These baked meatballs come out tender and juicy every time, and they cook hands-off in the oven while you stir together a quick homemade marinara on the stovetop. No standing over a skillet turning batches, and dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes!
More easy meatball dinners:
Before You Get Started
Meatballs are forgiving, but a few small things decide whether they come out tender or tough. Here is what matters most:
- Don’t overwork the meat: Use your fingers or a fork and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. Overworking the meat is what makes meatballs dense.
- Don’t skip the milk: It softens the breadcrumbs into a panade, which is what keeps the centers moist instead of crumbly.
- Oil your hands before shaping: A little olive oil keeps the meat from sticking and helps the outsides brown in the oven.
- Use 85% lean meat: Anything leaner bakes up dry. A beef, pork, and veal blend has the best flavor, but beef and pork works too.
How to Make Baked Meatballs
The meatballs and the sauce come together at the same time, so the oven does its work while you stay at the stove.
Step 1: Mix the Meatballs
Add the ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, Parmesan, and seasonings to a large bowl. Work the mixture with your fingers or a fork, folding rather than stirring, and stop when everything looks evenly combined.
It should feel soft and a little loose, not packed. A wooden spoon compresses the meat, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.
⇢ Option Meat Swap: Use a 50/50 beef and pork blend, all beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage. Keep it around 85% lean, and cook poultry to 165°F instead of 160°F.
⇢ Add grated onion for extra moisture: A half cup of finely grated fresh onion works into the mixture without any crunch, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes adds gentle heat.
Step 2: Chill the Mixture
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about an hour if you have the time. Cold meat holds its shape and rolls into neat rounds instead of sticking to your palms.
This step is optional, so skip it on a weeknight and shape the meatballs right away. They will look slightly more rustic and taste exactly the same.
Step 3: Shape the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the mixture into 1 ½-inch balls, roughly the size of a golf ball, and roll them lightly between your palms. A cookie scoop is the fastest way to keep them even, and even sizing matters here because it means they all finish at the same time.
Rub a little olive oil on your hands every few meatballs to keep things from sticking.
Arrange them in a single layer with a bit of space between each one. Crowded meatballs steam instead of browning.
⇢ Doubling is easy: One pound of meat makes about 21 meatballs. Double everything and use two sheet pans rather than crowding one.
Step 4: Bake at 425°F
Bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, until the meatballs reach 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
A hot oven is key. At 350°F the meatballs need closer to 20 minutes, and that extra time in dry heat is what pulls moisture out of the centers. At 425°F the outsides brown quickly and the insides finish before they have a chance to dry out.
Leave them uncovered so that browning can actually happen, and resist the urge to flip them. They brown on the bottom against the hot pan and hold their shape better when left alone.
No thermometer? Press one gently with a fingertip. It should feel firm and springy rather than soft. Cut one open to check if you are unsure: the center should be evenly browned with no pink, and the juices should run clear.
⇢ No skillet, no batches: Frying gives you a browned crust, but it also means standing over a spattering pan turning meatballs a few at a time. Baking cooks them all at once and holds their round shape better, and the browning you lose comes back when they simmer in the sauce. If you do want the stovetop version, my Homemade Meatballs covers it.
Step 5: Make the Marinara
While the meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for one minute. Cooking the paste briefly like this deepens its flavor and takes away the raw, tinny edge it has straight from the can.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, herbs, and seasonings. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Taste before you finish and adjust the salt or sugar.
⇢ Short on time? A jar of store-bought marinara works perfectly well here. If you would rather make a batch ahead, my Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe keeps in the fridge for days.
Step 6: Finish the Meatballs in the Sauce
Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and stir gently to coat. Let everything cook together for 2 to 3 minutes.
This short simmer is what pulls the dish together: the meatballs pick up the tomato and herbs, and the sauce takes on a little richness from the meat.
What to Serve With Baked Meatballs
Bread or pasta are always winners here! Something to catch the extra sauce turns this into a full supper without much effort. Beyond that, a simple green vegetable or a crisp salad is all you need, since the meatballs and sauce are doing the heavy lifting.
Bread and rolls
Vegetables and salads
Of course, some spaghetti underneath is never wrong either.
Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead
How to Store: Leftover meatballs keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Store them in the sauce, which keeps them from drying out.
Make Ahead: Shape the raw meatballs, cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull them out and bake straight from the fridge when you need dinner in a hurry.
How to Freeze Raw Meatballs: Arrange the shaped meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a large freezer bag. Freezing them separated first keeps them from clumping together or falling apart. Bake straight from frozen at 425°F, adding about 5 to 7 minutes to the baking time, and check for 160°F before pulling them out.
How to Freeze Cooked Meatballs: Bake as directed, cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in sauce.
How to Reheat: Warm the meatballs in sauce on the stovetop over low heat until heated through, or microwave individual portions just until hot. Low and slow is the rule here, since high heat will toughen them.
Ways to use your meatballs:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my baked meatballs dry?
Almost always one of two things. The first is overmixing. Working the meat too hard compacts the proteins and squeezes out moisture, so fold gently and stop as soon as everything comes together.
The second is leaving out the milk or using very lean meat. The milk soaks into the breadcrumbs and forms a gel that keeps the interior soft as it bakes, and meat leaner than 85% simply does not have enough fat to stay juicy in a hot oven.
If you have had trouble before, check both of those before adjusting the temperature.
Do I have to chill the meat mixture for an hour?
No. The chill makes the mixture firmer and easier to roll into tidy rounds, but it has no effect on flavor or texture in the finished meatballs. Skip it on a busy night and shape them right away. Oiling your hands helps a lot when the mixture is still soft.
Can I bake the meatballs right in the sauce instead?
You can, though you lose the browning that gives baked meatballs their flavor. Meatballs submerged in sauce essentially poach, which produces a softer, paler result. Baking them dry first and then giving them a few minutes in the sauce gets you both the browned exterior and the flavor from the simmer. If you do want to bake them in sauce, plan on 25 to 30 minutes at 375°F.
Why did my meatballs fall apart?
Usually a binder problem. The egg and breadcrumbs are what hold everything together, so measure them rather than eyeballing. Skimping on the breadcrumbs or using a very wet mixture leaves nothing to bind the meat.
Rolling too loosely can also do it, so give each one a gentle press as you shape it. Baking helps here too, since meatballs on a sheet pan are not being jostled the way they are in a skillet.
More Cozy Italian Dinners
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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 it makes 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, rubbing your hands with a little olive oil to keep the meat from sticking. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer with space between them.
- Bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not flip them.
Make the Sauce
- While the meatballs bake, 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 the 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 to 15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or sugar if needed.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 more minutes so that the meatballs can absorb the flavors from the sauce.
Notes
- Meat substitutions: The “meatloaf mix” blend of beef, pork, and veal gives the best flavor, but you can use a 50/50 blend of beef and pork, all ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, Italian sausage, or ground pork. Keep the total at 1 lb. and around 85% lean. Cook chicken or turkey meatballs to 165°F instead of 160°F.
- Don’t skip the milk. It combines with the breadcrumbs to form a panade, which keeps the meatballs tender instead of dense.
- Mix gently. Overworking the meat is the most common cause of dry, tough meatballs.
- Sauce shortcut: Skip the homemade marinara and toss the baked meatballs with a jar of your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Yield: 1 lb. of meat makes about 21 meatballs. Double the recipe and use two sheet pans if you need more.
- Baking from frozen: Bake raw frozen meatballs straight from the freezer at 425°F, adding about 5 to 7 minutes and checking for an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in the sauce for 3 to 4 days, or freeze cooked meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low heat.
Nutrition
Originally published in July, 2021, this post was updated in September, 2026.
This looks wonderful! I’ve recently started adding shredded squash or zucchini into most dishes that use ground meat but I’m not sure if that would work here. I see your note about using onion for moisture. Do you think a cup of shredded squash would add too much moisture?
Hi, Shannon! Shredded zucchini would be a nice addition. For this 1-pound batch, I’d use about ½ cup of shredded zucchini after squeezing it dry. You can start with roughly 1 cup freshly shredded, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as you can. Mix it in gently with the other ingredients. The meatballs should still be tender and hold their shape; if the mixture feels too loose, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs. I hope you enjoy them!