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    Home » Food

    The Best Homemade Meatballs Ever

    By Debi Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe

    Who love Homemade Meatballs? We’ve all had meatballs before. You know, the ones that are usually store-bought and made from some kind of “meat” product. They’re not bad but they just don’t have that same authentic taste as homemade ones do! Just take a look at these beauties: juicy, tender, messy…delicious! These are our best ever meatballs and you can make them too!

    homemade meatballs in a white bowl

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    Easy Meatball Recipe

    Meatballs are one of my favorite things to eat. I could eat them every single day. But I really hate using the frozen ones. My mom uses them for every single party because they are easy but it is always the frozen ones. So guess who has started making the meatballs for every party! That’s right, me. But that’s ok, because this recipe is easy and delicious.  

    Can you freeze leftover meatballs?

    I always make a huge batch of meat balls so I can freeze them. They are great to just have on hand for when you need an easy dinner or appetizer! Once the meatballs have cooled, you will want to move them to a baking sheet and freeze them for about an hour. Once they have hardened, you can move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You freeze them first so that they are not stuck together when you are ready to eat them later.

    When you are ready to enjoy these homemade meatballs later on, you want to store them in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you want to heat them before eating them. You can heat them slowly in sauce on the stove or you heat them more quickly in the microwave.

    How many people does this recipe make?

    This recipe makes 18 meatballs. I consider this 6 servings of meatballs. Perfect per servings of pasta or subs.

    How do you make moist meatballs?

    The best way to make sure these balls stay moist is to use 2 meats, like ground beef and pork. Because the pork is fattier, it makes very moist and tender meat balls.

    Tips for Making The perfect Homemade Meatballs

    Do not over mix the meat– This causes the meat to become tough.

    Use a Cookie Scoop– The cookie scoop causes them to be the same size. This is great for cooking times and ensuring that the

    Too Dry?– If the mixture seems too dry, you can a a splash, about a tablespoon, of milk to the meat.

    Don’t have garlic or onions?– You can use garlic powder or onion powder in place of the fresh ones. Make sure not use garlic salt or onion salt because it can make the recipe too salty.

    Not cooking cooking in sauce?– If you are baking the meatballs instead of simmering then in sauce, you will want to flip them half way through baking them so that they do not burn.

    How to Cook Meatballs that are not in Sauce

    I love cooking my meat in sauce. However, not everyone likes that. You can also bake the meatballs. Place the rolled meatballs on the baking sheet. Cook the them in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure to turn them half way through. You can see how we bake them in the baked turkey meatball recipe.

    spaghetti and meatballs

    How do I know if the meatballs are done?

    If you need to make sure they are done, the best way is to take a thermometer and check the internal temperature. Because you are using ground pork, you want to make sure it is cooked to 165 degrees.

    Can I use ground turkey?

    I have a delicious baked turkey meatballs recipe that is great when you want a light recipe that tastes amazing and is still low in points.

    Ways to serve

    Meatballs can be used in so many more ways than just sauce. I would recommend trying

    Traditional spaghetti– This is the way most people think of meatballs with your favorite sauce over pasta or noodles. You can also use Easy Butternut Squash Noodles for a lower carb version, less point option.

    Alfredo– Skip the marinara and make these meatballs with Alfredo sauce. I love this lighter Alfredo sauce

    Swedish meatballs– These are a very popular and this delicious meatball recipe can be used as the base. Add your favorite Swedish sauce.

    Grape Jelly- Make grape jelly sauce by combining 1.5 cups of ketchup and 1 cup of grape jelly. Once you have made the sauce, pour it over the meatballs and simmer it until they are heated through.

    BBQ meatballs– Place your favorite BBQ sauce in a pot with over the balls and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.

    How many Weight Watchers points in This Recipe

    There are 2 ways to make these. One is baking them in the oven and the other is simmering in sauce. I am including the WW points for the baking method. That is because everyone tends to use a different sauce and different amounts. I am using the lowest fat versions of the meats, so 95% ground beef and 96% ground pork.

    Each serving is 6 points on all plans. You can use zoodles, made from zucchini or Easy Butternut Squash Noodles to keep the recipe at 6 points and 1/2 cup of homemade marinara sauce. Or you can use 1 cup of whole wheat pasta for 10 points (6 points on purple).

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    Are Meatballs Keto

    These meatballs have breadcrumbs in them, but you can omit the breadcrumbs in order to make them keto.

    speghetti and meatballs

    Ingredients

    • Onion
    • Ground beef
    • Ground pork
    • Bread crumbs
    • Egg
    • Salt
    • Italian seasoning
    • Garlic
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Ice cream scoop

    How to Make Homemade Meatballs

    In a bowl, mic together the onion, beef, pork, seasoning, bread crumbs and cheese together. Mix until well combined but do not over mix.

    raw meatballs

    Roll the balls into 1 inch balls. I like to use a 1 inch cookie or ice cream scoop so that they are easier to make and uniform.

    Brown the sides in a frying pan and then move to a deep stock pot or drain the grease and leave the them in the skillet.

    meatballs simmering in a pot

    Fill the pot or pan with pasta sauce and simmer on medium low heat for about 3 hours.

    homemade meatballs in a skillet

    More Delicious Dinner Recipes

    • Homemade Dinner Rolls with Cinnamon Butter
    • Drunkard Noodles- Thai Drunken Noodles with Rice Noodles- Easy $10 Dinner
    • Cheddar Broccoli Skillet Dinner with Chicken Recipe
    • How to Make Barbacoa Tacos
    • Easy Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Copy Cat Recipe

    Need more ideas and help to stay on track with Weight Watchers?

    Save Money on Weight Watchers- Get a Year for the Price of a Month – Everything You Need to Know About iTrackBites – Use Code Coach_DebiMurray to save

    • Get this Printable Weight Watchers Weight Loss Journal or the Daily Food Log to add to your existing planner.
    • Don’t let the holidays get your off track. Get your copy of How to Survive a Low Point Holiday.
    • If you are looking for a simple snack idea that won’t ruin your points for the day. You have to try Built Bar. You can save 12% Off* with Code: SAVE12.
    • Use these Meal Prep containers so you have meals ready that are low in points and help you avoid the wrong foods. You can also use the Weight Watchers Freestyle Make It and Take It Kit.
    • Make sure you are drinking enough water with a reusable water bottle that helps you track your water. I have these 2 and they work great. Hydr-8 Purple 32ounce Water Bottle with Swivel Lid and 32 oz Clear Sports Water Bottle, Best for Measuring H2o Intake
    • If you don’t want to pay for the app to be able to calculate your points, consider the Weight Watchers SmartPoints Calculator for Freestyle Program which is sold by Weight Watchers so you know the Points are right. The online calculators are not always accurate.
    • Need to start an Exercise Program? Try this Weight Watchers 15 minute Boot Camp DVD.
    homemade meatballs

    The Best Ever Homemade Meatballs

    Our Wabi Sabi Life
    Who love Homemade Meatballs? We've all had meatballs before. You know, the ones that are usually store-bought and made from some kind of "meat" product. They're not bad but they just don't have that same authentic taste as homemade ones do! Just take a look at these beauties: juicy, tender, messy…delicious! These are our best ever meatballs and you can make them too!
    4 from 2 votes
    Print the Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 3 hrs
    Course dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6
    Calories 446 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/4 cup onion chopped
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
    • 2 cloves garlic grated
    • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

    Directions
     

    • In a bowl, mix together the onion, beef, pork, seasoning, bread crumbs and cheese together. Mix until well combined but do not over mix.
    • Make the meatballs by 1 inch balls. I like to use a 1 inch cookie or ice cream scoop so that they are easier to make and uniform.
    • Brown the meatballs in a frying pan and then move to a deep stock pot or drain the grease and leave the meatballs in the skillet. Or move them to a baking sheet if baking in the oven.
    • Cover the meatballs in sauce and simmer for about 3 hours.

    How to Make Meatballs in the Oven without Sauce

    • Place the rolled meatballs on the baking sheet.
    • Cook the meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
    • Be sure to turn the meatballs half way through.

    Notes

    Weight Watchers Points

    6 points on all plan without sauce.  
    Add 1/2 cup sauce and 1 cup pasta and it become 10 points (except for Purple, where whole wheat pasta is free)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3meatballsCalories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 29gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword homemade meatballs
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    Hi, I'm Debi!

    Welcome to my world. I am a 40 something year old mom to a lot of kids and a lot of pets. When I am not busy with the kids, grandkids, or animals, I love to do crafts and read.

    I love to knit and can often be found working on a project.

    More about me →

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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