These tender, flavorful baked meatballs have been a family and reader favorite for many years. Hundreds of readers have called them the best meatballs ever! Serve them with spaghetti and your favorite sauce, as an appetizer, in a meatball sandwich－or all by themselves. A perfect meal prep recipe that freezes well too!
Perhaps you are like me in this way: I have recipes everywhere…a shelfful of cookbooks, a box with recipe cards, and various pages torn from magazines, newspapers…and so many slips of scrap paper with my own hand-written notes that I scratch out as I create in the kitchen.
Amidst all the recipes, I return often to the gems given to me by my friend, Jen. Like me, Jen likes to experiment with new recipes and acquired many of her favorites from her grandmother.
This meatball recipe reduces mess–and fat–by baking the meatballs instead of pan-frying. Parmesan and panko add great flavor and texture. Make them ahead and simmer with Basic Marinara sauce (your favorite store bought works too) in a crock pot set on low. Or heat on the stove as you are boiling water for pasta.
A single recipe yields two dozen golfball-size meatballs. The recipe may easily be doubled and the meatballs freeze well, whether cooked or uncooked.
If freezing raw, I thaw the meatballs before baking for more even cooking, although they may be baked from frozen and will require five or so extra minutes. That said, I tend to bake the meatballs first and then cool and freeze. That way, they are ready for a speedy dinner, whether that is a meatball sandwich or two or a big pot of spaghetti.
I made the quadruple batch pictured below with a friend. Meal prep is inherently rewarding–and so much more fun when chatting the whole time!
Advance prep and a few more tips:
- The meatballs may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Refrigerating for at least an hour before cooking will also help the meatballs hold their shape better. That said, I regularly bake them without doing this.
- For a crispy exterior, you can broil the meatballs for a couple of minutes at the end of the cooking time. Just watch closely so as not to burn.
Click here for my favorite gluten-free option to panko. And for a sauce option using vine-ripened plum tomatoes, I love this recipe for Balsamic Pesto Marinara Sauce.
Shortcut Blender Tomato Sauce (above) pairs beautifully with these meatballs and is perfect when vine-ripened tomatoes are in season. When canned tomatoes are the best option, Basic Marinara (below) is a great option.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe. Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated.
Jen’s Incredible Baked Meatballs
Yield: approximately 24 meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound hamburger, grass-fed if desired
- 2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup panko or breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 1 small onion, minced or grated (1/2 a large onion)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients with hands.
- Form into golfball-size meatballs.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, crushed Rice Chex work beautifully.
- When making a big batch, I recommend mixing all of the ingredients except the beef first. This will ensure everything is well incorporated but help prevent over-working the meat.
- Advance prep: The meatballs may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
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