This recipe for the BEST Homemade Meatballs has become a classic that’s super easy to make! These meatballs are tender and juicy and are perfect served over pasta, as an appetizer, or in subs. They’re baked and ready to serve with a simple, flavorful marinara sauce in just 30 minutes.
Do you love Italian-inspired classics? Try my Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan, or Italian Pasta Salad.
In This Post
5 Star Reader Comment
This recipe is our family and friend’s favorite meatball and marinara sauce recipe. The recipe is easy to follow. The ingredients are always on hand. The hardest part of this recipe is trying not to eat them all at one time. I usually make a double batch – they freeze extremely well. Another “A Southern Soul Winner.
Hope
Over the years, these easy homemade meatballs have become somewhat famous. Well, at least in my house. They are meaty, perfectly seasoned, tender, juicy, and crazy delicious. They are great to serve on their own and excellent with Easy Baked Spaghetti.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with Flavor – The secret ingredient? Sour cream! It’s mixed right into the meat, making these meatballs incredibly juicy and rich with an irresistible flavor.
- Effortless to Make – Everything comes together in one bowl, making prep a breeze. While the meatballs bake perfectly in the oven, you can focus on simmering that delicious marinara sauce—no juggling multiple steps at once.
- Oven-Baked for Ease – Say goodbye to standing over a hot stove! Baking these meatballs means hands-off cooking and less mess, so cleanup is quick and simple.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ground beef is the base of the meatballs, but any fat-percentage beef will work. You’ll also need panko breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs.
- For the juicy meatballs, you’ll need eggs, parmesan cheese, and sour cream. The sour cream is what sets these meatballs apart!
- Grab fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper for flavor.
- For the sauce, you’ll need San Marzano crushed tomatoes (one of the sweetest varieties), diced onion, garlic, and a bit of olive oil to saute them in.
- To season the sauce, it’s just red pepper flakes, salt, a bit of sugar, and fresh basil.
Recipe Variations
- Sour Cream Alternative: You can swap this with Plain Greek yogurt.
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add more vegetables to the sauce, like grated carrots.
- Go 50/50: You can use half beef and half ground pork or Italian sausage. Just be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure the meatballs are fully cooked.
How To Make Meatballs From Scratch
- Make the Meatballs: First, mix all the ingredients. I use a stand mixer. If that’s not an option, use your hands. The key here is to be careful not to over mix.
- Shape the Meatballs: Scoop out the meat mixture using a #40 scoop. Using your hands, gently press the mixture and roll into a ball.
- Bake: Place the balls on a parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the meatballs are slightly browned.
- Make the Sauce: Saute the onions and garlic until translucent, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for 15 minutes while the meatballs finish cooking.
- Serve: Top with fresh parmesan and basil just before serving.
Can I Freeze Oven Baked Meatballs?
Freezing meatballs is a great way to prepare ahead and save time later. Here’s how you can freeze your homemade meatballs:
- Follow the recipe instructions, baking the meatballs until browned and cooked through. Once the meatballs are cooked, allow them to cool completely at room temperature.
- Place the cooled meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Store the frozen meatballs for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, this will save time, but the flavors will be less intense. This is a great option for parents of little ones and busy weeknights.
Serving Suggestions For Ground Beef Meatballs
For Sunday dinner, I love serving these meatballs with my Super Simple Caprese Salad, Spinach and Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups, and Garlic Knots. You can also pair them with plain pasta or Three Cheese Stuffed Shells.
More Meatball Recipes
If you tried these Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup breadcrumbx
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs – beaten
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup sour cream
- salt and pepper
Marinara Sauce
- 2 cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil – torn
Instructions
Meatballs
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix until all ingredients are incorporated being careful not to over mix. Or mix gently with your hands being careful not to overwork.
- Using a #40 ice cream scoop, or a tabspoon, scoop out the meat mixture and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown.
- To serve, place meatballs in marinara sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onion and cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for approximately 2 minutes being careful not to burn.
- Add tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. This can be done while meatballs are cooking in the oven.
- Right before serving, add fresh basil and serve with or without pasta and lots of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
-
- Sour Cream Alternative: You can swap this with Plain Greek yogurt.
-
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add more vegetables to the sauce, like grated carrots.
-
- Go 50/50: You can use half beef and half ground pork or Italian sausage. Just be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure the meatballs are fully cooked.
-
- Follow the recipe instructions, baking the meatballs until browned and cooked through. Once the meatballs are cooked, allow them to cool completely at room temperature.
-
- Place the cooled meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm.
-
- Store the frozen meatballs for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Annette Nobles
Hi Donna,
Which ground beef will make the best meatballs? Lean or one with more fat?
Donya
Hey there Annette!
Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a fantastic question! I’ve found that if you use 80/20 you end up having to drain off a lot of excess fat after the meatballs bake, so I normally go with 90/10. It doesn’t make a significant difference, apart from draining the fat, so you can really use what you have or what’s on sale. I hope this helps, let me know what you think of the recipe if you end up giving it a try. I hope you enjoy!
~Donya
CAROL
My Mother was of italian descent and cooked meatballs and gravy all the time but I “never” heard anyone Italian using sour cream in their gravy or
“sauce”! is that strictly southern or strictly your recipe?
Donya
Hey there Carol!
That’s a really good question! I don’t actually put the sour cream in my sauce, I put it in my meatball mixture along with parley, parmesan, and panko. This recipe is definitely not a traditional Italian meatball recipe, it’s just my personal favorite way to make them. I was experimenting one day and I just found that adding a little sour cream made the meatballs so much more juicy and tender after baking. It’s not necessarily a southern thing, we love sour cream here in the south so that’s probably what made me think to add it, but it is my original recipe. I’m curious to see what you think so if you give them a try, please let me know, I hope you enjoy!
~Donya
Janet Floyd
These sound sooo good! Would subbing oatmeal for the panko be an awful idea?
Donya
Hey there Janet!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a good question! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend oatmeal as a substitute, it will definitely change the texture of the meatballs, but it wouldn’t change the flavor all that much. Instead I suggest using breadcrumbs, you can make your own breadcrumbs from your favorite kind of bread, it works with gluten free bread and can cater to any allergies. Let me know how this turns out if you end up giving the recipe a try, thank you for your support!
~Donya
diane
Hi Donya!
I love meatballs. I love tomato sauce. My favorite is meatball subs. Second is pasta and meatballs. So I had to try this for meatball subs. I made half a batch since it’s just me and my husband. I don’t have a #40 scoop… I got 12 meatballs. I thought I would have some leftover!! 😀 that didn’t happen! HAH! Very tasty! I was wondering if the sour cream or the parmesan would make these meatballs so tasty, but I couldn’t tell! No matter, I will make this again! Thank you!
Diane
Donya
Hey there Diane!
Always great to hear from you! I am so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this, I swear by these meatballs. I’ve always thought it was the sour cream that really made this recipe, sour cream really does make everything better. Thank you so much for your constant support, I love hearing from you! I hope you’re having a great week!
Best,
Donya
Erin
What size cans of San Marzano tomatoes?
Donya
Hey there Erin!
That’s a great question! Personally, I use two of the large cans. The recipe still works either way, but when you use 2 15oz cans, the flavor of the onions and garlic will come through stronger, so it just depends on what your prefer. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
Faye Hughes
Do you have a macaroni and cheese Recipe that doesn’t taste like the boxed stuff? Some thing like Moma made?
Donya
Hey there Faye!
Great question, and the answer is yes I do! My instant pot Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese is up on the site, but I’ll copy the link down below. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
https://www.asouthernsoul.com/instant-pot-pepper-jack-mac-cheese/
kathleen veneau
how do i save this recipe
Donya
Hey there!
Great question! The best way to save the recipes is to type in their name on Pinterest, you’ll find the corresponding Pinterest post and you can just save that. I hope this help, enjoy!
~Donya
Marilou Horvat
Meatball and Marinara Sauce:
Can you tell me how many meatballs does this recipe make?
Hey there.
I don’t count how many I make. It’s probably around 35 to 40. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef and to use a #40 scoop. You can use a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture to make the meatball.
The number of meatballs really depends on the size.
Have a great day,
~Donya
Hope Collins
This recipe is our family and friends favorite meatball and marinara sauce recipe. The recipe is easy to follow. The ingredients are always on hand. The hardest part of this recipe is trying not to eat them all at one time. I usually make a double batch – the freeze extremely well. Another “A Southern Soul” Winner.
Natalie
My family LOVED these! This is a 5-star recipe.
That is so awesome!! You’ve made my day, Natalie.
Have a great afternoon,
~Donya