This Authentic Italian Meatball recipe comes from my good friend RoseAnna (Rosie). The same friend who shared her Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce. This recipe has been in her family for almost 100 years.
She shared her Meatball Recipe with me when I was working on my Recipe Book found on Amazon.
As you would expect being an authentic Italian recipe, the recipe as written below will yield a bunch of meatballs. What do you expect when it calls for 4 pounds of ground meat?
Unless you are feeding a huge family or having guests over, consider cutting the recipe in half. I have on many occasions without any issues.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t imagine anyone not knowing what to do with these delicious meatballs but you can use them with your favorite pasta dish, use them to make Meatball Subs, Meatball Pizza or even some delicious Meatball Sliders.
Recipe Variation
My friend also pointed out she has 2 versions of this meatball recipe but more often than not she makes this one. The other version uses a little Ground Veal in addition to the Ground Beef and Ground Pork.
Ground Veal can be difficult to find (and expensive) so I decided to publish this version. If you do decide to go the Ground Veal route you will need 2 lbs of Ground Beef, 1 1/2 lbs of Ground Pork and 1 1/2 lbs of Ground Veal.
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Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Authentic Italian Meatballs recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lean Ground Beef – I like to use 85/15 for this meatball recipe
- Ground Pork
- Seasoned Bread Crumbs – you can use regular bread crumbs if needed
- Water – helps rehydrate the bread crumbs
- Eggs – used as a binder for the meatballs
- Parmesan Cheese
- Dried Oregano – brings a bold, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor
- Dried Basil – adds a sweet, slightly peppery, and aromatic flavor
- Fresh Ginger – provides a mild, fresh, and slightly peppery flavor, along with a pop of color
- Ground Black Pepper – adds a little seasoning to the meatballs
- Garlic Salt
- Garlic Cloves
How to Make Authentic Italian Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and water and mix until moist. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the meats. Add all the other ingredients, including the moistened bread crumbs and mix until well incorporated.
- Make the meatballs the size you prefer. This recipe should yield around 48+ meatballs depending on the size.
- Place the meatballs on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature of each meatball reaches 165°F.
- Alternatively, You can fry the meatballs in a skillet with a little canola oil or vegetable oil until golden brown.
- Place the cooked meatballs on a paper towel-lined plate.
Printable Recipe Card
Rosie’s Authentic Italian Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs
- 2 cups Water, cold
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 2 lbs Ground Pork
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 2 ½ tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 ½ tbsp Dried Basil
- 1 tbsp Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 tbsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
- 8 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and water and mix together until moist. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the meats together. Add all the other ingredients, including the moistened bread crumbs and mix until well incorporated.
- Make the meatballs the size you prefer. This recipe should yield around 48+ meatballs depending on the size.
- Place the meatballs on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature of each meatball reaches 165°F.
- Alternatively, You can fry the meatballs in a skillet with a little canola oil or vegetable oil until golden brown.
- Place the cooked meatballs on a paper towel-lined plate.
Equipment Needed
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These meatballs are to die for. I have made them a couple of times and the family cannot get enough of them. It’s the only meatballs that I will make.