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Home Collections Quick Dinner Recipes

Oven Baked Italian Meatballs

By:Nagi
Published:24 Apr '17Updated:22 Jun '21
101 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is how I make soft Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND a tomato sauce entirely in the oven: place the meatballs on a rack placed over a baking dish with the sauce in it. The tasty meatball juices drips into the sauce and they brown beautifully all over. Oh – and they stay nice and round!

Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com

It’s Monday morning here in Sydney and I almost got sent to the naughty corner again. Because it’s the last Monday of April, and I almost forgot that it’s Monday Meatball Mania*. Gasp, shock horror! If Jo Cooks hadn’t prodded me, you would be reading a stir fry recipe instead of meatballs today! (And she would have gleefully declared herself to be the Meatball Queen while I sulked in the naughty corner).

* Monday Meatball Mania: On the last Monday of every month, my friend Jo from Jo Cooks and I each share a meatball recipe. Because we both love ball-shaped-food and think there can never be too many meatballs. Just making our contribution to make this world a better place!

Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com

So today I have something a little different for you – BAKED meatballs. This is the first meatball recipe I’ve shared that’s made entirely in the oven.

And I think this is a little different to most baked meatballs because not only are the meatballs made in the oven, the sauce is too. And the sauce is made entirely from scratch, using canned tomatoes. Not a store bought pasta sauce.

Here’s how I do it: I use my “oven sautéed onions” method that I also use for my Oven Baked Chicken and Rice recipe as the flavour base for the sauce before adding crushed tomatoes and seasonings. That little extra step really makes a difference to the flavour of the sauce, just like if you made it on the stove.

As for the meatballs – well, I know some people might think my rack method is mad, but it really works. The juices from the meatballs drips into the sauce (extra flavour!), the meatballs are elevated (rather than being on a tray) so they cook evenly all over and aren’t sitting in a pool of drippings and the underside is half  “steamed” (from the sauce) which adds moisture into the meatballs (steaming always makes things more moist).

And the clincher for me is that the meatballs stay nice and round!!

Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com

To be honest, the main reason I started baking meatballs using this rack method is because I really hated losing the drippings which, when I make Italian Meatballs on the stove the traditional way, are used as the flavour base for the sauce. I used to scrape the drippings off the baking tray and tip it into the sauce. Then finally, I figured out this rack method. 🙂

So you might think me weird, but it really works, it’s healthier than the fried version (less oil), more hands off, and your meatballs come out nice and juicy.

And round.

I know I’ve said that before. But that’s an extra bonus for me because I think I’m a bit rough and tumble when I make meatballs – they get knocked around in the skillet a little too much and end up wonky! – Nagi xx

PS Forgot to mention – I make these meatballs using my fresh bread method soaked in grated onion. Hands down the best way to get max flavour and soft, juicy meatballs. Pinky swear. Reviews and logic can be scoured in my Classic Italian Meatballs recipe which uses the same meatball mixture!

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Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com

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Both the Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND sauce are made entirely in the oven! The meatballs are extra soft and juicy, and tomato sauce fantastic for pouring over pasta. www.recipetineats.com

Oven Baked Italian Meatballs

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
4.92 from 35 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
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Soft, juicy, extra tasty Oven Baked Italian Meatballs AND tomato sauce, made entirely in the oven! By baking the meatballs on a rack placed on top of the baking dish with the sauce in it, the meatball juices drips into the sauce (extra flavour!), the underside of the meatballs are partially "steamed" which makes them juicier, they aren't sitting in a pool of oil and the meatballs stay nice and round! See recipe notes for using the recipe SCALER (hover over servings). Recipe video below!

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 24 oz / 800 g crushed tomato (2 x standard cans)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp red pepper (chili) flakes (optional)
  • 2 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
  • 1 tsp salt + black pepper

Meatballs:

  • 1 lightly packed cup of sliced white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces, crusts removed (Note 1)
  • ½ onion, grated - including juices (yellow, brown or white)
  • 14 oz / 400 g ground beef (beef mince)
  • 3 oz / 100g ground pork (mince) or substitute with ground beef (beef mince) (Note 2)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (Note 3)
  • 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:

  • Fresh parsley, 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.

Recipe Notes:

1. Bread is hands down the best way to make soft meatballs. It's particular important for baked meatballs which are firmer than pan fried meatballs. So I really encourage you to use bread instead of breadcrumbs! But if you prefer, you can substitute with ½ cup breadcrumbs - preferably panko breadcrumbs.
Plain white sandwich bread is best for this, but you can substitute with other breads. Chop or tear them into small pieces with your hands, and do not include the crust. You can use slightly stale bread, but fresh disintegrates better.
Some recipes use milk to soften the bread. Milk doesn't add any flavour to the recipe, so I opt to use the onion juices instead i.e. the juices from the grated onion. It adds fabulous extra flavour, and by grating the onion instead of chopped them, you don't need to saute the onion before mixing in with the meat.
2. Pork is slightly fattier than beef so it helps make these extra juicy. I only use 3½ oz / 100g because pork has less flavour than beef and I don't want to dilute the flavour. This isn't hugely critical though and you should feel free to just use 1 lb / 500 g beef mince which is what I do on ordinary nights. 🙂
3. You can substitute with 1 tbsp dried parsley, or a mix of equal amounts of dried oregano, thyme, basil and parsley. I use a store bought Italian herb mix.
4. The pan size doesn't need to be an exact science, just has to be big enough so the meatballs fit on the rack above without being squished together. Just make sure a rack sits on top of it!
5. SAUCE: With the classic way of making sauce for meatballs, it is made in the skillet after pan frying the meatballs so you don't waste the flavour left in the skillet. And it starts with sautéing onion and garlic. I use my "oven sautéed onions" method for this meatballs sauce, which creates a great flavour base for the sauce without having to start it off on the stove. This is the same technique used in this popular Oven Baked Chicken and Rice. 🙂
6. This is the baked version of my Classic Italian Meatballs which are a massive reader favourite!
7. Nutrition is per serving, assuming 4 (generous) servings, excluding pasta. 

8. SCALER (hover over servings): This recipe can be scaled up and down, just use a smaller/larger pan. When scaling up, make sure the meatballs are not squeezed in too snugly on the rack otherwise they won't brown, and ensure that they are set over the pan so the juices will drip into the Sauce. 

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 455gCalories: 526cal (26%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Oven Baked Italian Meatballs recipe video!


LIFE OF DOZER

When Dozer got sent to the naughty corner for breaking a plate I brought back from Japan, he just fell asleep. No respect. There’s just NO RESPECT!!!!!

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101 Comments

  1. Catherine says

    December 28, 2021 at 4:53 am

    Wow…this meatball method is genius and I’m going to try it this week. Thank You!

    Reply
  2. Diana says

    December 8, 2021 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE meatballs, but never used to cook them because they’re so fiddly. But not anymore! Thanks to your oven + ice cream scoop methods. This recipe is a winner. Nagi your standing as most popular Australian food blogger is well deserved!

    Reply
  3. Brad W says

    October 14, 2021 at 6:04 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, these are absolute perfection. I’ve made them about a dozen times now and they are always amazing.

    Reply
  4. Bee says

    September 20, 2021 at 8:12 am

    4 stars
    My comments are only about the sauce and method- my onions were still pretty pale after 8min and after cooking with the rest of the sauce they still had the raw crunchy taste. So next time id roast them for longer til they actually caramelise. Cannot rate the meatballs coz I already made some but I love this way of cooking – I think they did stay pretty juicy and it was satisfying swirling the drippings into the sauce!

    Reply
  5. BrokenPipes says

    July 26, 2021 at 8:26 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made these meatballs so many times and they are amazing. We play around with combinations of veal, pork, lamb and beef minces. So much fresher and nicer than store-bought meatballs with a 10 day shelf life! Perfect for a perpetually starving 14yo son!

    Reply
  6. kgc says

    July 16, 2021 at 10:18 am

    One more question: is the serving size really one meatball? Not sure that can give 45+grams of protein. Did I read that incorrectly?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 17, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      Hi kgc, this recipe serves 4 – the recipe makes about 20 meatballs as mentioned so that equates to about 5 per serve. N x

      Reply
  7. kgc says

    July 16, 2021 at 10:14 am

    Clever scaler for increased or decreased portions but I noticed that the number of cans of sauce didn’t change. I almost used 2 cans for just 2 servings.
    Also, I used to go to a place that served garlic bread and meatballs baked in sauce with mozzerella and parm as an appetiser. How would you change the cooking time for that since cheese would have to be baked and melted too?

    Reply
  8. AMF says

    February 3, 2021 at 11:57 am

    4 stars
    I made half the meatballs in a skillet and the other half in the oven. I found it much easier (and healthier) to do them in the oven. I also honestly liked the taste better. It also frees you up to make a salad or get other things done. The meatballs were very good, but I only used beef, and I think I would like them better with a veal/beef/pork mix. Thank you Nagi for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  9. AMANDA says

    January 4, 2021 at 1:48 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! I love this recipe. It was easy and delicious. Will keep this is my rotation. I’ve never been disappointed with a recipe from Nagi!

    Reply
  10. Juhan says

    December 13, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Hi Nagi
    What is your oven mode when you are cooking the meatball at 200 degree?

    Reply
  11. Rhirhi says

    December 31, 2019 at 11:46 am

    I have dairy allergy, is it possible to omit parmesan? Or is there any sub for this?

    Reply
  12. Sophie Luff says

    November 12, 2019 at 5:47 am

    just made this and we all loved it, the only thing that i would change would be to use fresh herbs instead of dry in the sauce. Meatballs were as you said Nagi! thank you once again.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 12, 2019 at 6:53 pm

      Hi Sophie, you can definitely sub with fresh herbs if you prefer! – N x

      Reply
      • Jac says

        May 27, 2022 at 6:37 pm

        5 stars
        Amazing recipe turned out perfect we had a lazy meal and put them in crusty bread rolls to make a sub. Delicious and will be a regular, thank you!

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          May 28, 2022 at 11:56 am

          That’s great Jac! I am glad that you liked them!! N x

          Reply
  13. Jilly says

    May 7, 2019 at 3:18 am

    5 stars
    Another recipe knocked out the park! Husband and sons would have licked the bowl if i’d let them, unfortunately for them I’m way faster haha 😉 seriously another simple but super tasty recipe, thanks Nagi. I also find your portion sizes spot on, always enough for seconds but nothing thrown away ☺️

    Reply
  14. Helen says

    April 24, 2019 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    ive Made this twice now and love the flavor & the fact I can set and forget it( for a time). My only question is- how do I stop the meatballs from sticking to the rack? I sprayed it with oil but they still stuck. Perhaps my beef was too lean?? Love your recipes Nagi.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 25, 2019 at 11:55 am

      Hi Helen, I usually just spray my rack with plenty of oil ☺️

      Reply
  15. Ginger says

    February 24, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Oven Baked Italian Meatballs, Instruction #7.
    flick to broil
    Is that change the knob from bake to broil, or turn over the meatball:

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 25, 2019 at 8:28 am

      Hi Ginger, yes sorry – turn your oven to broil ☺️

      Reply
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