Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Meatballs in tomato sauce are one of those timeless recipes that seem to have a permanent spot in nearly every household for good reason—they’re just so satisfying and delicious. There’s something about the combination of tender, flavorful meatballs paired with a rich, tomatoey sauce that makes it a comfort food classic.

My husband lovingly calls me the Queen of Meatballs, and I take it as a compliment. After all, when it comes to meatballs, juicy and tender are the only way to go. No hockey pucks here—I promise these meatballs will be as soft, flavorful, and satisfying as they should be.

And what better way to serve meatballs than with a classic marinara sauce? This one is simple, flavorful, and all about letting the tomatoes shine. If you're lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes, go ahead and use them, but canned tomatoes are a great option too. I’m not always in the garden-fresh-tomato camp (unfortunately), so I love the convenience of canned tomatoes. Plus, you can make this marinara sauce year-round. It’s sweet, tangy, and has a fresh flavor that’s enhanced with garlic and fresh herbs—perfect for making your meatballs even more irresistible.

The best part? You can prep both the meatballs and the marinara sauce ahead of time. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or just need something quick after a long day, this is a lifesaver. Plus, the leftovers are awesome too! Serve the meatballs and marinara over pasta one day, then switch it up by piling them on a crusty roll with melted mozzarella and Parmesan for an amazing sandwich. It’s all about keeping it easy, flavorful, and versatile! 

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

¾ lb ground beef

¾ lb ground pork

1 cup panko bread crumbs

¾ cup milk

1 egg

1 onion, minced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Marinara Sauce:

1 onion, minced

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

salt, pepper (to taste)

1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, basil, chopped

How To Make Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and set it aside for a few minutes for the milk to soak into the crumbs.

Combine the ground meat, minced onion, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well dispersed.

I know somebody is going to ask if they can substitute ground turkey, or not use ground pork, etc. YES. You can use whatever ground meat that you like. It doesn't matter. I personally don't like the taste of ground turkey, but if you do, go ahead and use it. I do like ground pork. If you don't, then don't use it. 

Form the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon sized meatballs.

Use dampened hands when shaping your meatballs, it really helps for the meat mixture not to stick to your hands and also for the meatballs to be in a nice even shape, not jaggedy and rough. 

Heat about 1 Tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot or a high rimmed skillet. Cook the meatballs in 2-3 batches, on medium heat, covered, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on both sides.

Set the meatballs aside.

In the same dutch oven, remove all the excess oil, leaving about 1 Tablespoon behind.

Add the minced onion, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened.

As the onions cook, they will release liquid and clean up all the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pot. This will also add a lot of great flavor to the sauce.

Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt.

Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the fresh herbs to the sauce. Return the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Serve the meatballs with pasta or as a submarine sandwich. Garnish with more fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Olga Klyuchits

Juicy, tender meatballs with a simple, flavorful marinara sauce made with fresh garlic, herbs, and tomatoes. Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or meal prepping for the week.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Entree

Servings 50 meatballs

Ingredients

  

Meatballs:

• ¾ lb ground beef
• ¾ lb ground pork
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 onion minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Marinara Sauce:

• 1 onion minced
• 3-5 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
• salt pepper (to taste)
• 1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley basil, chopped

Instructions

 

• Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and set it aside for a few minutes for the milk to soak into the crumbs.
• Combine the ground meat, minced onion, the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well dispersed.
• Form the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon sized meatballs.
• Heat about 1 Tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot or a high rimmed skillet. Cook the meatballs in 2-3 batches, on medium heat, covered, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on both sides. Set the meatballs aside.
• In the same dutch oven, remove all the excess oil, leaving about 1 Tablespoon behind. Add the minced onion, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
• Add the fresh herbs to the sauce. Return the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Serve the meatballs with pasta or as a submarine sandwich. Garnish with more fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Use dampened hands when shaping your meatballs, it really helps for the meat mixture not to stick to your hands and also for the meatballs to be in a nice even shape, not jaggedy and rough.

You can use any ground meat that you like for the meatballs.