Enjoy this simple recipe for flavorful, tender, homemade meatballs made with Italian sausage and fresh garlic. Sausage meatballs are a comfort food, and easily adaptable to fit your menu.
It’s great to have go-to dinner recipes that the whole family will love. This is no exception.
Meatballs go over really well with my whole family. They’re packed with flavor and fun to eat.
They’re an easy recipe to add to the rotation because of how versatile they are. I can serve them all kinds of different ways or with all kinds of different sides.
They make wonderful leftovers, so I can serve them for lunch or again for dinner, and no one complains.
What I Love About This Recipe
Quick meal – This meatball recipe is easily made as a weeknight meal. Prep time is minimal, and baking in the oven allows you to focus on the other components of the meal.
Basic ingredients – Made with simple ingredients and pantry staples, this recipe is easy and budget-friendly.
Big batch – You can easily double or triple this recipe, freezing the extra or even just enjoying leftover meatballs the next day. They reheat really well!
Tips
- This recipe is 100% ground pork, but you could substitute another ground meat very easily. It’s the perfect way to use up ground turkey or ground beef, as well.
- The marinara sauce could be a simple jarred variety, or use your own favorite homemade marinara sauce.
- This recipe is perfect for a classic spaghetti and meatball kind of night, but if you’re looking to change things up, get creative with fresh herbs, spices, and other flavorful add-ins, like finely chopped veggies.
- You could make these gluten-free pretty simply by swapping out the regular breadcrumbs for gluten-free ones.
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Tools You May Need
Baking sheet
Parchment paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
Breadcrumbs – Plain breadcrumbs work great or make your own sourdough breadcrumbs.
Egg – A large egg to act as a binder.
Milk – Any kind will do! Moisture is key.
Italian sausage – I used regular but spicy Italian sausage would be delicious, too!
Garlic cloves – Fresh, minced garlic for the most robust flavor.
Onion – Finely diced for the flavor and a less prominent texture.
Worcestershire sauce – A favorite sauce of ours, this gives simple meatballs the best flavor. It’s tangy, sweet, and rich.
Fresh parsley – To add some color and a punch of freshness.
Grated parmesan cheese – Use freshly grated parmesan for the best results.
Marinara sauce – A jar from the grocery store or homemade – this one’s up to you!
How to Make Sausage Meatballs
The first step in making the perfect meatballs is a 400 degrees F preheated oven. We want the meatballs to start baking right away, rather than a slow warm-up.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Add the breadcrumbs, egg, and milk to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes or so to let the breadcrumbs soften.
This is a great time to chop the garlic, onions, and parsley.
After 5 minutes, add the sausage, garlic, onion, Worcestershire, parsley, and parmesan to the breadcrumb mixture.
Mix by hand just until combined. I’ve found this to be the most efficient way. Don’t overmix or the meatballs may become tough.
Measure the meatball mixture with a spoon or cookie scoop for consistency. Using about 3 tablespoons each, form them into a ball by rolling in your hands, and place meatballs on the prepared tray. This will yield about 12 meatballs.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, checking the internal temperature for doneness. They will finish with a golden brown exterior.
After baking, let them rest on the baking sheet on the counter for about 5 minutes. This gives them time to finish cooking, as well as an opportunity for the juices to be absorbed.
While they rest, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then add the meatballs and toss them to coat.
Garnish with fresh parsley and/or additional parmesan, if you’d like.
Enjoy!
Storage
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
For longer storage, freeze them on a tray for a few hours, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag—store for approximately 2 months. To reheat from frozen, simply place them in a shallow baking dish and warm in the oven until heated through.
FAQ
While this may come down to preference, I prefer the ease of baking all of the meatballs at once in the oven. I spend less time standing over a skillet keeping them from potentially burning, and more time preparing other parts of the meal. Baking them also gives them a deliciously crisp exterior. Baking on parchment paper also reduces the amount of oil needed to keep them from sticking to a pan.
If you are adding your meatballs to a sauce to continue simmering, then it’s a good idea to leave them just a touch undercooked. They will finish cooking in the sauce, which makes incredibly tender meatballs and will add depth of flavor to your sauce.
Here are some of our favorites: classic spaghetti and meatballs; meatball subs on sourdough sandwich rolls; alongside buttered egg noodles and roasted broccoli; as an appetizer in a crock pot smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce.
If preparing small meatballs, plan on 3-4 meatballs per adult. Of course, the serving size will decrease based on an increase in size. This is a good recipe to double for leftovers.
More delicious dinner ideas:
- Homemade Spinach Pie
- Chicken Pot Pie with Sourdough Biscuits
- Sourdough Fried Chicken
- Pesto Gnocchi
- Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs, I like to use homemade
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 jar marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Add the breadcrumbs, egg, and milk to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes or so to let the breadcrumbs soften.
- This is a great time to chop the garlic, onions, and parsley.
- After 5 minutes, add the sausage, garlic, onion, Worcestershire, parsley, and parmesan to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Mix by hand just until combined. I’ve found this to be the most efficient way. Don’t overmix or the meatballs may become tough.
- Measure the meatball mixture with a spoon or cookie scoop for consistency. Using about 3 tablespoons each, form them into a ball by rolling in your hands, and place meatballs on the prepared tray. This will yield about 12 meatballs.
- Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, checking the internal temperature for doneness. They will finish with a golden brown exterior.
- After baking, let them rest on the baking sheet on the counter for about 5 minutes. This gives them time to finish cooking, as well as an opportunity for the juices to be absorbed.
- While they rest, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then add the meatballs and toss them to coat.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and/or additional parmesan, if you’d like.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is 100% ground pork sausage, but you could substitute another ground meat very easily. It’s the perfect way to use up ground turkey or ground beef, as well.
- The marinara sauce could be a simple jarred variety, or use your own favorite homemade marinara sauce.
- This recipe is perfect for a classic spaghetti and meatball kind of night, but if you’re looking to change things up, get creative with fresh herbs, spices, and other flavorful add-ins, like finely chopped veggies.
- You could make these gluten-free pretty simply by swapping out the regular breadcrumbs for gluten-free ones.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good basic recipe…I just always throw my meatballs raw into the sauce too..I add a little crushed fennel seed to the sausage, just preference…
I cooked this for dinner. it so super delicious! thank you for recipe.
Wonderful!
I just made this recipe and used meat from four hot Italian sausages and 1/2 pound lean ground pork. I simmered the meatballs in Rao’s marinara sauce. The meatballs are so flavourful and easy to put together. Thank you for this, the recipe is a keeper.