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Ingredients
- 1 Pound of ground beef
- 1/2 Pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 large beaten egg
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon black pepper
- Olive oil, for frying
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatball Mix: In a big bowl, put the ground beef and ground pork. Use your hands or a spatula to mix them up. Don’t overdo it or you will make tough meatballs. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Now, mix it all gently with hands until it’s combined well.
- Shape the Meatballs: Use a cookie scoop or your hands to make golf-ball-sized meatballs. They should be around 1.5 inches wide at least so that you can get 18 to 20 of them. Put them on a baking sheet or plate and set them aside.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat a big pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, carefully put in some of the meatballs, but make sure they are not overflowing. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes each side till they get golden brown. Once done with them, take them out of the pan, then repeat with the rest.
- Make Tomato Sauce: In the same pan add more olive oil if needed and sauté the onion till soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, cook another minute till fragrant. Pour in crushed tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Stir together, bring it to simmer level. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes so that the flavors mix up eventually together.
- Simmer the Meatballs in Sauce: Gently add back browned meatballs into sauce making sure they are submerged fully. Cover the pan and let it simmer over low heat for around 25 to 30 mins so everything can merge flavors nicely. Stir sometimes so stuff doesn’t stick much and cooks evenly.
- Serve them up: When everything is cooked and the sauce is thickened, remove from heat. Serve these meatballs hot! It pairs amazing with spaghetti, yummy with garlic bread too.
Tips and Fun Variations:
- Use different meats. Mixing beef and pork brings deeper taste with extra tenderness. Ground veal or turkey also works great.
- Skip frying Bake instead. Use grease baking sheet and bake them at about 200°C for around15 to 20 minutes till browned nicely and cooked through.
- If you want fulfillment then to stuff them with little cube mozzarella before cooking.
- If you love spicy food, then add more red pepper flakes. Pinch cayenne could do wonders too.
- You can freeze them after shaping on a tray then transfer the frozen ones into a bag, an option for anytime when you feel lazy which can help to cook straight away
- Need gluten-free option then Swap breadcrumbs easily go with some breadcrumbs OR use almond flour also.
Nutrition Info (per serving):
- Calories: You will get 450 kcal with this recipe.
- Protein: 25g of protein is served.Â
- Fat: A lot of amounts of 30g is obtained.
- Carbs: You will get 20g of Carbs.
- Fiber: 3g of fiber is added.
- Sugar: A lot of amounts of 6g of sugar is mixed.
- Sodium: A normal amount of Sodium 850mg is used here.
Italian-American meatballs are a perfect blend of flavors that bring together tender, juicy meat, aromatic herbs, and rich tomato sauce. Whether served on a bed of pasta, in a sub sandwich, or as a standalone dish, these meatballs deliver comfort and satisfaction. You can create restaurant-quality meatballs in your kitchen with a delicious taste.
