If you’ve been looking for a simple recipe for Easy Baked Meatballs, you’ll love this one! Made with ground beef, Parmesan cheese, plenty of spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, and water, they’re juicy and flavorful. Once you try this recipe for simple baked meatballs, you’ll never want to make them another way!
Meatball Recipe
Do you have a go-to dish you make for company? I have a few! But the one I find myself making time and time again? These easy oven baked meatballs! That’s because they’re a TOTAL crowd-pleaser!!! And even picky eaters love this recipe. In fact, I ALWAYS double this baked meatball recipe when we have company over. Because they literally fly out of the crockpot! Especially when I serve them with my flavorful marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. Just thinking about them is making me so hungry lol!
What to serve with Meatballs
- Pasta! I mean, is there a more iconic pairing than spaghetti and meatballs?! We love serving them with simple spaghetti fra diavolo, quick and easy bucatini all’ Amatriciana, or this one-pan tomato basil pasta!
- Spaghetti Squash! A lower calorie, but still delicious, alternative to pasta. Learn how to roast spaghetti squash!
- A slice of tomato pie or pizza!
- Lasagna! My family adores this Lightened Up Chicken Parm Lasagna with a few meatballs on the side. YUM.
- Gnocchi alla Vodka! I don’t make this dish enough… but when I do, you can bet I’m serving it with meatballs on the side!
- Hoagie rolls, extra spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, and provolone cheese! Place all of these ingredients on the table and allow your guests to make their own meatballs sandwiches. So fun and so easy!
- And finally, for a lighter meal, you could serve these quick and easy meatballs with a simple salad and a few homemade garlic knots or a piece of rosemary focaccia.
P.S. You can really serve your meatballs with ANYTHING. So if meatballs and brussels sprouts sounds good to you, I say go for it.
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success
How to bake Meatballs
Cooking meatballs in the oven is a beautiful thing and simple by nature! Not only is it much neater than frying meatballs, but it’s also much easier than frying multiple batches in a skillet. With my oven baked method, you can make all of the meatballs at once. You’ll simply roll the meat mixture into small balls, place them on the baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes. That’s it! Once they’re done baking, you’ll toss them in tomato sauce and they’re ready to be devoured. This is definitely the best way to make meatballs for spaghetti, since you’ll be baking them in the oven, which leaves the stovetop clear for making your pasta and sauce.
Ingredients for Easy Meatballs?
Now that you know how to make meatballs, let’s review the meatball ingredients:
- ground beef
- eggs
- breadcrumbs (I prefer panko breadcrumbs, but any variety will work)
- spices: Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder
- grated Parmesan cheese
- and water! The water is such a crucial ingredient to this recipe. Please don’t reduce it or be scared of it! It makes the meatballs moist without adding any calories (a lot of recipes use milk, which adds tons of calories and not much else). My grandmother (who’s from Italy!) has been using water in her meatballs for years. It’s a little trick you’ll come to love!
Pro Tip: To easily, and evenly, shape your meatballs, use a spring loaded cookie scoop! It’s so easy!
And that’s it! You’ll also need some olive oil, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings to make my simple marinara sauce recipe. You can find all of the details for that in the recipe box below. But feel free to skip the tomato sauce and use pesto instead!
What are the Best Meats for Meatballs? Can I use Ground Turkey?
So here’s the deal: if you want tender, juicy, and flavorful meatballs, you should choose fatty meat. Because fat equals flavor! A popular meat choice is 80/20 ground beef, and for a good reason. This variety is easy to find, relatively cheap, and produces juicy meatballs. Ground turkey – or even ground chicken – can work, but they don’t have as much fat as beef, so the meatballs will be a bit drier. If you’re feeling creative, you can also combine meat varieties. We often use 50/50 ground pork and ground beef.
Can I make Meatballs without Breadcrumbs?
I have never made these meatballs without bread, so I cannot say for sure! However many readers have told me that crushed cracker crumbs and finely ground rolled oats can work as substitutes. As always, I suggest experimenting at your own risk 😉
Should Meatballs be Pink in the Center?
Yes and no. If you know that your meatballs are made from 100% beef, a slight touch of pink can be fine. But generally it’s not a great idea to eat pink meatballs. And the internal temperature should ALWAYS be 160 degrees (F) or above.
How to Store Meatballs?
Fully cooked, these meatballs will keep, stored in the fridge in an airtight container, for 3 days!
Can Meatballs be frozen?
Yes! These easy to make meatballs raw or fully cooked. Simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper, arrange the meatballs side by side on the prepared sheet, and then pop the pan directly into the freezer. Once the meatballs have frozen enough to be solid to the touch, you can transfer them into a freezer safe bag or storage container, and then return to the freezer. The meatballs will keep, stored in the freezer, for 2 months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then cook as directed.
How many Meatballs per person?
This completely depends on the size of the meatballs… and the appetites of those eating them. But a good rule of thumb is 4 to 5 meatballs per person. When we have really large parties (like Superbowl or 4th of July), I triple this meatball recipe so I know there’s plenty!
Can I put Meatballs in a Crockpot?
Yes!!! But please fully cook them first. Otherwise they will fall apart. Once the meatballs are fully cooked, you can place them in the slow cooker, add in the sauce, and keep warm on the lowest setting. I suggest doubling the sauce if you’re going to have them in the crockpot for more than an hour.
For more Meatball Recipes, Check Out:
- Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- 30-Minute Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Quick and Easy Turkey Meatballs with Asiago and Fresh Herbs
- Italian Meatball Soup (ugh… this is SO good)
- Healthy 30 Minute Sriracha Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
This is a great basic meatballs recipe you and your family are sure to love!
AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE FOR EASY BAKED MEATBALLS, LET ME KNOW! LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND DON’T FORGET TO SNAP A PIC AND TAG IT #BAKERBYNATURE ON INSTAGRAM! SEEING YOUR KITCHEN CREATIONS MAKES OUR DAY.
Easy Baked Meatballs
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 3 dozen meatballs
If you've been looking for a simple recipe for Easy Baked Meatballs, you'll love this recipe! Made with ground beef, Parmesan cheese, plenty of spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, and water. Once you make meatballs in the oven, you'll never want to make them another way!
Ingredients
For the Easy Baked Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt (less if you prefer, but meat loves salt)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
For the Easy Marinara Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
For the Easy Baked Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, egg, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing with your hands until everything is just combined. Don't over mix here or it'll make the meatballs tough. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
- Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop about one tablespoon of meat into your palms and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all of the meat.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they're cooked though.
- While the meatballs bake, make your marinara!
For the Easy Marinara Sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for one minute, or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and seasoning and stir well to combine. Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- When meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve!
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 meatball without sauce
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 36 | ||
% Daily Value |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Your Meatballs and sauce look Wonderful and very tasty looking i will haft to try this very soon can i cook the Meatball in the sauce ?
I was wondering,I have a picky little sister. Can I skip putting the parmesan cheese? Would they still come out good?
I just made these meatballs and they were so easy to make, so moist and so delicious! I will definitely make them again. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Best meatballs hands down! A new family favorite without a doubt. Moist, flavorful- sooo good!
Just made your meatball recipe. My kitchen smelled heavenly as they were baking. I had to try one when they came out and YUM! My husband is going to love dinner tonight! I think the water made a huge difference. They are so moist and tender but hold together really well. They will make great meatball subs. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Do you use plain or flavored breadcrumbs? If I use Italian flavored would you cut back on the spices used then? Do you prefer store bought canned breadcrumbs or fresh ones? Thank you!
The recipe says she uses and prefers Panko, but any kind will do, Panko are dried breadcrumbs.
Thank you for the recipe. I’ve saved this for future use and the meatballs were soooooo good and easy! Highly recommend!
These meatballs are perfection! I have made many meatball recipes, but none that made me save the recipe. The texture and flavor is awesome, and I’m happy to finally have a go-to meatball recipe!
I made these meatballs for dinner and WOW they really are AMAZING!!! My family loves them! My son had 3 helpings. Some of us actually made meatball subs with provolone while others had meatball marinara over pasta! So versatile!! This recipe was quick and easy and definitely a crowd pleaser. Thanks so much!
These meatballs make awesome subs my husband says they’re better than subways!!!!!
Very easy to make. Made a little smaller so I could freeze some since we are only two people
Here.
I have. been trying for years to cook the perfect meatballs and red gravy. This is as close to perfect as any.Great!
Wow!!! Just made these delicious meatballs!My Wife was skeptical they wouldn’t be done.
Made Meatball Subs on fresh footlong rolls. She cut them in half to see doneness. Her response was these are the best you’ve ever made.
They were also the easiest. I’ve always cooked them on top of the stove. No more, this is My go to Meatball recipe!!!
These are truly the best meatballs I have ever had….and I cook from scratch a lot! So flavorful! I tripled the recipe for my large family and used 2 lbs beef and 1 lb sausage. I also baked for 30 minutes because we like big meatballs. Thanks for the great recipe!
This receipe is everything! Easy and delicious. I used ground sausage instead (no need to add salt as receipe calls for). Thank you <3
This will be my new meatball recipe! Delicious and easy.
Thanks for sharing
Woohoo! So glad they’re a keeper for you, Deb!
This meatballs are amazing. This is the second time I have made them and we are in love. Great recipe
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Joanna!
Oh wow! No chopping or mincing, yet so flavorful. These were easier than a batch of drop cookies. I tripled the recipe using half ground pork and half ground beef and they were wonderful! I froze the extra ones already baked. Thank you for sharing !
I made these for Christmas and doubled the recipe, baked as directed. Added to the crockpot on low with my favorite spaghetti sauce. Turned out fantastic and everyone went back for seconds. Definitely added to my favorites list!
So happy to hear it, Melissa!!! Happy New Year 🙂
These meatballs are a new family favorite! So easy to prepare and easy to freeze for future use. I’ve already shared the recipe with several friends and they love them also! Thank you!
I made these for the first time yesterday and have already made them again today. ( going to freeze them for another day) They are so easy and the taste is phenomenal! I added more garlic and Italian seasoning since we like spicy food. This recipe is the bomb. There is no need to search for an alternative.
I made these in the past and they are amazing. Have you ever tried them in the slow cooker? Im wondering if they come out the same?