These Homemade Meatballs are the best I've ever had, and I've tried a ton of different meatball recipes. They are another Italian family favorite of mine. The recipe originated from my dad’s Italian immigrant neighbor where he grew up in Chicago. My dad always made them to go along with our family spaghetti recipe or on their own as an appetizer. He's received countless requests for the recipe over the years, so I had to share here! They are firm, yet tender and packed full of flavor. Slow cooking them in the sauce is the most important step to achieve the perfect meatball. Jump to Recipe

Ingredients for Homemade Meatballs:

For this recipe you'll need ground chuck (80:20 or less gives them the best flavor), egg, milk, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, onion powder, dry mustard, oregano, basil, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper. If you don't like things spicy, feel free to leave out the cayenne or customize the spice blend to your preference. This is my favorite combination, though.

Instructions for Homemade Meatballs:

You'll find these meatballs are quite easy to make. Simply add all ingredients to a large bowl.

Using your hands, combine all of the ingredients together until they form a large ball. Pro tip: use gloves if you hate touching raw meat. I have long nails, so I always have disposable gloves on hand!

Next, using a spoon roll small meatballs off the large ball and place aside. Repeat until all are rolled. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick spray. Add the meatballs to the skillet and brown on all sides. Bring them to about medium temperature.

Slow cooking in spaghetti sauce:

You'll want to add the meatballs to a spaghetti sauce to simmer for about an hour. This step is crucial, because it's what makes them so tender. I highly recommend using the spaghetti sauce linked below, as the original recipe serves both together.

The Best EVER Homemade Spaghetti & Meatballs

Serving Instructions:

Serve in sauce directly over spaghetti or all on their own as an appetizer. If you're bringing them to an event, I like to transfer them to a crock-pot to transport and keep hot. Here's one I have:

Crockpot

Storage Instructions:

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight contains for 4-5 days. You can also freeze for later use. These also go great as pizza toppings! If you need an idea, see linked meatball pizza recipe below.

Enjoy!