These Easy Italian Sausage Meatballs are juicy and so flavorful! This is a great recipe for serving a crowd! Simply roll, bake, and serve with your favorite sauce! These homemade meatballs are delicious on rolls, salads, or toss with pasta for classic spaghetti and meatballs!
Sausage Meatballs Recipe
It’s no secret we LOVE homemade meatballs! They’re delicious, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser! So yeah, we make them A LOT!!! But this is especially true during the holiday season… when friends and family always seem to be dropping by!
Last week I wanted to make a big batch of my easy baked meatballs but realized last minute that I was completely out of lean ground beef. Whoops! But luckily I did have some sausage in the fridge and decided to experiment with some sausage meatballs. The results?! OMG! Not only were they so easy, but they were juicy, flavorful, and super delicious, too! I tossed them with some classic marinara sauce and then kept them warm in the crockpot until company arrived! We served them with long hoagie rolls, cheese, and a big salad. Oh, and wine! Lots of wine. But you can serve then with just about anything your little heart desires! Spaghetti Squash is such a great low cal option!
Ingredients for Italian Sausage Meatballs
- ground sausage: you’ll either want to get loose ground sausage or remove the sausage from casings. You may use sweet sausage, mild Italian sausage, or spicy sausage. Or, use a combination!
- eggs: 2 large eggs will do the trick!
- breadcrumbs: I prefer panko bread crumbs, but any variety will work!
- Parmesan cheese: finely grated works best!
- Garlic: 2 cloves finely minced or pressed through a garlic press!
- Water: H20 is such a crucial ingredient to this recipe! So please don’t reduce it or be scared of it! It makes the sausage meatballs moist, without adding any calories. 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! Promise!
How to make Sausage Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- In a large bowl, add sausage to the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. 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 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked though.
Pro Tip: To easily, and evenly, shape your meatballs, use a spring loaded cookie scoop!
Why bake Meatballs?
Baked meatballs in the oven is a beautiful thing and so simple! 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 shape into 20 meatballs (give or take depending on the size), place them on the baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. That’s it! Once they’re done baking, you’ll toss them in your desired sauce and serve. We love them in classic marinara sauce or spinach basil pesto!
More Meatball Recipes:
- Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- 30-Minute Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Healthy 30 Minute Sriracha Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE FOR ITALIAN SAUSAGE 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.
Italian Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground sausage
- 2 large eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup lukewarm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ground sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic. 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 15 to 18 minutes, or until they're cooked though.
- Toss with your favorite sauce and serve!
Cindi says
Easy to make! Recipe actually makes 48 sausage meatballs!
I used Johnsonville sausage meat, panko breadcrumbs. The meatballs were cooked for 18 minutes. Their temp was over 165 degrees. Thank you for this recipe, it will be used often
Nia says
Smell and look delicious! Made these in a pinch, I’m pregnant and didn’t know if I could handle full on meat sauce so meatballs it was (in case I needed to eat around them ha!, but no need these were great. I was out of breadcrumbs so I sub for crushed up saltines and they worked just fine.
Sharon says
These meatballs are so simple and wonderfully delicious! I have been making meatballs for 30 years and these were the best ever. This recipe is a keeper!!
Renae says
Excellent and easy!!!!!
Denise says
I have used this recipe over and over. I usually cut it in haf because there are only two of us now. Today I was craving meatballs only I was out of eggs. I used tomato paste as a substitute, it worked great. I really hate it when people tell you it is a great recipe I just changed every single thing about it…. That being said, the tomato paste saved my day, they taste just as good as usual and stuck together well. Thanks!
Jodi says
Just tried one of these straight from the oven.. delicious!!!
Ashley Manila says
So happy to hear it, Jodi! Enjoy!
Jason L dove says
Made using tomato sausage meat didn’t need extra water as rolled perfectly without.
Ashley Manila says
Glad they worked out for you, Jason!
Dennis says
Easy and delicious!!!
Ashley Manila says
So happy to hear you enjoyed these, Dennis!
Sabrina says
These meatballs were so easy to make and packed with amazing flavour. Thanks for this, its a keeper and hit with the family!
Brandon says
Absolutely love these meatballs. Thanks