These are the best baked meatballs out there! A crispy crust and a juicy and flavorful center. These meatballs are sure to quickly become a family favorite!
There’s always one meal I know that everyone in the family will eat and love. That meal is spaghetti and meatballs. Being a food blogger means that our meals are a constant rotation of recipe testing. We may eat the same dinner 3 or 4 nights in a row as I test and perfect it…and then never eat it again. You’d think this would lead to non-picky eaters, but there’s something about having a familiar meal that makes everyone happy. That’s why it is called comfort food.
MY OTHER RECIPESAfter a heavy round of recipe testing, or a week with a truly random smattering of meals, I always end up serving my spaghetti and meatballs. I make my own spaghetti sauce and always have batches of it in the freezer. Add in my baked meatballs, and seriously, best spaghetti and meatballs ever. A few weeks ago I accidentally left the last batch of frozen spaghetti sauce on the stove for way too long on high heat. That’s right, I burnt spaghetti sauce. Seriously, so embarrassing. I shared the burnt spaghetti sauce on my SnapChat (stayathomechef come find me!), because seriously, who burns spaghetti sauce? We ended up eating canned spaghetti sauce that night. My kids were in shock. Homemade is so much better. I can’t imagine how they would react to store bought frozen meatballs.
Basically, all you need to know is that these meatballs are the best. I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze what we don’t eat so I have a quick meal on hand that is a guaranteed winner.
Be sure to watch the video where I walk you through every step of the recipe and share all my tips and trips. I’ve made these meatballs way more times than I can count so let me help you make them the best they can be! And don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel where there’s more than 100 videos for restaurant quality recipes you can easily make at home. I like to think I’m likeable so I’m pretty sure you’ll like watching me! (Maybe….I think….possibly…)
Best Baked Meatballs
The Best Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 3/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Shape into 1 to 1.5 inch balls. Whatever size you choose, they should all be roughly the same size for even cooking.
- Bake for 25 -30 minutes. For extra crispy add another 15 minutes.
Nutrition
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Elaine Stenzel says
I add some spaghetti sauce to the meat mixture..my family loves them.I got that idea from an elderly italian lady many years ago that lived on taylor st in Chicago
dawn says
can these be made with ground chicken?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Sure can!
Sharyn Pionto says
No egg?
Rachel Farnsworth says
None required!
Lois M. says
I also add sausage if I have some and onions diced real small for flavor instead of red pepper flakes. It usually makes a real hit with my friends when I have them over for dinner. I also make my own sauce. It’s cheaper and tastes better!
Delores says
I’m looking for the fastest way to prep school meals. Do you think it’ll work ok if I freeze them after I cook them and to pack into lunch, just microwave them??
Rachel Farnsworth says
Worth a try!
Chelsea says
If I make these meatballs ahead and want to freeze them, should I cook them first then freeze!? Also, how long should I cook for once frozen. Thank you for this recipe sounds yummy!
Rachel Farnsworth says
I freeze them unbaked and cook for an extra 10 minutes.
Tiffany says
Can I omit the cheese husband has an allergy?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes you can.
Cathy says
Can you make these smaller and put them into a barbeque sauce or fruity sauce and have them as an appetizer?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes you can.
linda says
I usually add an egg plus use Italian sausage. Thanks for the revipe
Emerald says
Yeah me too on the Italian sausage n egg but I’m gna try the no egg see how it comes out
Alpa says
Looking forward to making these! Do you freeze them before or after cooking them?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Before.
Lindy Shelly says
I love these meatballs. I made this recipe yesterday and my whole family loves this recipe. I follow your every recipe and trying to prepare them. Thanks, for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Emily says
My husband and I had these meatballs for the first time tonight and REALLY enjoyed them! Thank you for putting such a great recipe put there. I’m new to cooking and making your recipe really boosted my confidence!!! 🙂
Rachel Farnsworth says
Welcome! I’m so glad you had a good experience 🙂
Carmen says
How long do you bake them if they’re frozen?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.