How to Make Juicy Meatballs
- PREP 20min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 40min
This is our essential meatball recipe. It’s quick to make, calls on ingredients we always have, and makes delicious, juicy, tender, and flavorful meatballs. The recipe calls for one pound of ground meat. The meat you choose is up to you. We especially love using a combination of ground pork and ground turkey.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) ground meat, like ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or a combination
1/2 cup (35g) breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers
1/2 cup (118ml) milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup (14g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil for cooking
Directions
How to Make Meatballs
Stir breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl, and then let sit for 5 minutes. Add the egg, cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended.
Add the ground meat and mix everything until combined, using a fork or your fingers. Try not to over mix for the most tender meatballs.
Wet your hands, then form the mixture into small balls (1 inch to 1 ¼ inch balls). You should get about 35 meatballs. A small cookie scoop is useful for portioning the meatballs.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a wide Dutch oven or nonstick pan over medium heat.
Place the meatballs down into the hot oil and cook until they are cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer for about 15 minutes. Depending on the shape or size of your skillet, you might need to do this in two batches.
For Baked Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat.
Place formed meatballs onto the baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each meatball. Lightly spray the top of the meatballs with cooking spray or brush with oil.
Bake until they are cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Simmer meatballs in sauce: Follow the instructions shared in this turkey meatball recipe.
- Slow cooker meatballs: Simmer meatballs in your favorite sauce for 4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH. See these slow cooker chicken meatballs for more tips.
- Air fryer meatballs: Preheat to 375°F and air fry the meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We included 8 ounces of ground turkey and 8 ounces of ground pork for the calculations.