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
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- Combine ground beef and pork until well combined, then add all the other ingredients.
- For cocktail size, use a cookie dough or ice cream scoop and you can fit 24 on a cookie sheet. For larger meatballs, use ¼ cup measuring cup which will make about 12.
- 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.

SIMPLE Basic Meatball Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 Large or 48 Cocktail Meatballs 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- ½ Lb. Ground Pork (or Turkey)
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
- 2 Large Eggs
- ¾ – 1 Cup Milk
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Cloves Garlic, pressed
- ½ Cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- ¼ Cup Fresh Italian herbs, finely chopped (oregano, basil, and/or parsley)
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef and pork until well combined
- Add all other ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t overmix
- Using a cookie dough or ice cream scoop, divide mixture into meatballs, roll in your hands to form a nice ball and place on baking sheet
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on size of meatball, until browned and no pink remains in center
- Remove from oven and serve with favorite pasta sauce, or freeze for later use
Notes
The cooking time will vary depending on meatball size. Cocktail meatballs can take as little as 15 minutes, while the larger ones can take up to 30 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
8 Comments
Anonymous
June 22, 2020 at 7:05 pmI love these recipes. Not everything has to be complicated. You guys make cooking fun again!
Kathy D
September 20, 2020 at 2:04 pmGood tip on the ratio of beef to pork. You’re right, I mixed equal ratio on meat and they came out too dense! Love the flavor and so easy to bake them.
Lindsey
December 7, 2021 at 4:24 pmI baked mine for 25 minutes and the bottoms burned. I’d say reduce the cooking time for full cookie scooper size meatballs to probably 22 mins. Delicious tasting still, however. Great recipe for when you don’t have enough time for the crockpot!
★★★★
simplepartyfood
December 15, 2021 at 4:39 pmour advice is to always use a Silpat – it prevents burning!
Star
February 8, 2022 at 1:56 amI made these a couple of weeks ago and froze them. Similar to what I’ve made in the past only never used milk. With the milk, meatballs are not as dense, a welcome surprise. Also, never put cheese in the meat mixture. Very tasty. Used them this weekend in my spaghetti sauce and they were delicious! I think these ingredients may also work for meatloaf or burgers. Definitely my new meatball recipe. Thank you.
simplepartyfood
February 8, 2022 at 10:51 amthat’s AWESOME Star – thanks so much for letting us know!
Linda Peterson
February 16, 2022 at 7:14 pmThese are delicious! If instead I form the meat mixture into a meatloaf would you change any. Gradient amounts?
★★★★★
Diane
February 26, 2022 at 10:14 amBaking is so much easier and less mess than pan frying! Thanks for the great recipe!