These homemade meatballs in sauce bring all the cozy Sunday dinner vibes, with tender beef, flavorful pork, and that rich “liquid gold” that makes the whole pot something special.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love Italian Tomato Sauce For Meatballs
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Homemade Meatballs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Traditional Italian Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
- What To Serve With Traditional Italian Meatballs
- Other Meatball Recipes To Try
- Homemade Meatballs In Sauce
Why You’ll Love Italian Tomato Sauce For Meatballs
There’s something truly comforting about a sauce that’s been passed down through generations, and this one comes straight from my Grandma Rosie. It’s the same Sunday sauce that filled the house with warmth, and even though the steps are detailed, the rhythm becomes relaxing. The result... pure comfort.
Plus, this recipe is incredibly flexible. Make everything in one cozy day, or break it up by doing the meat and liquid gold first and the sauce later. It makes a big batch, perfect for freezing and easy future meals. Most of all, it’s a recipe full of love and memories, and one that’s meant to be shared. Here’s why this one's a keeper:
- Family-style cooking
- Generational tradition
- Deep, rich flavor
- Freezer-friendly
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Ground beef (80/20)- The fat keeps the meatballs tender, as leaner blends can dry them out. If using a lower fat content, add a bit more water.
- Country-style pork ribs- Bone-in or boneless work. Pork steaks or blade cuts are good substitutes.
- Italian sausage- If using, cook it separately so the grease doesn’t change the sauce flavor.
- Seasoned bread crumbs- Italian-style adds great flavor. If you only have plain, mix in 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.
- Small onion- Use white or yellow for the best flavor.
- Garlic cloves- Give them a nice smash.
- Romano cheese- Gives a salty, savory boost. Parmesan also works.
- Olive oil- For searing the pork. Substitute any neutral oil.
- Eggs- Use 2 eggs per pound of meat to bind and tenderize.
- Warm water- Softens the mixture so the meatballs stay tender.
- Garlic powder- Adds a classic savory note. Granulated garlic is fine too, but use a little less.
- Salt and pepper- Brings out the flavors and adds mild heat.
How To Make Homemade Meatballs
Step 1- Prep the pork.
Add the oil and peeled garlic cloves to a frying pan, but leave the heat off. Trim the fat and thin membrane from the pork, then season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If desired, cut the meat into smaller pieces.
Step 2- Mix the meatball base.
Add the ground beef to a large bowl, then start mixing in the eggs (2 per pound of meat), seasoned breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
As you continue mixing everything with your hands, add a couple handfuls of warm water to soften the meat. Add as much as needed until you reach the texture you want. The goal is for it to me soft and malleable without being soupy and it should smell flavorful.
Pull out a small amount of the mixture and shape it into a small patty. Cook it in the skillet of oil, then taste it and adjust the mixture. Add more water for softness or more cheese, breadcrumbs, or seasoning for flavor.
Step 3- Brown the pork.
Place the pork in the pan, then turn the heat on high, lowering it to medium-high as it starts to cook. Brown the pork on all sides until golden, seasoning lightly as you turn it. Remove and set on a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 4- Shape and brown the meatballs.
Peel and chop the onion and add it to the pan. Shape the meatballs to be around the size of a golf ball.
Cook the meatballs in the skillet in batches, just until lightly browned. Transfer then to the plate with the pork, picking off any browned bit and onion stuck to the outside so the sauce stays clean.
Step 8- Make the liquid gold.
Add water to the pan until it comes halfway up the side. Bring it to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned bits. Then, strain the liquid well so it’s clear.
Step 9- Move on to the sauce.
If you're cooking everything in one day, now's the time to start the sauce. Otherwise, wrap up the pork, meatballs, and liquid gold and refrigerate everything until the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare everything a day in advance and refrigerate it. It also freezes well- cool completely, freeze in an air tight container for up to 3 months (or on a sheet pan for the meatballs and pork pieces then transfer to an airtight container).
No, browning is enough. They finish cooking in the sauce.
A heavy skillet or cast-iron pan browns the meat most evenly, but non stick also works fine.
Tips For Making Traditional Italian Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
- Don’t rush the pork. Let it get a nice golden sear before you pull it from the pan.
- Trim the pork as much or as little as you like. Leaving a bit of fat adds flavor as it cooks, but more fat to eat around. Use your judgement.
- Use 80/20 beef for tender meatballs, but if you go with a leaner mix, add a bit more water when mixing the meatballs.
- Make a tiny beef patty and fry it up- taste and adjust the meatball mix as needed; to your taste. More cheese for added flavor and texture, more water if they are too hard, more bread crumbs if too soft.
- If the flavor needs a boost, add more Romano cheese before adding extra breadcrumbs.
- Keep the sauce smooth by brushing off any browned bits that stick to the meatballs.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Trim the pork, measure the breadcrumbs and cheese, and chop the onion.
- Leftovers and storage- Refrigerate 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Traditional Italian Meatballs
You can turn this Sunday-style meat-and-sauce dish into a full meal with a few simple sides:
Other Meatball Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Homemade Meatballs In Sauce
Equipment
- frying pan
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Pork:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves smashed
- 6 country-style pork ribs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 4 large eggs,
- 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup Romano Cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 3 Tablespoons water
Liquid Gold:
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Pork:
- Add oil to a large fry pan or skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic to the pan.
- Pat pork ribs dry and season well with salt pepper and garlic powder.
- Sear pork ribs, turning until golden on all sides. Manage heat and remove garlic if it's getting too dark (don't burn it!). Remove pork to a paper towel-lined plate once golden brown on all sides.
Meatballs:
- Gently mix all meatball ingredients except for the chopped onion in a large bowl with clean hands. Add palm-fuls of a warm water until the meat is malleable but not soup.
- Make a tiny beef patty and fry it in the oil. Cool and taste. Adjust meatball ingredients based on taste (more cheese for added flavor and texture, more water if they are too hard, more bread crumbs if too soft).
- Then roll the meat mixture into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. Use a cookie scoop for uniform sizing.
- Add chopped onion to the pan and add meatballs, in a single layer and not touching.
- Turn meatballs so they're a deep brown color on each side without burning. Remove the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove any bits of onion, garlic or other little pieces that can be left on the meatballs.
Liquid gold:
- Add 1 cup water or more to the fry pan so that it's filled up to around half and bring it to a boil.
- Gently scrape the bottom of the fry pan to get all the little bits off the bottom.
- Now take the water and grease that was mixed with bits and pieces from the fry pan and strain it through a mesh sieve.
- If you're doing the sauce the next day you'll wrap and refrigerate your liquid gold and your meat to use in the next day's sauce recipe. Or move on to the sauce recipe linked at the beginning of this post.
Video
Notes
- Don’t rush the pork. Let it get a nice golden sear before you pull it from the pan.
- Trim the pork as much or as little as you like. Leaving a bit of fat adds flavor as it cooks, but more fat to eat around. Use your judgement.
- Use 80/20 beef for tender meatballs, but if you go with a leaner mix, add a bit more water when mixing the meatballs.
- (more cheese for added flavor and texture, more water if they are too hard, more bread crumbs if too soft).
- If the flavor needs a boost, add more Romano cheese before adding extra breadcrumbs.
- Keep the sauce smooth by brushing off any browned bits that stick to the meatballs.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Trim the pork, measure the breadcrumbs and cheese, and chop the onion.
- Leftovers and storage- Refrigerate 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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