Classic Baked Meatballs
Meatballs are a pleasing family dish and will be a welcoming addition to any meal. They are packed with flavor, delicious, and done in 30 minutes.
Meatballs are a popular food at my house. We enjoy eating them alone, dipped in a sauce, as an appetizer (meatballs and cheese), or with pasta. I grew up in an Italian family, so pasta was served at my house often, and meatballs were and still are a family favorite.
Homemade meatballs are so much better than store-bought. I love meatballs, but I prefer the homemade version over the premade ones from the freezer aisle. Yes, they are easy to grab and cook, but still, there is very little taste to them. Just saying….
Why Make This Recipe
Instead of the frozen kind, make homemade meatballs. With this recipe, you can make a big batch, freeze them, and have them on hand and ready for your next meal. You can even double the recipe and make extra to freeze. This is an easy recipe, and it only takes minutes to pull together. I’ve been using this recipe for years, and it has not failed me yet.
These meatballs are perfect alone or even better with a big bowl of spaghetti or a meatball sub. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Some of you may be wondering..
HOW TO MIX MEATBALLS
Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. I usually use my hands to make sure everything is “squished” together and mixed well. Roll or scoop into balls.
DOES SIZE MATTER?
Yes and No. It does not matter what size you make the meatballs, but you do want them to be relatively the same size. This will ensure they all cook at the same rate. Roll them out or use a cookie scoop whatever you prefer.
HOW TO COOK MEATBALLS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out or scoop the mix into balls. Place meatballs on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 20-30 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your meatballs. Adjust time accordingly.
CAN I FREEZE THE MEATBALLS?
Yes, you can. I like to cook my meatballs, let them cool, and then bag and freeze them. When I am ready to use them for dinner, I usually drop them frozen into the spaghetti sauce and let them reheat as the spaghetti sauce cooks. Also, you can defrost them in the refrigerator and then heat and serve. Frozen cooked meatballs will usually last 2-3 months in the freezer.
Ingredients Needed
ground beef
Lipton Onion Soup Mix
onion
quick-cooking oatmeal
egg
Worcestershire Sauce
How Do I Make Classic Homemade Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil. (easier clean up). Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix it all together. I usually use my hand to make sure everything is “squished” together and mixed well.
Roll out into balls. Mine were the size of golf balls. Roll out to the size of your preference. I have also used a cookie scoop to make more uniform sized balls. It’s completely up to you.
Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or longer, depending on your size of meatballs. Adjust the time as needed.
To Freeze: Cooked–Allow meatballs to cool completely on the baking sheets. Once cool, seal tightly in a zip-top bag or airtight container and place them in the freezer. Raw–Place the meatballs on a baking pan side by side and place them into the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag and place back into the freezer. Frozen raw meatballs will usually last 3-4 months in the freezer.
To Defrost: Defrost meatballs in your refrigerator, or put the frozen meatballs right into your sauce. TIP–**For cream-based sauces, defrost the meatballs completely before adding to your sauce. The cold meatballs do not mix well with the cream.
Enjoy!
Be sure to try my Crock Pot Barbecue Ribs for another dinner option and Homemade Sloppy Joes. Both of these recipes have been family tested and approved.
Recipe FAQ’s
Classic Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 small onion diced fine
- ¾ cup quick cooking oatmeal
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. (easier clean up). Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix it all together. I usually use my hand to make sure everything is “squished” together and mixed well.
- Roll out into balls. Mine were the size of golf balls. Roll out to the size of your preference. I have also used a cookie scoop to make more uniform sized balls. It’s completely up to you.
- Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or longer, depending on your size of meatballs. Adjust the time as needed.
We love meatballs with our pasta! This is a very flavorful recipe and so easy to mix.
YUMMY! These are going on my dinner menu – they sound delicious and flavorful!
Gonna try it soon! Thanks for sharing
I’m vegan for a long time but ,Yes I totally agree, anything home made is better than the store bought in the freezer isle, even though it looks tempting.
I’m going to have to share this with my husband. I’m a vegetarian, but he’s not and I’m sure that he would love a recipe that’s this simple. He’s always looking for easy ways to cook meat and incorporate it into his meals without us necessarily completely making seperate meals all the time. With meatballs, I could easily make a veggie friendly spaghetti sauce and he can add his meatballs to his dish after!
These look amazing! Have you tried them leftover? Looks like it would be a great meal for during the week.
The leftovers are great! Hope you enjoy!
My husband is gonna love you for this one! He’s always trying to get me to make meatballs and I never do haha. I’ll follow your recipe!
Hey Cate! Yes, you will need to make some for your husband. This is an easy recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I just found a gluten free replacement for Lipton’s Onion Soup mix, so this is perfect timing. Can’t wait to try these!
Wow! That’s great! These are so good and easy to make. I have them on my menu plan for next week.