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Spoon holding sauce covered meatball above white pan of the same.
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5 from 8 votes

Baked Meatballs in Sauce

Baked Meatballs in Sauce are an easy oven baked recipe perfect any night of the week! This easy meatball recipe results in soft and juicy meatballs that you can serve with pasta or zucchini noodles for a healthy twist!  
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked meatballs in sauce, italian meatballs in sauce
Servings: 4
Calories: 286kcal
Author: Adrianne

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 500 grams/16 oz grams beef mince (ground beef) Note 1
  • cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 egg free range
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Tomato Sauce

  • 700 grams/24.5 oz passata
  • 400 grams/14.5 oz grams diced tomatoes Note 2
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

Cheese Topping

  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated using a hand held or box grater
  • cup parmesan cheese freshly grated using a micro plane zester, Note 3

Garnish (optional):

  • basil leaves
  • black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven: to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
  • Meatballs: add the beef mince, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, pepper and egg to a large bowl. Use clean hands to combine. Then take a mini cookie scoop and portion out a small amount of the mixture onto a chopping board. Next, repeat to portion the rest of the mixture. Once done roll the portions into meatballs using the palms of your hands then place onto a chopping board. Repeat this process till all of the mixture is used up.
  • Brown meatballs: place an oven proof pan on the stove top, turn the heat to high and add the olive oil. Work in batches and use kitchen tongs to place the meatballs into the bottom of the pan. Cook, browning the outsides of the edges for 5-6 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to lift the browned meatballs up and out of the pan. Place them into a paper towel lined bowl.
  • Absorb excess oil: once the meatballs are browned, fold a piece of paper towel in half and use kitchen tongs to push this around in the pan absorbing the excess oil. Then discard.
  • Tomato sauce: turn the heat down to medium low and then add the passata, diced tomatoes and dried basil to the pan and stir to combine.
  • Meatballs into sauce: use kitchen tongs to place the meatballs gently into the sauce. Allow their tops to poke up and out of the sauce.
  • Cheese layer: use a small bowl to combine the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle this combination of cheese over the top of the meatballs and sauce.
  • Oven bake: place the pan into the preheated oven on the middle shelf. Allow the meatballs and sauce to cook for 15 minutes. During this time the cheese will also melt and turn golden brown. Once done, use oven mits to remove the pan and place onto a heatproof surface.
  • Garnish: season the top of the dish with black pepper and basil leaves. Provide forks, spoons and bowls for serving.

Notes

  • Note 1 - Beef mince: For juicy beef Italian meatballs of course! Other options you can also are lamb, ground pork or chicken mince. 
  • Note 2 - Diced tomatoes: you can use crushed tomatoes here if you wish to. For both options try and get 'plain' not 'Italian flavored' or another variety that has additional herbs in the tin. 
  • Note 3 - Parmesan cheese: you can use pecorino romano here in place of the parmesan (equivalent amount) if you wish too. 

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 674IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg