These Tender Italian Meatballs are gluten-free, packed with flavor, and baked right in a skillet of bubbling marinara sauce. If you’re looking for a juicy, flavorful meatball recipe that doesn’t rely on breadcrumbs and eggs, you’re in for a treat.
I like to serve these with freshly cooked pasta, polenta, garlic bread or even a simple Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe for a light meal.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make: Just mix, bake, and sauce. No frying, no splatter or mess.
- Versatile: Perfect year-round and great for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings.
- Pairs beautifully: Serve your juicy meatballs over pasta, with crusty bread, or in a sub sandwich for an epic meatball hoagie. I personally like them as they are, with some homemade focaccia on the side to sop up the marinara.
Ingredients
Homemade Italian meatballs are not hard to make, and the ingredients are pretty simple and straightforward. Here is what you will need:
- Ground Meat: I am using a mixture of ground beef and ground veal, but you can totally use a mix that includes ground pork. Or just use all ground beef, or even ground chicken or ground turkey. Check out my other meatball recipes: Greek Meatballs and Levantine Meatball Soup.
- Onion: Adding onion to meatballs is pretty standard, but I do like to grate it as this adds moisture and a subtle sweetness to the mix. It’s how you get tender meatballs. Use a box grater if you have one, but you can also use a food processor. Could you use onion powder? Sure, but fresh is best. The grating technique is common and used in my Koobideh Kabob and Joojeh Kabob recipes.
- Parmesan Cheese: I recommend that you use Real Parmigiano Reggiano for that salty, nutty, and umami flavor. So this is something I personally like to do, and I’m not sure how many others out there do this. I like adding freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the meat mixture, but also save some as garnish at the end. Because Parm is salty, you do have to be careful how much salt you add to the mixture. Don’t use the boxed stuff, please! The recipe card below has some guidelines.
- Spices: I am using chili flakes, dried oregano and garlic powder for that bold Italian-style flavor. Feel free to use more/less of what you like/don’t like. And keep the chili out completely if you plan to serve these to kids. If you have “Italian Seasoning,” you can use that too. You can also use fresh garlic instead of powdered, but make sure it is really well minced.
- Tomato Sauce: Use a Homemade Marinara Sauce or jarred marinara sauce from the grocery store. Don’t use plain canned tomatoes. The flavor will be very muted and dull. Use a ready-to-eat sauce, a delicious sauce you would enjoy on its own.
- Fresh Herbs: I recommend using fresh parsley in the meat mixture and fresh basil in the sauce and as garnish.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Tender Italian Meatball Recipe
Step 1. Assemble. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, chopped parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano, spices, salt, and black pepper.
Step 2. Make Meatball Mixture. Mix thoroughly until everything is well incorporated. I recommend wearing gloves for easier cleanup and a thorough mix. Fry a small amount to taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step 3. Portion and Par-Bake. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Portion the mixture into 10-12 large meatballs and arrange them in a single layer in a high-sided baking dish or large skillet (ovenproof). Bake for 10 minutes. This helps the meatballs set and start to brown lightly.
Step 4. Add Sauce and Basil. Remove the skillet from the oven, scatter fresh basil leaves, and pour marinara sauce around the meatballs.
Step 5. Finish the Bake. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature should reach 160°F/71°C using an instant-read thermometer).
Step 6. Garnish and Serve. Garnish with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Grating the onion ensures it blends seamlessly into the homemade meatballs and keeps them moist. Don’t discard the onion juice.
- Use an Ice Cream Scoop. If you want to be precise and end up with equally sized meatballs, use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to portion. I prefer larger meatballs, but feel free to make smaller meatballs if that’s your personal preference. You’ll need to reduce the amount of time they spend in the oven. You really should have an Instant-Read Thermometer (affiliate link) in your kitchen.
- Trick to forming the balls: Use gloves or have a small bowl of cold water on the side. Dip your hands in the cold water to before rolling the balls in your palms so they don’t stick.
- Don’t overcrowd your skillet or tray. This helps them brown nicely.
- The meat mixture should have enough fat in it, but if you feel like it, you could drizzle a touch of olive oil on each ball.
- Letting the meatballs bake in the sauce infuses them with flavor and keeps them tender.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble the meatballs a day in advance and store them (uncooked) in the fridge.
Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or gently on the stovetop.
Absolutely. Freeze cooked meatballs with sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. You can also freeze the uncooked meatballs on a tray, transfer them to a freezer bag. When ready to use them, bake the frozen meatballs from frozen in the sauce. You will need to add more cooking time and check the internal temperature to make sure they are ready.
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Tender Italian Meatballs Recipe (without Breadcrumbs)
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Ground meat – I use beef/veal, but see notes for more options
- 1 Onion (grated)
- ¼ cup Parmesan (grated)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt – You can always add more after frying a small sample and adjusting the seasoning to your liking
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 10 Basil leaves
- 1½ cups Marinara Sauce
- Garnish with grated parmesan and more fresh basil
Instructions
- Assemble. In a large bowl, combine 1½ lbs Ground meat, 1 Onion (grated), ¼ cup Parmesan (grated), 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Chili flakes, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Make Meatball Mixture. Mix thoroughly until everything is well incorporated. I recommend wearing gloves for easier cleanup and a thorough mix. You can now fry a small amount and taste it to check the seasoning. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Portion and Par-Bake. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Portion the mixture into 10-12 large meatballs and arrange them in a single layer in a high-sided baking dish or large skillet (ovenproof). Bake for 10 minutes. This helps the meatballs set and start to brown lightly.
- Add Sauce and Basil. Remove the skillet from the oven, scatter 10 Basil leaves, and pour 1½ cups Marinara Sauce around the meatballs.
- Finish the Bake. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature should reach 160°F/71°C using an instant-read thermometer).
- Garnish and Serve. Garnish with grated parmesan and more fresh basil. Serve hot.
Notes
- Ground Meat: I am using a mixture of ground beef and ground veal, but you can totally use a mix that includes ground pork. Or just use all ground beef, or even ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Onion: Adding onion to meatballs is pretty standard, but I do like to grate it as this adds moisture and a subtle sweetness to the mix. It’s how you get tender meatballs.
- Parmesan Cheese: I recommend that you use Real Parmigiano Reggiano for that salty, nutty, and umami flavor. Don’t use the boxed stuff, please!
- Spices: I am using chili flakes, dried oregano and garlic powder for that bold Italian-style flavor. Feel free to use more/less of what you like/don’t like. And keep the chili out completely if you plan to serve these to kids. If you have “Italian Seasoning,” you can use that too.
- Tomato Sauce: Use a homemade marinara sauce or jarred marinara sauce from the grocery store. Don’t use plain canned tomatoes. The flavor will be very muted and dull. Use a ready-to-eat sauce, a delicious sauce you would enjoy on its own.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Just what i was looking for. Easy and to the point! Love that a photo to see what is needed was also added.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe and found this post helpful!