Juicy Meatball Recipe (VIDEO)
Our go-to Meatball Recipe! Find out the secret to flavorful and juicy homemade meatballs. These are make-ahead, freezer-friendly, and perfect for meal prep.
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Meatball Recipe Video Tutorial:
This recipe is so versatile. The meatballs can be baked or sauteed and they can be served as appetizers or the main course. Try them simmered in a marinara sauce for the best Spaghetti and Meatballs or put them in hoagie rolls for incredible meatball subs. Make some tonight!
The Secret to Juicy Meatballs!
Every element in this recipe builds a flavorful and moist meatball but what makes them truly juicy is adding the bread crumbs. They are tender all the way through. The moist bread crumbs also help these reheat really well. Make these and you will be known for your meatballs.
We use a combination of meats here, mixing ground pork and ground beef with an egg. This combination produces the best taste and a fork-tender meatball. The flavorings are simple and make these an Italian-style meatball with the addition of parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.
Pro Tips for the Best Meatballs:
Here is our best advice for ensuring the juiciest plump meatballs. Avoid these common pitfalls which can cause meatballs to be tough and dry.
- Do not overmix the meat or it will result in tough meatballs.
- Don’t skip the bread crumbs and water mixture, which adds moisture to make the meatballs juicy.
- Make even-sized meatballs for even cooking (a trigger release ice cream scoop makes it easy).
- Wet your hands – To form perfect meatballs, dip your hands in a bowl of cold water and use wet hands to roll the meatballs.
- Avoid overcooking – Sautee or bake just until they reach 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Don’t crowd the skillet with meatballs or on the baking sheet which can cause them to steam cook and prevent a good sear from forming.
How to Make Meatballs:
- Moisten Bread: Remove crusts and dice 3 slices of bread. Place in a large bowl and mix with 2/3 cup water. After 5 minutes, mash with a fork.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Into the same bowl, add ground beef, ground pork, parmesan cheese, 1 egg, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture together with your hands. Do not overmix.
- Form Meatballs: Portion onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (2 Tbsp per meatball). With wet hands, roll meatballs into 1 1/2″ diameter balls.
How to Cook Meatballs:
Sauteed Meatballs (Favorite Method): Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add meatballs to the skillet, placing them in one at a time. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, adding more oil as needed. Sautee 6-8 minutes total, turning every 2 min or until all sides are browned and the internal temperature reaches 160˚F. Promptly remove from the pan (to avoid overcooking) and transfer to a serving platter.
Baked Meatballs: Place on a lined baking sheet, about 2″ apart and bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20-23 minutes, or until the centers register 160˚F. If you want a prettier color to your meatballs, broil for the last 2-3 minutes.
How to Freeze Meatballs:
Meatballs are great for make-ahead dinners and meal planning because they can easily be frozen raw or cooked. Place in a single layer, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or until solid then transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen meatballs overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Cooked meatballs can be thawed or reheated straight from the freezer. You can even warm them in marinara sauce (see more below).
How to Serve Meatballs:
- Meatballs in Marinara Sauce – heat 2 cups marinara sauce in a skillet. Add freshly cooked or frozen meatballs and simmer until heated through. Serve as Spaghetti and Meatballs.
- Meatball Subs – Place 3-4 warm meatballs in marinara sauce in a hoagie roll, top with mozzarella cheese and broil 1-2 minutes just to melt the cheese.
- Meatball Soup – Put uncooked meatballs into any soup that calls for meatballs or in this Sausage Kale Soup.
- BBQ Meatballs – Roll cooked meatballs in warm barbeque sauce and serve on a platter with toothpicks as an appetizer.
- In Gravy – put meatballs into your favorite Gravy and serve over creamy Mashed Potatoes.
Our Best Meatball Recipes:
We love a good meatball recipe, actually, we love several! These are our top-rated recipes that are easy to make and easy to serve. You’re sure to find a new favorite.
- Swedish Meatballs – in a rich, creamy sauce
- Teriyaki Meatballs – we love these saucy meatballs over steamy white rice.
- Spaghetti and Meatballs – with a homemade marinara sauce
- Mom’s Meatball Soup – a favorite in our family for years
- Chicken Meatballs – in a cream sauce and perfect over noodles or potatoes
Juicy Meatball Recipe
These Flavorful and juicy homemade meatballs are make-ahead and freezer friendly so they're perfect for meal prep. The meatballs can be baked or sauteed and served as appetizers or the main course.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Juicy Meatballs:
Instructions
How to Make Meatballs:
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Combine diced bread in a large bowl with 2/3 cup water. Set aside 5 minutes then mash with a fork. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
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Into the bowl of mashed bread crumbs, add ground beef, ground pork, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp parsley, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Use your hands to stir the mixture together just until well combined. Do not overmix.
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Portion onto a lined baking sheet (about 2 Tbsp per meatball - an ice cream scoop makes it easy). With wet hands, roll meatballs into 1 1/2" diameter balls.
How to Cook Meatballs:
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To Sautee: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add meatballs to the skillet, placing them in one at a time and cook in batches to get a good sear. Sautee turning every 2 minutes (total 6-8 minutes), or until evenly browned and the internal temperature reaches 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Serve as is or in any recipe that calls for meatballs.
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To Bake Meatballs: Place on a lined baking sheet 2" apart and bake in a fully preheated oven at 400˚F for 20-23 minutes, or until fully cooked and the centers reach 160˚F. If you want a prettier color to your meatballs, broil for the last 2-3 minutes.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Where is the link to the spatter guard?
Hi Gerald! you can find our favorite tools in our blog shop here and in our Amazon Shop Here.
Hi Chef! Is it possible use a slower to cook the meatballs with tomato sauce? I was thinking broil them in oven and put in slow cooker.
If so, any recommendations on steps? Thank you – Pat
Hi Pat! I have not tried this in a slow cooker to advise. That may work if you start it in a broiler. If you experiment, please let us know how you like that
Yes! Best way to cook them – and your sauce will be amazing.
These meatballs are insane! I can’t stop eating them or telling people about them.
Love it, your great feedback makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing that with us, Heidi.
Hi Natasha, I have some ground mild Italian sausage. Do you think that would work instead of the ground pork?
Hello Irini, I cannot tell as I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine it will work too. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
What other ingredient to use instead of using ground pork?
All the ingredients needed for this recipe is in there already. Click on Jump to recipe when you’re at the page.
Until I tried this recipe, I never made a meatball that didn’t fall apart or wasn’t like a rock. These are so moist and tender and juicy! Thanks you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kim!
My whole family loves these! So juicy and tasty!
Sounds like you found a family favorite! That’s so great!
These are terrific. I was surprised, as it seemed so simple. I did add some very finely chopped sweet onion and shallot (because I had a little of each left over,) and a little Italian seasoning.
Sounds awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tia. Thanks for sharing your good feedback with us.
I have made these meatballs at least three times and while they taste great they always fall apart on me. What’s wrong??
Hi, it’s hard to say without being there. Was anything possibly altered in the recipe? Were the meatballs cooked before adding to the sauce?
The meatball mixture was quite moist I rolled and put them into skillet but they kept breaking up. Made more like a meat sauce Instead of meatballs.
Hello Lucille, thanks for your feedback. It would probably fall apart if it wasn’t cooked before adding it to the sauce and you would end up with a Meat Sauce.
They fell apart while I was frying them. What ratio of bread and water would you use if using only one pound of meat?
Hi, it’s hard to say without being there. Was anything possibly altered in the recipe? Were the meatballs cooked before adding to the sauce? You may also adjust the ingredients just click Jump to recipe and click Metric.
What ratio of bread and water would you use if using only one pound of meat?
Hi Lucille, I recommend using the recipe serving slider on the printable recipe card towards the bottom of this post. Adjust it until you see one pound of meat. I hope that helps!
I made meatball hoagies today! They were delicious and juicy!
So awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us, Tonya. Glad you loved these.
Made these for pasta and meatball subs for dinner tonight; they were fantastic!
Actually made a double batch and froze half. The guys were all, “You need to make more of these and freeze them so we can cook them for lunches!”
Guess I’ll be doing that from here on out…Thank you for the recipe.
That is so amazing! I love their comments and feedback, thank you so much for sharing that with us, Tracy.
I made these meatballs with your along with your spaghetti recipe because I like how these didn’t require the flour like on the other recipe. They were SO juicy and delicious. I did use Italian sausage though.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this meatball recipe. Thank you so much for your great review, we appreciate you sharing that with us!
Hey Natasha, I made this and totally loved it. What if I use only ground Pork the next time. Will it drastically change the texture?
Hi, that would still be very tasty with only ground pork. I’m so glad you loved the meatball recipe!
The best recipe that I ever made and had. I am from Malaysia and I love your cooking a lot.
Thank you for bringing the food joy to us.
Thank you for that amazing review Yvonne! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
If I use breadcrumbs how much would I use?
Hi Teri, I haven’t tried this with breadcrumbs to advise on a quantity! If you do try it I would love to know how you like it!
Hi
Has anyone tried this with ground pork and ground turkey? 😀
I think that combination would work really well, the only thing is pork has a higher fat content so the flavor and texture may be slightly different.
I had a hard time keeping the meatballs from crumbling while cooking on the stove….I think for me it was too much water. The taste was great but next time I would only use maybe a tablespoon or two of water not the 2/3 cup….
Thank you so much for sharing that Jean! I haven’t had that experience, wasn’t anything else possibly altered in the recipe?
Love your recipes. I watched this video and when you cut into the meatball, I thought I saw a bit of cooked onion. It couldn’t be the garlic since it was opaque. Did you by any chance omit onion in the recipe?
Hi Robert, we used all the ingredients in the recipe list for this recipe. I hope that helps.
Is there a way to make them without using pork? Either only beef, or mixed with chicken or any other way? Thank you.
Hi Riin, that would work!
Looks like a wonderful recipe!
Can’t wait to try it!
It is so good, I hope you like it!
These were so delicious!! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Sandra! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Natasha you are the best, your easy to follow recipes are super delicious, and easy to make for the kitchen novice, the spaghetti and meatballs recipe it’s super delicious, better than Italian Restaurants at a fraction of the cost. Thank you, and all the best to you and your family!
Hi Mihai, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your great feedback and for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I am Making meatballs using 1lbs each beef, veal and pork. How many eggs do you think I should use?
Hi Cindy, I would use eggs in the same proportion to the weight of the meat as the recipe.
Hi love your cooking. Can I use any other meat?
Hi Neisha, I haven’t tried too many combinations, as long as the meat is not too lean it should work great!
Hi there can I cut this recipe in half? Can I still use 1 whole egg
Hi Nancy, that may work. If halving the recipe it will only require half the egg to bind the ingredients together. To halve an egg I usually wisk it and then pour have the amount into the mixture. I hope that helps.
These are so good! So tasty and easy to put together!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you, Ashley.
Ok, I think I need to make some sandwiches with these! I love the flavor of the meatballs! We love these with pasta, too!
Yes that would work! It’s very versatile, I am so glad you loved it!
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one.
I hope you love it, Katie!
These are amazingly tender and juicy!
Simply the best aren’t they! Thank you for sharing that great feedback with us Shelia!
Hello! These were amazing. Thank you! Are the nutrition facts for one meatball?
Hi Briana, that would be for approximately 3 meatballs depending on how big you make them. This recipe makes 24 meatballs and serves 8.
Best meatball recipe I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried a lot. Hubs agreed. Worked in spaghetti and as meatball subs. Grocery store was out of ground pork, so I subbed in Italian sausage. And I baked mine instead of sautéed. This will be my go-to meatball recipe from now on. Thanks, Natasha!
Love it! I am so glad you enjoyed the meatballs, thank you for sharing that with us, Tara.
Thank you for this incredibly delicious juicy meatball recipe! My husband went on and on about them and how this is a keeper recipe for sure! The combination of the ground beef and ground pork really steps up the flavor! Perfect meatballs!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Angela! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi! Made your recipe for Juicy Meatballs and my family LOVED them!! they are the best! Juicy ,tender and full of flavor! Thank you!!
Yay, that is awesome! So great to hear that Dawn, thanks for your good review.
Hi Natasha,
Your recipes are excellent, keeping me busy during covid.
You used a glove for shredding. Is there a certain brand you prefer?
Thank you, Hanne
Hi Hanne, depends on what we are shredded but it is a good idea to protect your fingers.
Hi, Natasha! These meatballs smell and look amazing! Thank you for this recipe! I am becoming a very decent cook thanks to your website! My daughter loves to eat everything I cook now (and you know, that means A LOT!)
Aww that’s the best Tatiana! Thank you for that amazing review!
These were delicious. My daughter has a dairy sensitivity so I subbed the parm with half the amount of nutritional yeast and it was perfect.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing that amazing review!
I made your meatballs this evening and they are moist and delicious. I also try most of your recipes. Thank you Natasha
Thank you so much, Anna. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I tried the juicy meatballs they where excellent thank you will definitely make again and again
Great to hear that you liked it Gayle. Thanks for your wonderful review!
What sauce can go with this if you take meatballs to a pot luck?
It really depends but we personally love it with marinara and gravy sauce. Yum!
Hi! Huge fan here! Your recipes saved my marriage. Putting in work to make my hubby’s faves literally saved us! I’m forever in your debt! We absolutely love you
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles!
Hi Natashia, I am a huge fan! I am about to place an Amazon order and I am interested in the thermometer you use – the stick kind, not the oven probe. You’ve said you’d link in the notes but I can’t find….sorry to have to ask. Thank you so much, have a great day.
Hi Carol, we have this Instant-read thermometer linked under the “Pro Tips for the Best Meatballs:” section in the recipe. I hope that helps.
i love your recipes. what oil splatter guard do you use for frying?
I’ve made your beef stew, juicy meatballs, cheesecake cupcakes and a few more i cant recall at the moment. All have been no fail, just delicious. Thank you
Hi Maggie, we use this splatter guard here.
Hi Natasha, I always enjoy seeing your recipes and the way you present it.
I’m allergic to egg and I was wondering if egg can be dropped or replaced from this recipe? I understand it’s a binding agent, but I have had packaged meatballs that don’t use egg. I’m not sure what they use for binding.
Hello CS, I haven’t really tried making this recipe yet without the egg so I’m not so sure how it would turn out. You can probably try mayo but as I’ve said I haven’t tested that yet. Sorry hope that I can be more helpful!
Hi CS,
Here in Australia you can buy egg substitute called ORGRAN NO EGG EGG REPLACER 200G.
If you can’t find, then I’m sure you would have an equivalent in USA.
Cheers
Julie
Novice cook here. I made the recipe as stated and it was great. This was my first time making meatballs and it was truly a simple recipe with great flavors.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Isn’t the flavor amazing?
Meatballs were absolutely amazing so lush with flavor and juicy omg. Even as they say they were yummy! Crowd pleaser!!!! Great job
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi Natasha, can i use chicken meat only ?
Hi, I think that would still work.
Very nice thank
Hi Natasha… I used the pork from Hot Italian sausage as a twist on you great recipe… Makes meat balls with some attitude for appetizers. Thanks for all your hard work. Kudos to you, your husband and beautiful children.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Barry! I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
Hi Natasha,
can I use wheat bread instead of white bread?
Thank you,
Mimi L
Hi Mimi, I haven’t tested that but I imagine that will work. If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe.
We use milk instead of water, and Italian seasoned bread crumbs instead of sliced bread. Try it?
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, is it ok to leave out the cheese for this? Or is there a non-cheese substitute you could suggest?
Hi Rachel, the meatballs would still work if you left out the cheese. I hope you love the meatball recipe!
Hi! do you cooked them first to freeze or you can freeze it uncooked?
Hi Laarni, either way will work. Please see the “How to Freeze Meatballs:” section for more details.
how much bread crumbs? Thank you
Could you drop the meatballs in the sauce to cook instead of baking or sautéing?
Hi Pam, it would probably fall apart if it wasn’t cooked before adding it to the sauce and you would end up with a Meat Sauce.
Not they don’t fall apart. It is how my mother cook meatballs and I how I cook meatballs. This recipe is the closest recipe I have found that taste like my moms.
Yes. That is how I cook these meatballs and have had no issues.
HI Natasha,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I don’t eat pork, can I substitute with ground lamb or double ground beef?
That should work too, Lina. Let us know how it goes if you do give it a try!
I tried it substituting lamb for pork out of curiosity. It was different and delicious!
Great idea! Thank you for sharing that with me Jim!
Nice to know that Jim and thank you for sharing that with us!
We made this tonight for dinner and everyone was excited that they were plump and juicy 🙂
I did make a change that I think added great flavor for us – we used seasoned croutons and softened them with half and half. This made the meatballs so flavorful and tender.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing that with us, Natalya. That’s also a great tip!
Hi Natasha! Love love love your recipes and YouTube channel! Would you recommend all chicken, turkey, or pork to substitute beef for non beef eaters for this meatball recipe?
Hi Victoria, thank you for that wonderful compliment. That should work, ground turkey would make the meatballs leaner but should still work fine.
I made these meatballs for supper tonight using all pork meat and they turned out delicious!
Also used rye bread instead of white as that is what I had on hand
Yum! That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Great recipe, I did add 1/4 cup minced onion as I love onions in my meatballs. They freeze well. thanks
That’s so great Sharon! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Since I don’t eat beef, can I exchange it with ground turkey?
Hi Virginia, ground turkey would make the meatballs leaner but should still work fine.
I love homemade meatballs! These will go perfect in homemade marinara in a bread bowl! Thanks for sharing.
Oooh my goodness yes that sounds amazing! Speaking of bread bowls, we just made something in bread bowls that we will be airing in a few weeks. I can’t wait to share it with you!
If I made these a little bigger and cut them in half, they’d be great as sliders. They sound so flavourful!
Yes! What a smart idea to make the meatballs go even further. Thank you for sharing that suggestion with us!
Some great tips here! Definitely don’t over mix the meat before forming into meatballs. Wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much Erin! Yes, it’s wild how much of a difference it makes versus using a spatula or spoon where it’s so easy to overmix and just mash it together. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and tips for making meatballs.
WOW!! These meatballs look incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thank you Katerina, I hope they become a new favorite go-to recipe for you.