Homemade meatballs in a quick tomato sauce make for the perfect easy family dinner! Serve over spaghetti for the ultimate homemade meal.
If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new recipes to make with ground beef. It’s such a budget friendly way of getting dinner on the table, but wow, it can get so boring. Homemade Italian Meatballs to the rescue!
I make these so often, I could probably whip them up in my sleep. In an effort of transparency though, I’d be lying if I said I never grab a bag of frozen meatballs and serve them with jarred sauce…
In contrast, this is my recipe for Italian Meatballs, completely homemade from scratch – still easy, but an actual recipe and not just instructions for how to combine pre-made foods.
A little disclaimer
Let me add this little disclaimer: This is not an authentic Italian recipe, as in I didn’t consult any actual Italians when making this. This is how I like to make meatballs in tomato sauce, and I didn’t know what else to call them. “meatballs in tomato sauce” sounded a teeny bit blunt to me.
BUT in all honesty, the all-American spaghetti and meatballs is not exactly authentic Italian anyways. Sure, there’s polpette in southern Italy. And I have been to Italy many, many times. Never have I been to a local, authentic restaurant that served meatballs in tomato sauce with spaghetti – have you? I’d love to know (food nerd over here)!
But hey, this dish is delicious. And that’s all I have to say on that matter ?
Ingredients you’ll need
Ingredient notes
- You don’t HAVE to use lean ground beef, you can also use regular ground beef – a higher fat percentage will still be OK since the meatballs end up in a sauce, they’ll just taste very rich. You can also swap in ground turkey if you prefer, we do it all the time. (I even have Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs, that’s how much I like that swap.)
- Instead of using dried parsley and garlic powder, you can also use chopped fresh parsley and freshly minced garlic. I prefer using garlic powder so my kids can’t complain about bits of garlic in their meatballs. And I use dried parsley because I only have fresh in the spring, when it grows out in the garden!
- If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can just use some broth (or even water in a pinch…) to deglaze the pan.
- If you do want to cook with wine but aren’t sure what kind to use, any dry red wine works well. A Merlot or Pinot Noir would be great.
- I usually only have regular diced tomatoes on hand, so the sauce is perfectly delicious with those. But if you have fire roasted ones, they’ll add even more depth!
- And if you don’t have any tomato sauce handy, try combining about ⅔ cup water with ⅓ cup tomato paste.
Step by step photos
1) Add all meatball ingredients to a bowl and 2) mix to 3) combine.
4) Shape into firm meatballs, then 5) bake.
6) Sauté onion, stir in tomato paste and herbs. 7) Pour in red wine to 8) deglaze the pan.
9) Add remaining tomato sauce ingredients, then 10) stir in the meatballs and finish in the oven.
Recipe tips
To make the meatballs
- there’s no need to combine or beat any ingredients separately – just throw all the ingredients in a bowl!
- use a hand mixer with the hook attachments to combine the meat mix – it’s quick, easy and mess-free
- if you hate touching raw meat, wear disposable rubber gloves to roll the meatballs
- use a cookie scoop to scoop the meat mix, that way you’ll have even meatballs
> We prefer smaller meatballs. I just can’t wrap my head around “dinner sized” meatballs. They’re basically mini meatloaves, no? I use about 2 – 3 teaspoons of meat mix per meatball, so keep that in mind when making this recipe.
If you choose to make large meatballs, they’ll obviously need more time to cook and there will be less meatballs than you can see in the photos.(If you need video instructions for the exact steps to make meatballs, see this post on how to make meatballs from scratch!)
Sauce
Lid on or lid off? If you put a lid on the skillet in the oven or not depends entirely on your personal preferences. Adding a lid will leave the sauce on the thinner side, while baking uncovered will make for a thicker, chunkier but also richer sauce. Your call!
Personally, I like the thicker sauce better.If you like, you can sprinkle grated parmesan over the meatballs in the sauce before baking them.
Freezer instructions
You should freeze the sauce and cooked meatballs in separate containers, so the meatballs don’t get soggy while thawing. Just place them together in your freezer in separate containers as a little meal kit and you’ll be ready for those busy weeknights!
Make sure to label the bag with name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).
Defrost in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat the meatballs in the sauce until piping hot all the way through.
We make these all the time: They’re easy, comforting and relatively healthy. While meatballs often get a bad reputation, they’re really not awful for you if you’re making them from scratch, serve them in a tomato-based sauce and eat a salad on the side. This is such a simple, hearty family meal – a dinner win for sure!
Serving suggestions
I recommend using a long, slim pasta shape with meatballs for adults. Spaghetti, Capellini, Fettuccine… All delicious! For my children, spaghetti are way too messy, ha! So for them I always make something fun but short – rigatoni are their favorite, and very delicious with meatballs. We also have a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side.
If you’re looking for other side dish ideas than spaghetti, check out my posts on side dish ideas for meatballs OR even more specifically where I answer what sides fo well with spaghetti and meatballs – lots of great ideas ?
More meatballs
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Easy Italian Meatballs
Recipe details
Equipment
- Hand Mixer (optional, but so easy!)
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small-medium onion very finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for baking
For the sauce:
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder or more to taste
- ⅓ cup red wine optional (use broth or water as a substitute)
- 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
- Salt + black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the meatballs:
- Mix the ingredients: Place all ingredients EXCEPT for the oil in a large bowl. Using a handheld mixer, mix very well until everything is evenly incorporated and sticks together. If you don’t have a handheld mixer, you’ll have to use your hands to knead the ingredients together very well.
- Shape meatballs: Preheat the oven to 410°F. Using about 2-3 teaspoons of meat mix per meatball, shape meatballs and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet or a 9×13 inch pan.
- Bake meatballs: Bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until browned.
While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce:
- Sauté the onion: Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to soften.
- Season and deglaze the pan: Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cook for another minute or until it smells amazing. Pour the red wine (or broth/water) into the pan, scratching the browned bits off the bottom.
- Simmer the sauce: Add both tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes on medium-low heat, stirring from time to time.
Finish the dish:
- Stir the baked meatballs into the finished tomato sauce. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly and the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle. You can sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese before baking. If you want a thinner sauce, cover the skillet with a lid in the oven. For a thicker, chunkier sauce, leave the skillet uncovered.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
Beef: Can also use regular ground beef – a higher fat percentage will still be OK since the meatballs end up in a sauce, they’ll just taste very rich. You can also swap in ground turkey if you prefer. Instead of using dried parsley and garlic powder: You can also use chopped fresh parsley and freshly minced garlic. Wine: If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can just use some broth (or even water in a pinch…) to deglaze the pan. If you want to cook with wine but aren’t sure which one to use, a Merlot or Pinot Noir works great. Tomatoes: I usually only have regular diced tomatoes on hand, so the sauce is perfectly delicious with those. But if you have fire roasted ones, they’ll add even more depth! And if you don’t have any tomato sauce handy, try combining about ⅔ cup water with ⅓ cup tomato paste.Cooking Tips:
To make the meatballs:- there’s no need to combine or beat any ingredients separately – just throw all the ingredients in a bowl!
- use a hand mixer with the hook attachments to combine the meat mix – it’s quick, easy and mess-free
- if you hate touching raw meat, wear disposable rubber gloves to roll the meatballs
- use a cookie scoop to scoop the meat mix, that way you’ll have even meatballs
Julie Kemp says
My Italian mother taught me to use the same ingredients for the meatballs, adding a small amount of parmesan cheese in the mix, but the sauce is different I replaced the tomato sauce and Diced tomatoes, with 2 cans of canned whole tomatoes, with their juice pureed, and put raw meatballs in the sauce to heat together. The meatballs are softer Simmer no more than 2 hours. If you make it the day before, the grease rises to the top and can be removed. ALWAYS serve with pasta and grated Romano cheese. and garlic bread.
Vickie L says
I’m terrible about knowing how much salt to add to recipes. When you say “salt to taste” for the sauce do you think about 1/2 teaspoon would be good?
Nora says
Vickie, I always recommend starting with a small amount, tasting, and then adding more as needed. Start with 1/8 teaspoon and then add more salt, 1/8 teaspoon at a time, stirring and tasting in between. Salt is difficult to translate into recipe writing a lot of times – the shape and size of salt crystals change the volume, and a regular table salt tastes much saltier than a sea salt, for example. But adding little by little is a safe way to get to your preferred level of seasoning. Hope this helps!
Marci says
Used Italian seasoned pork and wow this is a keeper
Nora says
Thanks for sharing, Marci! Glad you liked the recipe.
Kelly H says
These meatballs are amazing! Tonight is the third time I’m making them, and my family raves about them.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Kelly! I just made them on Sunday as well, they are always such a hit.
Karen Tieszen says
They were absolutely delicious! Even better the second day. We added a can of tomato soup and 1 Tbsp brown sugar.
Nora says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Karen!
Karen says
I followed recipe for sauce and spices for meatbalIs. I also used 1/2 lb Bob Evans Italian sausage added to 1 and 3/4 lb ground round hamburger. Used my canned tomatoes from garden too.
After meatballs baked in oven, I put in bottom of a skillet and topped with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Then put sauce over. Let sit for an hour. on top of stove. Turned on to warm before family plated these over their spaghetti.
YUMMY! Thank you.
Nora says
That sound so incredibly delicious, Karen. Thank you for sharing! And how lucky to have homegrown canned tomatoes, I bet they make such a huge difference.
Toni says
Easy, quick and delicious! Keeping this one in my rotation.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Toni!
Nancy Toomey says
Made this recipe and it was yummy!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Nancy!
Fran says
When I make meatballs I place them on paper towels on a microwavable plate, covered with another paper towel and cook them in the microwave just until they feel solid, turning once. Throw them into the sauce and simmer until fully cooked. These freeze well too
Nora says
That’s such a great tip, Fran! Thanks for sharing.
Danielle J says
LOL. I know I left a comment last night about carrots. And then this morning I realized I already left a comment almost 2 years ago about the same thing. Just wanted to say thank you for the information!
Nora says
? glad you found the answer, Danielle!