Baked Homemade Meatballs

March 31, 2022
 What are the secrets to creating full-flavored Baked Homemade Meatballs with the tender texture we crave? Taking great care with the ingredients and the mixing method, that's what!

Baked Homemade Meatballs on Spaghetti Image

Nothing says comfort food quite like a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

But all too often homemade meatballs turn out dense and flavorless, reminding us of nothing more than overcooked round burgers with a teeny bit of seasoning.  Which is not exactly the tender, full-of-flavor comfort food experience we're thinking of when we think of spaghetti and meatballs.

By taking great care with our mixing method and with the ingredients we choose, that's how to make great meatballs!

So just how do you make baked Homemade Meatballs loaded with flavor and that tender texture we crave? There are 4 key tips for making tender, flavorful homemade meatballs baked in the oven:

  1. Choose a combination of ground meats - Create great flavor by choosing a combination of different ground meats. We use a combination of both ground beef and ground pork to make a more flavorful meatball than using simply beef alone.
  2. Add a mixture of bread & buttermilk - Add a mash of bread and buttermilk to the meat to create a lighter texture and keep the meatballs moist. The bread and buttermilk mixture acts as a filler that brings "softness" to the meat. 
  3. Keep your mixing "light" - Mix and handle the meat mixture as little as possible, as overmixing can create dense, hard meatballs once they're cooked. 
  4. Use a soft touch when shaping - Use a soft touch when shaping meatballs to keep them from becoming compacted and dense.

By taking great care with our mixing method and with the ingredients we choose, that's how to make great baked meatballs! Follow these meatball-making tips, pop a pan of them in the oven, then grab your fork and sit down to one meaty plate of tender-textured deliciousness. 

Tongs Holding a Baked Meatball Image

Baked Homemade Meatball Ingredients:

When it comes to choosing ingredients for your meatballs, create great flavor by using a combination of different ground meats. Using a combination of both ground beef and ground pork makes a more flavorful meatball than using simply beef alone. 

Of course, you can also experiment with different ground meats to fit your personal taste.  Try meatballs with differing amounts of ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey to see what you like best.

Meat Mixture to Make Meatballs Image

To whip up a pan of our favorite version of Baked Homemade Meatballs, you'll need:

  • Ground beef - Serves as the ground meat base of the meatballs. We use ground chuck.

  • Ground pork - Combines with the ground beef to create a very flavorful meatball.

  • White bread & buttermilkA mash of white bread and buttermilk added to the meat creates a lighter texture and keeps the meatballs moist. The mixture acts as a filler that brings "softness" to the meat. While milk can certainly be substituted for the buttermilk, buttermilk creates a much more tender meatball.

  • Parmesan cheese - Grated or shredded Parmesan brings nice flavor to the meatballs.

  • Fresh parsley - Parsley isn't just for garnish, it imparts flavor as well, and is a key flavor element in baked homemade meatballs. Be sure to use fresh parsley, not dried.

  • Seasonings - Minced fresh garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper nicely season the meatball mixture.

  • Egg - One egg helps bind the meatball mixture together, and adds moisture as well.

A key trick for tender, light meatballs is to keep your mixing "light" -- which means to mix and handle the meat mixture as little as possible.

How to Make Baked Homemade Meatballs:

One key trick to keeping homemade meatballs tender and light is to add a mixture of bread and buttermilk to the meat to create a lighter texture and keep the meatballs moist.  The bread and buttermilk mixture acts as a filler that brings some "softness" to the meat.

So get a batch of Baked Homemade Meatballs going, start by tearing or cutting some slices of white bread into small pieces. Then combine the bread pieces and some buttermilk in a bowl and mash them together with a fork until the mixture forms into a fairly smooth paste.

Then combine ground beef and ground pork along with the buttermilk/bread mash, and season it pretty assertively with fresh parsley, a touch of oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and Parmesan to further amp up that flavor.  

Now another key trick for tender, light meatballs is to keep your mixing "light" -- which means to mix and handle the meat mixture as little as possible. So mix those ingredients only until they're just barely combined. Overmixing can create dense, hard meatballs once they're cooked. 

I like to use my hands as my mixing tool to be sure I'm keeping a light mixing touch.

Sheet of Formed Unbaked Meatballs Image

Once the meatball mixture is finished, shape the meatballs. -- Using your hands, gently shape 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into a 1 & 1/2-inch ball. Use a soft touch when shaping your meatballs, too, to keep them from becoming too compacted and dense.

Once formed, you can bake the meatballs in a muffin tin:

Unbaked Meatballs in Muffin Pan Image

Or, the meatballs can be baked on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy clean-up, if you'd like):

Meatballs Baked On a Baking Sheet Image

Then once those meatballs are baked, grab your fork and get ready to sit down to one plate of meaty deliciousness. -- All with the full-flavor and tender meatball texture we crave.


  Plate of Spaghetti with Baked Homemade Meatballs Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!


homemade meatballs recipe, baked meatballs recipe, how to make baked meatballs, how to make meatballs
Main Dishes
Yield: about 20 meatballs

Baked Homemade Meatballs

What are the secrets to creating full-flavored Baked Homemade Meatballs with the tender texture we crave? Taking great care with the ingredients and the mixing method, that's what!
prep time: 40 Mcook time: 25 Mtotal time: 65 M

ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef (I use ground chuck)
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 3 slices white bread
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk
  • 1/3 c. grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3 T. minced fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 1 egg

instructions:

How to cook Baked Homemade Meatballs

  1. Remove crusts from the bread slices and tear or cut each slice into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and buttermilk and mash together with a fork. Set aside and let stand about 15 minutes, mashing occasionally, until the mixture forms into a fairly smooth paste.
  2. Place ground beef and ground pork in a bowl. Add Parmesan, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir or mash 3 or 4 times to just begin mixing ingredients together. Add egg and the prepared bread/buttermilk mixture. Mix until evenly combined, taking care to not overmix the meat mixture as overmixing creates tough meatballs. {I use my hands as the mixing tool to keep the mixing light.}
  3. With your hands, gently shape 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into a 1 1/2-inch ball. Use a light touch when shaping as overworking and compacting the meat too much creates dense, tough meatballs. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet or in a muffin tin. Repeat with remaining mixture, making about 20 meatballs.
  4. Bake at 425 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
  5. Serve on top of a big plate of spaghetti or simmered with your favorite sauce.
TRACEY'S NOTES
  1. Milk can be substituted for buttermilk for soaking the bread crumbs, but buttermilk produces creamier and lighter-textured meatballs.
  2. If you'd like, meatballs can be shaped up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until they're ready to be baked.
  3. For easy freezer meal prep, freeze cooked meatballs for up to 2 months. Cool them completely in the refrigerator, then place in freezer bags and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw and reheat by simmering in sauce or warming in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Created using The Recipes Generator

This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.

6 comments

  1. I love your Meatballs they are making me hungry, thanks so much for sharing them with us. Have a great week and come back to see us at Full Plate Thursday real soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the muffin tin idea - Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Hope you have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have sure enjoyed featuring your awesome post on Full Plate Thursday, 582. Thanks so much for sharing it with us and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments ~ I read and appreciate each and every one. When you choose to leave a comment, we collect and display your name, as provided by you. Clicking "publish" to submit your comment indicates your explicit consent for name collection. If you click the "notify me" checkbox {which is optional}, your e-mail is also collected. Clicking the "notify me" checkbox indicates your explicit consent for e-mail collection. Thank you so much for visiting The Kitchen is My Playground!

Blog Design: Tracimichele.com. Powered by Blogger.