. This recipe is from a contributor, but the milk helps adds moisture to the meat.