Garlic Parmesan Meatballs in the Oven

These garlic Parmesan meatballs in the oven are juicy, cheesy, and full of classic Italian flavor. These simple ground beef meatballs are made with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and they bake up golden and delicious with no frying needed. Get easy recipes and step-by-step tips on how to make meatballs for quick dinner ideas, spaghetti, or a healthy, gluten-free meal. Pin the best meatball recipe now for a yummy, kid-approved dinner anytime!

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Why these are the best oven baked meatballs

These garlic parmesan meatballs are a crowd pleaser that even picky eaters love. Everyone I've ever served these meatballs to has loved them, and even my pickiest eater eats 5 in one sitting. The tender meatballs come out juicy and flavorful every time, and the Italian herbs give them a flavor that's just perfect.

Oven-baked meatballs are very easy and quick to prep. Mix the ingredients, scoop the mixture into balls, and bake. That's really all there is to it!

The ingredients for this easy recipe are common and inexpensive. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and the remaining couple are available in most grocery stores.

Meatballs in the oven are versatile. Use whatever meat and cheese you have on hand.

Garlic parmesan meatballs freeze really well (raw or cooked), so you can make a bunch and store them for a future meal. You can even double or triple the recipe for a great make ahead or meal prep meal.

This garlic parmesan meatball recipe is allergy friendly and great for special diets. Baked meatballs as written are gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free. With simple modifications, they can be dairy-free (use a vegan cheese) or egg-free (use a vegan egg substitute and make your own breadcrumbs from an egg-free bread). It does contain breadcrumbs, but such a small amount that it works with most low carb, keto, and bariatric diets. As always, please check the labels on all the ingredients to ensure they fit your nutritional needs.

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What you'll need to make garlic parmesan meatballs in the oven

Equipment

• Scoop set - I used the medium scoop to make my golf-ball sized meatballs.
• Garlic press - A garlic press is always the best way to use fresh garlic. If you don't have one, you can use a chef's knife to smash the garlic and then cut it up the best you can with a sharp knife.
• Parchment paper - This is to make cleanup easier.
• A Rimmed Baking sheet - This should not be a flat cookie sheet but should have a lip around the edge to prevent the juices from the meat from leaking out all over your oven.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutrition facts.

• Italian bread crumbs - We used gluten-free, but any Italian flavored breadcrumbs will be fine. If you aren't going to use Italian breadcrumbs, add a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the breadcrumb mixture for the best baked Italian meatballs.
• Milk - Any dairy or unflavored non-dairy milk will be fine. If you want the lowest calorie meatballs, use skim milk or unsweetened almond milk.
• 93% lean ground beef - The milk helps to keep the meatballs moist even though they're lean. If you want juicier meatballs, you can use 85/15 beef. See the note below on different meats that will work in this recipe.
• Large egg - The egg is the binder that holds the meatballs together.
• Parmesan cheese This is the real cheese, not the powdery stuff in the green can. You can find this in the dairy section with the other cheeses.
• Kosher salt & black pepper - For flavor. Use more or less according to your preference.
• Fresh garlic - There is no substitute for the flavor of fresh garlic, so please know that if you use jarred garlic or garlic powder, your meatballs will not taste as good as they will if you press fresh garlic cloves.
• Onion powder (missing from the photo) - This adds flavor.
• Fresh Italian parsley - Fresh parsley adds a bright note to the meatballs. I do not recommend replacing it with dried parsley, but you could replace it with fresh basil if you wanted to.
• spaghetti sauce - If you're concerned about calories and/or carbs, use the marinara sauce with the least amount of added sugar. This is for serving, so you can skip it if you want to.
• mozzarella cheese - Also for serving.
• pasta or zucchini noodles - To serve as a side dish, or use sub rolls to make meatball subs. See serving note below.

How to make garlic parmesan meatballs in the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the meat mixture. Whisk together the breadcrumbs and milk to make a slurry.
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3. Use your hands to mix the beef with the egg, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, parsley, and breadcrumb mixture in a large bowl until well blended.
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4. Prepare the meatballs. Use a small cookie scoop to make 18 meatballs from the meatball mixture. It's important to use a scoop so that all the meatballs are the same size and will thus cook evenly in the oven. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet with a rim (to catch any juices that might leak out from the meat).
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5. Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes or until the centers are no longer pink.
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Cook's Tips

For the juiciest meatballs, use a wireless meat thermometer like the TempSpike that will alert you when your meat is nearing the safe temperature. Remove it from the oven when it's still 5ºF below the temp you want because the meatballs will continue cooking as they rest on the counter.

I prefer to eat baked meatballs with zucchini noodles to a low carb meal, but you could also serve them with pasta. Or, you can make meatball subs. Slice a sub roll in half lengthwise, leaving the two halves attached on one side. Fill the roll with a single layer of meatballs, top with a generous amount of marinara sauce, and cover it with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Place the subs on a broiler-safe pan under the broiler for a minute or two, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Variations & substitutions

You can make these baked meatballs out of any ground meat you please. I like 93% lean ground beef, but if you want more juicy meatballs, you could go for 85/15 beef and take advantage of the extra fat. You could use ground turkey or ground chicken for even leaner, heart-healthy meatballs, or mix ground turkey and ground beef for a lighter version that's still got most of the flavor of the original.

You can also use ground pork or ground veal. My butcher sells a "meatloaf mix" that I like to use for homemade meatballs. It's a half pound each of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal, and when it's all mixed together, it's amazing.

You could also use sweet Italian or hot Italian sausage for these meatballs.

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It's easy to make these meatballs gluten-free, as instructed above, by using gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs. I would not use plain or panko breadcrumbs unless you add at least a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the mixture.

You can also vary the cheese you put in the meatballs or even stuff them if you want an extra cheesy dish. To stuff them, buy balls of fresh mozzarella (or a block and cut it into small cubes). Take a ball of cheese, wrap the meatball around it so that it's completely covered, and then bake as instructed. Pay attention to them the last 10 minutes to make sure your cheese doesn't melt too much and bubble out.

If you want to add a little heat to your meatballs, add a half teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the meat mixture.

You can serve these meatballs with or without pasta and tomato sauce.

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Storage

Transfer fully cooled leftover meatballs to an airtight container or zippered plastic bag and store in the refrigerator up to five days.

These baked meatballs are a great freezer meal. You can freeze the uncooked meatballs or the fully cooked meatballs, and the procedure is the same. Freeze the meatballs on the baking sheet for a couple of hours, until they are hard and no longer sticky. At this point, you can place them in a freezer container or plastic freezer bag and they won't stick together so you can pull them out a few at a time, thaw, and heat, without having to defrost the entire batch.

To cook or reheat frozen meatballs, place the desired quantity in the fridge overnight to thaw and then heat as desired. If the meatballs are uncooked, bake them as the recipe directs. If they're already fully cooked, you can microwave or bake them as you please. You could even fry them in a skillet if you felt like it. Spritz the pan with a bit of nonstick cooking spray but I would not recommend using any additional oil.

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Check out these other yummy beef recipes while you're here:

• Low Carb Beef, Cheddar, and Chive Meatballs
• Mongolian Beef in the Instant Pot
• Easy Shredded Beef Tacos in the Instant Pot
• Beef and Green Beans | A Quick and Easy Weeknight Recipe
• Kung Pao Beef
• Crockpot Beef Tips and Rice (can use cauliflower rice here for a lower carb meal)
• Crock Pot Beef Stew with Gravy
• Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Ground Beef, Tomatoes, and Cheese

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