Authentic Italian Meatballs

"Meatball recipes are often challenged by chefs who claim, "Mine are the best!" Even though my meatballs ARE the best, I will make no such claim. Try them for yourself! This meatball recipe was given to me by my father who got it from a little old lady from Italy that he knew. It's amazing that she gave up her recipe to him, but I sure am glad she did!"
 
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photo by Ashley Cuoco photo by Ashley Cuoco
photo by Ashley Cuoco
photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by J H. photo by J H.
photo by Terri G. photo by Terri G.
photo by Julie Bs Hive photo by Julie Bs Hive
Ready In:
3hrs 20mins
Ingredients:
9
Serves:
10
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ingredients

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directions

  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.
  • Use your bare hands for best results.
  • Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball. (wet your hands to prevent the meat from sticking to them while rolling the meat balls).
  • Drop raw meatballs into large (I use a stock pot) pot of sauce.
  • (I have an incredible sauce recipe {#92096} I use for my meatballs).
  • Simmer for about 3 hours.

Questions & Replies

  1. Just wondering where I can find your sauce recipe
     
  2. For those who can't find the sauce... Go to address bar... Then scroll all the way to the right... Then change the last number from 5 to 6 and press enter! Very simple to find and do
     
  3. spaghetti sauce recipe
     
  4. ???????????????? this is silly, but could someone double the recipe and make a "meatball-meatloaf??" Putting the sauce on the top for the last 10 min......w/X-tra Motz. chz.... lol, diane
     
  5. Receipe for sauce #92096
     
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Reviews

  1. These meatballs turned out nicely, but I only have it 4 stars for 2 reasons:<br/>1. Cooking meatballs in the sauce alone can make them mushy. I recommend putting them under a broiler for about 5 minutes, turn over once and broil for another 5 minutes first before you add them to the sauce. Broiling adds a nice brown color and enough crisp to prevent mushiness<br/>2. The meatballs lacked the spice kick that I normally prefer. Next time I'll add some Italian seasoning or seasoned breadcrumbs for that extra kick.
     
  2. It cracks me up when reviewers don't follow a recipe and then write a review on it. If you've altered the recipe, then you cannot possibly post a reliable review....duh !<br/>That said....follow this to the letter....it's excellent !
     
  3. I am a vegetarian. I needed to make dinner for SEVERAL non-veggies. I also made the sauce that this recipe gives reference to. EVERYONE one of them were blown away with the meatballs!!! No one could understand how someone who does not eat meat could cook meat this awesome. <br/><br/>I doubled the recipe and came out with about 50 meatballs. I was just told this morning I need to make 200 becasue 50 is not enough!! BLESS this recipe. Next time I will cook for the 3 hours and then freeze them. THANK YOU!!!!!
     
  4. My mother-in-law, who is a gourmet cook, always cooked her meatballs right in the sauce. This is the ONLY way my husband will eat them because cooking them this way retains both the moisture and the flavor. If the meatballs are simmered in the sauce for 3 hours as in this fine recipe, they will never turn out mushy! I have tried SEVERAL recipes but this is the 1st recipe that I feel truly tastes authentic! One small change I made was to use a mix of ground beef, veal and pork. This enhanced the great flavor in this recipe. ;0) Thank you so much for sharing!! I will use it again and again.... And I am certain my family and friends will enjoy it for years to come!
     
  5. These are, without a doubt, the BEST meatballs I've ever made. My mother-in-law was Italian and I could never even come close to her meatballs. This recipe tops hers! YUM!
     
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Tweaks

  1. Both my mothers parents were born in Naples, Italy and opened an Italian Deli from the early 1920's - the early 1960's. It's refreshing to see someone publish a meatball recipe that does not say bake or fry them. They should always be simmered in the sauce - you only need to have them in the sauce for 90 minutes or so unless you make them gargantuan. I also use fresh diced onion, fresh garlic, fresh basil and parsley and just a bit of dried Oregano. Add a little of the sauce into the mixture as well.
     
  2. I doubled the recipe (doubled the meat by including a pound of sweet Italian ground sausage instead of more hamburger), used onion salt instead of table salt, used Italian Spiced Breadcrumbs, and cooked in a crockpot all day.
     
  3. The small changes I made were adding a minced onion, using fresh oregano, and substituting several cloves of fresh garlic instead of garlic salt. I also sauteed them for a bit to get rid of some fat, before simmering in sauce. Made my spaghetti sing!
     
  4. Locatelli cheese is goat cheese it a name brand !!! Morrzarella just will not make it. Go to an Italian deli and by some
     
  5. Great recipe. Came up very tender and flavorful. Thank you.
     

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