Bren's Italian Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- cup fresh bread crumbs
- cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, Romano cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Gently mix in the ground beef with your hands until fully incorporated.
- Form the mixture into meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then flip the meatballs.
- Continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160F (70C).
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 258 | 17g | 4g | 22g |
Nutrition Breakdown
- Total Fat: 17g (22% Daily Value)
- Saturated Fat: 7g (37% Daily Value)
- Cholesterol: 103mg (34% Daily Value)
- Sodium: 226mg (10% Daily Value)
- Total Carbohydrate: 4g (1% Daily Value)
- Dietary Fiber: 0g (1% Daily Value)
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 22g (44% Daily Value)
- Vitamin C: 2mg (2% Daily Value)
- Calcium: 150mg (12% Daily Value)
- Iron: 2mg (11% Daily Value)
- Potassium: 195mg (4% Daily Value)
Note: Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Important: Nutrient information may not be available for all ingredients. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Comments
Mommy Gravel
10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM
I’ve made this twice and both times have turned out amazing! My husband and children loves these soo much! They just melt in your mouth! I used aluminum foil on my pan so no messy pan to wash. Pecorino Romano cheese is a must! I had some leftover from another recipe from here and glad I tried this meatball recipe. I will never buy frozen meatballs ever again! This deserves more than 5 stars! Thank you for sharing such a simple but amazingly tasty recipe!
rob
09/01/2020 11:42:02 PM
Very simple yet the results are delicious. Italian herb bread crumbs are used. I toss them in a skillet and brown them on 2 sides, then I add them to my red sauce to finish cooking for about 15 minutes with the lid on.
Mary Hansen Lowe
09/25/2020 06:08:00 PM
First time making meatballs and they were easy to make and delicious. I followed the recipe but I did add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion and 1 teas each of fennel seed and dried basil and salt. Will definitely make again!
Donna Baker
05/05/2018 12:26:48 AM
Such an easy recipe with amazing results.
catdancer
05/23/2017 12:59:57 AM
I made these exactly by the recipe. The only change I made was to add a teaspoon of salt. I baked them for 20 minutes until they were 160 degrees internally. Then I added them to my tomato sauce while the pasta cooked, about 11 minutes. Delicious and very easy to make. My husband really enjoyed these meatballs.
Ed Marks
02/15/2017 08:35:44 PM
Used parmesan cheese instead of romano and added 1/4 cup finely chopped onion. Only using ground beef, this was the best recipe I have ever made for meatballs. Also, cooked them a bit longer because I like meatballs with a little bit of a crust on them. This will be my go-to for meatballs from now on.
alkie
07/27/2021 02:18:27 PM
Very good, try using 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork
Skash
08/12/2018 10:43:29 PM
My Go to recipe for Italian meatballs. Made it several times with consistent results. Generally, I add some Tuscan seasoning in place of parsley and 1/2 t. Fennel seed. Delightful meatballs and very simple recipe.
Cori
02/26/2018 03:08:08 PM
These meatballs were very tasty and easy to make. Everyone liked them. I didn't have romano cheese though, so I used parmesan and I added some italian seasoning. I found that some of them fell apart easily.
SZYQ1
01/16/2018 04:49:42 PM
Excellent recipe for all beef meatballs! We really enjoyed the flavor of these! Very simple ingredients, yet so flavorful and moist. I used Gluten Free plain bread crumbs (Aleia’s brand). I made these to freeze them, but my husband stole extra and I will have to make more to have enough for a future dinner. Can’t wait to try these in a tomato based pasta sauce! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Bren!
Emily Chan
05/13/2019 02:19:18 AM
I cooked 350 F for 20 mins. Rest for few min inside oven. Taste good and texture is fine . I prefer to use higher heat like 400 F for 15 mins next time.
Rondah
09/19/2019 09:53:20 PM
I didn't want dairy, so I used 1 cop bread crumbs instead of adding cheese. Still a 5! So I'm sure with the cheese they'd be over the top!
Charles A Le Blanc
06/17/2019 04:57:57 PM
Easy preparation - tasted great. I'd add some fennel next time, that's my taste.
Emily Chan
05/13/2019 02:19:18 AM
I cooked 350 F for 20 mins. Rest for few min inside oven. Taste good and texture is fine . I prefer to use higher heat like 400 F for 15 mins next time.
TeamMurphy
02/24/2019 05:03:57 AM
Easy & fast :) I had to make some changes because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. The meatballs still worked out great and were tasty. If I had the pecorino, I expect they would have been extra tasty. I liked that they were a fast recipe and sometime when I have more time I'll try one of the more intricate recipes with long simmer times. Yum!
manella
01/06/2019 07:52:29 PM
I made these to put in my tomatoe sauce, i ate one before i put them in. They are very good, nice and moist and the flavors are delicious.I did not add the cheese and they were still tasty. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Mark Daye
04/28/2018 09:50:09 PM
These turned out great. I added a bit of Worchestershire and used parmesan cheese.
Sara Fleming
03/19/2018 02:08:08 AM
I made those using regular bread crumbs and parmesan. I aslo added some salt and pepper and italian seasoning. They turned out great! They are tender and moist but don't fall apart. This was my first time makung meatballs... And I consider this a success!
BusyBeeTami
02/26/2018 01:50:08 AM
We are used to a more firm meatball so my family wasn’t sold on the texture, but the flavour was very good. Thanks for the recipe!
Howard
02/04/2018 12:27:02 AM
Loved this straightforward great meat ball recipe! Easy to make and delicious by keeping it simple! We will be making these again!