Oven Baked Meatball Recipe

It’s raining meatballs! Meatballs for days! Whether you're meal prepping or looking to treat your guests to something special, this meatball recipe is for you! My Oven Baked Meatballs are flavourful, juicy, tender and so satisfying! Make them, form them and pop them into the oven to bake – it’s that simple! These meatballs will melt-in-your-mouth and not in your hands! Trust me! It’s one of my favourite recipes as is bound to become yours as well!

My Oven Baked Meatball recipe uses equal parts lean ground beef and ground pork. You couldn’t ask for a better pairing! The lean ground beef adds depth of flavour and complexity while the pork (the fattier of the two meats) adds savouriness and richness while keeping these meatballs extra juicy and moist.

A panade serves as the base of this meatball recipe, imparting creaminess and structure to the meatballs, while also preventing them from shrinking as they cook. If you're not familiar with a panade, let me fill you in! A panade is simply a combination of breadcrumbs (or bread) and milk. This classic cooking technique is the secret to tender meatballs. The breadcrumbs absorb the milk creating a mixture that helps bind the meat, giving these meatballs some structure. While the meatballs cook, the panade releases moisture, keeping these meatballs extremely tender. In addition to the panade, minced onion and eggs are added to the mix. These ingredients add incremental moisture and flavour while also helping bind the meatballs. Think of them as a little insurance policy – keeping the structural integrity of the meatballs alive!

A meatball wouldn’t be a meatball without some additional seasoning. These delicious morsels pack quite the flavourful punch! Bright and rich tomato paste, nutty Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper are added to the mix.

Once you’ve added all your ingredients to a large bowl, use your hands to combine the meat, panade and seasoning. Over mixing will yield tough meatballs and nobody wants that! Form the mixture into balls, add them to a baking sheet, brush with some EVOO and bake until golden-brown and delicious. Enjoy these meatballs on their own, transform them into healthier version of the classic "Spaghetti and Meatballs” (replacing pasta with spaghetti squash) or use them in a meatball sandwich. Whatever way you enjoy them, you really can’t go wrong!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, then you’ve got to try this recipe! These meatballs come together in under one hour, use a handful of simple and everyday ingredients and couldn’t be easier to make. Skip the store-bought variety and make these instead! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For a fun and exciting holiday appetizer idea, coat the cooked meatballs in your favourite barbecue or sweet-sour sauce. Get ready to impress your guests and watch these meatballs disappear!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 – 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 – 50 minutes

Makes: 20 – 21 meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs

• ½ cup whole milk

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper

• ¼ cup yellow onion, minced (approx. 1 small onion) (See Notes below)

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (See Notes below)

• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 lb lean ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 11” x 17” rimmed, metal baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. To a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then, add the onion, eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley and tomato paste and mix until combined.

3. Add the ground beef and pork and using your hands, mix until just combined. Be mindful not to overwork the mixture.

4. Using a large spoon, scoop out a heaping spoonful of the meat mixture. Then, using your hands, form and shape it into a 1 ½ inch meatball. Repeat the process for the remaining meatballs.

5. Place the meatballs onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving ½ inch of space between each. Brush with olive oil and transfer the meatballs into the oven.

6. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until the meatballs are golden-brown in colour and cooked through. You know your meatballs have fully cooked when, using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature reaches 160F (71C).

7. Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy them on their own, transform them into Spaghetti and Meatballs or use them to make a meatball sub! Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

1. Grate an Onion and Grab Some Tissues: Grating an onion can be risky business -tears and all! This step is crucial as it adds incremental flavour and moisture to these meatballs. You're looking to finely grate or mince the onion, resulting in a watery and pulp-like consistency. I recommend using the medium holes on a box grater as it gets the job done well. Simply peel the onion and cut off the stem, leaving the root end intact. Keeping the root intact will make it easier to grip and grate the onion. Your fingers will thank you! Next, hold the onion by the root end and carefully grate the onion.

2. Fresh is where it’s at: Nothing quite compares to freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano! It’s rich, nutty and too savoury for words. At your local grocer, you’ll find pre-grated Parmigiano and the shelf-stable varieties but, I highly recommend buying a piece of fresh Parmigiano and doing the grating on your own. It makes a world of difference. Once you try freshly grated, you’ll never go back!