Oven Baked Italian Meatballs
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
526 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian
Oven Baked Italian Meatballs
Description
The Oven Baked Italian Meatballs feature a mix of ground beef and pork blended with white sandwich bread soaked in grated onion juice, which keeps the meatballs soft and juicy. The meatball mixture is shaped into generous spoonfuls and baked on a rack over a baking pan containing an oven-sautéed tomato sauce flavored with onions, garlic, and Italian herbs. Baking the meatballs this way lets their flavorful juices drip into the sauce, enhancing its richness. The meatballs are finished under a high broil for a slight browning, balancing tenderness with a gently firm crust.
The sauce, prepared by roasting onions and garlic in olive oil before adding crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, simmers alongside the meatballs, absorbing their savory drippings. This approach delivers a cohesive dish with both tender, seasoned meatballs and a well-developed tomato sauce.
Serve these meatballs with pasta, crusty bread, or a vegetable side. The included fresh parsley and Parmesan garnish add brightness and depth at the table. This method also works well for preparing multiple servings at once and can be scaled accordingly by adjusting pan size and spacing meatballs to avoid crowding.
Using white bread instead of dry breadcrumbs ensures the meatballs remain soft despite baking in the oven. Grated onion juice substitutes for milk in softening the bread while contributing added flavor. You can substitute ground pork with extra beef if preferred, though pork adds fat that aids juiciness. Make sure to use a pan with a rack so juices drain properly into the sauce.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 24 oz / 800 g crushed tomato 2 standard cans
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tsp parsley dried mix
- 2 tsp basil
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Meatballs:
- 1 white sandwich bread sliced, torn into small pieces, crusts removed
- ½ onion grated including juices, yellow brown or white
- 14 oz / 400 g ground beef aka beef mince
- 3 oz / 100g ground pork or substitute with ground beef (beef mince
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan, freshly grated
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- olive oil spray, or other oil spray
Serving:
- parsley fresh, chopped
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan, freshly grated
Instructions
Sauce:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place onion, garlic and olive oil in a (approx) 30 x 25 cm / 12 x 10" pan (Note 4). Mix, spread out, then bake for 8 minutes. (Start the meatballs)
- Remove from oven, add remaining Sauce ingredients. Mix.
- Place rack on top of pan.
Meatballs:
- Turn oven up to 200C/390F.
- Place the bread and onion in a large bowl. Mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread, set aside for 3 minutes. Bread should disintegrate into mush - if not, add a splash of milk or water to help it along.
- Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients except oil spray. Use you hands to mix well.
- Measure out very generously heaped tablespoons and roll into firm balls. It should make around 20 - don't make them too small, they will cook too quickly.
- Place meatballs on the rack, ensuring they are positioned over the pan so the juices will drip into the Sauce.
- Spray generously with oil.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Optional: flick to grill/broil on high for 2 minutes at the end, to get better browning.
- Transfer meatballs from rack into the Sauce. Stir to coat meatballs in Sauce.
- Serve with spaghetti or other pasta of choice, garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan.
Notes
- Use white sandwich bread torn into small pieces without crusts to keep meatballs tender.
- Grated onion juice softens the bread and adds flavor, replacing milk without diluting taste.
- Substitute ground pork with additional beef if preferred, though pork adds juiciness.
- Choose a pan large enough to fit the meatballs without crowding and with a rack to catch drippings.
- Roasting onions and garlic in the oven creates a flavorful sauce base without stovetop sautéing.
- Adjust the number of servings by scaling the recipe and selecting a suitable pan size.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 526 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 455g | |
| Calories | 526cal | 26% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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