Meatball Parmesan Recipe

By Becky Hardin

Updated May 5, 2025

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This Meatball Parmesan is hearty, rich, and delicious. Perfect for cozy winter weeknights! It features juicy meatballs smothered in a delicious marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. A simple dish that is beautiful and oh so tasty!

Meatball Parmesan Casserole

This hearty Meatball Parmesan bake marries homemade juicy meatballs, tangy marinara sauce, and Italian cheeses in one skillet or pan, a perfectly scrumptious weeknight meal. It’s also so versatile—serve the meatballs on pasta, with polenta, or freeze to enjoy later. They taste great in subs, sandwiches, or you can even transform them into sliders.

One recipe, so many options! It may be difficult to decide how to eat them, but make a batch, use part now, and stash the rest for another day. You’ll be glad you have a meal ready to go on hand.

Recipe Card

Meatball Parmesan

4.56 from 177 votes

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

cool: 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Becky Hardin

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This Meatball Parmesan is hearty, rich, and delicious. Perfect for cozy winter weeknights! It features juicy meatballs smothered in a delicious marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. A simple dish that is beautiful and oh so tasty!

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Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup dry breadcrumbs or 4 slices stale white bread
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk or cream or buttermilk
• ▢ 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided in half and more for garnish
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons dried basil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1½ pounds ground chuck or a blend of ground pork, ground sirloin, and ground chuck
• ▢ 2 cups marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
• ▢ ½ pound fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 2-inch pieces

Instructions 

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the breadcrumbs (if using bread slices, cut off the crust and tear bread into bite-size pieces) and milk in a large mixing bowl and stir until breadcrumbs are completely coated. Set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed.
  ½ cup dry breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons milk
  
• Add eggs, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, parsley, basil, and oregano to the breadcrumbs/milk mixture and stir well.
  3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1½ teaspoons dried parsley, 1½ teaspoons dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  
• Add ground meat and mix, gently, just until incorporated and form into 2½-inch balls.
  1½ pounds ground chuck
  
• Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until brown & cooked through. If more color on the outside of the meatballs is desired, set the oven to broil and broil the meatballs 2-3 minutes or until a darker brown.
  
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. While the meatballs cook, prepare the sauce (if making homemade).
• Brush a 12-inch skillet with canola oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place 1-cup of sauce in the prepared skillet. Set the meatballs in the skillet, leaving a little space between the meatballs. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan.
  
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly. Top each meatball with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Cook just until the cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown.
  ½ pound fresh mozzarella cheese
  
• Allow the Meatball Parmesan to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with a toasty Italian baguette and a side salad.
  

Becky’s Tips

• Any ground meat would work. Ground beef would work great as well. 
• You can also fry the meatballs: Heat about a tbsp of oil in a skillet, then add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, which should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
• For easier prep, make meatballs ahead of time and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• In a pinch, you could substitute your favorite frozen meatball, partially thawed, and cook as directed, starting with the sauce step.

Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 36gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 1337mgPotassium: 663mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 830IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 342mgIron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How To Make Meatball Parmesan Step By Step 

Get the oven going and prep a baking sheet: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400°F. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the breadcrumb mixture: Place 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (if using bread slices, cut off the crust and tear bread into bite-size pieces) and 2 tablespoons milk in a large mixing bowl and stir until breadcrumbs are completely coated. Set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed.

Add eggs, Parmesan, and seasoning to breadcrumbs: Add 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano to the breadcrumbs/milk mixture and stir well.

Stir in the meat: Add 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck and mix gently, just until incorporated and form into 2½-inch balls.

Place meatballs on baking sheet: Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until brown & cooked through. If more color on the outside of the meatballs is desired, set the oven to broil and broil the meatballs 2-3 minutes or until a darker brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Get your sauce going: While the meatballs cook, prepare the 2 cups of marinara sauce (if making homemade).

Prepare a skillet: Brush a 12-inch skillet with canola oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the meatball Parmesan: Place 1-cup of sauce in the prepared skillet and set the meatballs in the skillet, leaving a little space between the meatballs. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.

Bake the meatballs: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly. Top each meatball with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Cook just until the cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown.

Cool and serve: Allow the Meatball Parmesan to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with a toasty Italian baguette and a side salad.

How To Store

This Meatball Parmesan recipe will last 3–4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. To freeze, place the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet to flash freeze. Transfer them to a freezer bag or other airtight container and place back in the freezer and they’ll keep for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

This meatball Parmesan meal is great with a nice light and fruity mandarin orange salad, but you can’t go wrong with serving a classic caesar. Make sure to have homemade garlic bread on the side to soak up all the sauce.

more delicious meatball recipes

Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs (with Dijon Sauce)

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatballs

Peruvian Chicken Meatballs with Green Sauce (Drop Meatballs)