This Italian meatball marinara recipe includes a delicious balance of ground beef, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, buttermilk, cheese, onion, garlic, and tons of Italian seasoning.
After briefly frying or broiling the meatballs, they are slowly baked in rich homemade marinara sauce until they are tender, juicy, and mouthwateringly delicious.
Juicy Homemade Italian Meatballs and Marinara Sauce
If my tastebuds were fully in charge of my life, I would eat these Homemade Italian Meatballs in marinara sauce every single week for the rest of my life. I love them that much. I love them on pasta and on meatball sandwiches.
I love them on Meatball Pizza. I especially love them all by themselves, covered in a thick layer of melted mozzarella cheese.
This recipe is the result of years of tweaking and testing, until I had a rich, intensely flavorful marinara sauce and meatballs that are incredibly tender and juicy, while still managing to hold their shape throughout a long, slow simmer in the sauce.
5 Tips for Tender and Juicy Homemade Italian Meatballs:
#1. Use a 50/50 blend of high quality ground beef and Italian Sausage
Most meatball recipes call for a mix of ground meats, generally some combination of ground beef and pork. This recipe calls for a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage. The sausage brings a lot to the table, adding flavor and just enough fat to keep the meatballs from being dry.
I've played around with all sorts of ratios of ground beef to Italian sausage and a 50/50 mix produces the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
It goes without saying that your meatballs will be as good as the quality of the meat you use, so choose the highest quality you can find. Choose bland, overly fatty meat, and you'll get bland, greasy meatballs. 85 - 90% lean ground beef is ideal for meatballs that are juicy and moist. Try to find an Italian Sausage for which all the ingredients are recognizable and the fat content is close to 20%.
#2. Buttermilk makes meatballs tender and extra flavorful
Buttermilk is one of my all-time favorite ingredients to use in cooking and baking. It not only contributes flavor, the acid in buttermilk acts as a tenderizer, adding moisture and juiciness to these meatballs that you just can't get otherwise.
(Pro tip: Marinate a whole chicken in buttermilk for the BEST Roast Chicken ever.)
In this recipe, hunks of fresh bread are soaked in buttermilk until the bread absorbs most of the liquid. This soggy bread mixture will keep the meatballs moist AND help them stay together while they cook.
#3. A little bit of cheese goes a long way
The key with adding cheese to meatballs is to add just enough to boost the flavor without adding so much that they become more cheesy than meaty.
After trying several different combinations of cheeses, I settled on a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella. Parmesan contributes flavor and mozzarella contributes a satisfying amount of melty cheesy goodness without going overboard and interfering with the meaty texture.
#4. For the most flavorful meatballs, add a lot of fresh herbs, garlic, onions, and seasoning
If you want flavorful meatballs, you can't skimp on the garlic, onion, parsley and Italian seasoning. To add even more umami, I've also included a touch of Worcestershire sauce to both the meatballs and the marinara sauce.
#5. Brown the meatballs, then cook them low and slow in homemade marinara sauce
This recipe gives you the option of broiling or panfrying your meatballs until the outside is brown and crisp. Either option is good. If you have a large sheet pan or broiling pan, you can broil all the meatballs at once, which takes a bit less effort than pan frying them, which you'll need to do in batches.
The downside of broiling is that some meatball grease will likely splatter over the inside of your oven. This will happen if you pan fry them as well, but the splatters will be contained to your stovetop.
Since either method produces a gorgeously crips and flavorful crust on the meatballs, I usually make the decision based solely on whether I want to wipe up grease splatters from my stovetop or my oven. 🤷🏻♀️
After browning, pop the meatballs into the marinara sauce and let the whole thing cook in the oven for about an hour. The long cook time of the meatballs in the sauce is essential to getting the most flavorful, tender meatballs possible.
How to Make the Most Delicious Marinara Sauce Ever:
This. Sauce.
This sauce is guaranteed to make your house smell like an Italian grandmother moved in and started cooking for you.
I know of no better way, in fact, to draw my family (and probably at least a couple of my neighbors) to the dinner table than with a big pot of this marinara sauce simmering away on the stovetop. It will make your house smell so, sooooo good.
It's incredibly rich and thick, and packed with flavor that's both complex and comforting. While a long simmer is highly recommended, making this homemade marinara sauce is super simple.
Simply add some onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor, and process it into a paste.
Cook the herbs and vegetables in some olive oil to release all their flavors and soften the garlic and onion. Then add some of the crushed tomatoes, cooking them down until they are rich and concentrated before adding some red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and and more crushed tomatoes.
Let the sauce simmer away happily on the stovetop for about an hour until it looks like this....
Leftover Meatballs are the BEST
This recipe makes quite a few meatballs for a reason - Leftover Meatballs rock. Not only can they be used as the basis for several other meals throughout the week, they freeze beautifully.
Because of this, most of the time, I actually double the recipe. I figure, if I'm going to make homemade meatballs and marinara sauce at all, I might as well make a lot.
I also think this marinara sauce gets better with time. The next day, after all those flavors have been marinating together in the refrigerator, will find your sauce even richer and more delicious.
If you're making this as a part of Weekly Winter Meal Plan #3, you'll use leftover meatballs and marinara sauce to make Homemade Meatball Pizza, Indian Shrimp and Rice, and Meatball Sandwiches later in the week.
If you don't want to use leftover meatballs later in the week, simply divide them into portions, place them in zip-top bags or airtight containers, and freeze for up to 6 months.
More Family Favorite Recipes:
The {BEST} Classic Lasagna with Sausage and Marinara
The secret to the most delicious classic lasagna is to start with really, really good Homemade Marinara Sauce that's been slow simmered until it's rich and thick, and filling your whole house with the most intoxicating aroma. Stir in plenty of Italian sausage and then layer it up with sheets of pasta and lots and lots of cheese.
Bolognese Sauce {with Bacon and Wine}
Meaty, rich, slow simmered bolognese sauce is one of the world's all-time greatest comfort foods. This recipe with bacon and red wine is my favorite way to make this delicious classic Italian sauce.
How to Make Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan
How to make mouthwateringly delicious chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan – or both!
Spoiler alert! It’s all about the sauce.
Homemade Meatball Pizza with Pepperoni
Quick and easy homemade pizza dough, rich marinara sauce, tender, juicy meatballs and mozzarella cheese come together in a homemade meatball pizza that’s better than takeout.
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The BEST cheese enchiladas aren’t rolled – they’re layered. Easy cheese enchilada casserole requires just three ingredients: corn tortillas, a ridiculous amount of cheese, and a kick-ass red chili enchilada sauce. Layer it up with or without chicken for super easy cheese enchiladas with very little fuss.
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Eat this Pork Green Chili on its own, in big bowls, with warm flour tortillas for dipping. Or, use it to smother burritos, enchiladas, or Chili Rellenos. Or, spooned over eggs, or veggies, or rice and beans, or anything that strikes your
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Chicken Paprikash is one of those simple, no-frills, soul-soothing meals that warms you from the inside out. Deliciously tender pieces of chicken cooked in a rich paprika cream sauce and spooned over a plate of buttered noodles.
When it comes to comfort food, this dish is not messing around.
Weekly Meal Plans that Include Homemade Meatballs and Marinara Sauce:
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me, or take a picture and tag it @alittleandalot on Instagram.
Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
This Italian meatball marinara recipe includes a delicious balance of ground beef, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, buttermilk, cheese, onion, garlic, and tons of Italian seasoning. After briefly frying or broiling the meatballs, they are slowly baked in rich homemade marinara sauce until they are tender, juicy, and mouthwateringly delicious.
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINARA SAUCE:
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 8 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (62ml) olive oil
- Three 28 ounce/ 784g cans crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup (187ml) dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup (5g) fresh minced parsley
- ½ cup (10g) fresh minced basil
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- ¼ cup (62ml) olive oil (Omit if broiling. *See note.)
- 1 ½ cups (178g) of bread cubes cut or torn into ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb (16oz/ 450g) ground beef, 85 - 90% lean
- 1 pound (16oz/ 450g) ground Italian sausage, spicy or sweet
- 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten with a fork
- ½ cup (45g) grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
- ¾ cup (75g) grated mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup (15g) minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4-6 large cloves)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
MAKE THE MARINARA SAUCE:
- Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse until the ingredients form a paste.
- Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven and add the vegetable mixture. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes.
- Add one of the cans of crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and darkened in color - about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the wine, the rest of the crushed tomatoes, and the Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook, partially covered to avoid splatters, over medium low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. After cooking for an hour, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Stir in the fresh parsley, but reserve the basil. It will be added later, after the meatballs have cooked in the sauce.
*While the marinara sauce simmers away on the stove, make the meatballs.
MAKE THE MEATBALLS:
- If broiling the meatballs: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 450 degrees. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick spray. Alternatively, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and top with a wire baking rack. Spray the baking rack with non-stick spray.
- If frying the meatballs: Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Add ¼ cup olive oil to a large, heavy bottom skillet or saucepan and set aside.
- Add the bread cubes and buttermilk to a large bowl and let sit, mashing with a fork occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the bread is breaking down and the mixture resembles a paste.
- Add all remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl with the bread cubes and buttermilk. Mix with your hands until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Test the meatball seasoning: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Make one small meatball - about the size of a ping pong or golf ball. Fry the meatball in the skillet for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until deeply browned and crispy. Remove the meatball from the skillet, taste it for seasoning, and adjust your meatball mixture if necessary.
- Form the mixture balls that are about the size of a pingpong or golf ball and place on prepared broiler pan or baking rack, or sheet pan.
- To broil the meatballs: Broil meatballs for about 30 minutes, until they are well browned.
- To fry the meatballs: Set the skillet with olive oil in it over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add about 8 - 10 meatballs to the pan. Let cook, turning every so often, until the meatballs are browned on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs in the marinara sauce: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Nestle the meatballs in the marinara sauce. Cover and bake 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and gently stir in the fresh basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Notes
If broiling the meatballs (rather than pan frying), it's important to bake them on something that will allow the excess grease to drip out as they bake. A broiler pan is ideal, but you can also place a baking rack inside a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.
It’s important to use a heavy bottom, oven proof pot in which to cook meatballs in marinara sauce, like a dutch oven or stoneware casserole dish. If you don’t have a dutch oven, I encourage you to invest in one. They are extremely useful and will last for years. Mine generally gets used at least once a week, often much more than that.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
3 meatballsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1390mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 23g
Don says
I just can’t bring myself to put sauce on these meatballs, the flavor is so good. Perfect with pastas in garlic and oil or with crispy gnocchi in brown butter! (And I’m sure delicious in your marinara, too!)
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm so glad to hear that you like this recipe Don! And I don't blame you in the least for not wanting to smother these meatballs with sauce. 🙂 I've never served them with gnocchi and brown butter, but now I'm going to! Thank you so much for taking the time leave a comment! I truly appreciate it. xo
Barbara Meineke says
I made your meatballs on 7/27/21 for the first time and today 01/03/2022 made them again (doubled the recipe). They are delicious and I use a small ice cream scoop to make the right size and then roll them in my hands. They are the best. Thank you so much for this recipe. How is the best way to freeze them? I am putting them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper in the freezer…when they are frozen I package them in aluminum foil and pop them in a plastic freezer bag. Is this a good way to freeze them for later use? Thank you so much.
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Barbara! I'm so happy to hear that you like this recipe! Your method for freezing is exactly what I do. I usually package them in small groups of 6-8 because it seems like the smaller the package, the less likely there will be freezer burn. Also, I like being able to pull out just enough for my husband and I. But, freezing them on a cookie sheet before packaging them up for longer storage is definitely the best way to freeze them. Please let me know if you ever have any other questions! Happy new year! xo
Janice says
I loved this recipe for both the meatballs and Marinara sauce! Only issue I had is that some of meatballs disintegrated into the sauce...............still delicious but how can I avoid that in future.
Thanks.........Janice
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Janice! I'm so happy to hear that you like this recipe! To answer your question, it sounds like you just need to pack your meatballs a bit tighter. As you're forming them, squeeze the meat mixture together in your hand to compact it a bit, then roll it between your palms to round it into balls. The goal is to pack the meatballs tight enough so that they hold together without getting carried away and packing them so tightly that they are on the tough side. Sorry, I know that's not super specific... 🙂 But once you make them a couple of times, you'll start to get a feel for how tightly the meatballs should be packed to hold them together while they cook. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo
Kellie says
The best meatball recipe I’ve ever made or tasted. A little out probably on measurements as converting cups to grams but turned out fantastic 😊
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear this Kellie! I'm working on getting metric measurements published for all my recipes and haven't gotten to this one yet. I'll get that done this week. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it! xo
Michelle Reece says
This recipe was awesome. I had no italian sausage, so replaced it with tomato sauce (yeah, I know) and kept the rest of the ingredients as is, but the end result was superb! This is my go to recipe Rebecca. Thanks for sharing!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear this Michelle! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment to let me know you liked this recipe. It means more to me than I can express. xo
Ana says
Hello, Rebecca!
Thanks for sharing the recipe - am sure it is a winner, will try over the weekend! Would the tesult be very different if I use a heavy bottom stainless steel pot?
Thanks a lot,
Ana
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Ana! So happy to hear that you are going to give this recipe a try! It's fine to use a stainless steel pot - just give the sauce a stir from time to time to ensure that the sauce on the bottom of the pan doesn't burn. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think of these meatballs after you make them! xo
Ana says
Dear Rebecca,
It was a complete success!! All the group loved it and meatballs are the best we ever tasted - all your testing really paid off!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!! Ana
RebeccaBlackwell says
I can't tell you how happy I am to hear this Ana! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to let me know! I appreciate it more than I can say. xoxo
NancyT says
I would love to try these Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce; however, I cant use the broiler (it sets off the smoke detector every time). Can I partially bake these meatballs and finish cooking them in the marinara sauce? If so, what would be a good temp to bake these meatballs. Thanks!!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Nancy! Totally understand about using the broiler. Baking the meatballs will work fine... the only downside is that baking them won't give you a nice crust on the outside of the meatballs. They'll still taste great - they just won't have that slightly crispy exterior. I'd suggest baking them at 425 for about 20 minutes before putting them in the marinara sauce to finish them off. You could also follow the recipe instructions to fry the meatballs on the stove top. Frying the meatballs gives them a nice exterior crust, then you just pop them in the marinara sauce to finish. Does that help? Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think of these meatballs! xo
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Homemade meatballs are the best!! My father in law makes the BEST meatballs that I have never bothered to make any myself. But you are making me think.. I should get on it! Yours looks so good!!
Judy says
Just made this marinara sauce and of course it was the best I’ve ever made, perhaps the best I’ve ever had. Served it to friends who also raved about it. Nice and thick and rich and yummy. I used a little less red pepper and will use even less next time. Otherwise it was PERFECT.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm sooooo glad you liked this sauce! As always, I know I'm heavy on the pepper. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed it! xoxo