Description
Learn how to make delicious and easy ground beef meatballs with marinara sauce. Perfect for a quick and satisfying meal. Try it today!
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Homemade Marinara Sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (Omit if broiling the meatballs instead of frying them.)
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) of bread cubes cut or torn into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) of milk (*If you don’t have buttermilk, here are 7 ways to make it)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef, 85 – 90% lean
- 1 pound (450 g) of ground beef sausage, spicy or sweet
- 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten with a fork
- 1/2 cup (60 g) grated cheese
- 3/4 cup (75 g) grated mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup (15 g) minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic (about 4-6 large cloves)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar
Instructions
- If you plan to broil the meatballs: Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Coat a broiler pan with a non-stick spray. Alternatively, you can line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the rack with non-stick spray. Another option is to line a roasting pan with foil, position the flat rack inside, and spray it with non-stick spray.
- For frying the meatballs: Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Pour 1/4 cup of vegetable oil into a large skillet or saucepan and set it aside.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour milk over them. Let this mixture sit for around 10 minutes, mashing it occasionally with a fork until the bread disintegrates and it resembles a paste.
- Combine all the remaining ingredients for the meatballs in the bowl with the bread and milk mixture. Use your hands to mix everything until it’s thoroughly combined.
- To check the seasoning: Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Shape a small portion of the meat mixture into a ball, about the size of a ping pong or golf ball. Cook this mini meatball in the pan for 3-5 minutes per side until it turns a deep brown and becomes crispy. Flatten it with a spatula into a thick patty to ensure even cooking. Taste this sample and adjust the seasoning of the meat mixture as needed.
- Shape the entire meat mixture into balls the size of a ping pong or golf ball, placing them on the prepared broiler pan, baking rack, or sheet pan.
- For broiling: Cook the meatballs under the broiler for about 30 minutes until they achieve a rich brown color.
- For frying: Heat the skillet with the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 8-10 meatballs to the pan. Cook them, turning occasionally, until they are browned all over. Remove them from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs.
- To finish cooking with marinara sauce: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Submerge the meatballs in the marinara sauce. Cover the dish and bake for 1 hour.
