The Best Meatballs Recipe
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The Best Meatballs

By: Geanine 
"I never knew how to make good meatballs until I found this recipe. I normally make mine with just ground beef and they still taste great. I've used the combination of pork, beef and veal and they are equally good. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety...it really does make a difference."

This Kitchen Approved Recipe has an average star rating of 4.6 Rate/Review | Read Reviews (542)

Prep Time:
10 Min
Cook Time:
20 Min
Ready In:
30 Min

Servings  (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 8 servings
 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground veal
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 cup olive oil

Directions

  1. Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
  2. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 613 | Total Fat: 53.2g | Cholesterol: 155mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by PatsyK   view full review
They ARE the best meatballs, even though I use all beef most of the time. I don't fry, b/c I...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by RookieMom   view full review
This is soooo close to my Nonna's authentic Italian recipe! I am telling you, these meatballs...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by delcar   view full review
I use beef, pork, and veal, as it is readily available in my supermarket. Also, I bake mine...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 8, 2003 by Michelle   view full review
Honestly, I was skeptical using water in a meatball recipe, but it was really great! I scaled...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 23, 2003 by NANCYALBERICI   view full review
This IS the best Italian Meatball recipe ever. My ex-mother-in-law gave me this recipe more...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 5, 2003 by SurfSkiba   view full review
Thank you Geanine! My husband told me that these were absolutely the best meatballs he had...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on May 28, 2008 by Dee   view full review
Exactly the way I make them, except I don't use quite as much water and I don't fry them. I...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 5, 2003 by I'm nuts too...   view full review
Wow, This is the way that I make my meatballs (recipe from my Mom, not some cookbook), but...
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on May 9, 2008 by Chef MongoLloyd   view full review
Good, standard recipe. For a variation, try using ground italian sausage in place of the pork,...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.6 star rating.
Reviewed on Apr. 5, 2011 by Jillian Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)  view full review
These definitely are some of "The Best Meatballs"! Using three types of meat really makes a...

 

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