The Best Meatballs and Lighter Chicken Meatballs

Skip to Recipe|Print Recipe

Here it is! My “famous” meatball recipe (well famous to all of my friends). These really are the best meatballs EVER. I like to use 80/20 (chuck) ground beef, but feel free to use 97/3 (lean) ground beef instead. Guess what the secret ingredient is?!….Buttermilk!

Ina Garden (Barefoot Contessa) says to bake your meatballs. Genius! That way you don’t have to slave over the stove top turning and turning and turning each ball. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

*Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil for SUPER easy clean up*

You can also use this basic meatball recipe to make chicken meatballs. Just substitute the ground beef for LEAN ground chicken.  We have to stay healthy after all. The reason these meatball are sooo delicious is the panade.

To make the panade mix together 1 cup of buttermilk and four slices of bread with the crusts cut off.

Mix the panade together until it turns into a paste. In another bowl mix together the beef, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Then dump in the panade, and mix everything together with your hands. Gross! Haha.

To make each meatball even, use a Tablespoon measuring (spoon?) to form each ball. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet about 1″ a part.

Then bake them for 30 minutes.

Done! Eat these babies with spaghetti (I just do jarred marinara), throw them in a roll for a meatball sub, or freeze them for later!

Now I also included a note on how to make chicken meatballs for all of those health nuts out there! My mom makes these all the time. There is no egg in this recipe because she is allergic, but the panade binds everything together.

I am excited to share all of my favorite recipes using these meatballs! In the meantime create your own recipes, and have fun!

The Best Meatballs

The Best Meatballs and Lighter Chicken Meatballs are staple recipes for any home cook. Talk about a classic recipe! Meatballs are great for appetizers, over spaghetti, or in a sub. They are perfect for freezing, and make any weeknight dinner a breeze!

• Author: The Hungry Waitress
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Cuisine: Dinner

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread, crust removed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Addition Items

• Marinara Sauce
• Spaghetti noodles
• Parmesan for garnish
• Bread, to sop up the sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets thoroughly.
2. Pour 1 cup of buttermilk in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork mash the 4 slices of bread into the buttermilk until a paste forms (panade). Set aside.
3. Dump the onion, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, ground beef, beaten egg, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, bread paste (panade) to the same large mixing bowl. Using your hands mix everything together.
4. When everything is throughly mixed together, use a Tablespoon scoop to form even meatballs. Place the meatball on the baking sheets about 1″ a part. Once all the meatballs are ready, bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with spaghetti and marinara sauce, or stuff them in a hoogie roll for a meatball sub. The options are endless.

Notes

Healthier Chicken Meatballs
*Replace the ground beef with LEAN ground chicken
*exclude the egg