Grandma’s meatball recipe is the ultimate family comfort food! Spheres of ground beef broil until golden brown, then simmer in a flavorful tomato sauce until tender and juicy. Serve over spaghetti noodles or your favorite pasta.
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Before we got married, my husband, Jason, wanted to make sure I knew how to make all his favorite meals. He comes from an Italian family where a love of food is their bond. After calling up Grandma Rose to ask for her meatball recipe, I learned that she doesn’t use a list of specific measurements and cooks by feel. As a culinary scientist who craves details, I had some homework to do.
After years of testing, that’s how long we dated for; I finally figured it out! The most important elements are the breadcrumb mixture to retain juiciness, broiling to create surface flavors, and simmering to tenderize the beef. This recipe makes plenty of servings to use with pasta or sandwiches, and the leftovers taste even better.
Meat selection
I use ground beef between 80% (ground chuck) to 90% (ground sirloin). The percentage corresponds to the amount of lean meat-to-fat that’s processed together. Fat adds flavor, while the meat provides a contrast in texture.
Grandma did say she uses a mixture of veal and pork on occasion, in addition to the beef. For this recipe, you can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken for a healthier alternative.
Using a panade
If using breadcrumbs, you do not have to soak them in liquid before mixing with the meat like I normally would for a classic panade. That’s because the breadcrumbs’ size is so fine that the moisture from the eggs and fat juices in the ground beef is sufficient.
Once you mix and broil, the liquids will absorb into the crumbs and activate the natural starches. During the simmering process, the starches further bind to the liquid and swell to lock in the juices.
Breadcrumb selection
I recommend using plain breadcrumbs then adding in dried Italian seasonings for herbaceous notes. You can use premade Italian-style breadcrumbs for convenience, but I prefer to control the level of seasonings.
Alternatively, if I have leftover bread, I make fresh breadcrumbs in a food processor then bake them until dry for a tastier meatball. This option works well for those that want to make gluten-free breadcrumbs if none are available at the market.
Recipe Resources
Broiling creates new flavors
Grandma’s Rose adamantly advises broiling the meatballs before simmering them in the sauce. This process is an integral step in keeping the meat together during simmering and enhancing the surface flavor and texture. The meatballs cook under the broiler on one side, then flip to get the bottoms browned as well.
Grandma was a smart woman! Without realizing it, she was telling me to make sure the Maillard reaction is done and executed just right. In culinary school, I learned that Maillard browning is key to creating hundreds of new flavor compounds and aromas in a dish.
Meat-to-bread ratio
The correct ratio of meat-to-breadcrumb and fat for flavor is crucial to nailing the recipe. If there are too few or too many breadcrumbs, the texture is off (tough or spongy). I find the perfect sweet spot is: 1 pound beef, ½ cup breadcrumbs, and 1 large egg.
Make an easy tomato sauce
Foods rich in glutamates like onions, garlic, and tomatoes serve to boost the meatballs’ savory flavors. Minced garlic and onion saute with the tomato paste to add a hint of sweetness and depth to the sauce. High quality crushed canned tomatoes create a thick but pourable consistency. I make the sauce and simmer it briefly for about 30 minutes while preparing the meatballs.
A good sauce takes time
Slowly simmering the meatballs in the sauce for over an hour allows the liquid to coax out the appetizing browned flavors from the meat. The braising process and acids in the tomato help to soften the tougher connective tissue in the beef, so that each bite breaks down with little resistance. The sauce flavor concentrates over the long cooking period.
This recipe is also ideal to be made in a slow cooker, about 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Jason reminds me that the sauce needs to be thick so that it can cling to the noodles. It’s easy to adjust the consistency with a little water or beef stock to your liking at the end of cooking.
What to serve this with
How to prevent meatballs from shrinking
Adding breadcrumbs to the ground meat mixture creates a starchy paste that holds the moisture in and prevents shrinkage. Usually, when meat cooks, the muscle fibers’ proteins tighten and contract, which causes large amounts of water to squeeze out. If you do not use a classic panade or breadcrumbs, the meatballs will reduce in size and tend to become dry or tough.
Grandma’s Italian Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onions, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 7 cups crushed canned tomatoes, Cento or San Marzano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80% to 90% lean meat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, plain or Italian-style
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings, omit if using Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup sliced basil, for garnish
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic, sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered, with lid slightly ajar to prevent splattering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meatballs
- Set the oven rack to the lower-middle position and set it to broil. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. Set aside.In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, minced onion, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Use hands to mix thoroughly until combined.
- Measure and roll the ground beef mixture into ⅓ cup (3 ounces) rounds, about the size of an egg. Evenly space the pieces on the baking sheet, there should be about 14 to 15 meatballs.
- Broil the meatballs until the surface is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the other side.
- Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, simmer on low heat for at least 1 ½ hours, checking and stirring every 20 minutes, or as needed. The meatballs should be fork tender when sliced.
- At the end of cooking, adjust the consistency of the sauce with water if needed, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve meatballs with spaghetti topped with sauce, sliced basil, and Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Storing: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Uncooked meatballs can be stored in a large freezer bag for up to 1 month in the freezer. Defrost before broiling. Cooked meatballs and sauce can be frozen for up to 1 month, then defrosting and reheated on the stovetop until hot.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour.
- Make it in the slow cooker: Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sauce ingredients to the slow cooker and broiled meatballs. Cook on high setting for 3 hours, or 6 hours on the low setting.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Denise says
This was a huge hit. I come from an Italian family and long line of good cooks. My grandma made sauce and meatballs every Sunday. I never had to make my own because she and my mom always kept us supplied and always had sauce and meatballs, but now I need to make my own and didn’t know where to start. This sounded really similar to the way my grandma made her meatballs, and they were utterly delicious. I used a mix of ground beef and ground turkey and they were delicious. So tender, perfect amount of spices. I honestly don’t think I would change a thing. Broiling before throwing them in the sauce was ingenious.
I hate the mess frying makes and dropping them in raw always made me nervous, as they’d easily fall apart or burn on the bottom. So happy to have found your recipe. The sauce was really delicious, too. I did brown a few sausage links and add those with the meatballs (I think you can easily adapt the sauce to your liking) but the base recipe as is was truly delicious. I know. I’ve had a lot of sauce in my life! Thank you for the step by step directions. It gave me the confidence to do this on my own!!!
Jessica Gavin says
You rock, Denise! I love your tasty modifications to the meatballs and sauce. I’ll have to try the ground beef and turkey combination. I love that you are keeping your families tradition going!
Patrick Mullen says
Great video! I’m making these meatballs tonight. Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks, Patrick! I can’t wait to hear what you think about the video.
harper says
My husband and 16 month old son absolutely love this recipe! My husband has since asked me to make this meal several times.
Jessica Gavin says
That makes me so happy to hear the whole family enjoyed the meatball recipe!
B. Donovan says
Excited to make these!! If I want to cook some of them in the oven rather than in the sauce (for my picky toddler), how long should I cook them?
Jessica Gavin says
I would add a few extra minutes of broiling after flipping over until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center. Cook the meatballs in the oven until they reach 160°F.
Jeff says
Best meatball recipe I’ve ever found. I was looking for something better than I’ve been making. Made these last night and this recipe will replace my current one. Great flavor and texture. Broiler makes things a lot easier too. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, what a compliment! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the meatball recipe, and it will be making it to the dinner rotation. Happy cooking!
Beverly says
Wonderful recipe! Will be my go to for spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Made a couple changes for my family. Added mushrooms and more garlic to sauce, and we love to add some cabernet sauvignon to the sauce. My family loved it!!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of the wine and mushrooms to the sauce!
Alyson says
I’m planning on making these for my son’s birthday party. Would it work to make the meatballs the night before and then add to the slow cooker with the sauce the day of the party? Or is it better for the meatballs to be added to the sauce right after broiling?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Alyson- I’ve done them both ways! If you are planning to cook the meatballs in the sauce for several hours the day of serving, then they will taste delicious!
Lynnmarie says
This recipe is wonderful, meatballs are amazing! Just take your time, this is a slow as you go. Definitely worth every minute
Jessica Gavin says
Great advice! So happy to hear that you enjoyed making the meatball recipe!
Luba says
Thank you for grate recipe!
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome!
Jean says
These were absolutely delicious! I did them according to the recipe and cooked them in a slow cooker. The only thing that I changed was to sauté the onions and garlic and tomato paste on the stove in the olive oil before adding them to the slow cooker. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job making the meatballs in the slow cooker! Great idea to saute the onions and paste first to remove the sulphurous flavor and concentrate the tomato flavor.
Tiffany says
I doubled this recipe and used a mixture of beef, veal, and Italian sausage. I made the sauce in my instapot on the slow cooker setting. I added extra garlic, basil, and Italian seasons to the sauce while cooking with the meatballs.
It was such a big hit that most people bypassed the pasta for more meatballs instead. I will definitely make this again.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the combination of three types of meat for the meatballs. Great to hear that it worked will using the slow cooker setting on your instant pot to make the sauce. Bravo!
Bryan LaFree says
Easy to follow recipe. Very good, will make again.