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A pile of oven-baked meatballs on a plate.

Oven-Baked Meatballs

Afton Cyrus
Inspired by the picture book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi and Ron Barrett, these easy oven-baked meatballs are made in a mini muffin tin so they’re perfectly browned on all sides. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of deep, savory flavor, they’ll tide you over until the next time it starts raining meatballs.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Good To Know

  • If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, you can bake the meatballs on a greased foil-lined rimmed baking sheet instead. Just note that they won’t be as evenly browned on all sides (but they’ll still be tasty!).
  • Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs give these meatballs some umami oomph, but you can use plain breadcrumbs or panko instead, if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Just increase the salt to ¾ teaspoon in that case.
  • You can serve these meatballs plain or stirred into your favorite homemade or store-bought tomato sauce. Heat up the sauce on the stovetop and use tongs to transfer the cooked meatballs to the sauce. Give them a good stir, then spoon them over spaghetti, polenta, or toasted sub rolls with melted cheese to serve.

Equipment You'll Need

  • 1 24-cup mini muffin tin
  • 1 Large bowl
  • 1 Spoon
  • 1 #40 portion scoop or 1-tablespoon measuring spoon
  • 1 Large plate
  • Oven mitts
  • Cooling rack
  • Tongs
  • 1 Serving dish or platter
  • 1 large saucepan (optional)

Measure Your Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • ½ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (see note)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 3-4 cups tomato pasta sauce, warmed (optional, see note)

Let's Cook!
 

  • Cooking spray
    Set your oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • ½ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, ½ cup milk
    In a large bowl, use a spoon to stir together the breadcrumbs and milk. Let the mixture sit until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk and turn soft, about 5 minutes.
  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
    When the breadcrumbs are ready, add the ground beef, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Use your hands to mix until all of the ingredients are well combined. (You can wear disposable gloves if you don’t like touching raw meat!)
  • Use a #40 portion scoop or a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to divide the meat mixture into twenty four 1½-tablespoon portions and place them on a large plate.
  • Use your hands to roll each portion into a nice round ball, and transfer each one to a greased cup of the mini muffin tin. Wash your hands.
  • Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven. Bake until the meatballs are browned on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Use oven mitts to remove the muffin tin from the oven and place it on the stovetop or a cooling rack. Use tongs to flip each meatball over so the browned side is up (this step is best done by an adult, as the muffin tin and meatballs will be very hot!).
  • Return the muffin tin to the oven. Bake until the second sides of the meatballs are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Use oven mitts to remove the muffin tin from the oven and place it on the stovetop or a cooling rack. Let the meatballs cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • 3-4 cups tomato pasta sauce, warmed
    Use tongs to transfer the meatballs to a serving platter or to a saucepan of your favorite warmed-up tomato pasta sauce. Serve, keeping an eye on the sky for any dessert storms that might be rolling in!
Keyword Oven-Baked Meatballs