Classic Italian meatballs are easy-to-make proteins that home cooks brown in the oven, then simmer in a traditional pasta sauce on the stovetop. Learn how to make a cozy, protein-packed dish that the whole family will enjoy.


Italian Meatballs Recipe: How to Make Italian Meatballs

Italian meatballs consist of a combination of ground meats (like pork, beef, turkey, Italian sausage, and veal), [breadcrumbs](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe), cheeses, herbs, and other pantry staples. Home cooks mold this meat mixture into little balls, bake them, and then simmer them in a simple [marinara sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pomodoro-sauce-vs-marinara-explained). 

Enjoy this classic Italian-American dish as an appetizer or main course. Try the protein on a meatball sub, on top of a plate of spaghetti, or with creamy [polenta](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-italian-polenta). 

Making this classic Italian-American comfort food is straightforward. Follow these tips to make the best Italian meatballs possible. 

1. __Experiment with ingredients__. Adapt a classic Italian meatball to include your favorite Italian-inspired spices, dried and fresh herbs, cheeses, condiments, and breadcrumbs. Substitute lean ground beef for ground turkey for a lighter meatball. Use a breadcrumb mixture pre-seasoned with [Italian seasoning](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/italian-spices-list) for extra flavor. Finish the dish in a simple store-bought tomato sauce, homemade [marinara sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce), or another Italian red sauce (like [puttanesca](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe)) to complete the recipe. 
2. __Use a scoop for portioning__.  It’s important to keep the size of your meatballs consistent to prevent them from cooking unevenly. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to measure out the exact portion size of each meatball. 
3. __Store properly__. Store cooked or raw leftover homemade meatballs in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer (with or without marinara sauce) for up to 3 months. Alternatively, [freeze raw meatballs](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-freeze-meatballs) for later use by flash-freezing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer until they are solid, then transferring them to a freezer bag. Frozen raw meatballs will keep for up to 3 months. 
Classic Italian meatballs are easy-to-make proteins that home cooks brown in the oven, then simmer in a traditional pasta sauce on the stovetop. Learn how to make a cozy, protein-packed dish that the whole family will enjoy.


Italian meatballs consist of a combination of ground meats (like pork, beef, turkey, Italian sausage, and veal), <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe","linkCopy":"breadcrumbs","category":null}'>breadcrumbs</a>, cheeses, herbs, and other pantry staples. Home cooks mold this meat mixture into little balls, bake them, and then simmer them in a simple <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pomodoro-sauce-vs-marinara-explained' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pomodoro-sauce-vs-marinara-explained","linkCopy":"marinara sauce","category":null}'>marinara sauce</a>. Enjoy this classic Italian-American dish as an appetizer or main course. Try the protein on a meatball sub, on top of a plate of spaghetti, or with creamy <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-italian-polenta' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-italian-polenta","linkCopy":"polenta","category":null}'>polenta</a>.

What Are Italian Meatballs?

Making this classic Italian-American comfort food is straightforward. Follow these tips to make the best Italian meatballs possible. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Experiment with ingredients. Adapt a classic Italian meatball to include your favorite Italian-inspired spices, dried and fresh herbs, cheeses, condiments, and breadcrumbs. Substitute lean ground beef for ground turkey for a lighter meatball. Use a breadcrumb mixture pre-seasoned with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/italian-spices-list' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/italian-spices-list","linkCopy":"Italian seasoning","category":null}'>Italian seasoning</a> for extra flavor. Finish the dish in a simple store-bought tomato sauce, homemade <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce","linkCopy":"marinara sauce","category":null}'>marinara sauce</a>, or another Italian red sauce (like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe","linkCopy":"puttanesca","category":null}'>puttanesca</a>) to complete the recipe. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Use a scoop for portioning. It’s important to keep the size of your meatballs consistent to prevent them from cooking unevenly. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to measure out the exact portion size of each meatball. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Store properly. Store cooked or raw leftover homemade meatballs in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer (with or without marinara sauce) for up to 3 months. Alternatively, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-freeze-meatballs' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-freeze-meatballs","linkCopy":"freeze raw meatballs","category":null}'>freeze raw meatballs</a> for later use by flash-freezing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer until they are solid, then transferring them to a freezer bag. Frozen raw meatballs will keep for up to 3 months. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Italian Meatballs

Easy Italian Meatball Recipe

Classic Italian meatballs are easy-to-make proteins that home cooks brown in the oven, then simmer in a traditional pasta sauce on the stovetop. Learn how to make a cozy, protein-packed dish that the whole family will enjoy.