Italian Meatballs (Extra Soft and Juicy!)

Recipe video above. These are my idea of "perfect" meatballs. I make them extra soft and juicy by using bread instead of breadcrumbs, and the grated onion is my secret tip for adding extra flavour into this. Plus, no need to sauté diced onion before mixing it in! Served with a rich tomato sauce made extra tasty by cooking it in the same pan that the meatballs are browned in.

Recipe by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats on September 19, 2018

Prep time: PT20M

Cook time: PT20M

Total time: PT40M

Rating

4.96 stars (346 reviews)

Keywords

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lightly packed cup of diced white sandwich bread (, crusts removed (Note 1 for SUB))
1 small onion ((brown, white or yellow))
14 oz / 400 g ground beef ((mince))
3 oz / 100g ground pork ((mince), or sub with more beef (Note 2))
1 egg
1/4 cup fresh parsley (, finely chopped (Note 3))
2 garlic cloves (, minced)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano ((or parmesan), freshly grated)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2.5 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (, minced)
3/4 cup onion (, finely chopped (white, brown or yellow))
24 oz / 700 g tomato passata ((Tomato Puree in US/CAN - Note 4))
1/2 cup water
1 tsp red pepper flakes ((chili flakes))
3 tsp dried Italian herb mix ((parsley, basil, thyme, oregano))
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
Pasta of choice
Parmesan
Parsley (, finely chopped (optional))

Cuisine

Italian

Steps

Grate the onion using a standard box grater in a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup of grated onion and juices. 
Add bread, mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread and disintegrates. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients (5 min or so).
Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients. Use hands to mix well.
Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note 5)
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over - about 3 - 4 minutes. 
When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.
Cooking & Sauce:
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil into the fry pan. 
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering everywhere.
- Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce.
- Cook the meatballs for 8 - 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.
- While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice.
- Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley if using.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 307 g
Calories: 442 kcal
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Protein: 34 g
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 125 mg
Sodium: 1552 mg
Sugar: 11 g

Reviews

Jo on 2026-08-11 (5 stars):
Absolutely delish 😋 my 3 grandchildren gobbled up the meatballs, saying I’m a great cook - but it’s thanks to you Nagi for a great recipe 😋
Antoinette L on 2026-07-26 (5 stars):
absolutely delicious, was used to using milk in meatballs but the onion helps the meatballs stay together better, I used a meatball slider pops out 4 meatballs at a time, got it on Temu, best thing I have ever bought and I left out the chilli flakes, I wanted to keep them non spicy, I'm a big wimp when it comes to spicy food. I had 1 huge onion it was enough for the recipe. If I'm in need for a delicious recipe I go straight to Nagi, Thank You for all your hard work.
Stuart Hayes on 2026-06-12 (5 stars):
Quote “80% of my recipes start with sauté onion until golden”. The reason chefs sauté onions before adding meat is because raw onions shorten the protein strings in meat and makes it tough, in meatballs the short protein string made by adding raw onions helps it bind. The added fat in mince then negates the normal toughening of the meat. traditional Italian recipes use a panade. A panade is a mix of stale bread and milk (or broth) soaked together. This mixture turns into a soft paste that traps moisture and keeps the meat incredibly tender without needing eggs. Your onion and chopped bread does the work of a traditional panades
Stuart Hayes on 2026-06-09 (5 stars):
Yes, you can freeze grated Parmesan cheese because it is a hard, low-moisture cheese, it freezes exceptionally well and can last in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Chels on 2026-05-28 (5 stars):
This was an absolute winner of a recipe! My toddler loved these meatballs and ate a huge bowl for dinner. I added veggies and lentils to the sauce and blended it up. I've got a huge container to freeze and will be making this again. Thanks Nagi!
Tien Giang on 2026-05-24 (5 stars):
The best!!
Amber on 2026-04-03 (5 stars):
I’m still cleaning up from just having made these for my family (20mth old, 4yr old, and my 36yr old hubby) .. and omg if I ordered these in a restaurant I would be sooooo happy. This recipe was so insanely good. Omg I’ll be making these on the regular. I used the Coles bolognese mince which is a mix of beef and pork, and I oven baked. I used a barilla bolognese jar sauce with half a jar of passata, added some frozen spinach and did a quick blend for the kids, and omg what a crowd pleaser. I cannot stop clapping for myself. Best meatballs ever.
Natalie on 2026-03-19 (5 stars):
This were so simple to make and just as delicious as a normal bolognese in a quarter of the time. Melbourne cooled down a bit this week so it was the cozy dish we were craving. I used the Leggos gourmet rich passata and it really made the sauce stretch. Will add this to the rotation for sure!
Sharon on 2026-03-02 (4 stars):
Great meatballs but next time I would leave out the red pepper flakes. It was way too spicy.
CG on 2026-02-20 (5 stars):
Made a vegetarian version of this recipe using Beyond Meat mince instead of beef/pork (no other recipe changes) and they were amazing!
Cara on 2026-01-28 (5 stars):
Loved this recipe will be my go to for now on! My Italian roommate who doesn’t usually love meat ate like 5 of them while waiting for the pasta to cook so I’d say it’s a success!
Diana Mathias on 2026-01-17 (5 stars):
Like all of your recipes, perfect! Ive been making this for a while and usually don’t alter anything although when my daughter and family come I leave out the bread or use gf bread as my daughter is df and gf (due to medical condition). I also leave out the red pepper flakes when they come as the children are 6 and under.
Henk Marais on 2026-01-17 (5 stars):
Absolutely loved this. Made it when my teenage son had friends over. Not a spec left on any of the plates. Will be making it for the extended family tomorrow.