Chef John's Italian Meatballs
Homemade meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. You can substitute water or beef broth for the milk, if preferred.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 30 persons
Ingredients
- ⅓cup plain bread crumbs
- ½cup milk
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1onion, diced
- 1pound ground beef
- 1pound ground pork
- 2eggs
- ¼bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3cloves garlic, crushed
- 2teaspoons salt
- 1teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Step 1
Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.Step 2
Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.Step 3
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender, about 15 minutes more.Step 4
Gently stir beef and pork together in a large bowl (do not overmix). Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.Step 5
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).Step 6
Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.Step 7
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.