These baked Italian sausage meatballs are made with oregano, garlic, panko, Parmesan, egg and a bit of sour cream for a mildly tangy flavor. They are moist, tender and make a delicious appetizer or main course. The preparation is easy, you pulse all ingredients together in the food processor for maximum convenience and minimum messiness.
Recipe ingredients and notes:
- Panko bread crumbs work great in this recipe. The coarse texture of the crispy crumbs loosens up the meat and keeps the meatballs from getting too dense.
- Sour cream adds moisture and a hint of tang that works well with the flavors of the sausage meat.
- It's easiest to use bulk Italian sausage meat (meaning loose meat, without casings) for this recipe. But if you only have sausage in casings on hand, you can use those. Just remove and discard the casings.
How to make it:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Add all ingredients to a food processor.
Step 2. Pulse a few times until combined, scraping down the sides between pulses.
Step 3. Roll meatballs (1 tablespoon of mixture each), set on a lined baking sheet and bake.
Recipe note:
There are two reasons why you want to use a food processor to do the mixing for this recipe:
- It does a great job of breaking up the bulk sausage meat, which usually comes in one large slab.
- It mixes all ingredients well without overworking the mixture.
Serving ideas:
- Serve the meatballs with cocktail picks as an appetizer with a dipping sauce of your choice. (This charred scallion aioli or this spicy burger sauce are delicious!)
- Make the meatballs a main course and serve them with spaghetti and tomato sauce.
- These meatballs are also great on sandwiches and even salads.
How to store leftovers:
These meatballs taste best fresh out of the oven but you can store them, if you want. Transfer any leftover meatballs into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Reheat in the oven, the air fryer or in a cast iron or nonstick pan.
How to freeze the meatballs:
Let the fully baked meatballs cool, then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze. To reheat, transfer the frozen meatballs into a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F. until heated through (about 20 minutes).
Full Recipe
Italian Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients:
Equipment:
Method:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times just until combined, scraping down the sides in between pulses.
- Transfer the mix onto a work surface.
- Using your hands, roll about 32 meatballs (about 1 tablespoon each).* Set onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. (13 to 15 minutes).
- Serve the meatballs as an appetizer with a dipping sauce. Or, make the meatballs a main dish and serve with spaghetti and pasta sauce.
Recipe notes:
Nutrition (estimate only):
More delicious meatball recipes:
- These meatballs with cilantro are made with lots of fresh and aromatic ingredients.
- These meatballs with cinnamon are great with marinara sauce.
- For recipes that use frozen store-bought meatballs, check out this meatball casserole and these frozen meatball-stuffed shells.
Comments
No Comments