SIMPLE Basic Baked Meatball Recipe

Ok. So before we get into any heated debates about meatballs and the 12 step process and hours of simmering that are REQUIRED according to many (you know who you are)… let us remind you of the name of this website:

SIMPLE Party Food.

We like to keep things simple so that ANYONE can follow our recipes and create a great dish, whether it’s an appetizer or full 8 course meal and that includes something as simple (or complex) as meatballs.

But before we begin, we do need to address one thing ~ the meat.  What kind of meat or meats are used in making meatballs is one of the most googled questions.   This seems to confuse many people.

Listen, you can use just ground beef, a mixture of beef and pork or a mixture of beef, pork and veal.  But like we’ve said before we are going to keep this simple and since the vast majority of people aren’t huge veal eaters, we omitted it and are just using beef and pork.  But the choice is ultimately yours.

Let’s begin …

Ingredients Needed:

• Ground beef/Pork
• Breadcrumbs
• Eggs
• Milk
• Worcestershire sauce
• Garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• Herbs & Spices

How to BAKE Meatballs:

Full Printable recipe & instructions below

1. Preheat oven to 425° F
2. Combine ground beef and pork until well combined, then add all the other ingredients.
3. For cocktail size, use a cookie dough or ice cream scoop and you can fit 24 on a cookie sheet.   For larger meatballs, use 1/4 cup measuring cup which will make about 12.
4. Bake on the center rack until no longer pink in the center.

Meatball Recipe – Frequently Asked Questions:

What kind of meat should I use?

Good question!  And again, there is a lot of debate on this issue.  100% beef will produce a tighter meatball.  What do we mean by that?  The meatball is just denser and firmer.  If we used 50% beef and 50% pork it lost flavor and become too springy.  Our perfect ratio was 2:1, meat to pork.

Do I have to fry the meatballs?

No.  As a matter of fact, we prefer to bake ours.  The heat of the oven actually sears the outside of the meatball making them perfectly tender on the inside.  Not to mention it’s a helluva lot easier.

What makes a moist meatball?

Adding moisture like milk, our our personal favorite, beef broth  Want a secret chef tip?  Make sure it’s WARM, not cold.  Also, eggs act as a BINDER, not moisture.  So a good rule of thumb is 1 egg per lb of meat, otherwise the meatballs again will come out dense and spongy.

How much (or little) should I mix it?

Boy, you guys have good questions!  Anything other than your hands will mash the meat down.  Use your hands like bear claws and gently mix it together coming from the bottom and flipping up and over each time.  However, use a little pressure when rolling the meat.

 

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