Description
Make tender and flavorful meatballs using 4C bread crumbs with this easy, homemade recipe! Perfect for pasta, subs, or appetizers, these Italian-style meatballs are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork (optional, but adds flavor)
- 1 cup 4C bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Marinara sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the 4C bread crumbs and milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb the milk.
- Add the ground beef, ground pork (if using), egg, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper to the bowl. Gently mix all the ingredients together with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. You should get approximately 24-30 meatballs from this recipe. Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once browned, transfer the meatballs to a pot of simmering marinara sauce.
- Allow the meatballs to simmer in the marinara sauce for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour, to fully cook and absorb the flavors of the sauce. Serve over spaghetti, in a meatball sub, or as an appetizer. Garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Overmixing can make the meatballs tough.
- Use a combination of ground beef and ground pork for the best flavor.
- Soaking the 4C bread crumbs in milk ensures tender meatballs.
- Browning the meatballs before simmering adds a delicious depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 220 Kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: 4c bread crumbs meatball recipe, homemade meatball recipe, easy meatball recipe, italian meatball recipe, meatball recipe from scratch, meatballs, pasta, meatball sub, appetizer