Classic Baked Ricotta Meatballs

These scrumptious Italian-style Ricotta Meatballs are tender, juicy, and full of flavor! This easy, big-batch recipe makes plenty for serving or freezing for later. Enjoy them with pasta, pizza, sandwiches, soups, and much more!

This easy Italian-style ricotta meatball recipe is tried, tested, and true; and I hope it brings comfort to your plate, as it does to ours.

Jump to:

• What's the Story on this Recipe?
• Why You Will Love Ricotta Meatballs
• Ricotta Meatballs Ingredients
• How to Make Baked Italian Meatballs with Ricotta
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tips
• More Italian-American Recipes
• Ways to Serve Ricotta Meatballs
• Classic Baked Ricotta Meatballs

What's the Story on this Recipe?

Every year on the second Sunday in February, from the time I can remember until long after I had children of my own, my family would caravan to my grandpa's church in southeast Portland to eat dinner at their annual spaghetti fundraiser.

Pop, Mama, Daddy and I would stand in the hot, sweaty church foyer for what seemed like hours, and there was never anywhere to sit. Pop always had a glass of red wine while we waited in line, and one more after we were finally seated at one of the long, linen-covered tables. Servers in crisp white button-ups came around with baskets of warm garlic bread and heaping plates of spaghetti, ravioli, and meatballs, and we all ate until we nearly burst.

The Italian meatballs they served were especially scrumptious, and they set my standard for what a good meatball is supposed to be. They were always handmade; mixed and shaped by scores of volunteers in the days leading up to the event. After years of searching and experimenting, this old-school meatball recipe is the only one I've found that comes close to those tender, divine meatballs from St Ignatius.

Giving credit where it's due; this amazing meatball recipe came to us thanks to our nephew, Kevin. A few years ago, he made these for dinner for us, and I immediately thought they were the best Italian meatballs I'd ever eaten outside St Ig's cafetorium. From the first bite, I was asking him for the recipe; I even gave him a special meatball baking pan that year for Christmas just to let him know how seriously I take a good meatball. The following year, he generously gifted the recipe to me, written by hand on an old-fashioned recipe card. It was the most cherished gift I received that year.

Why You Will Love Ricotta Meatballs

This easy baked meatballs recipe is made with a combination of lean ground beef, ground pork, and ground turkey mixed with creamy ricotta and savory Parmesan cheeses, bread crumbs, garlic, herbs, and just enough spice to get your attention.

Baked ricotta meatballs are tender and juicy, and so easy to make! With less than 15 minutes hands-on prep, they are a low-stress make-ahead meal or weeknight dinner. Because these meatballs are baked instead of fried, they cook more evenly, and cleanup is a snap.

This big-batch recipe makes enough to eat now, with plenty to save for later. You can even pre-bake and freeze them for up to 4 months in advance - perfect for holiday prep!

Ricotta Meatballs Ingredients

• Ground meats: We enjoy a combination of ground beef (93% lean), pork, and turkey for these meatballs; however, ground chicken, mild Italian sausage, or even faux ground meat can be substituted for any one third of the meat mixture.
• Panko crumbs: We use Panko crumbs (also known as Japanese breadcrumbs) because they have a consistent texture and neutral flavor. Their dry form absorbs the moisture and fats in the ground meats, allowing the mixture to hold its form well.
• Parmesan cheese: For best results, use freshly grated Parmesan. The cheese adds a rich umami flavor to the meatballs.
• Ricotta: This adds a dairy element without adding milk, which keeps the meatballs moist and tender without causing the meat mixture to slump. For best results, use whole-milk ricotta.
• Herbs: Fresh chopped parsley has a clean, peppery flavor that complements a wide variety of preparations well (i.e., pastas, sauces, sandwiches, etc.). Herbs may be adjusted or changed depending on how you plan to use the meatballs. (see Substitutions below)
• Egg: Eggs are used as a binder to hold the ingredients together.
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic.
• Freshly ground pepper: Freshly ground pepper makes a big difference. Avoid using pre-ground pepper if possible.
• Red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Baked Italian Meatballs with Ricotta

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, or prepare a meatball pan by placing it over a rimmed baking sheet.

Place all ingredients except the ground meats in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine.

Add the ground meat to the ricotta mixture and mix together by hand just until everything is evenly combined. Do not overwork the ground meat mixture.

Chill the ground meat mixture for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour. This will make it easier to form into balls, and the meatballs will hold their shape better, too.

Form the mixture into uniform balls, from 1 ounce to 4 ounces, depending on your use and preferences.

• A one- or two-ounce cookie scoop is a good tool for this job.
• Lightly wet your hands with cold water or spray them with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking to the meat mixture as you form it into balls.

Place the formed meatballs on the parchment lined pan or in a meatball pan. (If you use a meatball pan, you will need to bake the meatballs in batches.)

• 1 ounce (~1¼ inches diameter, uncooked) = recipe yields 60-64 meatballs
• 2 ounce (~1½ - 1¾" inches") = 30-32
• 3 ounce (~2 - 2¼" inches") = 20-22
• 4 ounce (~2¼ - 2½" inches") = 15-16

It doesn't matter exactly how big the meatballs are, but that they are all roughly the same size so they will cook evenly.

Bake at 375°F (190°C) oven for:

• 1 ounce meatballs: 12 minutes
• 2 ounce meatballs: 18 minutes
• 3 ounce meatballs: 20 minutes
• 4 ounce meatballs: 24 minutes

Turn meatballs halfway through the cooking time if desired.

Meatballs are fully cooked when the internal temperature registers 165°F (75°C) on an instant read thermometer. (Per the USDA, ground beef and pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, and ground poultry to 165°F.)

Optionally, you can broil the cooked meatballs for 90 seconds to further brown them.

Substitutions

• Ground meats: Ground chicken, mild Italian sausage, or even a vegetarian ground meat substitute can be swapped for any one third of the ground meat mixture. Do not swap out more than one of the ground meats, as doing so can throw off the moisture balance and make your meatballs tough and/or slumpy.
• Panko crumbs: You can use unseasoned canned bread crumbs. Avoid using seasoned bread crumbs, as they can over-season the meat mixture.
• Parmesan cheese: You can substitute grated asiago or Romano cheese, or a grated cheese blend.
• Herbs: Use herbs based on how you plan to use the meatballs. Beyond fresh parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, and Italian parsley are all good options. Sub dried herbs for fresh as needed.
• Garlic: You can substitute 1½ teaspoons granulated garlic, or ¾ teaspoon garlic powder.

Variations

On the Spicy Scale (1-5), we rate these ricotta meatballs about a 1½ to 2, which is to say that they have a little heat, but they aren't really spicy (except to people who don't like anything spicy).

• Milder Meatballs: Omit the red pepper flakes, and reduce the ground pepper to 1 teaspoon.
• Spicier Meatballs: Add an extra teaspoon of red pepper flakes. (Don't go crazy though.)

Meatballs are universal: you can find them in almost every culture on the planet. Some of our favorites include Mediterranean kofta, Swedish meatballs, Filipino bola-bola, chicken cordon bleu meatballs, and of course, Italian-American ricotta meatballs like these.

Equipment

This is the cool meatball pan I mentioned earlier. It's concave design keeps meatballs round, and it has a nonstick coating that makes for easy cooking and clean up. It's definitely not a necessity, but it's a handy thing to have if meatballs are something you make often.

Storage

Prebaked meatballs can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to Freeze Meatballs

Pre-Baked Meatballs: (Recommended) You can make and bake ricotta meatballs well ahead of time, and freeze them for later use. Once they are baked and fully cooled, freeze them on a parchment lined tray for 1 hour, then place them in an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months in the freezer. (For maximum flavor retention, we recommend using a vacuum sealer.)

Unbaked Meatballs: Many meatball recipes suggest that you can freeze unbaked meatballs and them bake them straight out of the freezer. While this process does work, we recommend freezing them after baking, because freezing raw meatballs can cause large ice crystals to form in the ground meat, rupturing the cell membranes and releasing water, which can result in slumpy, misshapen meatballs.

How to Reheat Pre-baked Meatballs

Oven: Place thawed pre-baked meatballs on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through; about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs.

Stovetop: Place frozen or thawed pre-baked meatballs in a simmering sauce on the stovetop for about 30 minutes; until reheated throughout.

Air-fryer: Place thawed pre-baked meatballs in an air-fryer basket and air-fry at 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through; about 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs.

Microwave: Place frozen or thawed pre-baked meatballs in a microwave-safe container and microwave of high until heated through; time will depend on the number and size of your meatballs.

Top Tips

Use gentle hands: When making meatballs, always use a light hand, form them quickly, and handle them only as much as needed. A cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop is a great tool for portioning and forming meatballs without a lot of handling.

Keep everything cold: Keep all the ingredients, and especially the ground meats, as cold as possible, and use a chilled bowl to mix them in. This keeps the fats from melting and breaking down, making your meatballs lighter and more tender.

Taste test: Before you form all the meatballs, make a little test patty from the meat mixture and pan-fry it in a little oil. Adjust the seasonings as needed, and test again. When it tastes just as you like, proceed to form the meatballs.

More Italian-American Recipes

If you love meatballs, be sure to check out our Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs recipe!

Ways to Serve Ricotta Meatballs

In addition to classic spaghetti and meatballs, here are a few of our favorite ways to serve these delicious meatballs:

• Drop ½-inch uncooked meatballs into simmering Italian Wedding Soup.
• Stack a meatball hoagie with provolone, mozzarella, and marinara.
• Slice meatballs for a savory pizza topping.
• Grill a meaty Caprese panini.
• Toss 1-ounce meatballs with barbecue sauce for an effortless party appetizer.

Make this an easy, company-worthy Spaghetti Meatball Pie in under an hour with precooked meatballs!

This recipe was shared on the Weekend Potluck! Check it out!

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