These Italian style meatballs are the perfect weeknight meal. They’re juicy, soft, and loved by all! Simply form the meatballs and drop them right into the perfect homemade sauce, no need for browning or baking in the oven. These are the easiest and most delicious meatballs everyone will be raving about. I’ve stuffed mine with a gooey cheese to make them even better, and who doesn’t love a good cheesy meatball!
Now I know there’s a huge debate about dropping raw meatballs into the sauce, but I assure you this method gives the most tender results. I grew up in a primarily Italian neighbourhood, surrounded by amazing people who would knock on our door to share their homemade Italian dishes, and learned to make these from my best friend’s mother and grandmother – who both dropped the meatballs right into the sauce to cook!
Browning these meatballs in a skillet works fine, if that makes you more comfortable. You’ll get a little flavour from the browning, but will lose the softness that makes these a family favourite.
Ingredients
Ground Beef – I always use a lean ground beef for these meatballs. A higher fat content means your sauce will be more fatty, and the meatballs will shrink quite a bit.
Bread and Milk– This step is a non negotiable, for me. Soaking stale bread in a little bit of milk, and squeezing it out well, really makes for the perfect juicy meatballs with a perfect texture. If you don’t have stale bread, make some! You can easily toast some bread to dry it out, or leave some out overnight if you’re planning to make these ahead.
Eggs – using an egg adds an additional layer of moisture to the meatballs and acts as a binding agent alongside the bread and milk.
Cheese – I’m using a fresh mozzarella also known as bocconcini. These are extra small, and labelled as. mini mini bocconcini. If you’re unable to find them, use any bocconcini, and cut into 1 inch cubes to stuff into your meatballs.
Parmesan – My favourite halal friendly parmesan cheese is by Trestelle, a Canadian brand found in most major grocery stores.
Mint – Fresh mint is my secret ingredient. They add a fresh flavour that everyone will love, but no one will be able to pinpoint!
Basil – Please use fresh basil, the fresh taste can’t be beat.
Passata – Because this is such a simple sauce, go for a high quality passata/tomato puree like Mutti. I’d avoid canned crushed tomatoes.
The Best Easy Meatballs
Ingredients
- 454 g lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup broken pieces of stale bread Italian bread is best here, remove any crusts
- 4-5 Tbsp milk just enough to soak the bread and make it mushy
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 medium/large egg
- 4 mint leaves finely chopped
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
- 15 mini mini bocconcini I use the pack of 2 Trestelle orange containers
Sauce
- 1050 mL Mutti passata each jar is 660mL, use just over 1 1/2 jars
- 3/4 jar water
- 1/2 small yellow onion skin removed
- 1 small carrot peeled and cut into thirds
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
Garnish
- parmesan
- chopped fresh basil
- chili flakes optional
- Italian chili oil
Instructions
- Soak the stale bread in the milk and set aside for five minutes, until the bread has absorbed the milk and softened.
- While the bread is soaking, make the sauce.
- Pour the 1 1/2 bottles of strained tomatoes into a 10 inch or larger skillet. Fill the empty bottle with water 3/4 of the way to the top and add the water to the skillet.
- Add in the onion, carrot, and butter.
- Turn the heat to medium and cover to simmer, while you prep the meatballs.
- Add the ground beef to a large bowl along with the salt, oregano, garlic, black pepper, parmesan cheese, egg, mint leaves and basil leaves.
- Squeeze as much milk out of the soaked bread as possible. Add to the meat mixture.
- Using clean hands, mix the meat mixture together until well combined and there are no clumps of bread throughout.
- Form into about 15 golf ball sized balls. Press into each ball gently, and place one bocconcini inside. Cover the cheese well and gently roll the ball between two hands.
- Gently drop the meatballs directly into the simmering sauce, one at a time.
- Gently turn each meatball over to coat with the sauce. Cover and simmer on medium low for 45 minutes, or until the carrots have softened.
- Remove the carrots and onions from the sauce and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
- My kids love these over spaghetti. I recommend boiling your spaghetti to al dente, then adding it to a skillet. Pour over just the pasta sauce and let the spaghetti simmer and soak up some of that goodness for a few minutes. Add the meatballs in for a minute or two, then plate. Top with parmesan and basil
- They also enjoy these as meatball subs. I like brushing the inside of a nice Italian panini with garlic butter, sprinkling with a good layer of mozzarella on both sides and toasting in the oven before adding the meatballs for the most cheesy delicious results!
- Have them on their own! I often meal prep these and eat them with a salad for lighter meal that provides the protein I need without the heaviness of extra carbs.
