When you are craving REALLY GOOD Italian food reach for this easy Giant Meatball Recipe! They are packed with flavor, beautifully tender, and overall simple to throw together.
I love to serve these with my Cheesy Garlic Bread and Classic Caesar Salad to make it a perfect Italian feast! But you may not even need those, I won't like, this is one big meatball!
Ingredients
A short and humble ingredient list provides the most tender and delicious Giant Meatballs I have ever made. I have experimented with quite a few varieties and I am convinced this style that starts with soaked bread yields the best result.
Also, the blend of the three types of meat adds a great balance of flavor and fat to make these big meatballs as tender as possible.
What you need:
- Texas Toast
- Whole Milk
- Ground Pork
- Ground Beef
- Italian Sausage
- Parmesan Cheese
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Onion
- Kosher Salt, Mortons
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- Marinara Rao’s or Victoria
- Pasta Bucatini, Spaghetti, or Rigatoni
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
This recipe starts with the soaking of white bread in milk. This will keep the meatballs perfectly tender, and moist. Tear the bread and let it soak in the milk for 10 minutes.
Then crumble in all the meats and add in all the remaining seasonings and ingredients. Mix it all by hand for the most even distribution.
Once you have your mixture all put together, use a scale to portion the meatballs out into 9, 9-ounce meatballs. Or evenly portion them out.
Place the meatballs on a sheet pan and roast them in the oven until they brown slightly on the outside. Then place them in a pot with the tomato sauce and cover them with some of it. Simmer until cooked through and a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 150˚F.
Before you finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce, you can cool them after roasting and freeze them for later use. Be sure to thaw them fully before finishing cooking in the sauce. Follow the finishing directions for frozen meatballs.
After the Giant Meatballs finish cooking in the sauce, boil some pasta and serve them over it with a healthy spoonful of sauce.
Notes & Tips
Don't skip the bread soak and swap for breadcrumbs. The soaked white bread helps to make the meatballs tender and moist.
Take care not to overmix the meat. Mix just till the bread is worked through but the more you work the mixture the tougher the meatballs can get.
I use a scale to weigh out 9-ounce meatballs, you could also just evenly divide it into 9 if you don't have a scale. And if you don't want a massive meatball, you can also portion them smaller, to any size you like.
The meatballs can also be made early in the day and left to simmer for a few hours. Just take care to keep the heat low so they don't begin to break apart. Too long and they will break up and you will just have a meat sauce.
If I am feeding a smaller crowd, I make and freeze half of the meatballs. Future you will thank yourself when you can make a quick meal with the main element ready to go.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Substitutions
While you can use just about any bread, a nice fluffy white bread gives the best end result.
If you are dairy-free, I hate to say that this recipe just isn't for you. The milk and the cheese are crucial to the texture and flavor of the final product. And I could make suggestions for swaps, but they just wouldn't turn out the same.
The only thing that is negotiable when it comes to the proteins is that you can drop the beef or pork, and add in more Italian sausage, but still keep two kinds of meat. I promise you, it just makes them better to do this.
The one concession I will give you on the parmesan cheese is swapping it for asiago or pecorino. They will alter the flavor a tiny bit, but still be equally delicious!
Don't get hung up on the type of onion to use, while I prefer a sweet yellow onion, I have also used red and white onions when that is all I had in the fridge. They all work.
If you would like to go the homemade sauce route, I have one with my Homemade Sausage Manicotti Recipe you can use. But I honestly love to use store-bought Rao's that I pick up at Costco.
For the pasta, you can honestly serve it over any shape you like. I sometimes go traditional with bucatini or spaghetti, but it's great on a tube shape like rigatoni too.
More Meatball Goodness
If you love these meatballs, try my Homemade Spaghettios and Meatballs and feel like a kid again. If you like it spicy, you'll also love my Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, I love these for the Super Bowl especially. My favorite may be my Parmesan Chicken Meatballs, they are so tender and juicy! Go around the world with meatballs and check out my Easy Swedish Meatballs, Greek Meatballs, and Chicken Meatballs in Red Curry Sauce.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Giant Meatball Recipe
When you want THE best Italian food, but on a budget, made this Giant Meatball Recipe at home. They're amazing!
Ingredients
- 6 slices Texas Toast ripped up
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1 pound Ground Pork
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 2 cups Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded + more for serving
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley minced, + more for garnish
- 5 coves Garlic, finely grated or minced to a paste
- 1 large Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 56 ounces Marinara, I use store-bought Rao’s or Victoria
- 1.5 lb Pasta, Bucatini or Spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ripped up toast and milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Crumble the pork, beef, and sausage into the bowl. Add the parmesan, parsley, garlic, onion, and some salt and pepper to the bowl. Use your hands to work the mixture together, and break up the bread while you mix everything together.
- Form the mixture into 9 - 9 oz balls. Place the meatballs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a crust forms on the outside of the meatball.
- Gently place the meatballs into a large dutch oven and cover them with the tomato sauce and a little water from rinsing out the jars. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue cooking the meatballs, uncovered for 30 minutes longer.
- Cook your pasta while the meatballs are finishing cooking. They are done when a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 150˚F.
- Serve meatballs over the past with a generous spoon of sauce. Top with parmesan and basil or parsley and enjoy.
Notes
Notes & Tips
Don't skip the bread soak and swap for breadcrumbs. The soaked white bread helps to make the meatballs tender and moist.
Take care not to overmix the meat. Mix just till the bread is worked through but the more you work the mixture the tougher the meatballs can get.
I use a scale to weight out 9 ounce meatballs, you could also just evenly divide it into 9 if you don't have a scale. And if you don't want a massive meatball, you can also portion them smaller, to any size you like.
The meatballs can also be made early in the day and left to simmer for a few hours. Just take care to keep the heat low so they don't begin to break apart. Too long and they will break up and you will just have a meat sauce.
If I am feeding a smaller crowd, I make and freeze half of the meatballs. Future you will thank you when you can make a quick meal with the main element ready to go.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Substitutions
While you can really use just about any bread, a nice fluffy white bread gives the best end result.
If you are dairy-free, I hate to say that this recipe just isn't for you. The milk and the cheese are crucial to the texture and flavor of the final product. And I could make suggestions for swaps, but they just wouldn't turn out the same.
The only thing that is negotiable when it comes to the proteins is that you can drop the beef or pork, and add in more Italian sausage, but still keep two kinds of meat. I promise you, it just makes them better to do this.
The one concession I will give you on the parmesan cheese is swapping it for asiago or pecorino. They will alter the flavor a tiny bit, but still be equally delicious!
Don't get hung up on the type of onion to use, while I prefer a sweet yellow onion, I have also used red and white onions when that is all I had in the fridge. They all work.
If you would like to go the homemade sauce route, I have one with my Homemade Sausage Manicotti Recipe you can use. But I honestly love to use store-bought Rao's that I pick up at Costco.
For the pasta, you can honestly serve it over any shape you like. I sometimes go traditional with bucatini or spaghetti, but it's great on a tube shape like rigatoni too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 931Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1833mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 7gSugar: 15gProtein: 56g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
Jessica says
This recipe is amazing! Thank you!
Kendell says
OH MY GOSH!! Thank you so much! I love hearing when people love a recipe!
Graciela says
Ah!!!! The soaking bread technique is exactly what I needed for moist, fluffy meatballs!! I'm so glad I found this recipe (: Thank you, Kendell!!
Kendell says
So glad you are here!! It makes all the difference! I hope you've found your new favorite meatball recipe!