Classic Italian-Style Meatballs

Classic Italian-style meatballs are the perfect hearty and comforting addition to a steaming bowl of spaghetti and marinara.

There’s nothing like a steaming hot bowl of spaghetti and meatballs after a long day, wouldn’t you agree? Best of all, they’re so easy to whip up ahead of time and freeze for a busy week ahead and make for a nice stress-free family dinner.

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy them (check out all our meatball recipes here), but when we are making spaghetti and meatballs, we like to use Classic Italian-style Meatballs.

Italian-Style Meatballs

We like to make them on the larger side and use a blend of ground beef and pork for optimal flavor. Ingredients such as Parmesan, fresh parsley, and breadcrumbs create the classic flavorful profile that we all crave. There’s also milk in the mix. While you’re free to use a lower fat content milk, using whole milk gives them a wonderful, moist texture and adds to the flavor.

We fry them in a skillet for the perfect crispy exterior then drop them into a pot of sauce or serve them straight out of the pan, but if you’d like to skip the oil and bake them instead, we show you how to bake meatballs right here.

Classic Italian-Style Meatballs

Contributor: Allie Doran

Classic Italian-style meatballs are the perfect hearty and comforting addition to a steaming bowl of spaghetti and marinara.

• Author: Allie Doran
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

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• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground beef

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Instructions

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and allow it to heat.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. In a bowl, mix the onions and garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, whole milk, Parmesan cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything together then add the beef and pork and mix well with a fork or your hands, incorporating everything evenly but do not overmix (it makes the meat tough).
4. When everything is mixed together, take about 3 tablespoons of the meat and roll into large meatballs. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and turn the heat to medium low. Sauté the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping them over occasionally. When they’re cooked through, remove from the heat and serve with desired sauce and pasta.

This post originally appeared in January 2018 and was revised and republished in January 2021.