The Best Ever Italian Meatballs
A beautiful blend of beef, pork, herbs, and cheese, these Italian meatballs are juicy, savory, and perfect paired with your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 cup italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1 lb ground pork or mild italian sausage
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp dried italian seasoning
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ small white onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced/grated
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 6 cup marinara sauce or your favorite tomato sauce
- pasta for serving
- grated parmesan for garnish
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and breadcrumbs. Allow breadcrumbs to soak up milk for 3-5 minutes, then mix in cheese and parsley.
- Add chuck, pork, eggs, italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine thoroughly.
- Heat a large deep pot over medium high heat and drizzle with the oil of your choice. At this point, I like to pinch a small piece of the meat mixture off and cook it in the pan, to taste if my seasoning levels are good.
- Form the meat into golf ball sized balls, using an ice cream scoop if needed. and set on a tray. This recipe yields 20-24 meatballs depending on the size
- Drop the meatballs into the heated pot, a few at a time as to not overcrowd the pan, and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. The meatballs will not be cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and repeat with the next batch.
- When all of the meatballs are par-cooked, add onions to the pot and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add in your garlic and immediately deglaze the pan with wine, bringing the wine to a boil, being sure to scrape the bottom bits of the pan. Pour in your favorite red tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle your meatballs into the sauce and cover, simmering on low for 20-30 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of at least 160°
- Serve the meatballs as is, or serve over your favorite pasta, garnishing with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.