Description
Easy and classic Italian meatballs that are ready in about 35 minutes; tender, juicy, with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and herbs, perfect with sauce, pasta, or bread.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1‑2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon parsley (or ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1‑2 dashes black pepper
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓‑½ cup broth (vegetable or beef)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the milk and mix until you have a soft but compact mixture.
- Shape the meat mixture into small meatballs (you should get about 30‑36 meatballs, depending on size).
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown them on all sides, turning often (about 5‑6 minutes).
- Add the broth, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium‑low, and simmer the meatballs for about 10‑12 minutes or until cooked through.
- Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook an additional 2‑3 minutes to reduce and thicken the broth (if there is excess liquid).
- Serve immediately (e.g. with marinara sauce & pasta, over rice, or with crusty bread).
Notes
- Do not over‑mix the meat mixture; mixing just until combined helps keep meatballs tender.
- Meatballs can be frozen cooked or raw—flash freeze on a baking sheet and then transfer to airtight container.
- Adjust size of meatballs: larger ones will need more cooking time; check that internal temperature reaches safe level (about 160‑165 °F / 71‑74 °C for ground beef).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: ≈ 47 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 1 g
- Sodium: ≈ 65 mg
- Fat: ≈ 4 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 2 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 1 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 1 g
- Fiber: ≈ 1 g
- Protein: ≈ 3 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 15 mg
