How To Make Tender Juicy Meatballs - Inspired Taste

This easy homemade meatball recipe uses simple ingredients like ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs, and the result is a batch of tender, juicy meatballs.

I consider this my essential, go-to meatball recipe. It’s incredibly easy to adapt and works every time, no matter how you choose to cook them. You can cook them in a skillet, bake them, air-fry, or cook them in a slow cooker.

While we have other recipes like our Italian Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, and Swedish Meatballs, this is the one you’ll want when you want a classic meatball. Serve them with your favorite sauce, in a meatball sub, in soups, or on their own as a simple appetizer.

Key Ingredients

• Ground Meat: Our meatball recipe works well with most ground meat. Just keep in mind that ground meat with a bit of fat works best (look for around 10% fat). I love the recipe for beef meatballs, but you can use ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground lamb. I also love a combination. My favorite is a mixture of pork and turkey, which I use in this Italian Wedding Soup.
• Breadcrumbs: I add breadcrumbs for texture. I also love substituting them for crushed saltine crackers like we do when making Classic Meatloaf.
• Milk: This adds moisture and helps to tenderize the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked.
• Egg: This adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up as it cooks.
• Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture. I’m generous with it.
• Oregano, Salt, and Pepper: These season our meatballs. I keep the seasoning simple, which means you can use this recipe with a variety of sauces.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Meatballs

I’ve made this recipe so many times that I have it memorized. My family loves them, and they work perfectly with a variety of sauces, including my favorite Red Pasta Sauce and Basil Pesto.

Tip 1: Mix everything but the ground meat first. Start by stirring the breadcrumbs and milk together in a mixing bowl, and let the mixture thicken for a few minutes. Then, stir in the egg, parmesan cheese, and spices. Mixing these ingredients before adding the ground meat guarantees the seasonings are evenly distributed, so every bite is extra flavorful.

Tip 2: Don’t worry too much about over mixing. Once the ground meat is in the bowl, mix until everything is evenly combined. While there’s a lot of online debate about over mixing, I don’t worry about it. It’s more important to make sure the spices and seasonings are thoroughly incorporated for the best flavor.

Tip 3: Use a cookie scoop and wet hands. For perfectly uniform meatballs, use a cookie scoop to portion the meat. Then, roll them into balls with damp hands to prevent the meat from sticking. At this point, you can cook them or freeze for later. I’ve included tips on how to freeze uncooked meatballs in the recipe notes.

Tip 4: Cook them on the stovetop. My favorite way to cook these meatballs is on the stovetop. It gives them a lovely golden-brown crust. However, you can also bake them, simmer them in sauce (like these Turkey Meatballs), or use an air fryer or slow cooker (see Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs). I’ve included tips for all of these cooking methods in the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

The best part about these meatballs is their versatility. You have so many options for serving them, and they work well with all sorts of flavors. For sauces, try serving them with a classic Pasta Sauce or a simple Marinara Sauce. For a tangy twist, we love them with a Tangy Barbecue Sauce or even Buffalo Wing Sauce with a side of Blue Cheese Dressing.

You can also turn them into a meal. You can also turn them into a meal. Pick a sauce and serve them with spaghetti (like in my Spaghetti and Meatballs). They make fantastic meatball subs or stuff them into warm Homemade Pita Bread with some veggies, Tzatziki Sauce, and Hummus. And of course, they also pair wonderfully with vegetables. We love serving them alongside Sautéed Cabbage, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Roasted Broccoli.

More Meatball Recipes

• Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs
• Turkey Meatballs
• Swedish Meatballs

How to Make Juicy Meatballs

4.9 (38 reviews) 120 comments Save Pin Email Print

• PREP 20 mins
• COOK 20 mins
• TOTAL 40 mins

My basic meatball recipe is easy to make, calls on simple ingredients we usually have on hand, and guarantees juicy, tender, and flavorful meatballs. Use your favorite ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, or turkey), but make sure it has close to 10% fat. For a simple meal, pair these with spaghetti and tomato sauce, like our Homemade Pasta Sauce.

Makes about 35 meatballs

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 pound ground meat, like ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or a combination (450g)

½ cup breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers (35g)

½ cup  milk (118ml)

1 large egg

¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (14g)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil for cooking

Directions

• Making the Meatball Mixture

1Prepare the base mixture: In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then add the egg, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir until the mixture is well blended.

2Mix in the ground meat: Add the ground meat to the bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to mix everything until it’s just combined. While you don’t want to over-mix, the goal is to make sure the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the meat.

3Form the meatballs: Wet your hands and form the mixture into small balls, about 1 to 1 ¼ inches in size. A small cookie scoop helps portion them, and damp hands will prevent the mixture from sticking. You should get about 35 meatballs from the batch.

• Cooking the Meatballs

1Cook them in a skillet: Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Carefully place the meatballs into the hot oil. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are browned on the outside and cooked through. They should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook them in two batches.

2Baked meatballs: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet, leaving some space between each one. Lightly spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray or brush with a little oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the outsides are browned and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the center.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• Storing: Cooked meatballs will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container or frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Make ahead tips: You can refrigerate the raw meatball mixture overnight and bake it the next day. Or freeze raw meatballs for up to 3 months. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until firm. Then, transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze. When ready to cook them, bake until lightly browned and cooked through.
• Simmer meatballs in sauce: Follow the instructions shared in this turkey meatball recipe.
• Slow cooker meatballs: Simmer meatballs in your favorite sauce for 4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH. See these slow cooker chicken meatballs for more tips.
• Air fryer meatballs: Preheat to 375°F and air fry the meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked.
• Add more flavor: Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or some finely chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil to the mixture. You can also quickly sauté some finely chopped onion and minced garlic in a bit of olive oil until fragrant. Let them cool, then mix them into the meatball mixture before forming the balls.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We included 8 ounces of ground turkey and 8 ounces of ground pork for the calculations.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 5 small meatballs (recipe makes about 35) / Calories 189 / Total Fat 11g / Saturated Fat 3.8g / Cholesterol 74.4mg / Sodium 396.7mg / Carbohydrate 6.9g / Dietary Fiber 0.4g / Total Sugars 1.4g / Protein 15g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher