Juicy Baked Beef Meatballs with Parmesan and Parsley

Name: Juicy Baked Beef Meatballs with Parmesan and Parsley
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 lb (907 g) ground beef, 80/20, cold, straight from the refrigerator; ¾ cup (45 g) panko breadcrumbs; ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, lightly beaten; ¾ cup (60 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated (use a microplane), lightly packed; 4 medium cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems finely chopped; ½ cup (80 g) yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about ½ small onion), juice included; 2 tsp (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano; 1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil, for coating the parchment

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, well-seasoned beef meatballs made with a milk-soaked breadcrumb panade, parmesan, garlic, and fresh parsley, then baked on one sheet pan. No browning in batches and no splatter, and they're great in sauce, in subs, or on their own.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 2 min
Makes: About 24 meatballs (4 per serving)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 lb (907 g) ground beef, 80/20, cold, straight from the refrigerator
¾ cup (45 g) panko breadcrumbs
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup (60 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated (use a microplane), lightly packed
4 medium cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems finely chopped
½ cup (80 g) yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about ½ small onion), juice included
2 tsp (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil, for coating the parchment

Equipment (7)

18×13-inch (46×33 cm) rimmed baking sheet
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Box grater or microplane
Medium bowl for the panade
Instant-read thermometer
2-tablespoon (30 ml) cookie scoop (optional)

Steps

Before you start

Use 80/20 ground beef (20% fat). Leaner beef gives drier, tougher meatballs.
Keep the beef cold until you mix. Warm meat gets sticky and hard to shape.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven.
The panade (breadcrumbs soaked in milk) needs 10 minutes to hydrate. Start with that step so it's ready when the aromatics are prepped.

1
Preheat and line panOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line an 18×13-inch (46×33 cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the parchment and rub it around with your fingers or a paper towel to coat lightly.
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Ready when: Parchment is evenly glossy with a thin film of oil.
Tip: The oil helps the bottoms brown and keeps the meatballs from sticking.
2
Soak the panade
- In a medium bowl, stir together the panko and milk.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes so the crumbs absorb the milk and turn into a thick, wet paste.
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Ready when: No dry crumbs remain and the mixture looks like thick oatmeal.
Tip: Don't skip this. The panade is what keeps baked meatballs tender instead of dense.
3
Prep the aromatics
- While the panade soaks, finely mince the garlic, finely chop the parsley, finely grate the Parmesan with a microplane, and grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater.
- Put them all in a large mixing bowl.
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Ready when: Garlic and parsley are in tiny pieces, and the Parmesan is fluffy and fine.
Tip: Grating the onion lets it melt into the meat, so you won't bite into raw chunks.
4
Mix the meatball base
- Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and oregano to the aromatics, then add the soaked panade.
- Stir with a fork until evenly combined and loose.
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Ready when: No streaks of egg or pockets of panade remain.
Tip: Mixing the seasonings before adding the beef means you won't have to overwork the meat later.
5
Add beef gently
- Add the cold ground beef in chunks.
- Using your hands, fold and press the meat into the mixture for about 1 minute, just until everything is evenly distributed and the mixture holds together.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniform and slightly sticky, with no visible streaks of white or green.
Tip: Overmixing makes meatballs rubbery. Stop as soon as it's combined.
6
Scoop and roll
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or about 2 tablespoons (50 g) of mixture each, shape into 24 meatballs about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide.
- Rinse your hands in cold water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Place them on the prepared sheet about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart in 4 rows of 6.
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Ready when: Meatballs are uniform in size and smooth, with no cracks.
Tip: Roll with light pressure. Squeezing tightly packs the meat and makes it dense.
7
Bake the meatballsOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops and bottoms are deep golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160°F (71°C).
- There's no need to turn them.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown outside, juices run clear, and the center reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Check one from the middle of the pan. Start checking at 18 minutes if your meatballs are smaller.
8
Rest and serve
- Let the meatballs rest on the pan for 5 minutes so the juices redistribute.
- Serve hot, or toss them in warm marinara sauce.
- If simmering in sauce, 10 minutes is plenty.
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Ready when: Meatballs are firm to the touch and no longer sizzling.

Good to know

Tips

Use a scoop for even size so every meatball finishes at the same time.
For extra browning, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching closely.
Fry a teaspoon of the mixture in a skillet before shaping if you want to check the seasoning.
If your meatballs stick, let them rest a couple of minutes, then loosen with a thin spatula.

Make ahead

"Shape the raw meatballs, arrange them on the lined sheet, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes. Or freeze the raw meatballs on the sheet until solid, transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months, and bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 28 to 30 minutes until 160°F (71°C) inside."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: cooked meatballs up to 3 months. Reheat in a covered dish at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or simmer in sauce over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until hot (165°F/74°C) throughout."

Substitutions

ground beef, 80/20 → Half ground beef and half ground pork, or ground turkey (thigh meat). Pork adds richness. Turkey is leaner, so use 93/7 and expect a slightly drier meatball.
panko breadcrumbs → Plain dry breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup (55 g). Use less because fine crumbs are denser.
Parmesan cheese → Pecorino Romano. Saltier, so reduce the salt to 1½ tsp.
whole milk → Buttermilk or water. Buttermilk adds tang. Water works but gives a little less richness.