Why you’ll love these giant meatballs
The giant meatballs are seriously huge, weighing in at a quarter pound each. I actually weighed each of them before committing to rolling them into balls, and there was surprisingly just enough to make 20 meatballs.
Of course, I made a double batch just in case, so don’t worry—you’ll only get 10 with this recipe. Needless to say, we ate meatballs for days, but they’re absolutely delicious, dairy-free, and totally worthy of their own tinfoil swan.
More meatball recipes: cranberry appetizer meatballs / Greek meatballs / Thai chicken meatball curry / baked turkey meatballs
Ingredient notes:
- Ground beef & pork– We use a combination of beef and pork in meatballs because each of these meats adds its own flavor and texture making the perfect meatball. You can use all ground beef if you prefer, although opt for a higher fat content to keep the meatballs tender and juicy.
- Italian-style panko breadcrumbs – Make sure to check the label for hidden dairy ingredients.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make giant meatballs
Make the sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add garlic and crushed red peppers, sauté until garlic is aromatic. When garlic is fragrant, stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and salt.
Simmer sauce. While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs.
Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, mix meatball ingredients until evenly combined. Portion and roll into ¼ pound meatballs.
Bake the meatballs. In a large baking dish, bake for 20 minutes at 375˚F. Remove meatballs from the oven and cover with sauce and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes.
Garnish and serve. Top meatballs with remaining tomato sauce and sliced fresh basil and serve.
More italian recipes: dairy free tiramisu / Italian sausage risotto / braised pork Osso buco / pesto pork chops
Frequently asked questions
We recommend you bake these giant meatballs at 375˚F for 50 minutes. While regular sized meatballs bake wonderfully at 400˚F, since these are much larger we have turned down the heat and extended the cooking time. No matter what size meatballs you are baking, please make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165˚F.
Ground beef needs to be 165˚F internally to be considered cooked. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to be accurate and safe.
Giant Meatballs Baked in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3/4 cup Italian-style Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the sauce:
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes over medium heat until sizzling.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and keep warm.
For the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- In a large bowl, mix meatball ingredients until evenly combined.
- Portion meatball mixture into 1/4 pound pieces, rolling into balls.
- Place meatballs in a large baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven and top meatballs with about half of the sauce mixture. Return to oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, or until meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- To serve, top with remaining sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I did a “cheater” version with frozen (chicken) meatballs and canned sauce just before Christmas. But now that things are slower, I really do need to try a homemade version! YOurs looks great!
Thanks! Holidays are always so crazy so you definitely need some cheater version of things.
I cant find any Lactose free Breadcrumbs. Do you have an advice? Thanks
Try using Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs. They don’t tend to have milk in them. And, you can just use all Italian seasoned Panko instead of measuring two different kinds if you want.
I always use the pinko breadcrumbs, mixing plain and Italian because they don’t have a milk ingredient. However, check the pinko box to select a brand that doesn’t have milk in it. Some do….
Why go all the way to 165°? Ground beef need only be cooked to 155°. Pull those @ 150° and they’ll finish up just right. More tender and juicier. I added minced and sauteéd onion and garlic to the meat mixture as well.
You can definitely go to only 155˚F if you want. I believe the USDA recommends a minimum of 160˚F, but we eat rare/raw beef regularly so I am not one to judge. I hope you liked the meatballs!
What temperature do you cook pork to?
I normally cook pork to 145˚F, but ground pork I aim for 160˚F.
Why not use fresh garlic? Fresh parsley? Fresh basil? I find dried garlic has an ever-so-slight metallic taste.
I use those ingredients because that’s what I like, and that’s how I make my meatballs. If you know you don’t like them, you can easily swap fresh ingredients!
This recipe is one of my favorites and a go-to if I need to make a meal for someone. My family loves it and is the perfect blend of spices. It presents beautifully and tastes as good as it looks!!
These came out good and moist, but I did add evap. milk to mine and added fresh garlic. Also had to turn the heat up to 400F after they first 20 minutes…added another 10 just to get them browned, before adding marinara. I let it go for another 30 minutes, but still wasn’t to temp. Another 20 minutes and they were perfect. 10 minutes before removing topped with mozzarella. Served over spaghetti and topped with marinara and extra mozzarella. Next time I will go with 400F for the entire process! That is the temp I bake regular 1″ balls.
I normally bake mine at 400˚F too, but I reduced the heat and added extra time since these are so much larger. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you as directed. Sometimes it’s just a matter of different ovens working differently, but I’m happy to hear you liked them!. Thanks for sharing your results!
I normally bake mine at 400˚F too, but I reduced the heat and added extra time since these are so much larger. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you as directed. Sometimes it’s just a matter of different ovens working differently, but I’m happy to hear you liked them!. Thanks for sharing your results!
Responding to Camilla M.: why don’t you post a recipe of your own with ingredients you like instead of critiquing someone else’s? This person posted a recipe using the ingredients SHE prefers. Why question it?
These were SO yummy. My whole family lived- really elevated pasta night. Recipe makes about 10 1/4lb-ish meatballs – enough for 5 people.
What kind of pork? Italian flavored, plain, etc? Thanks! Making this weekend.
Just plain, unseasoned ground pork.
Agree, 3lbs meat =48oz dived by 4oz =10.5
They were delicious, great recipe and I will definitely make again.
So do we use 3lbs meat instead of the posted 2 lbs?
This recipe calls for 3 pounds of meat total: 2 pounds of beef and 1 pound of pork.