Baked Italian Meatballs Recipe
These Baked Italian Meatballs are a flavorful and easy-to-make meal that combines lean ground beef with classic Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese. Baked to perfection in the oven, they’re juicy and tender, perfect served with your favorite pasta sauce and noodles or zucchini noodles for a lighter option.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 meatballs (4 servings) 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk (2%)
- ½ cup crushed crackers or breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely minced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Garnish
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Additional Parmesan cheese, grated
For Serving
- Favorite pasta sauce
- Cooked pasta or zucchini noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Mix ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine lean ground beef, egg, milk, crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese, minced onion, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Form meatballs: Shape the mixture into 12 golf-ball-sized meatballs using your hands or a cookie scoop for even sizing.
- Arrange meatballs: Place the formed meatballs evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake meatballs: Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, or until their internal temperature reaches 165℉ for safe consumption.
- Remove from oven: Take the meatballs out of the oven once fully cooked and juicy.
- Optional sauce step: Heat your favorite pasta sauce in a skillet over medium heat. Transfer the baked meatballs to the skillet and gently toss them in the sauce to heat through. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs over cooked pasta or zucchini noodles for a delicious meal.
- Store leftovers: Keep any leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- You can substitute crushed crackers with breadcrumbs if preferred.
- Make sure meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165℉ to ensure food safety.
- For a lower-carb option, serve with zucchini noodles instead of pasta.
- Meatballs can be frozen after baking and reheated later.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more garlic powder or Italian seasoning as desired.
Keywords: Italian meatballs, baked meatballs, easy dinner, ground beef recipe, Parmesan meatballs, healthy meatballs, homemade meatballs
Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/baked-italian-meatballs-recipe/