Chef John's Italian Meatballs
Chef John's Italian Meatballs are tender, juicy, and flavorful, baked for easy cleanup.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Skillet
- mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
breads and dairy
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
meat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
vegetables and herbs
- 1 onion, diced
- ¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
seasonings
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preparation
- 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
These meatballs are very easy to make, as they skip the messy step of pan-frying. They can be frozen for up to three months if prepared in advance.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatballCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 617mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
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