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The easiest recipe for cooking tender and delicious homestyle meatballs in the oven. These quick versatile meatballs make a healthy and convenient alternative to store bought freezer meatballs.

Homestyle meatballs are one of my favorite things to make because they are so easy and versatile for a variety of meals. I like to make a big batch (or two or three) and then freeze them. I pull them out and make meatball subs, Italian wedding soup, classic spaghetti and meatballs, or even a healthy toddler meal in half the time.

How to make homestyle freezer meatballs from scratch

Homestyle meatballs are great for a beginner because they are so easy. To make the meatballs you thaw your ground meat of choice (I use our freezer beef and sausage), chop any veggies if you choose to add them, mix up the handful of ingredients, form into balls and bake. It really is that easy.

The hardest part is chopping the veggies small enough. If they are very finely chopped you can sneak in peppers and onions for added flavor and juiciness. The best part is they are so small any picky eaters in your home won’t even notice them!

To form the meatballs I like to use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to keep the size consistent. I use one heaping teaspoon to make meatballs for soups and toddler meals. Larger tablespoon meatballs get used for subs and pasta dishes. This is a great job for your little kitchen helpers too!

Cooking meatballs in the oven

When baking the meatballs you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake on a tall sided cookie sheet or cast iron skillet. I usually make a large batch, so I use the tall cookie sheets lined with heavy duty foil for easier clean up. If you use a cast iron skillet be sure to preheat so that your meatballs don’t stick. You’ll know it is hot enough if your meatballs sizzle when you add them to the skillet.

Let your meatballs cook 10-20 minutes, depending on the size. I find that the smaller teaspoon sized meatballs cook in about 10-15 minutes. Larger tablespoon sized meatballs need closer to 20 minutes.

Stovetop or Airfryer Meatballs

I find cooking meatballs in the oven to be the easiest way to prepare a large batch. But you can cook these however you’d like. For stovetop meatballs use your cast iron skillet to fry them up. Or pop them in your air fryer at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes depending on size. Give the basket a good shake to flip them over when they start to brown (about 10 minutes).

If you plan to use the meatballs right away you can make dutch oven stovetop meatballs by simmering for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Simply add the meatballs to your ceramic dutch oven and pour over your sauce of your choice plus a tablespoon or two of water.

How to Freeze Meatballs

Once the meatballs have cooked completely allow them to come to room temperature and try not to sample too many while they do! Once they have cooled, I like to put them in a freezer zip lock bag laid out flat on a clean cookie sheet. Add them one by one so they aren’t touching too much and put the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour or so.

This allows the meatballs to flash freeze and keeps them from sticking together. Once they are frozen on the outside you can remove the cookie sheet and your from scratch homestyle meatballs can be stored upright. Or in my case, wherever I can squeeze them into my freezer!

Are oven baked meatballs healthy?

If you’re concerned about food ingredients, homestyle meatballs baked in your oven at home are a great alternative to store bought freezer meatballs. You can ensure that only quality ingredients are included. If you have dietary restrictions or flavor preferences you can easily adjust this recipe to your needs. Don’t like onions, don’t add them. Cutting back on salt, go right ahead. See below for a few easy variations.

• Use hot italian sausage for a nice spicy meatball perfect for spaghetti and meatballs with a kick.
• Make all sausage meatballs for a perfect busy morning protein. Simply adjust the seasonings to your preference.
• Don’t have breadcrumbs? Use crushed up crackers. I like Ritz crackers, but any kind will do!
• Want to avoid eggs? Use 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese or plain yogurt per egg. The meatballs will be a little more delicate when cooked, but they’ll also be softer and juicier!

What type of meat is best for homestyle meatballs?

We like to use our farm raised ground meats for these homestyle meatballs. I prefer a 2:1 mix of ground beef and sausage. However I have made all beef, beef and ground pork, and all sausage meatballs with the same recipe. Depending on the amount of seasoned sausage you use you’ll want to adjust the herbs and spices you add. You can also play around with ground lamb, venison, bison or turkey for your base.

Why do you add milk to meatballs?

Milk is added to meatballs to help keep them moist. If you use a leaner ground meat you won’t want to skip the milk. If you would prefer dairy free meatballs you can substitute water or stock in place of milk. You can also substitute the grated parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast or skip it altogether.

Cooking frozen meatballs

You might be thinking, “Okay, but what do I do with all of these meatballs?” Don’t worry the answer isn’t spaghetti. Well it isn’t just spaghetti… unless of course you want it to be.

Cooking with these frozen meatballs is super easy. The homestyle flavor is so versatile and they are fully cooked when you freeze them. So they can be warmed up in minutes. Add them to your favorite instant pot, crockpot or stovetop recipes straight from the freezer.

I like to make everything from Italian wedding soup, oven baked meatball subs for a hot handheld meal during harvest, and a super simple crock pot BBQ meatball appetizer. My kids’ favorite (and mine because they ALWAYS eat it) is pasta primavera with meatballs. I serve these meatballs with pasta and frozen California veggie mix. My kids like to top with olive oil and parmesan cheese. It’s a quick toddler meal for daycare or busy weeknights and well balanced for picky eaters. Win-win-win.

I hope you enjoy these homestyle meatballs and they save some time during the busy evening dinner rush. Let me know how you use your freezer meatballs and your creative flavor variation in the comments below!