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These easy homemade meatballs are tender, juicy, and ready in just 30 minutes. Baked in the oven with simple pantry ingredients, they’re perfect for spaghetti night, sliders, soup, and so much more. Make a double batch and freeze them for quick dinners all month long.
These are the meatballs I come back to again and again. If you want something a little different, try my Spicy Honey Garlic Meatballs, Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs, or Cranberry Meatballs.
3 Tips That Make or Break This Meatball Recipe
- Mix with your hands, not a spoon. Your hands have a much lighter touch, which keeps the texture tender instead of dense. Mix just until everything is combined.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size. Uniform meatballs cook evenly, so you won’t end up with some overcooked while others are still underdone. A medium cookie scoop makes this easy and fast.
- Check the internal temperature. Meatballs are done when they reach 165°F inside. Baking time can vary based on size, so use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying on time alone.
Find all of my easy ground beef recipes in one place: 27 Simple Ground Beef Recipes!
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make Easy Homemade Meatballs
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Here’s everything you need to know to bake a perfect batch. The recipe comes together quickly, but a few details make a real difference.
Step 1: Prep the Pans
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and set aside. The foil makes cleanup much easier and keeps the meatballs from sticking.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
Combine the ground beef, eggs, milk, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Don’t overwork it. A few squishes is all you need.
The parmesan is optional. It adds a nice savory depth when serving the meatballs with Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara Sauce. Skip it if you’re using the meatballs in a sweeter sauce like my Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
The raw mixture will feel a little loose. That’s completely normal. It firms up as it bakes and the meatballs will hold their shape.
Step 3: Shape the Meatballs
Use a cookie scoop or your hands to portion the meat into even-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
Keep them close together but not touching. They need a little airflow around them to cook evenly.
Size guide:
- Small (1-inch): 8-10 minutes, great for soups and appetizers
- Medium (1.5-inch): 10-12 minutes, the standard
- Large (2-inch): 12-14 minutes, hearty and satisfying over pasta
Step 4: Bake Until Done
Bake at 450°F for 10-14 minutes depending on size.
Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. You’re looking for 165°F. For more guidance on beef temperatures, see my Beef Temperature Chart.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce.
Ways to Serve Them
These meatballs work in so many different meals. Here are some of my favorites:
- Spaghetti night. Toss them with my One Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs for an easy weeknight dinner where everything cooks in a single skillet.
- Comfort food. My Meatballs and Gravy simmers them in a rich, creamy gravy and serves them over mashed potatoes. Total crowd-pleaser.
- Soup. Make a smaller batch and add mini meatballs to my Albondigas Soup for a hearty, flavorful bowl.
- Sliders and subs. Stuff them into a roll with marinara and melted mozzarella. My Meatball Sliders are always a hit at game day or casual dinners.
Storage Tips
Storage, Make Ahead, and Freezing
Meatballs are one of the best things you can make ahead of time, and I always make a double batch.
Refrigerator: Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in your favorite sauce on the stovetop over medium heat, or microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Freezer (cooked): Let the meatballs cool completely, then scrape off any fat from the bottom. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Add frozen meatballs directly to a simmering sauce with no thawing needed.
Freezer (raw): Portion and shape the meatballs, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a bag. Store up to 6 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to bake or fry homemade meatballs?
Baking is the more practical choice for most home cooks. It’s hands-off, requires no extra oil, and you can cook a large batch all at once on two sheet pans. If you want a crispier exterior, place the meatballs under the broiler for 2-3 minutes after baking. You’ll get that golden, slightly caramelized outside without any added fat.
How do you keep homemade meatballs from falling apart?
The binder is the key. That’s the egg and breadcrumbs in this recipe. They work together to hold the meat together as it bakes. Overmixing is the other common culprit: when the mixture gets worked too hard, the proteins tighten up and the meatballs fall apart or become dense. Mix with your hands and stop as soon as everything is combined.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Yes. Swap the ground beef for the same amount of lean ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork and bake as directed. You could also use a 50/50 blend of beef and pork for a richer, more Italian-style meatball. For a turkey-specific version, my Homemade Turkey Meatballs has a few extra tweaks worth checking out.
Do you need an egg to make meatballs?
The egg is part of what binds the meat and keeps the meatballs moist. If you need to skip it, plain yogurt or ricotta cheese can substitute in roughly the same amount. The texture will be slightly different but the meatballs will still hold together.
Can meatballs be pink inside?
A little pink near the center can be normal depending on the ingredients. Parmesan, milk, and certain seasonings can affect the color even when the meat is fully cooked. The only reliable way to check doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, they’re safe to eat regardless of color.
Are meatballs supposed to be soft?
Yes. A well-made meatball should be tender and give a little when you bite into it. If yours are coming out tough or rubbery, overmixing is usually the reason. Mix the ingredients gently with your hands and stop as soon as everything is combined.
More Meatball Recipes to Try
- Easy Homemade Parmesan Meatballs
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
- Crockpot Meatballs
- Chicken Meatballs
Easy Homemade Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 85/15
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese optional
- 1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and set aside.
- Combine the ground beef, eggs, milk, parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a cookie scoop or your hands to divide the mixture into even-sized balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets close together but not touching.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, depending on size, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve hot with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- Don’t overmix. Use your hands and mix just until combined. Overworking the meat makes meatballs tough and dense.
- Use a cookie scoop. It keeps the meatballs uniform so they bake evenly. A medium scoop makes standard 1.5-inch meatballs.
- Parmesan is optional. Great for Italian-style meatballs with marinara or spaghetti sauce. Skip it if you’re using the meatballs in a sweeter or Asian-inspired sauce.
- Size and bake time. Small (1-inch): 8–10 minutes. Medium (1.5-inch): 10–12 minutes. Large (2-inch): 12–14 minutes. Always verify with a thermometer.
- The mixture will feel loose. That’s normal. It firms up as it bakes.
- Refrigerator storage. Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in sauce on the stovetop or microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Freezer (cooked). Cool completely, scrape the bottoms, and flash freeze on a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag and store up to 6 months. Add frozen meatballs directly to simmering sauce.
- Freezer (raw). Freeze shaped meatballs in a single layer, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 30-40 minutes until internal temp reaches 165°F.
- Meat swaps. Substitute the ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or pork. A 50/50 beef and pork blend is great for a richer Italian-style flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Found this recipe several months ago. The meatballs turn out delicious every time. After baking them we let them simmer in spaghetti sauce for about an hour and use them for meatball subs. Couple weeks ago my son suggested we try some with spaghetti. Again they were absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for this easy recipe! P.S. We add about a tsp. of Italian seasoning to the mixture. Add a great flavor.
Fantastic feedback Judith! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us.
Love all your SLIDER RECIPES, tasty, loved that in many instances you supplied homemade suggestions instead of canned or processed items. They were all fairly easy to make without sacrificing yummy flavor. Made for nice weekday sliders, the variety was nice. Also tried most of your fruit fluff recipes, those were nice, again the variety was great. Thanks so much for sharing.
You are so welcome Boo! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by to share.
AMAZING!! Simple recipe and I followed it exactly. Happy family!
Thank you Nell! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
This delicious recipe, which I made exactly as written, is very similar to the one I’ve been making for decades. I can’t even remember when I started using grated Parm in my recipe, but it wasn’t there the 1st time I made it in the 1950s. With 2 eggs and a whole cup of milk, this makes a very loose recipe. The proportions I use include less milk, twice as much parm, slightly more breadcrumbs (Panko for me). When I make them, I do a really big batch, usually 3 lbs of meat, freeze them on sheet pans and then pour into plastic bags to keep–and they never last longer than a month or two. I can pour out just what I need when I need them. Although a mix of beef and pork was my go-to for years, I’ve been enjoying them made with ground chicken recently. The sauce I grew up using in the 1950s was grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce. I’ve also used my homemade pepper jelly from time to time. The main fun with a recipe like this is to use it as a springboard and vary it to please your own tastes and those of your family. Thanks, Kristin, this is a fast, easy and delicious recipe
You are so welcome janmaus! Fantastic feedback! Thanks for stopping by.
Are these meatballs baked at 400 or 450? In your explanation it says 400 but the recipe itself says 450. 450 seems hot to me but maybe it’s to get them browned nicely. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
There was a typo in the post. You cook them in a 450℉ oven. Thanks for letting me know, and I hope you come back and share your review!
These were outstanding! I stopped making meatballs years ago because mine were always hard and tasteless. So I’ve been buying frozen meatballs for over 25 years. I was visiting my daughter in Brooklyn and making meatball subs for dinner, and frozen wasn’t available in her grocery store, only pre-made ones from the deli department at $7.99/lb! So I bought ground beef and decided to try again. I found this recipe and made a few changes: increased the Parmesan to 1/2 C, also increased the breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned) to 1 C. I like that they’re baked vs. fried. My daughter and son-in-law loved them, we did too. Will be making these from now on!
Nice! Fantastic feedback SIgne. Thanks for stopping by.
My husband and I made several batches of these meatballs, but changed up the recipe just a bit. We used 3 lbs of 80/20 ground beef with 1 lb of ground pork (like I said, we made several batches….16 pounds of meat, all total!!) We also used Lawry’s seasoned salt in place of salt and pepper.
We received so many compliments and everyone, from little kids to adults loved these. We made meatball subs with my spaghetti sauce on hotdog buns with mozzarella cheese out of these meatballs.
Awesome feedback Denice! Thanks for stopping by.
I made these for dinner tonight, my first time making meatballs! I used turkey instead of beef, almond milk instead of cows milk, and I forgot to add both eggs (I only put one in). I baked for a total of 18 mins. They were soft texture-wise but fully cooked. We all enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You are so welcome Kim! Love the feedback. Thanks for stopping by.
This is very useful and informative too! meatballs is very tasty food and we always love to have this kind of recipe in our homemade party. I will try to make this in the home.
Enjoyed this as a quick and easy meatball recipe. Was easy to adjust for hubby’s salt-less diet and my normal salt diet.
Thank you Caren!
Made this last night. Came out fantastic. More importantly, taste was rich and every bit as good as frying, so saving fat calories. Win-win! Thank you.
You are so welcome! Thanks for stopping by,
Such a lovely recipe! I absolutely love how they taste, and so does my family. I swear, it’s like a race to see how many you get before they’re gone, especially with my mom. She prefers the ones I made with this recipe over my sister’s. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe.
You’re so welcome Erin! thank you so much for stopping by! (a little competition never hurt a recipe! lol)
This was my first ever time making meatballs, and these were awesome. Thank you so much for this recipe!! My wife, so much, and I absolutely loved them.
You’re so welcome Ken! thank you so much for stopping by!
your website is very nice
Hi! Can I use almond milk for this recipe?
I’m sure that would work. Just keep in mind that depending what brand you use it could significantly alter the flavor.
Good recipe! Used 1 lb hamburger and 1 lb Italian saugage though. Gave it a lil kick!
Thank you Amanda! and great idea.
Could you use bison or would it be too dry?
I have not personally cooked with bison, so that would be a judgement call on your part.
If you use bison, add some lamb or pirk, or pork suet. That will add moisture.
So delicious and easy to make!
Thank you Dani!
This recipe for the meat balls was great.
Thank you!
I raise goats for meat and used that instead of beef. I did broil them for an additional 3 minutes after baking, but they were absolutely delicious!!!
Hi there, when freezing what is the best way to reheat them and at what temperature and for how long
If you are making spaghetti sauce, just toss the frozen meatballs into the sauce and let it simmer for 20 minutes or so. Otherwise you can either reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Love the ease of this recipe! Love that kitty too! ❤
Thank You Jennifer!
making it now. I’ll let u know. Sounds delicious and we cant wait!
Thank you David!
Since I found this recipe I’ve been making meatballs every week! My family loves them!
Hi Sarah,
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
These are amazing. I added some Italian Seasoning since I was making spaghetti and meatballs. My family devoured them.
I used this recipe, the first time I make home made meat balls. It was a Hit! My husband absolutely loved them, and so did I.
Look’s awesome.
They get brown on the bottom. Should I turn them midway thru?
Yes they may get a little brown on the bottom. It could be beneficial to turn the heat down a little when cooking them if you don’t want them to turn brown at all, jiust make sure they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F. When you bake your meatballs, they are going to turn brown.