Chef John's Italian Meatballs
These Chef John's Italian meatballs are easy to make, tender, and flavorful, perfect for your favorite sauce.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- skillet
- large bowl
- small bowl
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
Bread and Dairy
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Meats
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
Vegetables and Eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more.
- Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl. Add onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes; mix together using a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Form mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Some recipes use equal portions of beef, veal, and pork, which is also nice but more expensive.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatballCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 617mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
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