There are a few recipes that I would consider staples for every home and home cook. These are the recipes that are crowd pleasers for anyone, including your pickiest eater. These Easy Italian meatballs are at the top of that list. I have never met anyone who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs, and if I ever did, I’m certain we could not be friends. You just can’t trust anyone who doesn’t love Italian meatballs, or at least like them… a lot.
This Easy Italian Meatballs recipe is the kind of dinner you envision when you think about multiple generations gathered around the table on Sunday afternoon. This recipe you can double, triple, or even quadruple to feed whatever size family you are entertaining, and it’s so easy to make. You can serve these with spaghetti, on sub rolls, over rice, in tomato soup, in tortellini soup, or even with vegetables. They are so versatile, and really the only limit is your own imagination.
I like a really lean ground beef for this Easy Italian Meatballs recipe. Even half lean ground beef and half ground pork or chicken are good. The reason for lean beef in this recipe is that you are cooking your meatballs in your sauce. You don’t want a mouthful of grease.
I’m cooking these in the pressure cooker to save time. You can cook these in your stockpot if you don’t have a pressure cooker. If cooking on the stovetop, bring sauce and meatballs to a boil on medium-high heat, then lower the temperature to low and simmer covered for 3 hours.
Making meatballs is a breeze if you use an ice cream scoop. This also ensures your Easy Italian Meatballs are going to be uniform. Make sure it has a trigger so you can easily release the meatball into your hand. I use the one here.
Get the pressure cooker I use and love here.
If you don’t have a cast iron Dutch oven, I can recommend this one here. I’ve used this one for several years, and it costs less than most (if not all) others of the same size. You really should consider purchasing one. I use mine almost exclusively when I’m cooking on the stovetop. You just can’t get a more even heat than with cast iron, and the enamel coating makes cleaning it a breeze and omits the need to season.
Easy Italian Meatballs (Melts In Your Mouth!)
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound lean or extra lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (mine is Ragu chunky tomato, garlic, and onion)
Instructions
1. Pour half of your spaghetti sauce into the pot (inside the pressure cooker).
2. Combine all ingredients except spaghetti sauce into a bowl and mix together with your very clean or gloved hands.
3. Using your ice cream scoop, scoop out a level scoop of the meat mixture and release it into your hand. Gently roll into a ball and place on top of the sauce in your pot.
4. Continue until all meat has been made into meatballs.
5. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the meatballs making sure to cover them all.
6. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and set pressure to high and time to 60 minutes.
7. After 60 minutes, quick release pressure. Spoon as much (if any) grease off the top of the sauce.
8. Serve hot.
Notes:
1. To make Italian meatball subs, add 3 meatballs to the Italian sub roll. We use Gonnella soft Italian rolls. Top with a spoonful of sauce and shredded Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and/ or mozzarella.
2. Also, you can spread butter mixed with garlic powder over the inside of your rolls and place them under the broiler to toast before adding your meatballs for an extra layer of delicious flavor.
