Giant meatballs are an impressive entre that is perfect to enjoy with your favorite pasta sauce, or on top of a bed of tender spaghetti.
Jumbo meatballs are always a showstopper at fancy Italian restaurants, but luckily they are easy to make at home too! With a little time and a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy these great meatballs that will surely be a huge hit with the whole family.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground beef - 80/20 ground beef is ideal.
- Ground pork - Additional ground beef can be substituted.
- Plain breadcrumbs - Panko breadcrumbs can be substituted, or you can make meatballs without breadcrumbs by using a panade with fresh bread instead.
- Milk
- Large eggs - You can make big meatballs without eggs if needed.
- Parmesan cheese - Grated or shredded will both work.
- Fresh parsley - You can also add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite fresh herbs or a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Garlic cloves - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Olive oil
How to make them
Make this giant meatballs recipe by crumbling the ground meat into a large bowl. Then add the breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parmesan, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
Tip: It is best to mix with wet hands. The water will prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your skin.
Form the meatball mixture into six 7-8 ounce meatballs and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until they have an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Remove them from the oven and serve these tender meatballs with your favorite dipping sauce, on top of spaghetti, or topped with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Leftover jumbo meatballs should be kept in an airtight container in your refrigerator and enjoyed within a week. Due to their size and thickness, giant meatballs do not reheat well and are best enjoyed fresh. They are best reheated in a covered pan in a 350-degree oven until heated through.
Giant Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Serving
- 24 ounces pasta sauce warmed
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Crumble ground beef and pork into a large mixing bowl and add breadcrumbs, milk, beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Mix well with clean hands to combine the ingredients fully.
- Form the meat mixture into six round meatballs and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush olive oil over the top of each meatball.
- Place meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer.
Serving
- Serve these large meatballs topped with a generous ladle of heated pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Robert Peck
Thank you for all your recipes very well articulated you are very knowledgeable about your presentations.. do you have a recipe possibly that you could conjure up involving lobster, knuckles, and claws and scallops utilizing the basic clam recipe ?
Thank you