Italian Meatballs: Scrumptious, Savory and Oh So Easy

I know you’re going to love these beefy, delicious homemade Italian meatballs with a mild spicy kick! They are bite-sized flavor bombs that work in all your family favorites.

They’re extraordinary in spaghetti, tossed in my 30-minute Homemade Marinara Sauce, for snacking, in appetizer recipes and in creamy brown gravy. You’re going to love all the ways I show you to use them, like my hearty Meatball Stew.

While they certainly ARE scrumptious Italian meatballs, this post should almost be called “Meatballs, the Easy Way.”

At first glance, the ingredient list seems long, but with the exception of one, they’re common pantry ingredients (many of them seasonings) that come together in minutes!

Homemade Italian meatballs taste better and are simple to make with this delicious, easy meatball recipe. Frozen Meatballs will always be on hand; now for your favorite recipes, too.

Theses scrumptious Italian meatballs are also baked, not pan-fried. So, there’s no standing over the stove rotating them in and out of the skillet.

They’re as simple to make as my Easy Meatloaf Recipe. And, the recipe makes a HUGE batch, so you have plenty to freeze for future meals. Saving meal-time prep in the future? You bet; I’m okay with that!

Where’d This Italian Meatballs Recipe Come From?

My recipe was developed around ten years ago when our youngest requested spaghetti for her birthday supper. She didn’t want just regular spaghetti sauce with ground beef in it, though. She wanted meatballs.

So, I created this Italian meatball recipe, which has become one of her and my husband’s favorites.

As these meatballs come out of the oven, David is usually hovering somewhere in the background, waiting for an opportunity to grab a few when I’m distracted with some other cooking. lol

He will eat them straight off the sheet pan, without sauce or anything. They are incredibly flavorful and stand on their own as a delicious meal. (Or, in some cases, a snack.) lol

So, be forewarned. When these come out of the oven, you’ll need a chair and a whip to keep back the milling throng gathering in your kitchen. These savory Italian meatballs are addictively delicious, and once your family members pop one hot, delectable little sphere into their mouth, they’re gonna want them all! 

The Ingredients

• 93% lean ground beef
• eggs
• Worcestershire sauce
• milk
• red onion, minced
• garlic, minced
• Italian bread crumbs (My preference is Panko, because I like the texture, but I still have good results using regular Italian bread crumbs.)
• red pepper flakes
• Spike Seasoning (aha! The secret ingredient.)
• dried parsley
• dried basil
• grated Parmesan cheese
• salt
• black pepper

What is Spike Seasoning?

I discovered Spike Seasoning more than a decade ago. It’s a blend of seasonings, herbs and dehydrated vegetables (I think I counted 44), I’ve never made an attempt to re-create it from scratch. It is also crazy delicious. In savory dishes, it can be the difference between good and “Oh, my goodness!”

Spike is great on meat, scrambled eggs, sauces and casseroles. I can’t imagine a savory preparation that wouldn’t be enhanced by it.

It’s an everyday ingredient in my kitchen, but I’m unable to find it at our local stores anymore. I buy it in bulk on Amazon and have it shipped right to my front porch. I buy this 14 oz box of Spike when I order.

I’m guessing you could substitute your own favorite herb blend in the meatballs, but I can’t guarantee the flavor will be as mouth-wateringly delicious.

How to Make Scrumptious Savory Meatballs

Add all the ingredients for the Italian meatballs into a very large mixing bowl. I toss everything in together.

Mixing this is so much easier if you just dig in and mix it with your hands, just like you were making meatloaf or sausage.

If you’re squeamish about touching meat, you can try doing it with a wooden spoon, but the most even distribution and thorough mixing will come from using your hands.

Maybe you could try some of those plastic food handlers’ gloves if that would help.

Once mixed, you’ll be able to see all the flavor-popping herbs, crumbs, cheese and onions.

Seeing them is good. Just be sure they are evenly distributed throughout the meatball mixture.

The next step is to shape the meatballs. For me, the easiest way to keep them fairly uniform (so they cook evenly) is to use a cookie dough scoop. If you don’t have one, it’s totally fine. It just makes my job easier.

This scoop is considered the small size, which holds about 2 teaspoons and measures 1.5 inches in diameter. It takes a little more than an ounce of Italian meatball mixture to fill it. Four meatballs usually end up weighing about 4.5 ounces.

Scoop the mixture into your hand, roll it into a ball and then arrange it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake and serve. Or freeze. Or add to a favorite dish. You are set, my friend! I usually get 126 meatballs out of this recipe. Even counting for petty larceny when my back is turned, that’s about 5 meals worth of Italian meatballs for a family of 6!

How to Freeze Savory Meatballs

Once the meatballs come out of the oven, I usually use a few of them to create a yummy meal like this Meatballs in Brown Gravy over Mashed Potatoes or Sweet and Sour Meatballs over Cauliflower Rice, while letting the extras completely cool.

We enjoy a tasty dinner while the cooling happens, then I’m ready to freeze the bounty for quick and easy future meals.

Once the Italian meatballs are completely cool, I remove the parchment paper from the sheet tray and spread the meatballs out on the tray, again making sure none are touching.

I pop the tray into the freezer for about an hour (just long enough for the meatballs to be completely frozen).

Once frozen, I pop them off the tray and into a zip-top freezer bag. Since they have been individually flash frozen, I can pull out 1 or 4 or 24, as needed.

These frozen meatballs don’t stick together and they’re stored safely for whenever I need them.

(Incidentally, we call 4 meatballs a serving since that’s about a quarter of a pound. Some unnamed favorite people enjoy something more like TWO servings, though. lol So, I just plan accordingly.)

How to Use Homemade Meatballs

Add pasta to these meatballs and my gloriously easy and delicious Marinara Sauce and you and your family will be eating like kings!

If you’re looking for all Pork Meatballs, try this yummy recipe for self-saucing meatballs over on Whole Food Bellies.

And then, check out these delish dishes made with my Spicy Meatballs!

Eliminate the meat in the sauce for my delicious Baked Spaghetti and add a layer of these scrumptious meatballs, instead. You’ll positively swoon!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs : an Easy Thirty-Minute Dinner

Sweet and Sour Meatballs are delicious spicy meatballs, chunks of pineapple and crisp, fresh veggies coated in a simple, homemade sweet and sour sauce. A 30-Minute simple recipe your family will love!

Meatballs in Brown Gravy

Okay, guys, now that you have this recipe, the possibilities for deliciousness are ENDLESS! I’ve got more “what to do with homemade meatballs” recipes coming in the next day or two.

And, having these in your freezer means dinner on weeknights will be a breezy, fast-and-easy experience. Are you starting to see how cooking once to eat many times can reap you big rewards? I hope so!

Big hugs, my friend! Have a blessing-filled weekend and share a family dinner with the people you love most!

The Recipe