Ciao, friends! Meatballs in marinara is a magnificent Italian dish that is simply irresistible!
To create the most delicious Italian meatballs, this recipe uses a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, mixed with bread crumbs, buttermilk, cheese, onion, garlic, and a copious amount of Italian seasoning.
Once the meatballs are formed, you have two options - fry them on the stovetop or broil them to perfection. Either way will give the meatballs a gorgeous crispy exterior. Then simply nestle the meatballs in a rich, homemade marinara sauce and let them bake until they are tender, juicy, and mouthwateringly delicious.
Honestly, if my tastebuds were fully in charge of my life, I would eat baked meatballs in marinara every single week for the rest of my life. I love them that much. I love them on homemade spaghetti noodles, on meatball sandwiches, and on Meatball Pizza. I especially love them all by themselves, covered in a thick layer of melted mozzarella cheese.
This recipe is pure comfort food and the result of years of tweaking and testing, until the meatballs were tender, juicy, and packed with Italian flavor.
"These meatballs are the best we ever tasted - all your testing really paid off!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!! - Ana
"The best meatball marinara recipe I've ever made or tasted." - Kelli
Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Meatball Marinara
- 1 recipe Homemade Marinara Sauce (More about this incredible sauce below.)
- Extra virgin olive oil. You'll only need oil if your pan frying the meatballs. If you choose to broil them you can omit this ingredient.
- Bread cubes. Choose a good, flavorful, sturdy loaf of bread. The more flavorful the ingredients, the more flavorful the meatballs.
- Buttermilk.
- Worcestershire sauce. A bit of Worcestershire in both the meatballs AND the marinara sauce adds a subtle depth and umami that's irresistible.
- Ground beef. Choose high-quality beef that's between 85 - 90% lean.
- Ground Italian sausage. Like the ground beef, choose sausage that's high quality and either spicy or sweet depending on your tolerance for heat.
- A couple of eggs.
- Grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese and grated mozzarella.
- Fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley.
- A few cloves of garlic.
- Salt and ground black pepper.
- Dried Italian herb seasoning. I usually use Simply Organic Italian Seasoning or Newman's Own Italian Seasoning.
- Onion powder. I like Naturevibe Botanicals Organic Ground Onion Powder.
- A pinch of granulated sugar. Just a little bit of sugar in the meatball mix brightens up all the flavors to a surprising degree.
Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions
The first thing to consider is whether you'd like to pan-fry your meatballs or broil them. Depending on which method you choose, prepare your pan as follows:
- If you plan to broil the meatballs, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). You can use a broiler pan, a roasting pan with a flat rack, or a rimmed baking sheet and a wire cooling rack. If using a broiler pan, spray it with non-stick spray to keep the meatballs from sticking. If using a roasting pan or baking sheet, line the inside of the pan with foil for easy cleanup. If using a baking sheet, set a wire baking rack inside the baking sheet after lining the baking sheet with foil then spray the baking rack with non-stick spray.
- If frying the meatballs: Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil to a large, heavy bottom skillet or stockpot. Set both of the pans aside until ready to use.
Mixing up the meatball mixture is basically a 2-step process:
First, add the bread cubes and buttermilk to a large bowl and let them sit for a few minutes to soften. Every once in a while, mash them with a fork 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. I mean, you could use a spoon, but using your hands is really so much easier.
Pro tip! Before shaping the mixture into meatballs it's a good idea to test it for seasoning. Heat a little bit 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. Use a spatula to flatten it into a fat patty so the inside cooks as quickly as the outside. Fry the meatball in the skillet until the outside is deeply browned and crispy. Remove the meatball from the skillet, taste it for seasoning, and adjust your meatball mixture if necessary.
Once you've tested the meatball seasoning, shape it into balls that are about the size of a ping-pong or golf ball and place them on the prepared broiler pan, baking rack, or sheet pan.
- To broil the meatballs: Set the pan in the oven under the pre-heated broiler for about 30 minutes, until the meatballs 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 the meatballs cook, turning every now and then until they are browned on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Nestle the browned and crispy meatballs into the marinara sauce, cover the pan and bake for about an hour.
5 Tips for Italian Meatballs that are Tender and Juicy
#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 - here are 24 of my favorite buttermilk baking recipes. It contributes flavor and acts as a tenderizer, adding moisture and juiciness to these meatballs that you just can't get otherwise.
(By the way, if you marinate a whole chicken in buttermilk it makes 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.
AND, if you don't have any buttermilk, here are 7 ways to make it.
#3. A little bit of cheese goes a long way
The key to 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 maximum flavor, add a LOT of fresh herbs, garlic, onions, and Italian 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 first then let them bake in homemade marinara sauce.
This recipe gives you the option of broiling or panfrying your meatballs until the outside is brown and crisp. Both cooking methods produce a gorgeous dark brown crispy exterior so here are a couple of things to consider:
- 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.
So, pick your poison and start cooking.
After browning, pop the meatballs into the marinara sauce and let the whole thing cook in the oven for about an hour.
The Best Marinara Sauce for Meatballs
What good is it to make mouthwateringly delicious meatballs only to drown them in mediocre sauce????
Whether making meatballs in marinara, classic lasagna, stuffed shells, or just a humble plate of spaghetti, the SAUCE makes the meal.
My favorite homemade marinara sauce is incredibly rich and thick, and packed with flavor that's both complex and comforting. And, making this delicious 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 more crushed tomatoes.
Let the sauce simmer away happily on the stovetop for about an hour until it looks like this....
What to Do with Leftover Meatballs
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, but they also 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 the marinara sauce gets better with time. The next day, after all those flavors have marinated together in the refrigerator, the sauce gets even richer and more delicious.
My two favorite recipes that use leftover meatballs are:
If you don't end up using the leftover meatballs in other meals, here's how to freeze them:
- Set the meatballs on a foil-lined plate or baking sheet that's been sprayed with non-stick baking spray.
- Place in the freezer for about an hour, until the meatballs are getting hard but are not frozen through.
- Remove them to a zip-top bag or other container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Regardless of whether you're eating these meatballs straight from the pan, smothered in melted mozzarella cheese, piled over plates of homemade spaghetti noodles, or spooned onto buns for meatball sandwiches, I like to serve meatball marinara with some crusty bread and veggies or a salad. Here are a few of my favorites:
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.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Italian 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
- 1 recipe Homemade Marinara Sauce
- ¼ cup (1.34 ounces/ 50 grams) extra virgin olive oil (Omit if broiling the meatballs instead of frying them.)
- 1 ½ cups (178 grams) of bread cubes cut or torn into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup (8 ounces/ 227 grams) of buttermilk (*If you don't have buttermilk, here are 7 ways to make it)
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound (16 ounces/ 450 grams) ground beef, 85 - 90% lean
- 1 pound (16 ounces/ 450 grams) of ground Italian sausage, spicy or sweet
- 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten with a fork
- ½ cup (45 grams ) grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
- ¾ cup (75 grams) grated mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup (15 grams) minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4-6 large cloves)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
*Get the Marinara Sauce started first. While the marinara sauce simmers on the stovetop, make the meatballs.
- If broiling the meatballs: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Spray a broiler pan with non-stick spray. Or, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, top it with a wire baking rack, and spray the baking rack with non-stick spray. Or, line the inside of a roasting pan with foil, set the pan's flat rack inside the pan, and spray the rack with nonstick spray. (*See links to all of these pans below.)
- 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. Use a spatula to flatten the meatball into a fat patty so the inside cooks as quickly as the outside. 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 ping-pong or golf ball and place them on the 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 F (176 degrees C). Nestle the meatballs in the marinara sauce. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
Notes
- If broiling the meatballs, it's important to place them on something that will allow the excess grease to drip out as they bake. Good options include a broiler pan, a roasting pan with a rack, or a wire cooling rack set inside a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. (See links below.)
- It’s important to use a heavy-bottom, oven-proof pot in which to cook the meatballs in the marinara sauce. Good options include a Dutch oven, a stoneware casserole dish, or a large heavy-bottom saucepan.
- A delicious way to serve meatballs in marinara sauce is covered in melted mozzarella cheese. After baking, simply cover the meatballs with shredded or thinly sliced mozzarella and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to brown in places.
- My favorite way to eat meatball marinara is over homemade spaghetti noodles.
Recommended Products
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Range Kleen Broiler Pans -
LOVECASA Stoneware Large Casserole Dish with Lid -
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6 Quart, Red
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
~Chrissie O. says
I'm so torn here. The basic recipe is really pretty excellent (though, I have to dissuade the use of dried Italian Seasoning - use some fresh basil, oregano, parsley... and Worcestershire? No. Not for an Italian meatball.). The cheese is great. The dried bread is on-point, especially soaked with buttermilk, to give a great crumb helping the egg to bind. I regularly use a pork or turkey Italian Sausage, and add crushed red pepper to bump it a notch.
But I was taught to make "gravy" by a 1st-generation Sicilian immigrant. In her "gravy," there were pork ribs (to flavor the marinara), hot Italian sausage links, and we made homemade meatballs. They were absolutely never, ever broiled nor browned! They were simply formed and dropped into gently simmering gravy to release their fat and flavor, and become soft, tender, delicious, and sublimely perfect. Folks fished out what they most preferred over a huge family-style vat of pasta, and passed shredded mozzarella, Parmesan-Regianno, etc. Totally customizable (I could give a hoot for ribs or sausage - bring on the meatballs!!!).
I rarely make Cecille's traditional gravy with all 3 meats. But I ALWAYS make homemade gravy with home-canned tomatoes, and I ALWAYS simmer the meatballs in the gravy - they are sublime. Camille taught me if you cook the meatballs, you lose the flavor. I believe she's right on this point. The recipe is about 90% of the way there... But I thank you for putting it out there, and for posting!!! LEGIT - when soaking bread crumbs, absolutely use buttermilk or one of the alternatives!!! It truly makes a difference - the enzymes break down the fibrous muscle tissue in the meat and make the resulting meatballs unbelievably more tender!!! Even if you're a seasoned meatball-maker, try the buttermilk trick - you'll never go back!!!
Euan says
I’ve made this recipe twice across the last year or so and it is absolutely great, so congratulations on a very in depth recipe full of many quality ingredients ! What I have noticed each time though is … nothing beats that initial fried test meatball. It is honestly simply divine and one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten. I feel that the final stage of cooking the meatballs in the sauce actually dampens some of the flavours. And each time I’ve broiled them before as well. It’s interesting that if you look on YouTube there’s a video for a famous meatball restaurant in Philly, lo and behold they fry the meatball to completion and cook the sauce down separately then put together during plating. I’m going to do this recipe again this week, and follow this idea to let the recipe flourish even further !
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Euan! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I love that you are experimenting with how to get the most flavor from this recipe and love it even more that you're sharing the journey with us! I think this is a wonderful idea. Will you check in again to let me know how you feel this method impacts the final result? I can add a note in the recipe card for others who might want to do the same thing. xo
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