How to Bake Meatballs (at 400 in the Oven)

How to Bake Meatballs is a skill you need to know! Learn how to bake moist and tender meatballs with a crispy bottom. Perfect for meatball subs, spaghetti and meatballs, and all your meal prep needs!

Baking meatballs is my go-to method, and I’ve recently perfected the process.

You’ll love the secret trick I use to get a crispy meatball that you can freeze and use anytime!

These meatballs are the best-baked meatballs you’ll make, and I can’t wait for you to try them!

How to Bake Meatballs at 400 Degrees

First, let’s chat about cooking meatballs and all the various methods.

While I love frying meatballs because they get super crispy, I do not love the mess it makes on my stove!

I’ve never added raw meatballs to marinara sauce, but I hear that’s a great way to get super soft, tender, fluffy meatballs.

Today, I will show you two methods for baking your homemade meatballs.

The first uses a traditional baking sheet pan, and they turn out fantastic. This is the method you want to use to end up with lots of frozen meatballs later.

The second method is using a preheated cast iron skillet! Yep!! That’s my secret hack for getting crispy meatballs in the oven. 

My meatballs are a mix of ground beef and hot sausage. I’m not a fan of Italian sausage, and I’d rather flavor my meatballs how I want to. 

In addition to the meat, we’ll use lots of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, herbs and spices, and a whole block of Boursin cheese.

These easy meatballs are so fluffy and are an easy dinner recipe starter.

You can turn these juicy meatballs into so many options:

• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Greek Meatballs
• Meatball Subs

I even made little BBQ meatball sliders with the leftovers.

Easy Meatball Recipe

While this recipe does have way more ingredients than I usually use, it’s worth it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• ground beef
• ground pork
• eggs
• bread crumbs, I use panko
• milk
• parmesan cheese or romano cheese
• Italian seasoning
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• oregano
• basil
• red pepper flakes are optional if you like spicy meatballs
• boursin cheese, the garlic and herb flavor

The kitchen equipment you’ll need:

• large mixing bowl
• medium mixing bowl
• cookie scoop
• half sheet pan
• cast iron skillet

The meatballs have two parts to them.

I like to mix the breadcrumbs, egg, milk, cheese, and seasonings in a separate bowl so the meatballs don’t get overworked.

​In your large bowl, you’ll dump out the ground beef and sausage, as well as a whole block of garlic and herb cheese from Boursin. Add your breadcrumb mixture, and mix with your hands until evenly incorporated.

Yes! You can make this recipe with ground turkey, ground chicken, or whatever meat you prefer. You’ll need 2 pounds of whatever version you like.

While mixing your meatballs, put your cast iron skillet into the oven while you preheat it to 400 degrees.

The skillet is the key to getting the crispy crust meatballs in a frying pan on the stove.

I promise you, it’s the best way to give your meatballs so much flavor, too!

Now, the meatballs made on a cookie sheet are still packed with flavor! 

Baking Meatballs in the Oven

When your meat mixture is incorporated, use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out your meatballs. If I were making these for the freezer, I might use a tablespoon-sized scoop. Either way, this is a fantastic way to scoop out your meatballs.

The two-inch scoop gives you a larger meatball than a golf ball. 

I scoop and plop the meatballs onto the sheet pan. Once on the sheet pan, I oil my hands and round the meatballs. It’s not a necessary step, but it makes them look better! 

Carefully remove the iron skillet once the oven is preheated and your skillet is ready. 

Drizzle in two tablespoons of olive oil, I love using Graza, and gently (and extra carefully!) add as many meatballs that will fit with about half in inch between each one.

The other meatballs get lined up on the sheet pan.

​Using a pot holder, place your hot skillet of meatballs into the 400 degrees f oven, and the sheet pan of meatballs.

Bake them for 25 minutes in the hot oven.

Once the meatballs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove them from the oven.

You’re ready to use them however you would like!

I love adding mine to some tomato sauce that I’ve zhuzhed up with red wine and topped with mozzarella cheese.

Serving Easy Baked Meatballs

Now that you have your oven-baked meatballs, how will you serve them?

Start your meal with a delicious Caprese Caesar Salad, then serve the Italian-style meatballs with spaghetti sauce and some pasta.

A little Easy Garlic Bread is a welcome vessel to mop up all the sauce!

I hope these meatballs become a family favorite! I know they are for me!

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