Why You’ll Love This recipe
Easy to make – minimal food prep and the best Italian meatballs ready in less than 30 minutes. #winner
Budget friendly – with the growing cost of living, we all love a budget meal.
Low carb and keto friendly – these Italian style meatballs are made with no fillers. They are gluten-free and low in carbs.
Bake Italian Meatballs
Meatballs are always a winning dinner with the family. These are the best Italian Meatballs in sauce and are seriously simple to make! They are so quick and easy to make and packed with so much flavor!
I go for big meatballs served with a simple Italian sugo sauce. Serve them as-is, with spaghetti, noodles, rice or potato mash. Or make it low carb it with our (amazing) Cauliflower Mash.
Related Recipes: Italian Meatball Minestrone Soup / Italian Keto Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the quantity of each ingredient used in our homemade Italian meatball recipe. I give you all the tips on how to make meatballs for the best Italian recipe. x
Beef Pork Mince – I use a combination of both ground beef and pork. I use an 80/20 meat to fat ratio. Fatty cuts make juicier meatballs. Be careful of using lean mince as the meatballs can end up dry.
Napoli Sauce – use any of your favorite marinara sauces. I love my sugar free keto Napoli sauce or keto San Marzano sauce. You can use canned chopped tomatoes and any extra spices you like.
Herbs & Spices – I use Italian Seasoning, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. I throw in some fresh chopped parsley or basil leaves for good measure.
Optional – add cubes of cheese to the centre for cheesy stuffed meatballs or top with cheese when baking. I use no fillers but if you want to add fresh bread crumbs or dried bread crumbs, go for it. For keto Italian meatballs (and still gluten free) use pork rinds or fresh grated parmesan cheese. Add any herbs and spices, fresh chopped onions, or garlic.
How To Make Italian Meatballs
Step 1. MIX – Add ground meats, parsley, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, salt and pepper into a large bowl; mix well with your hands until evenly combined.
Step 2. ROLL MEATBALLS – Divide and roll mince into 10 large meatballs. I recommend using a set of kitchen scales to weigh out each meatball into 100g (3.5oz). If making mozzarella stuffed meatballs push a cube of mozzarella into the centre of the meatball and enclose.
Step 3. PAN FRY – Season a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle with salt flakes. Brown the meatballs on all sides (in batches if needed). Place into a Dutch oven or a 26 x 18 cm (10 x 7 inch) baking dish.
HOT TIP: If using fatty mince meat then there is no need for olive oil when frying. If you use lean beef or fillers use a tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil in the pan. The salt flakes in the pan help make the meatballs crust seasoned and crispy.
Step 4. PREHEAT – Preheat oven to 200°C fan/220°C static (425°F).
BAKE – Top the meatballs with napoletana sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce and meatballs finish cooking all the way through. Top with basil pesto and cheese. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until bubbly and melted.
FAQs and Hot Tips
Absolutely! Make sausage meatballs with premade Italian sausages. Squeeze the ground seasoned meat from the skins and shape into meatballs. Pan fry to brown and bake in the oven in the napoletana sauce until fully cooked.
You can. Just place into the baking dish. Add 1 cup of chicken stick to the sugo sauce and bake until cooked through.
To cook meatballs in the Instant Pot, just add all the ingredients and stir well. Seal the lid and cook on Pressure/6 minutes/natural release for 5 minutes/ then quick release. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with the lid for 1-2 minutes to melt.
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More Recipes To Try
Want more cheap and keto ground beef recipes to make at home? Here are just a few of my recent favourites.
I hope you love our recipe for Italian meatballs with homemade tomato sauce as much as I do! If you do, then please rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review to help others know that this is a recipe worth trying.
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Italian Meatballs Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) ground beef/pork 50/50 mix of both
- 1/4 cup (0.25 cup) fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Italian seasoning
- Chilli flakes to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt flakes and black pepper
- 2 cups (2 cups) Napoli Sauce click link for recipe
- 1/2 cup (0.5 cup) shredded cheese
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- 150 g (1.5 cups) mozzarella cut into 2.5cm/1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (0.5 cup) basil pesto click for recipe
Instructions
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- MIX – Add ground meats, parsley, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl; mix well with your hands until evenly combined. Divide and roll mince into 10 large meatballs. For cheese stuffed meatballs; press a cube of mozzarella into the centre of each meatball and enclose.1 kg ground beef/pork, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, Chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes and black pepper, 150 g mozzarella
- PAN FRY – Season a large skillet with salt flakes. Place it over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides (in batches if needed). Place into a Dutch oven or a 26 x 18 cm (10 x 7 inch) baking dish.
- PREHEAT – Preheat oven to 200°C fan/220°C static (425°F).
- BAKE – Top the meatballs with napoletana sauce. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the sauce and meatball is warmed through. Top with pesto and cheese. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until bubbly and melted.2 cups Napoli Sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup basil pesto
THERMAL METHOD
- MIX – Add ground meats, parsley, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, salt and pepper; mix 20 sec/speed 4. Divide and roll mince into 8 large meatballs.1 kg ground beef/pork, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, Chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes and black pepper
- Follow from step 2 above.
INSTANT POT METHOD
- PAN FRY – Season a large skillet with salt flakes. Place it over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides (in batches if needed). Place into a Pot.
- COOK – Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) and stir well. Seal lid and cook on Pressure/6 minutes/natural release for 5 minutes/ then quick release. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with the lid for 1-2 minutes to melt.
Notes
Your Own Notes
Nutrition
31 responses to “Easy Baked Italian Meatballs”
Was excellent. Everyone loved it.
Such a flavourful and delicious recipe!Absouletely love everything about this recipe,perfect for cold nights.They are so good, aren’t they.
You gave so many helpful tips! Thanks for that. I love how few ingredients these meatballs have. Perfect for busy weeknights!They sure are Erin.
It looks awesome. I have everything ready to go but I’m a bit confused by the step 2 – pan Fry – Season a large skillet with salt flakes – do I really season the skillet and brown the meatballs without any oil?
Thank you.
I love easy recipes like this1 It’s perfect for a Monday night with the family or to serve for a holiday gathering. Love the notes sections! Definitely helpful. These were scrumptious!I am glad you enjoyed them Lori.
Everything about this recipe is divine! And I absolutely love that it’s low carb as well. You have the best recipes!Thanks Leslie. It makes me happy that you are happy.
Now that’s a meatball! No fillers is what makes these meatballs so darn good. They’re moist and a real treat when cheese is stuffed inside. The family cleaned their plates and asked for more. Winner-winner-dinner!I am so happy you and the fam enjoyed them.
This is one of the best Italian meatballs that I have seen to date. Fantastic result and so easy to follow!Yay! What a review! Thanks for making it Elaine!
These baked meatballs with homemade Napoletana sauce come together so beautifully. Perfect for Sunday dinner.I am so happy you enjoyed them Sharon.
Such a great meatball recipe! The seasoning is on point, and baking made the whole process so simple.Yay! So good to hear!
These came out perfectly! The Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, and chili flakes really added a ton of flavor to the dish. We served them with mashed potatoes and really enjoyed them!Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it Veronika.
I can never resist a meatball but fill it with cheese and I’m yours forever! I am saving this recipe for the next time meatballs are on the menu!
Enjoy!
Oh my goodness, this dish is so delicious and looks so easy to make.
I will def make this for everyone this weekend. Thank you!
Oh my goodness, this dish is so delicious and looks so easy to make.
I will def make this for everyone this weekend.I am so happy you enjoyed it Amy!
I love meatballs and I loved that these meatballs are stuffed with cheese. The whole dish is easy to make and I served it with parmesan polenta.That is so good to hear you enjoyed it Jere. Thanks for making it and coming back to share how much you loved it.
Hello I am a very plan eater but love my salad but Im wanting something easy to make recipes…I have IBS which makesy life difficult such as bloating and tired. I would really appreciate some guidance please and thank you.
Hey Pam, I really would suggest you speak with your doctor or a low carb dietary specialist. We have a lot of simple recipes on the website for you to look through once you identify what to avoid.
These are sensational! I added blue cheese to the centre because that is how I roll. They turned out perfect.Oh, blue cheese what a tasty combo. Thanks for making this one Ty. I only just published it and you managed to make it already. Hopefully everyone loves it. xx
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