Oven baked meatballs in sauce are perfect for busy weeknights! Instead of standing at the stove to pan-fry meatballs in batches, you can bake them for 10 minutes while you stir together a homemade marinara. Perfect with pasta, rice, or bread!
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If you love homemade meatballs, be sure to try Aunt Bee’s Swedish meatballs recipe, porcupine meatballs, and these bbq meatballs, too.
You’ll Love the Ease of these Oven Baked Meatballs in Sauce
This is truly the best baked meatball recipe! They’re simple to prepare with basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen; they’re hands-off and don’t require babysitting at the stovetop; and they’re delicious on pasta, inside subs, or with a loaf of crusty garlic bread. You can’t beat a classic family favorite!
I’ve provided instructions for a homemade marinara sauce here, but you can even skip that step and serve the meatballs on their own (no sauce!), or just toss them with a jar of your favorite store-bought sauce (we love Rao’s brand). They’re versatile, quick, and even freezer-friendly!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Browning or frying meatballs in a skillet adds color, flavor, and a seared texture to the outside — but it’s definitely not necessary! Baked meatballs are quicker and healthier. Since you’re adding these meatballs to a pan of sauce at the end, and since they’re already loaded with so much great flavor, no one will ever know that you took a little shortcut!
- We love the flavor of “meatloaf mix” in this recipe, which is a combination of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal. See my suggestions below for substitutions.
- Milk combines with the Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs to create a “panade,” which acts as a binding agent and (more importantly) prevents the meatballs from drying out. The milk activates the starch in the breadcrumbs to form a gel. This behaves similarly to a fat by lubricating the meat’s protein fibers and preventing them from becoming tough.
Directions
Skip the frozen package of prepared meatballs, because you can make baked meatballs in the oven from scratch in just minutes. Tender and light on the inside, and touched with subtle notes of Italian herbs, garlic, and Parmesan, this easy recipe comes out perfectly every time. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands or a fork for this step — not a wooden spoon. The more gentle you can be, the more light and tender your meatballs will stay. Don’t overmix, or you’ll end up with tough, dense, or dry meatballs.
- Chill the meat mixture for 1 hour, if time allows. This will make it easier to roll them out.
- Roll the meat mixture into 1 ½-inch balls. A cookie dough scoop helps form even meatballs that cook in about the same amount of time. They should be about the same size as golf balls. Coat your hands with a little bit of olive oil periodically as you’re shaping the meatballs. The oil prevents the meat from sticking to your hands, and also helps the outside of the meatballs brown when they’re in the oven.
- Bake the meatballs in a 425°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- While the meatballs bake, simmer the marinara sauce on the stovetop.
- Add the baked juicy meatballs to the sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes. This will give the meatballs a chance to absorb some of the flavors from the sauce, bringing the whole dish together!
Watch How to Bake Meatballs in the Oven
Serving Suggestions
Oven baked meatballs in sauce are delicious over pasta (or added to this quick spinach tomato pasta recipe), but they’re also great in meatball subs, over rice, or with a loaf of crusty Dutch oven bread, a French baguette bread recipe, garlic bread, no-knead cast iron focaccia, or Italian appetizers. For veggies, try a classic Caesar salad, this garlic roasted broccoli recipe, oven roasted asparagus, sauteed spinach with garlic, green beans and mushrooms, or a simple green salad dressed in red wine vinegar salad dressing or balsamic vinaigrette.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can shape the meatballs, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you need a quick dinner, just pull them out and pop them into the oven! You can also freeze the raw meatballs to enjoy them at a later date (see the freezing instructions below).
- How to Store: Leftover meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, just until warmed through.
- How to Freeze Uncooked Meatballs: To freeze raw meatballs that you’ll bake later, arrange the raw meatballs on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, and then transfer to a large Ziploc freezer bag. Freezing them on the baking sheet first will prevent the meatballs from sticking together or falling apart. You will need to add a few extra minutes to the total baking time if you’re baking the meatballs directly from the freezer.
- How to Freeze Cooked Meatballs: Bake as instructed in the recipe, cool to room temperature, and then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. When the meatballs are frozen, transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag. The meatballs will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Watch How to Make It
Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground “meatloaf mix” (a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal) (see my note below for substitutions)
- ¼ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or sub with ½ teaspoon dried basil)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (reduce to 1 tablespoon for a less-sweet sauce)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional, for serving: cooked pasta, bread, additional fresh herbs, additional Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- In a large bowl, use your hands or a fork to gently combine all of the meatball ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. If time allows, cover the bowl and chill for about 1 hour (this is optional, but will make the meatballs easier to shape).
Bake the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a scoop to shape the meat mixture into 1 ½-inch balls. Tip: rub your hands with a little bit of oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Make the Sauce
- While the meatballs bake in the oven, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, parsley, basil, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or sugar, if necessary.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 more minutes so that the meatballs can absorb the flavors from the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Baked Meatball Recipe Variations
- Double the recipe. Using 1 lb. of meat yields about 21 meatballs. If you’d like to prepare a larger batch to feed a group or to save leftovers in the freezer for another meal, just double all of the ingredients.
- Use other meats. I prefer the “meatloaf mix” because the blend of three different types of meat yields meatballs with so much flavor! That said, you can substitute with a 50/50 blend of ground beef and ground pork, or use all ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, Italian sausage, or ground pork. Just make sure that the meat totals 1 lb. and is about 85% lean. If using chicken or turkey, cook the meatballs to an internal temperature of 165°F instead of 160°F.
- Instead of preparing the marinara sauce shown here, take a shortcut and toss the meatballs in a jar of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce.
- Include ½ cup finely-minced or grated fresh onion for moisture and flavor in the meatballs. A dash of onion powder is also good!
- Add crushed red pepper flakes for spicy meatballs.
More Meatball Recipes to Try
Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
55 minutes mins
30-Minute Meatball Tortellini Soup
35 minutes mins
Originally published in July 2021, this post was updated in March 2025.
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