I love meatballs and have several recipes for fun meatball recipe variations on the website already, but I wanted to have one good basic and easy homemade meatball recipe that could be used in several different meals. That way you can keep a batch of these tasty meatballs in your freezer and use them in different quick weeknight meals later. I’m all about making things easy and uncomplicated!
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“When people say “simple, easy, fast, etc”, THIS is what they want. I have all the ingredients onhand, and I have almost an hour before I starve to death. If I don’t get some spaghetti and meatballs in me soon, I may literally die. Can’t wait to chug these balls.”
AJ Bromley
Classic Recipe Made Easy
This homemade meatball recipe is super simple, pared-down, and basic for when you need something fast, easy, and uncomplicated. The other advantage to keeping these meatballs simple is that it makes them more versatile! Because the flavor profile is simple, you can pair this recipe with a variety of sauces and meals.
I’ve also included step-by-step videos below so you can cook right alongside me if you’d like a little extra guidance! And as always, I’ve got a couple of upgrade options for you if you do want to take this recipe up a notch and make something a little fancier.
Homemade Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.17*)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan ($1.92)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ½ tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.03)
- 2 large eggs ($1.58**)
- ¼ cup whole milk ($0.04)
- 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage ($3.57***)
- 1 lb. ground beef ($4.98)
Video
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk the two eggs.
- Add the breadcrumb mixture, eggs, milk, Italian sausage, and ground beef to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined. Avoid over mixing the meat.
- Let the meatball mixture rest for five minutes to allow the breadcrumbs time to soften. Divide and shape the meat into about 32 balls, approximately 2 Tbsp in volume each.
Oven Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet about one inch apart from each other.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Once browned, transfer them to a pot of red sauce and simmer for five more minutes in the sauce. If not using a red sauce, add an additional 3-5 minutes to the bake time, or until they’re cooked through.
Stove Top Cooking Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, swirl the oil to coat the surface of the skillet. Add half of the meatballs to the skillet.
- Cook them, turning every couple of minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Repeat with the second batch.
- Once cooked, transfer them to a pot of red sauce and simmer for a few minutes more before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Homemade Meatballs Step-by-Step Videos
Gather all of your ingredients: Lightly whisk two large eggs in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Pre-mixing these ingredients helps them incorporate more evenly into the meat without having to overmix the meat.
Mix ingredients together: Add the whisked egg, breadcrumb mixture, ¼ cup milk, 1 lb. Italian sausage, and 1 lb. ground beef to a bowl.
Use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Let the meatball mixture sit for five minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the moisture.
Shape into balls: Divide and shape the meatball mixture into about 32 balls, 2 Tbsp each. I have small hands, so this may actually look bigger than they were. I used a 2 Tbsp measuring cup to portion the meat.
Bake meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet with about one inch between each. Bake them for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Transfer to red sauce: Then, transfer to a pot of red sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. If not using a red sauce, bake for 3-5 minutes longer, or until cooked through. Whether you cook them in the oven or on the stove top, finishing them off with a brief simmer in red sauce adds an extra dose of flavor and helps keep them nice and tender.
Variations to Try!
Like I said, I love a good meatball recipe. Here are some super easy variations you can try when making this dish:
- Switch out the seasonings in this recipe for nutmeg and allspice, and serve them with a creamy, savory sauce to make Swedish meatballs!
- Or, if you want to supersize this recipe AND make it in a crockpot… my giant slow cooker meatballs are a fun twist on this classic dish.
- Try adding fresh minced onion, garlic, crumbled bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano).
- You can also try swapping out the milk for a different liquid, like broth or even some of your red sauce.
- Swap the breadcrumbs for rice and make porcupine meatballs (a super easy way to make this recipe gluten-free friendly)
- Following on from what I said earlier about using different meat, turkey meatballs are a tasty alternative to the beef and Italian sausage used in this recipe.
- And I’m always a fan of adding a pinch of crushed red pepper to just about anything!
Substitution Tips and Recommendations From Our Audience
One of my favorite things about sharing my recipes is hearing the clever swaps and tweaks you all come up with! Here are some recommendations from our readers so you can see how flexible this recipe can be:
- Use all ground beef: I do love the Italian sausage and ground beef combo in this recipe, but some of our audience have used all ground beef and still ended up with tender, flavorful meatballs. Some added more seasoning to make up for the missing sausage flavor, while others kept it simple and enjoyed them as-is. I personally would increase the seasonings a bit to keep the same depth of flavor!
- Add Worcestershire sauce: One reader said they mixed some Worcestershire sauce into the meat mixture as a personal preference. And I get it! It adds a savory flavor that makes the meat taste richer. I like using it in my meatloaf, too. Try adding 1-1½ tsps of Worcestershire sauce to taste.
- Serve with a meat sauce: Another reader shared that they plan to serve these meatballs with Bolognese pasta…and I thought that was a great idea (especially if you have a bumper pack of ground beef to use up!) The heartier sauce means you can stretch this recipe even further by serving fewer meatballs per person.
- Use a different milk: Some of our readers swapped the whole milk for 2%, while another used heavy whipping cream. The goal is simply to add moisture, so most milks (even plant-based) will work fine here.
Serving Suggestions
There’s nothing easier or more satisfying than a plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce and meatballs, but that’s not the only way I enjoy this recipe! I love making meatball subs from them, but they’d also be delicious added to a simple soup, like minestrone. I’d even serve them as an easy appetizer or add them to pizzas and bowl meals with rice and veggies. And, of course, they’re absolutely delicious served with mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, and brown gravy. Yum!!
Storing & Reheating
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat them in a skillet over medium-low heat, in the microwave, or simmered in a sauce until heated through.
To freeze them once cooked, cool them completely in the refrigerator first, then place them in a freezer bag and transfer to the freezer for longer storage (about 3 months). Once frozen they can be dropped straight from the freezer into a pot of red sauce and simmered until heated through.
More Meatball Recipes
Our Easy Homemade Meatballs recipe was originally published 1/10/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 2/16/25. We also added step-by-step videos on 7/17/25.
Those meatballs are the BEST Iโve ever made and Iโve been cooking 55 years.i added a bit of ground leftover pork roast ( my Italian MILโs secret). Theyโre so tender and tasty I had to refrigerate them so Iโd stop eating them. Iโm serving them with a Bolognese pasta. My son in law loves meatballs so Iโm sure heโll be happy.
Tried this last night. It was delicious. Absolutely nothing to complain about and my kids devoured it. Will definitely make again. Only thing I did differently was to keep in the oven a little longer as my meatballs were a little bigger. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
So so good. I didnโt have milk and they came out fine. Thank you!!
These are so delicious I could eat them at least once a week. From baked pasta dishes to meatball sandwiches, they are the best!
When people say “simple, easy, fast, etc”, THIS is what they want. I have all the ingredients onhand, and I have almost an hour before I starve to death. If I don’t get some spaghetti and meatballs in me soon, I may literally die. Can’t wait to chug these balls.
How long/hot should frozen meatballs be cooked?
I’d highly recommend letting the frozen meatballs thaw completely in the refrigerator before preparing as written. The internal temperature should reach 160F for beef and pork.
I only used ground beef since I didn’t have sausage. I did add Worcestershire sauce since that’s what I’m used to using when I make meatballs or burgers, but that was just a personal preference. They came out great, and I’ll be making them often.
Perfect
Made these and they were really good! I did make a few substitutions. I used all ground beef, as my family isn’t a fan of Italian sausage, as well as just used a fresh onion and garlic instead of powder. Still used the same amount of Italian seasoning.
I will definitely make these again.
What is the beef percentage? Is it 93 or 85? I couldnโt find the beef type. Thank you.
We like 85/15 but you should be fine with whatever’s cheaper that day! :)
I can’t wait to try this recipe
Great, easy to make meatball recipe! I baked in the oven and they turned out perfect. Excellent flavor. My family enjoyed them with spaghetti and also in a meatball sub. Adding to my keepers file!
I’ve been craving spaghetti and meatballs. This is a tasty and simple recipe.
Love meatballs and have been looking for a good Swedish recipe as well. Also I always buy bulk meat and hate throwing it away.
This recipe is so good!
Great for an easy weeknight dinner. I fry them up and then throw them in a pot with pasta sauce and let them finish cooking. My kids love them to make meatball sliders.