This Meatballs in Marinara Sauce recipe makes the most delicious Italian meatballs that bake in a homemade marinara sauce. The meatballs are tender and full of great flavor from Parmesan cheese, onions, garlic and Italian spices. The recipe is so easy to make and nonna approved.
When I want a recipe that's easy to make and reheats beautifully, this Meatballs with Marinara is one of my favorites. Along with my Meatball Stroganoff and Sicilian meatball recipe, my Italian baked meatballs are perfect for meal prepping, lunches, dinners or snacks
I love that meatballs are easy to portion into servings. A couple meatballs with some red sauce served over pasta or zucchini noodles is a delicious dinner or grab-and-go lunch. And I think they taste even better the day after making them.
Also try tucking them in slider rolls for tasty mini sandwiches on gamedays. Our Friday night favorite pizza is one topped with lots of mozzarella, fresh basil and slices of these juicy meatballs. And the marinara sauce is the perfect pizza crust topper.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love these meatballs with marinara
- Ingredients and substitutions
- How to make meatballs in marinara sauce
- Variations
- Alternate cooking methods
- Storage and heating
- Amy's expert tip
- Frequently asked questions
- What to serve with this meatball marinara
- More meatball recipes like this one
- One more thing
- Recipe
Why you'll love these meatballs with marinara
Fans of Italian food will love that this meatball recipe is
- Easy to make ~ The meatballs bake right in the flavorful marinara sauce. There's no standing over a hot stove frying batches of meatballs.
- Makes tender and flavorful meatballs ~ Simple ingredients combine for maximum flavor. A trio of ground meats along with Italian herbs, onion, garlic and Parmesan cheese add to the deliciousness of the meatballs. And my secret for light and tender meatballs is a combo of eggs and panko.
- Affordable ~ Relatively inexpensive ingredients are transformed into a delicious and easy meal.
- Reheats beautifully ~ Gently simmering, heating in the microwave or warming in the oven. Heating the tender meatballs in the simple marinara sauce with one of these 3 methods ensures they aren't tough or dried out.
Ingredients and substitutions
Gather simple ingredients and a homemade marinara sauce for the best meatballs. If substitutes can be made to the recipe, they're listed. Scroll to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients.
- Meatloaf mix ~ A store made blend of ground beef, pork and veal makes the most flavorful and juicy meatballs. All ground beef or turkey are alternatives.
- Seasoned panko ~ These are a light and crispy form of breadcrumb. I find that crispy panko makes for the best meatballs. Seasoned breadcrumbs are a substitute.
- Yellow onion ~ White or Vidalia onions are acceptable substitutes. I use my mini food processor to finely chop the onion.
- Parmesan cheese ~ Try Romano, Pecorino or Grana Padano cheeses too.
- Large eggs
- Fresh parsley ~ 2 teaspoons of dried parsley can be used in a pinch.
- Garlic powder ~ 1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves are an alternative.
- Italian herb blend ~ This is a convenient and readily available blend of Italian spices. Substitute a combination of equal amounts of dried oregano, basil, thyme and marjoram.
- Kosher salt ~ The larger grain salt enhances the flavor of food without making it overly salty.
- Fresh ground black pepper ~ It's more flavorful than already ground pepper.
- Marinara sauce ~ I highly recommend this super quick homemade marinara sauce. It's my go-to recipe. But there are many delicious store bought brands of flavorful marinara that you can use too.
How to make meatballs in marinara sauce
Combine the simple ingredients using everyday kitchen tools to make these homemade meatballs. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions and a step by step video.
1. In a large bowl, add the meatball ingredients.
2. Gently combine the ingredients. Form meat mixture into 12 meatballs.
3. Place marinara sauce in a baking dish and add the raw meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake the meatballs in the oven at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle more cheese on top of the meatballs and serve.
Hint: For tender and juicy meatballs, gently mix the ingredients for the meatballs with your fingers for just a couple minutes. Overmixing the meat mixture with a spoon or rubber spatula will mash the ingredients together and result in tough meatballs.
Variations
Try some of these variations to make the recipe one of your favorites.
- Spicy ~ Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the meatball mixture and/or the marinara sauce.
- Cheesy ~ During the last 10 minutes of baking time, top the meatballs with a generous cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Stuffed ~ Form the meatballs around ciliegine or "cherry-sized" fresh mozzarella balls before baking.
- Pesto ~ Stir in ¼ cup prepared pesto along with the meatball ingredients.
Alternate cooking methods
Try these different cooking methods for this meatball marinara recipe.
- Stovetop ~ Place the marinara sauce in a large sauté pan and bring to a low boil. Add the raw meatballs and and turn the heat to medium low. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook the meatballs for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Crock pot ~ Place the marinara sauce in the crock pot and add the raw meatballs. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Storage and heating
Follow these tips for storing the meatballs in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Refrigerator ~ Completely cool the meatball marinara and store in an airtight container (I use these meal prep containers) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave on 60 percent power for 1-2 minutes. Continue heating at 30 second intervals until heated through. Alternately heat in sauté pan over medium low heat or a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Freezer ~ Completely cool the meatball marinara and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge. To reheat, microwave on 60 percent power for 1-2 minutes. Continue heating at 30 second intervals until heated through. Alternately heat in sauté pan over medium low heat or a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Amy's expert tip
Say goodbye to bland meatballs! Before forming the meat mixture into meatballs, do a taste test. Form a small patty of the mixture and cook it in a skillet. Taste and adjust the seasonings according to your taste preference.
Frequently asked questions
A combination of ground beef, pork, and veal along with seasoned panko, onion and Parmesan cheese make for flavor packed meatballs. Also, baking the meatballs in the basil marinara sauce infuses the sauce with rich and savory flavor.
When the meat mixture is packed too tightly, it makes for tough, dry and chewy meatballs. Gently form the mixture into balls. If the meat is sticky, try lightly oiling your hands.
Panko is a light and crispy form of breadcrumb. Having too much or too little panko will cause meatballs to fall apart. Take care when measuring the panko.
Perfectly cooked meatballs have an internal temperature of 160 degrees F using an instant read digital thermometer.
What to serve with this meatball marinara
Serve these homemade meatballs over fresh or dried pasta, zucchini noodles or tuck in crusty rolls. These are my favorite dishes to serve with this dish:
More meatball recipes like this one
Looking for other meatball recipes like this? Try these:
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Baked Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds meatloaf mix
- ½ cup seasoned panko
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Homemade Marinara or 3 ½ cups of your favorite store bought brand
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, add the meatloaf mix, panko, onion, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic powder, Italian herb blend, kosher salt, and pepper. Gently combine the meatball ingredients with your fingers being careful not to overmix.
- Prep baking dish: Pour the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or 3 quart pan.
- Form meatballs: Form the meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Place in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the meatballs with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and the sauce in bubbling.
- Serve: Remove the meatballs from the oven. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and serve.
Shannon M says
Make this tonight! It’s fabulous! I’ve always been taught that you must fry your meatballs for optimum flavor. I’ve also made tons of meatballs over the years using tons of different methods and while some were good most were underwhelming. I saw this recipe on my feed and thought it looked easy enough and appealed to me after days of leftover turkey. I also didn’t want to stand at the stove and clean up a greasy mess and also figured the worst that would happen was it would be another “just ok”meatball recipe. I was wrong because they came out ridiculously delicious! I’m craving them as I type this now! Last night I ate them with some garlic bread and tonight I’ll put them on my pizza dough that I have waiting at home to make a homemade meatball pizza. It’s an easy to follow recipe and they come out more tender and delicious than I ever expected!
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe Shannon! This one is a favorite of everyone who makes it. And what a great idea to add them to pizza!