The one thing that sets this meatball recipe apart from others? Soak sandwich bread with grated onion. The bread puffs up when cooked, making these meatballs extra soft and juicy. Plus it adds extra savoury flavour without the need to fry onion separately.
Italian Meatball recipe!
I don’t want to blow my own horn, but I’m determined to do everything I can to make you want to try these meatballs and if that means a mini brag sheet, then so be it. So here we go:
“Your meatball recipe is the same as my Italian Nonna! Love the idea of soaking the bread in onion juice rather than milk….. Will make them like this from now on (won’t tell Nonna!)” – Dan, 20 July, 2018
“This recipe is better than my Italian family’s .….. This is going to be my current family pass down to future generations.” – Rosemary, 19 March, 2018
“… we had a meatball cook off at work… and guess who won!!!! Thank you Nagi!!!!” – Angie, 18 August 2017
* And her head swells….. though also, she is actually just really happy to think about all the meatballs being made and enjoyed by people in the far corners of this big wide world*
Just two little things that make all the difference
1. Soaked bread = soft meatalls. Bread soaked in some form of liquid puffs up when cooked, creating little air pockets that makes meatballs extra soft. It works far better than ordinary breadcrumbs which actually has the tendency to make meatballs tough little balls (panko breadcrumbs is ok though), and the Italians have been doing this for years.
Italians use milk for soaking. I use grated onion – see next point.
2. Soak bread in grated onion = better flavour. Grating the onions serves a few purposes.
Flavour – 80% of my recipes start with “sauté onion until golden”. And there’s a reason for that. Onion is a flavour base that can’t be beaten, and I want it in my meatballs;
Soaking – it’s the juicy grated onion that is used to soak the bread, rather than milk or water which is what other recipes use. This way the liquid balance is not thrown out of balance.
No need to cook onion separately – If you use raw diced onion in the meatballs, you run the risk of having raw onions in them – unless you cook them for longer in which case you risk overcooking the meatballs!
No need to finely chop onion – because unless they are very finely diced, there is a tendency for the onion to affect how well the meatball holds together. Make your life easier – grate the onion! (Wear goggles if it makes your eyes water…)
This is how I roll meatballs
I have often wished for someone to invent a compact meatball rolling device. I have visions of a bike pump type contraption where you feed the meat into one end and perfectly formed meatballs pop out the other.
If you’re thinking what I think you are – get your mind out of the gutter and just imagine how convenient that would be!!! 😂
But until such time, this is the most efficient way I’ve been able to come up with for rolling meatballs.
Tip: Baking option for meatball recipes
Any of my Meatball recipes can be baked. It’s healthier and they stay nice and round, though they are not quite as juicy as pan frying (sear = trapped juices).
To bake meatballs, preferably use a rack placed on a tray – helps keep the base more round – then just spray both the rack and the meatballs generously with oil and bake at 200C/400F for 20 minutes.
You won’t find Spaghetti and Meatballs in Italy …
Yes, really! In Italy, meatballs are called Polpette. Though the ingredients are typically the same as what I am using (except for my grated onion technique) along with a similar tomato sauce, they are larger (about the size of golf balls) and they are served with bread rather than pasta.
So Spaghetti and Meatballs is not authentic Italian, but that’s ok. Just as there’s no such thing as Beef and Broccoli in China, and no Chicken Tikka Masala in India, we love it anyway and we will always love it.❤️ – Nagi x
MORE CLASSICS WE’LL LOVE FOREVER
Italian Meatball
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Italian Meatballs (Extra Soft and Juicy!)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lightly packed cup of diced white sandwich bread , crusts removed (Note 1 for SUB)
- 1 small onion (brown, white or yellow)
- 14 oz / 400 g ground beef (mince)
- 3 oz / 100g ground pork (mince), or sub with more beef (Note 2)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parmesan), freshly grated
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Cooking Meatballs & Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3/4 cup onion , finely chopped (white, brown or yellow)
- 24 oz / 700 g tomato passata (Tomato Puree in US/CAN – Note 4)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (chili flakes)
- 3 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
To Serve
- Pasta of choice
- Parmesan
- Parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the onion using a standard box grater in a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup of grated onion and juices.
- Add bread, mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread and disintegrates. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients (5 min or so).
- Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients. Use hands to mix well.
- Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note 5)
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over – about 3 – 4 minutes.
- When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.
Cooking & Sauce:
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil into the fry pan.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering everywhere.
- Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce.
- Cook the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.
- While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice.
- Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This Italian Meatball recipe was originally published August 2015. Long overdue for a video and new photos – no change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare!
I get a round: 8 more meatball recipes
LIFE OF DOZER
Bush walk. In hunt of something stinky to roll in – always.
Nagi you are the Julia Child to my Julie Powell (hopefully minus some of Julie’s annoying character quirks). I am a woman on a cooking mission!!!
I made this over the weekend, only tweak was to put the rolled meatballs in the fridge to set for 30 mins (because me and frying are like hot oil and water) and then to cook it for longer in the sauce. Mamma mia, bellissimo.
I also made the chocolate covered strawberries which were a big hit! And today made your Charlie sauce for a beef noodle stir fry – hao chi 🙂
I forgot how much I enjoy cooking so thanks for all your brilliant recipes and takeaways are now rare at home but I might need to start using that gym membership to counteract my food intake because one plate is never enough!
Now what to attempt next…
Runa
Woah! What a compliment! *Blushing* I’m just so thrilled that in my own small way I’m inspiring others to enjoy cooking and EATING!!! Thank you for your wonderful message Runa – N xx
A well deserved compliment! This place is my go to for cooking inspiration and of course to see how Dozer’s getting on ?
Hi Nagi, just tried your “meatballs” OH SOOOO GOOD! my husband who is italian told me to write you, we loved them. So glad I found you,your receipes are great.Thankyou your my favorite!
OMG that is just about the BEST validation ever!! Please let your husband know I’m truly honoured ☺️ Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback for me! N xx
I love your recipes. How to grate onion without crying? Also made the Chicken Schwarma(hope spelling is correct) .
It was soooooooooooooooo delicious. As for meatballs, I only use chicken mince,works well. Funny story about chicken mince. Had friends for dinner one night, (well, we had food:))) After they went home there was a discussion on chicken mince. A late phone call to discuss with me how we got chicken mince, (they were American) I gave them my recipe. Go to chook house, catch chook, dispatch of chook humanely, chop up said chook, and using a mincer, mince chook meat. Thereby creating delicious chicken mince! they were amazed. How does one live all those years without chook mince???? Enjoy the day.
Martha Steward suggests burning a candle near by. This sill burn off any gas that the onion releases.
Whattttt???? American friends don’t know about chicken mince? but there is so much of it over there!!!! I must admit I have contact lenses which means chopping onions doesn’t make me cry but yes, I imagine grating is even worse than chopping, sorry! But it’s WORTH IT! PS You honestly do that? Not pulling my leg??? PPS SO GLAD YOU LOVED THE SHAWARMA!!!
Pulling your leg,and theirs.
These look fantastic and I love the idea of using the grated onion and regular bread– brilliant! One question though: I notice the sodium level is quite high (50% of a daily allowance! And that’s without sauce) and I can’t help but wonder if that’s an error. Could the small amount of salt and cheese in the meatballs really add up to THAT much?! I have to be careful with sodium in my diet, but your amounts don’t seem high enough to be that problematic. Thoughts?
And as for your point about things served in ball shapes: I never thought of it before but you are so right! I DO love just about any food shaped that way! So keep the ball-shaped recipes coming! ?
Hi Marcia! I do think the nutrition calculator assumes things like tomatoes has salt in it from the store 🙁 This is definitely NOT overly salty and you can absolutely control how much salt you want in this. The parmesan is the main seasoning then other than that, just add as much salt as you wish. And believe me, there are plenty more ball shaped foods to come! 😉 N x
Can I make and freeze these tonight – Sunday – and then defrost for a dinner party on Friday?
Yes!!! I defrosted some the other day! 🙂
I made these tonight since it was one of those I need to have spaghetti and meatballs nights! Found this recipe while searching for a different Take on a classic…so glad you shared this recipe. Grating the onions and using soft bread really made a difference. Thank you!
Thanks so much Christine! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this 🙂 You’re right – the bread and onion – it makes all the difference! N xx
This recipe looks great. But I need to omit cheese. Can I just omit it, or should I add something else as a substitute?
Hi Norm! Just omit it and add an extra pinch of salt 🙂
Hi im making the meatballs for tonight……..do I use the whole egg or just the yolk? Thanks 🙂
Sorry for the late response Becky! Whole egg 🙂
I was confused by the following paragraph in the recipe:
Secondly, there is no need to cook the onions before adding into meatballs. If you use raw diced onion in the meatballs, you run the risk of having raw onions in them – unless you cook them for longer in which case you risk of overcooking the meatballs.
I did not cook the onions, meatballs were the best I’ve ever had. But you say no need to cook onions, then say you run the risk of raw onions if not cooked, so I am confused.
Hi Joyce! Sorry you’re confused 🙂 I just mean that you mix up the mixture with the grated raw onions. You did it right 🙂 I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it! N xx
Hes saying, IF you choose to dice or slice up your fresh onions to use in this recipe, you run the risk of over cooking your meatballs in order to get the onion cooked. But if you grate them, you wont experience that problem because they are very fine then and will mix well and cook perfectly in the whole process.
He refered to some people sauteeing their onions prior to mixing into a meatball state.
If following this particular recipe, there is no need to do that, either.
I myself, oil my hands slightly when rolling my meatballs. I bake them half way, remove and finish them off in my homemade sauce. Perfecto!
Another winner! I made these with *gasp* ground turkey and they turned out AMAZING. I’ve been trying perfect a meatball recipe for years…thanks for doing it for me. Since it was your recipe, I was confident in making it for the first time for a group of friends and I got rave reviews. Thank you!
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Caitlin, thanks for letting me know! PS I made these with – gasp – chicken the other day, they are great! N x
Hi Nagi. For the ground beef for the meatballs is it best to use the Woolworths premium mince or the normal mince which is fattier?
Hi Janice! If you are mixing with the pork per recipe then premium is good 🙂 Otherwise I would probably use normal. N x
Made them tonight! They were a huge hit! Awesome texture and taste! Thank You
WOO HOO! HIGH FIVE! N x
These meatballs are amazing! I made them a month ago and forgot to leave a comment. I B had to search for this recipe again tonight because it was so good ! I have never mixed bread with my meatballs, but I now see how important they are. .My sons were raving about these meatballs all night…One thing I do to add a little spice is grind up some spicy sausage and mix it in. Even without the sausage, these things just melt in your mouth.
AWESOME! I’m so glad you loved it Nicky, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hello, could these be cooked it the oven? I am doing these for Christmas for 16 people and I don’t want to be tied to the stove top all day. Also do you think 3 lbs of beef would be enough for 16 people. I am also doing stuffed shells and chicken parm baked ziti. Thank you
Hi Trish! I think they can, I would heat up the skillet in the oven with the oil, then add the meatballs. Shake the skillet (or roasting pan) every now and then to brown evenly. It will be delish!
Oh Nagi, should I triple the recipe if I use 3 lbs of beef?
Yup! 🙂
Thank you Nagi. Will let you know how they turn out!!! 🙂
We do ours in the oven. For 10 – 15 mins. Then add to the sauce
I had no meatball experience before moving to Philadelphia USA where everyone is Italian and every grandmother makes the best meatballs ever (“You gotta problem with that buddy?”) They are meatball crazy–they eat them for breakfast!! I had to investigate. I tried a few from restaurants and saw possibilities–some flavor, a bit of lightness–and realized that perhaps meatballs are a food group with a future. Then I tried your recipe. I have no skills. I didn’t have half the seasonings and used a jar of grocery store sauce–and OMG I was awesome! I was a chef god compared to those Italian restaurant hacks! I was better than everybody’s granny!!! (“You got a problem with that buddy?”) I can think of no one more talented, funny, down-to-earth and down-right delightful to bask in my reflected triumphant glow–than you.
WOO HOO! I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it Gilzmo, you ROCK! N xx PS So now you’re armed to take on all those Italian Nonna’s!!
Really fantastic! I have never enjoyed meatballs much, because they are boring ( tasteless) and dry. I made these for dinner this evening and they we flavorful, soft and delicious! My husband loved them as well which is always a plus.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Oh, I almost forgot I used 1/2 lb. ground elk, 1/2 lb ground pork, and 1 lb. ground beef -all other ingredients remained the same amounts.
Hi Shirley! I’m so glad you enjoyed this, and thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
These are DELICIOUS
I sauted my onions in butter with the garlic and then add the cubed bread to that and a little bit of milk after taking off the heat then added this to all ground beef mixture. I then bake these and then add to my own suace.
Thank you for this Delish recipe:)
HIGH FIVE! So glad you enjoyed it Sheri, thanks so much for letting me know!
By golly, you’ve done it. These are the BEST meatballs ever!
Woo hoo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Peter, thanks for letting me know! N x
Made these for dinner last night and they were amazing! They were so soft and full of flavour! This recipe is a keeper. In fact, all your recipes are! Thanks Nagi!
So glad you liked it DW, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
I really liked the use of grated onion and bread. It eliminated the step of
having to saute the onions until soft I’ve usually used. My coarse box grater side was too
coarse and I ended up using the next finer blade. Do it in a plate or shallow dish- it
puts out quite a bit of liquid and you will want to save it. Next time I might just use my
mini food processor- the resulting grate was not quite a puree.
I added a bit of fennel and crushed red pepper when doing the onion saute for the sauce
and served it over trottole (google trottole for a picture). The pasta, when cooked, ends up
about the same size and shape as the meatballs. (the are called “tops”, but you need to see the picture
to understand when this is a good pairing) Mix some of the pasta and sauce before topping with
more sauce- the shape of the pasta would make it hard to mix well without damaging the balls.
Thanks for all those tips Greg!! It will be really useful for others wanting to try this recipe 🙂 N xx