Description
A comforting, flavorful meatball dinner made with a blend of ground beef and pork, simmered in rich sauce, and served with your favorite sides. These tender meatballs are packed with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan, perfect for busy weeknights or cozy family dinners. The recipe is simple, flexible, and guaranteed to win everyone’s heart at the table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free alternative)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Gently combine until evenly mixed—do not overwork.
- Shape into even-sized balls (about 1–1½ inches).
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs in batches, browning on all sides.
- Once browned, add marinara sauce to the skillet, cover, and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
- Serve hot over spaghetti, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread.
Notes
- For extra tender meatballs, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes before adding.
- You can use ground turkey or chicken, but increase the milk slightly for added moisture.
- Freeze leftovers with sauce for easy reheating later.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-fried and simmered
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4–6
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 115mg