Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Soft, juicy Italian-style meatballs baked in a rich tomato sauce, infused with herbs and topped with golden melty cheese. Ultra-cosy and comforting, serve them with balls of al dente pearl couscous or fresh pasta for a quick and easy dinner that everyone will love!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• So easy to make – so easy to put together, dinner will be on the table in around 45 minutes.
• Freezer friendly – the leftovers keep well in the fridge or freezer, so feel free to double the recipe and keep some for later!
• Budget friendly – this recipe makes the most of cheap mince and pantry staples and can be served with rice, pasta or couscous, making a filling but affordable meal.
• Super moist and tender – cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce helps keep them moist and infuses them with so much flavour!
• Cosy and comforting – truly the ultimate comfort dish! Serve it with buttery pearl couscous or your choice of sides for the perfect winter warmer. Or, serve it in the warmer months with salad or veggies.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

For the meatballs;

• Beef and pork mince – this recipe uses a mix of beef and pork mince for maximum flavour and tenderness. Use regular mince rather than lean or extra lean, as the fat will make the meatballs extra juicy and rich. Lean mince tends to make dry meatballs.

• Bread – two pieces of white bread are used to make the breadcrumbs for the meatballs. They act as a binding agent, as well as adding tenderness to the meatballs. Use any type of soft white or sour dough bread.

• Milk – regular, full fat cow’s milk is mixed with the fresh homemade breadcrumbs to make the meatballs light and soft. Using milk is the secret to juicy, tender meatballs every time!

• Parmesan cheese – is used in both the meatballs and the cheese topping. Make sure you use fresh parmesan and grate it yourself. It needs to be finely grated, as it will melt throughout the meatballs and help to keep them juicy.

• Mozzarella – and extra parmesan is added to the meatballs at the end and browned under the grill until bubbly and golden. Alternatively, you can use a shredded Italian or pizza blend, or just use extra parmesan.

• Garlic – adds flavour to the sauce and the meatballs. It needs to be finely crushed rather than chunky. Use fresh, or save time by adding crushed garlic from a jar.

• Egg – one egg is used to help bind the meat together.

For the tomato sauce;

• Basil – fresh basil adds flavour to the tomato sauce and extra is used to serve. If you can’t access fresh basil, you can use dried basil instead, or try oregano.

• Passata – pureed, strained tomatoes with no added flavours or additives with a smooth consistency. Passata is used as the base of the sauce and you will need one 700 gram jar from the supermarket. In the USA, passata is also known as tomato sauce.  

• Canned tomatoes – a can of crushed or chopped tomatoes is used to add texture to the sauce. Choose a brand of canned tomatoes with no added flavours or additives.

To serve;

• Pearl couscous – I love to serve these meatballs with balls of pearl couscous cooked in chicken stock with a little butter and seasoning. However, this can be swapped for fresh pasta or white rice, if preferred. Also called Israeli couscous, pearl cous cous are balls or ‘pearls’ of pasta that can be served with meat, fish, vegetables or pasta dishes, or used in salads. You will find it in most supermarkets and grocers.

• Chicken stock – liquid stock is used to cook and flavour the couscous. Alternatively, vegetable stock can be used. If you are not serving the meatballs with couscous, chicken stock will not be required.

Equipment needed

Everything comes together to bake in the oven in an oven-safe, cast-iron French pan/French oven with a lid. Using a pan like this allows the heat to circulate to cook the meatballs and sauce evenly.

The beauty of using a French pan is that you can both brown the meatballs, make the sauce and bake in the oven, all in the one pan.

Use a 30 cm pan at least 6 cm deep.

If you don’t have this type of pan, you can prepare everything in a frying pan first and then transfer it to an oven safe casserole dish topped with a lid or foil. But this version may heat differently, so check the meatballs at 20 minutes and make sure they are cooked through.

Step by step instructions

**Full ingredient list and detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1 – Make the meatballs;

Start by making fresh breadcrumbs by tearing the bread and placing it in a food processor, until broken down into small crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can tear or chop the bread into very small pieces.

Place the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and add the milk. Stir and allow to soak for 1 minute.

Add the pork mince, beef mince and remaining meatball ingredients and mix with your hands until combined.

Roll the mixture into 20 firm balls and set aside.

Step 2 – Brown the meatballs;

Heat the olive oil in a large French pan or stovetop/oven safe pan that can be fitted with a lid. Quickly and lightly brown the meatballs on all sides, turning once or twice.

The meatballs are only quickly fried, to get colour on them and to form a crust. They finish cooking in the oven, so they should not be cooked all the way through.

Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside on a plate while you make the tomato sauce.

Step 3 – Make the tomato sauce;

Cook the onion and garlic in the remaining olive oil until soft and fragrant.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients (except the basil) and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Add the basil and remove from the heat. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Step 4 – Bake;

Place the meatballs into the tomato sauce and cover the pan with the lid.

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through.

Remove the lid and top with the mozzarella and extra parmesan cheese (or just use extra parmesan if preferred). Place the pan under a hot grill/broiler for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Step 5 – Cook the couscous;

While the meatballs are baking in the oven, prepare the couscous, pasta or your preferred sides.

To make the pearl couscous, place the couscous, chicken stock and butter into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently on low for around 7 minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all of the liquid and become soft. Season with a little salt, if needed.

Serve the couscous (or your choice of sides) topped with the meatballs. Ladle over extra tomato sauce and top with extra basil leaves or parsley.

Expert tips

• If you don’t have a French pan or Dutch oven with a lid, the meatballs and sauce can be prepared in a frying pan instead. Follow the steps below and then transfer the sauce and browned (but not cooked) meatballs to a casserole or oven-safe dish and cover with a lid or foil before baking.
• For extra indulgence, add a ball of baby bocconcini cheese to the middle of each meatball when rolling them. The cheese will melt but stay inside the meatballs, oozing out when cut. So good!
• It is important to use a non-stick pan to brown the meatballs. If they stick to the pan, they will break apart and won’t hold their shape. If in doubt, brown them in a frying pan and transfer them to the oven-safe pan later.
• The meatballs are only quickly browned on the stovetop before being added to the sauce. They should not be cooked through at this stage, as they will continue to cook in the oven.
• Don’t overcook the meatballs. While the fresh bread and milk help to keep them soft and they are forgiving if left in the oven a little long, overcooking the meatballs will make them tough. Check them at 20 minutes and only cook until they are completely cooked through.
• The mixture makes 20 medium-sized meatballs. However, they can be made larger or smaller, depending on preference. Cooking times will vary if the size/quantity is changed.
• While I recommend browning the outside of the meatballs first for extra flavour, if you don’t want to do this, they can be placed into the sauce raw. They will need to be baked for longer; 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in June 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in September 2022.