These Homemade Italian Meatballs are so easy to make and we're whipping up a big batch, so that we can freeze them for quick meals during the week. They are made from scratch with pork and beef, and the flavors are incredible.
I always used to make homemade meatballs, then I went though this lazy season of buying the store bought frozen ones. I was quickly turned off by the texture and taste of them, so I'm back to homemade.
This time, however, I'm working smarter and making big batches, so we can stick extras in the freezer and grab them for busy weeknights. The recipe I'm sharing makes between 65 and 70 meatballs, so I divided it into thirds and ate 1 batch the first night, then froze the other 2 batches for two more easy weeknight dinners.
You can simply bake them again or cook them right in sauce, which is my preferred method to keep them from drying out.
For more Shortcut Dinner recipes, try this Kielbasa and Pierogies, Asian Pork Dumplings, and Chicken Dinner Ideas with Rotisserie Chicken.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Big Batch. This recipe makes almost 70 meatballs, which is enough for 3 dinners for a family of 3-4, or 2 dinners if you have a big family.
- Quick. Ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
- Easy. Just mix together, roll and bake!
- Big on Taste. The flavor of these meatballs is 10x better than any meatballs you'll find in the frozen aisle.
- No weird ingredients. Skip the artificial ingredients and make them from scratch.
For more meatball recipes, try these Jalapeño Cranberry Meatballs, Meatball Sliders, Sweet Chili Meatballs, and Asian Turkey Meatballs.
Ingredients:
Ground Beef: I recommend 85/15 for this recipe because it won't dry out, but it also won't create a ton of grease on our cookie sheet.
Parmesan Cheese: Grate it from the block for the best texture. I always use Parmigiano Reggiano for it's superior taste, but it is a higher price tag as well. I buy it from Costco in bulk, which is definitely a bit cheaper.
*Find the full recipe ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Want more veggies? Add in ¼ cup minced onion, spinach or bell peppers.
- The Italian breadcrumbs can be swapped out with Panko bread crumbs.
- Ground Pork can be substituted with sweet, mild or spicy Italian sausage.
Sauce Choices:
These Homemade Meatballs taste amazing frozen or fresh in a sauce. Serve them over pasta, beside a salad, or with rice or this Garlic Risotto.
Here are some great sauce options:
*You can also use the frozen meatballs for this Slow Cooker Swedish Meatball Recipe.
How to Make Italian Meatballs:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl or in the stand mixer, add in ground beef, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese and spices. Mix together with hands or the beater attachment until just combined.
Step 2: Prepare a rimmed cookie sheet by spreading the olive oil out on the surface. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon from the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on cookie sheet and repeat. You should get between 60-70 meatballs. Note: You want to use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent grease from dripping off into the oven.
Step 3: Bake until the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 165 degrees, between 17-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Step 4: I made these earlier in the day, so I separated one batch of meatballs (22-25) to keep fresh by using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet. Then, I allowed them to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes before storing in a sealed container and placing in the fridge for dinner that night (see freezer instructions below).
How to Freeze Homemade Meatballs:
Step 1: Allow the meatballs to cool on the counter for 15 minutes. Give the meatballs a quick spatula scrape to loosen them from the pan. Transfer the cookie sheet with meatballs to the freezer (or place them on plate if it's too big). Freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove from the freezer and place the meatballs in freezer bags (use within 3-4 weeks) or vacuum seal.
Step 2: My Vacuum Sealer is my best friend and this thing saves me so much time and money. Once the meatballs are partially frozen, separate them into two freezer seal bags and vacuum seal. It will get the air out of the bags, so they don't freezer burn and you can keep them fresh way longer. If vacuum sealed, use within 2-3 months.
Expert Tips:
- Chop the garlic up really fine for these meatballs.
- Don't over mix the ingredients.
- Try to roll the meatballs the same size, about 1 heaping tablespoon, to keep cook time similar.
- Rely on temperature over bake time. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165 degrees before removing from the oven.
Serve the Baked Meatballs over this Brown Butter Gnocchi, Zucchini Risotto, or Pesto Cream Pasta.
More Italian Recipes You'll Love:
If you tried this Big Batch Homemade Meatballs Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Homemade Frozen Italian Meatballs (Big Batch)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 65 Meatballs 1x
Description
These Homemade Italian Meatballs are so easy to make and we're whipping up a big batch, so that we can freeze them for quick meals during the week. They are made from scratch with pork and beef, and the flavors are incredible.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated from the block
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for coating cookie sheet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl or in the stand mixer, add in ground beef, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese and spices. Mix together with hands or the beater attachment until just combined.
- Prepare a rimmed cookie sheet by spreading the olive oil out on the surface. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon from the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on cookie sheet and repeat. You should get between 60-70 meatballs. Note: You want to use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent grease from dripping off into the oven.
- Bake until the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 165 degrees, between 17-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
- I made these earlier in the day, so I separated one batch of meatballs to keep fresh by using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet. Then, I allowed them to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes before storing in a sealed container and placing in the fridge for dinner that night (see freezer instructions next.)
- To freeze Meatballs: Allow the meatballs to cool on the counter for 15 minutes. Give the meatballs a quick spatula scrape to loosen them from the pan. Transfer the cookie sheet with meatballs to the freezer (or place them on plate if it's too big). Freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove from the freezer and place the meatballs in freezer bags (use within 3-4 weeks) or vacuum seal.
- My Vacuum Sealer is my best friend and I swear this thing saves me so much time and money. Once the meatballs are partially frozen, separate them into two freezer seal bags and vacuum seal. It will get the air out of the bags, so they don't freezer burn and you can keep them fresh way longer. If vacuum sealed, use within 2-3 months.
Notes
- Chop the garlic up really fine for these meatballs.
- Don't over mix the ingredients.
- Try to roll the meatballs the same size, about 1 heaping tablespoon, to keep cook time similar.
- Rely on temperature over bake time. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165 degrees before removing from the oven.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
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