The Juiciest Italian Fried Meatballs Recipe

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My husband is a true Italian-American; he grew up (in his own words) watching the Godfather on repeat and had cannolis available on the kitchen table at all hours of the day. When I met my husband’s grandmother for the first time 7 years ago (Grandma Marie), one of the first questions she asked me was if I knew how to make sauce. The following question was if I knew how to make meatballs. Well, grandma, I finally learned it!

And boy are these meatballs delicious! They are perfectly crispy on the outside, and so extremely juicy on the inside. You can enjoy these fried meatballs by themselves (I tend to pop them in my mouth like popcorn throughout the day after 20 seconds in the microwave). You can also add them to any red sauce you might be making to enhance the flavor of the sauce, just like how Grandma does it!

This recipe is for the Italian food lover that will always say yes to a splendid plate of spaghetti and meatballs.


The Juiciest Italian Fried Meatballs (Ever)

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes

  • Cook Time: 15 minutes

  • Total Time: 35 minutes

  • Servings: 20 meatballs


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

  • 1/4 cup whole milk

  • 2 pound ground beef

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 stick butter, softened

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • Olive oil, for frying

Optional

  • Parmesan cheese


Instructions

  • Soak the bread crumbs in the milk while you prepare the other ingredients.

  • Put the beef into a large bowl. Add the onion, butter, eggs, and parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Put the soaked bread crumbs into the bowl and mix it all together well with your (clean) hands.

  • Form the mixture into meatballs about the size just a little bigger than a ping pong ball.

  • Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs until they are a little burnt on all sides (trust Grandma on this) and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

  • Dig in and indulge!