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
Cost $12.46 recipe / $1.56 serving
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs (70g, $0.17*)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (50g, $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 (4 oz., $0.04)
- 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (454g, $3.57***)
- 1 lb. ground beef (454g, $4.98)
Marinara Sauce (optional)
- 1 small yellow onion ($0.70)
- 2 garlic cloves ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.18)
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (1 can, $1.67)
- ½ tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- ½ tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional, $0.02)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste, $0.03)
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 (see below) 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 (internal temp of 160°F).
Stovetop 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 (internal temp of 160°F). Repeat with the second batch.
- Once cooked, transfer them to a pot of red sauce (see below) and simmer for a few minutes more before serving, if desired.
Marinara Sauce Instructions
- Meanwhile, make your marinara sauce (optional)****. Start by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic. Add both to a sauce pot with the olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly. This step helps mellow the acidity and brings out a subtle sweetness.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then add the basil, oregano, brown sugar, and salt. Stir well, making sure to scrape up any bits of tomato paste stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, giving it a stir every so often.
- After 30 minutes, give the sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If it still tastes a little sharp, let it simmer longer or add a touch more sugar.
- Add the cooked meatballs and simmer for a few more minutes until they're fully cooked through (internal temp of 160°F). Serve and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Baking Sheet or Large Skillet
- Saucepan
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.
Exactly what I was looking for, emphasis on easy! Quick for dinner tonight. And very good! Even my 97 year old dad loved them and swears he doesn’t like beef. Thanks!
Yum! I used gluten free bread crumbs, and must have made mini meatballs because I ended up with 60 (so baked for 12 min instead of 15). I then simmered in sauce with al dente pasta and some pasta water. Tasted like it was from an italian restaurant!
So simple, so versatile, so delicious. My husband adored these. Made them into meatball subs with smoked provolone for easy weeknight dinners.
We used this recipe to make meatball subs! No substitutions. It was delicious.
These are FANTASTIC!! I did use all ground beef plus added minced onions for simplicity and ground up Saltines.
These are genuinely so good! Such a good recipe, and even though it’s more ingredients than I would use for a “simple” recipe, it’s worth it! And not difficult to make. I used half the meatballs and froze the rest to use in the future.
Spaghetti and meatballs hit the spot tonight. I did all beef, so I upped the seasoning and added 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper.
These turned out awesome! As I don’t eat meat, I used Beyond Meat ground burger and Impossible Ground Sausage. I think I will try this out in the Swedish Meatball version as well.
Aah forgot the pic! Georgia loved how these smell!
These meatballs were super easy to make and very flavorful and satisfying! Now I have a ton in my fridge to make fun and different meals with over the next few days. I used extra Parmesan in mine (ofc) and will definitely save this recipe!
Love this recipe for a quick week night dinner. It’s so simple and always turns out great. I followed the recipe with no changes this time but I’ve made it with turkey instead of beef in the past and it still turns out amazing!
Had a blast making these with my daughter! 👩🍳 I love to double the recipe by mixing the meat 50/50 with tofu. It makes the meatballs so moist and the tofu just soaks up all that delicious flavor. These came out so good that we’ve been eating them as snacks all week! They went so fast I don’t even have a photo to share. I will update when we make them again! Thanks Budget Bytes team! My family just became a member and we are becoming better home cooks and loving it. :)
Due to the budget, I used all ground turkey. I really appreciated how easy this recipe came together, though, and look forward to using the meatballs in soup and subs.
Here is my photo.
I made these and had enough meatballs to make two meals. We had meatball subs one day and then I used the rest to make spaghetti and meatballs. The kids loved both versions and it was easy to prep and make.
I made these meatballs tonight and they were excellent! I just did a half batch with beef only, and next time I might increase the seasonings added if I did only beef again. But they were easy and delicious!