; Print

Homemade Frozen Italian Meatballs (Big Batch)

Italian meatballs and frozen batches.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

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
  • 1/4 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

  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.
  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.
  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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. 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. 

Equipment

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. 

Find it online: https://simplymadeeats.com/21207/homemade-italian-meatballs/