Mar 19, 20212 min read

Classic Meatballs

The Perfect Meatball!

Nothing beats a classic meatball, deliciously flavored and moist. Check out how we made these simple meatballs to serve up at your next dinner or dinner party!

Grocery List

Ground beef:
- You could also use a split of ground beef and ground pork. Chicken, turkey, or other ground protein sources can be used too.
Bread crumbs
- For this recipe, we used GF panko. You can use another bread crumb and one with or without added seasonings.
Milk
Parmesan cheese
Egg
Onion
- White or yellow onion is best.
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic
Parsley
- Can also use basil depending on the dish or sauce being used.
Oregano
Salt and pepper

The Do's

Meatballs have a tendency to become dry. To help avoid dryness or dense meatballs select fattier cuts of meat. The fat helps to create a tender meatball. If you are using a leaner cut of meat, just be a little more careful for when the meatballs are fully cooked. Leaner meats have less fat which can cause them to become dry when overcooked.
Create what is called a panade. A panade is a combination of starch (ex: bread crumbs, panko) and a liquid (ex: milk, stock), this combination helps to add more moisture and keeps the meatballs tender.
Don't forget the egg! The egg also acts as a binder and a way to create tenderness.
Grate your onion. Grating the onion helps to prevent biting into chunks of onion or having uneven chunks around. It also combines really well into the meat mixture.
Don't overwork the meat. Combine the meat just enough to incorporate all the ingredients. Mixing the meat too much creates toughness in the meat, which is everything we are trying to avoid.
We prefer baking the meatballs, but you can also fry them in a pan or cook them directly with your sauce.
Keep the seasonings simple! We do add Worcestershire sauce to pretty much any ground beef mixture for added flavor. Ultimately, have fun with different seasonings to fit your needs.