Oven Baked Beef Meatballs

Oven Baked Beef Meatballs – Gluten Free Option. A recipe by It’s Not Complicated Recipes.
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Oven Baked Beef Meatballs

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.

Oven Baked Beef Meatballs

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:

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
Oven Baked Beef Meatballs – Gluten Free Option. A recipe by It’s Not Complicated Recipes.
5 from 1 vote
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Oven Baked Beef Meatballs

If you’ve been looking for a simple, easy recipe for Oven Baked Meatballs you will love this one. These 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.

Course Antipasto, Appetiser, Canape, Nibbles, Starter
Cuisine Italian
Keyword beef, canape, delicious, easy, meatballs, simple
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 30 meatballs
Calories 64 kcal
Author Alexandra

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

  1. 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.

    Ingredients for Oven Baked Beef Meatballs.

  2. Add all of your ingredients to a bowl.

    Ingredients in a bowl for Oven Baked Beef Meatballs.

  3. Make sure all of the ingredients are combined well.

    Ingredients in a bowl that have been mixed for Oven Baked Beef Meatballs.

  4. Using a 15ml tablespoon, I like to scoop out the mixture so I have a consistent size of meatball. This ensures even cooking.

    Ingredients in a bowl that have been mixed and a measuring spoon for Oven Baked Meatballs.

  5. Roll the scoop of mixture into smooth balls.

    Meatballs that have been rolled out and are ready to bake.

  6. Place a rack on a foil lined baking tray. Lightly spray with some olive oil. Place the meatballs on the tray.

    Meatballs that have been rolled out on a baking tray, that are ready to be baked.

  7. Bake at 180 degrees C (350 F) for 15 minutes.

    Ovenbaked Meatballs on baking tray.

  8. Serve the meatballs by themselves, or with a delicious basil pesto or tomato sauce.

    Oven Baked Beef Meatballs – Gluten Free Option. A recipe by It’s Not Complicated Recipes.

Recipe Notes

*For the best flavour, always use good quality, freshly grated Italian parmesan. Avoid that which is pre-grated.

*To check that the seasoning is to my taste I make a small, flat patty and cook it in a frying pan before rolling the meatballs.

*I like to lightly moisten my hands with water before rolling the meatballs. This will help prevent the mixture sticking. You may need to repeat this several times throughout.

*To ensure that the meatballs remain juicy and tender, be careful to not overcook them.

*I use white sandwich bread and blend to make breadcrumbs – I always make extra and freeze them. Great to have on hand!

*This mixture also works perfectly for delicious hamburger patties. 

Nutrition Facts
Oven Baked Beef Meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 18mg6%
Sodium 58mg3%
Potassium 60mg2%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Vitamin C 1.4mg2%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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112 Comments on “Oven Baked Beef Meatballs”

  1. Reply


    Well these just look gosh darn delicious. YUM.
    I love meatballs and now know how easy and yummy they are to make yourself!

  4. Reply


    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. 🙂

  5. Reply

    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.

  6. Reply

    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!

  7. Reply


    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!

  12. Reply


    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!

    1. Reply

      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. 🙂

  13. Reply

    These meatballs look and sounds super delicious nand easy to make.. way better then getting store bought! Saving the recipe to try it soon

  17. Reply

    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

  22. Reply


    I love a good meatball, especially one you can bake in the oven! This recipe looks tasty, I cant wait to make these!

  26. Reply


    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!

  27. Reply


    LOVING this recipe – the simplicity along w/ maximum flavor. Even better the fact they will freeze will too. Mid week dinners sorted!

  29. Reply


    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!

  32. Reply


    Great idea of baking it instead of frying it. Makes me safe from oil splashing on me when I had to turn it. Lmao 🤣

  33. Reply

    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!

  34. Reply


    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.

  35. Reply

    Meatballs are literally my favorite! My husband thinks it’s so weird but oh well! It’s great to have even more meatball recipes!

    1. Reply

      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. 🙂

  44. Reply


    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.

    1. Reply

      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. 🙂

    1. Reply

      Haha, Annie, meatballs are always popular. 🙂 But the baked version has the important advantage of creating less mess. That works for me. 🙂

    1. Reply

      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. 🙂

  53. Reply

    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.

  54. Reply


    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!

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