These easy baked beef meatballs are the juiciest, simplest meatballs you can make, using just 5 ingredients. They’re baked, not fried, so they come out perfectly every time, and they are so versatile. Serve them over pasta with marinara sauce, stuffed into a sub, or as an appetiser with a sauce for dipping. This is truly the only meatball recipe you’ll ever need!
The beef meatball recipe is the only one I ever make. After years of trying to make meatballs in the frying pan and dealing with the hot oil spitting, the meatballs ALWAYS burning on one side, and then the end results being odd shaped and often broken apart from turning, I had almost given up.
Then I discovered that baking them in the oven wasn’t just way easier, they actually taste so much better cooked that way too. They are never dry, and they come out perfectly every single time.
I make these meatballs so often and I love how versatile they can be. Most commonly I’ll serve them coated in a rich marinara sauce over pasta, or my husbands favourite, stuffed into a meatball sub. But they also make a great appetiser to serve to guests or take to a BBQ, or simply just keep a stash in the freezer to make easy meatball rice bowls.
Key Ingredients
You’ll only need 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper to make these meatballs. They really are so simple! Plus this recipe keeps them completely dairy free!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beef mince/ground beef – I like to use a lean mince but not extra lean as I want to keep a bit of fat in there which will keep the meatballs juicy.
- Egg – binds everything together
- Breadcrumbs – I use panko because that’s what I usually have on hand but you can fresh as well. Be careful with other store bought breadcrumbs as they can contain allergens such as milk/dairy.
- Garlic – gives the meatballs that extra flavour.
- Herbs – You can use fresh or dried for these meatballs depending on what you have. I usually do fresh parsley and dried oregano as I tend to have these on hand most of the time.
You’ll Also Love: Greek Meatball Bowls
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Add all the meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 2: Mix everything together with a wooden spoon, or your hands, until just combined.
Step 3: Roll tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture into balls. Lightly spray your hands with olive oil first so the mixture doesn’t stick.
Step 4: Place the balls on the tray with a little space between them and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top. No turning needed.
👉 Tip! Lightly spray your hands with olive oil before rolling. The mince is sticky, and a quick spritz of oil stops it sticking to your hands so the meatballs roll into smooth balls. Re-spray whenever it starts to stick again.
How to Serve Baked Meatballs
My personal favourite is making these as an appetiser for a party alongside a homemade marinara sauce which is perfect for dipping.
But more often than not in my house these end up swimming in a bath of rich tomato sauce and served either over pasta with a little dairy free parmesan, or made into a meatball sandwich.
Anyway you serve them, I’m sure they’ll become a favourite in your house just as in mine!
Storage Instructions
These meatballs are great for making ahead and keeping on hand.
- Fridge: store cooled meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in sauce on the stovetop, or in the microwave until piping hot.
- Freezer: freeze baked and cooled meatballs for up to 3 months. You can also freeze them raw, rolled and uncooked on a tray until solid, then transferred to a bag, and bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Baked beef meatballs are cooked through at an internal temperature of 71°C/160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, they should be slightly browned on top and no longer pink in the middle when you cut one open.
Definitely. You can roll the meatballs and keep them in the fridge, covered, ready to bake later in the day, or bake them ahead and reheat in your sauce when you’re ready to serve.
Yes of course! A combination of beef and pork mince adds extra flavour and is a great option. Turkey mince works too for a lighter version.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More beef mince recipes:
Dairy Free Cottage Pie
One Pot Beef Mince Pasta
Slow Cooker Bolognese
The BEST Sausage Roll Recipe
Easy Baked Beef Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1 lb) beef mince/ground beef
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the 500 grams beef mince/ground beef, 1 egg, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, Salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together until combined.
- Roll tablespoons of the mixture between your hands to make balls and place them evenly onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Sherry MacKay says
everybody loves a meatball! and especially baked. i love to make them then throw them into a lemon and caper sauce, the German way. yay the meatball.
Sally says
Oh that sounds delicious!