Classic Meatball Recipe

Learn how to make homemade meatballs from scratch with this simple recipe! This recipe is gluten-free and can be made with beef, pork, or Italian sausage. No matter what, these meatballs are a winner!

Batch-cooking food and having it on hand in the freezer is one of the ways that I save money on our food budget. Instead of buying pre-made meatballs that are ready to heat, I spend less than an hour to have 50 homemade meatballs in the freezer!

We like to serve these with homemade pasta and our roasted tomato sauce turned into pasta sauce!

Best Tips for the Perfect Meatballs Recipe

If you’ve never made meatballs before, rest assured, this recipe is so simple! But there are a few things that I like to do to take the finished meatballs to the next level.

1. Choose the Right Meat – I use ground beef most frequently, as we raise our own beef and that’s what we have on hand. However, you can also use pork, Italian sausage, or a mix of meats. A popular combination is beef, pork, and veal, known as “meatloaf mix” in many grocery stores. The beef provides a strong flavor, the pork adds fat and tenderness, and the veal offers a delicate texture!
2. Mix Gently – When combining your ingredients, be gentle! Overmixing can lead to tough meatballs, so just mix until your ingredients are combined. This will ensure that your meatballs are tender and light.
3. Browning – Before adding them to your sauce, brown the meatballs on all sides. This step adds a depth of flavor and texture to the meatballs that you can’t get from just simmering them in sauce. I like to pan-sear them in a skillet before I finish cooking them in the sauce to let them absorb all those delicious flavors. This can be done on the stove top, or in the oven (which is what I prefer).

Making Homemade Meatballs From Scratch

Now it’s time to take a quick look at the ingredients for this simple recipe and then pull them all together for the final dish! I love making this recipe and I hope you will too!

• Meat – Again, we most often use beef because that’s what we have on hand. But you can use Italian sausage, pork, or even a mix of meats! Using a high-fat meat will make a more flavorful and tender meatball though, so keep that in mind.
• Seasonings – We keep it simple with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning. You can also add fennel if you want, I like to do that when I want more of an Italian sausage taste using only beef or pork.
• Egg – Since this recipe is gluten-free, egg is the only filler. You can omit this completely for a wonderful meatball if needed, but adding it does give a lighter texture!
• Onion – A finely diced white onion adds a rich depth of flavor and I highly recommend adding it if you can. If you want to use dried onion instead, you certainly can!
• Sauce – To finish this recipe, you’ll need about 16 ounces of your favorite pasta sauce. That might be a homemade sauce or a store-bought sauce. Either way, make sure you have a jar on hand!

See how simple that is! Now let’s turn those ingredients into meatballs!

1. Mix – Gently combine the ingredients EXCEPT the sauce and butter in a medium bowl. I like to use my hands for best mixing, but you can use a spoon instead if you want! Just don’t overmix.
2. Form – I like to make 16 meatballs with this recipe for a medium meatball. However, you can also make 10 or 12 depending on the size you want the finished meatball to be. Form however many meatballs you want and roll them to form smooth balls.
3. Brown – In a hot skillet with a little butter or oil of your choice, brown the meatballs on all sides.
4. Cook – Remove the meatballs from the skillet and place them in an oven-safe dish. Pour your favorite pasta sauce over the top, cover, and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.
5. Serve – At this point, your meatballs are ready! You can serve them right away, or freeze them for later.
6. Freeze (optional) – If you’re going to freeze them, line a baking dish with wax paper and place the cooked meatballs in a single layer on the tray. Freeze until hard and then place in a freezer bag for later.
7. Reheat (optional) – To reheat from frozen, place your desired number of meatballs in a skillet with some butter or oil and heat until warm. You can also heat them in the microwave for a few minutes, or in the oven in a dish of sauce!

Even More Freezer Ready Meals

Keep your freezer stocked with these recipes for easy meals any time!

• Classic Homemade Lasagna
• Homemade Enchiladas
• Easy Shepherd’s Pie

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