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If you’ve been looking for a simple, easy recipe for Oven Baked Beef Meatballs you will love this one.
These Oven Baked Beef Meatballs have been a family favourite for many years and are always a winner. In fact, they are a perfect family meal as adults and children alike love them. They are simple to make and are full of flavour which I provide by adding grated parmesan cheese, finely crushed garlic, parsley and dried oregano.
Until recently I have cooked meatballs in a frying pan. However, this method has several negatives. Cooking the meatballs in a frying pan requires your attention as they must be moved around to ensure even cooking. Invariably whilst moving them around a couple will break up. And inevitably the oil splatters everywhere leaving an enormous mess to clean up. Further, if cooking a large number of meatballs, it is necessary to cook them in batches and this is time-consuming.
It was a revelation when I discovered the ease and convenience of baking meatballs in the oven. Baking meatballs in the oven is by far the easiest and least messy way to cook them. There is no more standing over the stove or cooking in batches, leaving you free to get on with something else. The meatballs remain juicy, tender and full of flavour as the heat in the oven cooks them evenly.
There are no hard-to-find ingredients; in fact, you can find all of the ingredients in your local supermarket.
I use these ingredients:
Minced Beef: My personal choice is to use lean, minced (ground) beef. Although the meat is lean, when cooked in this manner, it will still result in juicy, tender meatballs.
Breadcrumbs: I use whatever bread I have, ideally day old bread, and whiz it into fine crumbs in the food processor. For those requiring gluten-free meatballs, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Egg: I use a free-range egg and this helps bind the ingredients together.
Herbs: I use finely chopped parsley. My preference is for continental (flat-leaf) parsley, as I find the flavour and texture superior to the curly leaf variety.
Additionally, I use dried oregano to achieve an authentic Italian flavour.
Seasoning: I use Maldon sea salt flakes but any sea salt can be added to suit your taste.
I provide further seasoning by adding freshly ground black pepper.
I also add finely crushed garlic and have included it here as it seems to defy definition as to whether it is a herb, a spice or a vegetable.
Parmesan Cheese: To achieve the best flavour I use good quality, freshly grated, Italian parmesan. I use Grana Padano; it’s not as expensive as Parmigiano Reggiano, but it is full of flavour. I must stress that there is no comparison between good quality parmesan which you grate yourself and that which is sold pre-grated.
This is how I make the Meatballs:
To make the meatballs, I add all the ingredients to a large bowl and combine them well. Now you can painstakingly use a fork to combine them, or, like me, use your hands. This achieves a smoother result in considerably less time. And yes, I always wash my hands before doing this; and after, too, of course.
To shape the meatballs I use a round tablespoon measure to scoop the mixture out and then roll it in my hands. You could also use a medium sized ice cream scoop. This will ensure evenly sized meatballs. Further, to prevent the mixture from sticking, I lightly dampen my hands before commencing. Depending on the number of meatballs that you are making you may need to do this several times.
And when it comes time to serve:
- Serve with toothpicks as an appetiser with drinks.
- As a casual, weeknight meal, serve them alone with a salad such as:
– Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
– Potato Salad with Peas and Mint - With my Crispy Parmesan Baked Tomatoes;
- Or try Roasted Cherry Tomatoes cooked in the oven with the meatballs and serve both over pasta.
I encourage you to try these Easy Oven Baked Meatballs; once you make them in the oven, you’ll never want to make them any other way. Please let me know if the comments below if you try them.
Enjoy! Alex xx
Oven Baked Beef Meatballs
dried oregano.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef mince
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs * can use GF bread
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup Parmesan *
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil spray
Serving Suggestions:
- basil pesto or tomato sauce
Instructions
- Prepare all of your ingredients as you will be mixing them all together at the same time.Make your breadcrumbs, grate your Parmesan, chop your garlic and parsley. (You can do all of this in a food processor if you prefer – it makes it very easy!)Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C when you are ready to bake.
- Add all of your ingredients to a bowl.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are combined well.
- Using a 15ml tablespoon, I like to scoop out the mixture so I have a consistent size of meatball. This ensures even cooking.
- Roll the scoop of mixture into smooth balls.
- Place a rack on a foil lined baking tray. Lightly spray with some olive oil. Place the meatballs on the tray.
- Bake at 180 degrees C (350 F) for 15 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs by themselves, or with a delicious basil pesto or tomato sauce.
112 Comments on “Oven Baked Beef Meatballs”
Beef is very good for health and it will have many proteins I must try this dish tonight
I look forward to hearing how you enjoy the meatballs. 🙂
These meatballs are so full of flavor, and I love how easy and convenient it is to bake a whole batch. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
I am so glad that you like the recipe Amanda, please let me know if you make the meatballs. 🙂
This looks so delicious. I can imagine it with a good gravy or something. My daughter would love this as she is a huge meatball fan. We will have to try this out sometime soon.
Sounds good David, I hope that you both enjoy the meatballs. 🙂
These look great, loving the idea of baking instead of frying…. set and forget!!
Jaimie, it’s so much simpler to bake the meatballs. It leaves you time to get on with other things and the meatballs stay nice and moist. 🙂
Oh meatballs. Easy and always tasty. Kids love it. I freeze some so I always have little something to cook fast
It’s so useful to always have some on hand – it makes for a very quick meal. 🙂
The meatballs look so yummy. My family would definitely love to eat home-made meatballs. I am going to follow your recipe when I make spaghetti tomorrow.
That’s fantastic Karen, I am delighted you will make the meatballs. I am certain that your family will enjoy them. 🙂
Yum! These look amazing and not too hard to make. I will have to send these to my husband to make them for dinner one night.
Hi Tiffany, these are very easy to make. I do hope that your husband enjoys them. 🙂
I love meatballs but I never tried oven baked meatballs. I should do this sometime.
Oven baked meatballs are fantastic; definitely the way to cook them. I do hope that you try them. 🙂
Maybe the only thing better than a baked meatball is a fried one! Nahhhh – we’ll call it a tie!! YUM!
Haha, Annie, meatballs are always popular. 🙂 But the baked version has the important advantage of creating less mess. That works for me. 🙂
Meatballs are a family favorite! These look delicious and I love that they are baked!
Thank you Kathy. Yes, baking the meatballs is definitely the way to go. They stay juicier and they make much less mess which is always good. 🙂
that looks so tempting and will try it on Sunday brunch. the best part is it is not fried, just baked
That sounds wonderful. I do hope that you enjoy the meatballs for your Sunday brunch. 🙂
Oh gosh Alexandra! You got me drooling again! Those meatballs would be so yummy for some red tomato sauce during a BBQ party. I should try bakin them since I normally deep fry meatballs.
They sound perfect for your BBQ party. And I am sure that once you try baking them you will be converted. 🙂
It looks like a very simple recipe for those who eat beef. I never actually thought about it but does that mean that regular meatballs (brown looking ones) are fried?
I think that a lot are fried Alvern. I used to shallow fry mine but they required constant attention, sometimes a few would break up and they made a mess of the stove. This way there is much less to clean up, they hold their shape and I can get on with something else whilst they are cooking. A winner in my view. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I’m trying this out over the weekend 🙂
I am delighted to hear that. Enjoy! 🙂
These look and sound so good! I love that they are baked too!
Baking the meatballs makes all the difference Catherine. They are a winner. 🙂
These meatballs look absolutely lovely and so easy to make, thanks for the recipe
Thank you Vicky for the lovely comments. 🙂
I always love making meatballs. I’ll have to make these the next time I make spaghetti. They sound fabulous.
Amber, they will be a great addition when you are making spaghetti.
Enjoy! 🙂
I bet my husband will absolutely LOVE these. Will have to try this recipe out sometime!
That’s great Krysten, I look forward to hearing how you both enjoy them. 🙂
These oven baked meatballs look so good! Meatballs are a favorite of mine, probably a good thing since my husband is Italian too lol
Jessica, I think it is a definite advantage that you also like meatballs. 🙂
OMG I should have waited reading this recipe when I am done with my fast. They look so amazingly delicious. Will definitely try this recipe.
Sharon, I am so pleased that you will try the meatballs, enjoy! 🙂
Meatballs are literally my favorite! My husband thinks it’s so weird but oh well! It’s great to have even more meatball recipes!
I’m glad that you enjoy meatballs; please let me know if you make them.
I love meatballs! This, I think, is a healthier way to cook it instead of frying the meatballs.
Hi Ivan, yes, it is a healthier way to cook the meatballs and they stay juicier too. 🙂
I’ve recently found the magic of oven baked meatballs myself and I must say it makes them so much more approachable! Love this recipe.
Sally, oven baking is definitely the way to go. I am so pleased that you like the recipe. 🙂
My husband loves meatballs – but during the summer, we are always looking for easy meals. This will fit all of the different things we need and we can’t wait to try!
Thank you Sarah, I am so pleased that the recipe will be suitable for you. Enjoy!. 🙂
Great idea of baking it instead of frying it. Makes me safe from oil splashing on me when I had to turn it. Lmao ?
You are absolutely correct Owen, the risk of splashing oil is one of the advantages of oven baking the meatballs. 🙂
Loved reading your exotic meatballs recipe. You have captured the essence beautifully.
Thank you Kalyan for the lovely comment. 🙂
Looks super-delicious!. Thanks for sharing, will give it a try.
I am so pleased that you will try the recipe – enjoy! 🙂
These look so good, and that is such a great tip about frying a little of the mixture so that you can check the seasoning is correct before baking them all!
Thank you for the lovely comments Robyn. 🙂
My family including myself love eating meatballs and this looks like a new recipe I could try for the weekend.
Meatballs are generally great for the entire family; I look forward to hearing how you enjoy them. 🙂
LOVING this recipe – the simplicity along w/ maximum flavor. Even better the fact they will freeze will too. Mid week dinners sorted!
Thank you, Gavin, and they are generally enjoyed by the entire family. Winner!
I love that they are made with beef, and especially LOVE that they are baked in the oven! Not only it means way less oil, it also doesnt require much attention at all. Great recipe Alex!
Thank you Sylvie; another advantage is that I am much less likely to splash myself with oil!
Those oven baked meatballs looks so scrumptious! I love that it’s baked, this might be on my dinner list next week.
I am glad to hear that Maureen. I do hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
I take cheating one step further with baked meatballs and do them in a mini muffin pan! Going to put these on our meal plan!
Cooking them in a mini muffin pan will work a treat. I do hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
These definitely look a lot healthier than other meatball recipes out there! Amazing!
Baking them in the oven is definitely the way to go. The meatballs stay moist and tender and there is much less cleaning up. 🙂
I love a good meatball, especially one you can bake in the oven! This recipe looks tasty, I cant wait to make these!
I am so pleased that you like the recipe Bree; I do hope that you enjoy the meatballs. :
I think I wanna cook this for the boyfriend. He would love it so much.
Sounds good Kathy; I hope you both enjoy the meatballs. 🙂
I always tend to do meatballs in the oven because it’s such a time saver. Plus they all get evenly cooked and it’s just easier all round. These look really good!
Thank you Lorraine, when a superior cooking method results in less to clean up I’m a happy girl. 🙂
These look so tasty, my kids love meatballs
It’s so good to make something that the family can enjoy. Let me know if you try them Kara. 🙂
Interesting! What a new discovery on how to cook meatballs. I love how you put the nutrition facts on this one 🙂
It is so much easier to cook them in the oven; they are moister and there is less mess to clean up. That’s always good. 🙂
I’m not kidding when I say this is my type of meal! Is that 64 calories per meatball? it doesn’t look like it would be bad for my diet
Hi Ching, it is approximately 64 calories per serve; definitely won’t ruin your diet. 🙂
Looks so good. Although I do not eat beef, I will use your recipe and sub beef for chicken! Can’t wait to try this.
Hi Adriana, I haven’t tried this recipe with chicken but it should work well. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
It’s such a great idea to bake them. And much easier for sure.
Tandy, it is definitely better than frying them. They stay moist and there is much less clean up – always good. 🙂
This looks so good and delicious. Sounds easy to make and am sure it taste great.
They are easy to make Lydia and easy to eat too. 🙂
These meatballs look and sounds super delicious nand easy to make.. way better then getting store bought! Saving the recipe to try it soon
They’re definitely better than store bought Sonia; I always like to know that my food doesn’t contain any unnecessary additives. 🙂
I’ve been looking for appetizers for this weekend and this is perfect for my meat lover friends! I’m going to use 96% lean ground beef since I like them on the healthier side. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Ana, like you I prefer to use lean beef. The great part is that by cooking them in the oven they stay nice and moist. I do hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
We always do ours in the oven – so much healthier and still really juicy.
Yes, definitely the better way to do them. I also like the fact that there is less mess to clean up. 🙂
I admit to eating meatballs very often and yet do you believe that I have ever cooked them in the oven? Interesting!
Cristina, it is a revelation. The meatballs stay moist and there is less to clean up. Winner! 🙂
Love to have such healthy options. Baking these meatballs sounds interesting too. Love to plan them for some party.
Veena, they are great for a party and so easy to prepare. 🙂
time-consuming to prepare yes but it’s totally worth it! I love meatballs! And I am saving this recipe!
Thank you Joyce, I am so pleased that you like the recipe. Please let me know when you try the meatballs. 🙂
Perfection! I love the flavors you’ve added to them, and the ease is a big selling point for me. I rarely make meatballs anymore because the recipes are usually so time intensive!
This is a recipe which I make often; they are so easy to make and are popular with most people.:)
This is mouthwatering! Baking them was a revelation I had too…when I used to cook haha Now my meal preps are pretty simple, other priorities 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Baking the meatballs is definitely the way to go. I’m glad that you like the recipe Arya. 🙂
Looks like a great recipe! Smart idea to bake instead of pan fry. I have the problem of not browning evenly on all sides due to the circular shape.
I absolutely agree Taryn, it’s difficult to cook the meatballs evenly in a frying pan. It’s so much better in the oven. 🙂
These meatballs look delicious! I love the addition of Parmesan in there, too. In fact, we like to make big batches of meatballs like this and then keep some in the freezer. They’re perfect for those busy nights when you just whip up a batch of spaghetti and meatballs for an easy dinner. 🙂
David, I also like to keep some in the freezer. You just can’t beat those nights when a great meal is a short distance away. 🙂
A lovely idea for a Canape!
Divine presentation with the pesto. Mmm
Thank you Brian, they are great canape. 🙂
Wow beautiful. What a lovely appetiser. So yum.
Thank you Alice; I love the fact that they are baked not fried. So easy that way. 🙂
Well these just look gosh darn delicious. YUM.
I love meatballs and now know how easy and yummy they are to make yourself!
They are indeed easy to make Emmy – even easier to eat. 😉