Chef John's Italian Meatballs
Delicious and easy-to-make Italian meatballs using a blend of ground beef and pork.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Skillet
- Mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
Breading and Dairy
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Meat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
Vegetables and Seasonings
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- 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 onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until 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
For best results, use a mixture of ground beef and pork with a lean-to-fat ratio of 80% lean to 20% fat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatballCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 617mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
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