Baked Meatballs with Marinara is a one pan dish that is ready in less than 30 minutes! Savory meatballs are smothered with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese to create an easy comfort food dinner.
Table of Contents
- The Best Baked Meatballs Recipe
- What Makes These Oven Baked Meatballs So Good?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Baked Meatballs
- Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?
- Tips for Success
- Serving Suggestions for Meatballs with Marinara
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Baked Meatballs?
- More Italian Dinner Recipes
- Get the Recipe
The Best Baked Meatballs Recipe
Some comfort food recipes will take you all day to prepare, but these easy Baked Meatballs is thankfully not one of them! These juicy meatballs are smothered in a garlicky marinara sauce, topped with two kinds of cheese and can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Plus, once you have a batch of these oven baked meatballs, you can make so many different meals with them. They’re great as an appetizer with some garlic toasts, wrapped in a hoagie for a meatball sub, over a bed of spaghetti with garlic bread on the side, and the list goes on and on.
These cheesy meatballs with marinara (made with both mozzarella and parmesan cheese!) are a quick, filling dinner that the whole family will be excited to dig into. No matter how you decide to serve them up, they are guaranteed to wow the tastebuds!
What Makes These Oven Baked Meatballs So Good?
This baked meatballs recipe is quickly becoming a staple in our household. If I haven’t convinced you to work it into your meal plan yet, here are a few more reasons you might want to:
- Adaptable: There are a lot of ways to customize these baked Italian meatballs. To add a bit of heat to them, for example, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes!
- Quick: These tender meatballs require just 5 minutes of prep work, then you just have to wait for them to bake and cool. It doesn’t get much easier!
- Simple: This recipe has four main ingredients, which are sauce, the meatballs, seasoning, and cheese. That’s it. If you’ve got a jar of tomato sauce in the pantry and a bag of meatballs in the freezer, you can make these baked meatballs at a moment’s notice!
Recipe Ingredients
Continuing on from that last point, here’s a little more information on each of the ingredients you’ll need for today:
- Sauce: Any store brand marinara sauce is good, or you can use Homemade Marinara Sauce.
- Meatballs: Use your favorite frozen meatballs (turkey, pork, beef, or chicken), any kind will work.
- Seasonings: I like to use a simple mix of Italian seasoning and freshly minced garlic.
- Cheese: This recipe combines both shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. If you would rather use just one kind, that works as well.
Note that you can find the exact amounts for each component in the recipe card below!
How to Make Baked Meatballs
The step-by-step instructions for these Italian meatballs are almost as short as the ingredients list is. Let’s get into it:
- Preheat Oven to 350°F: Then, spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Pour a Layer of Sauce in the Baking Dish: Spread half a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, and place the meatballs on top.
- Add the Seasoning: Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic over the meatballs.
- Pour the Rest of the Sauce Over the Meatballs: Then, evenly spread the mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top of the marinara sauce.
- Bake the Meatballs: Bake your meatballs uncovered for 20 minutes. Let the baking dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?
Yes! You can definitely make this recipe with your own homemade meatballs. If you use raw meatballs, though, you will need to sear the outsides and cook them in a skillet before adding them to the baking dish. Make sure your meatballs are cooked through before serving.
Tips for Success
Cooking meatballs in the oven is pretty straightforward, but there are a few tips and tricks that are helpful to have in mind:
- Do Not Defrost the Meatballs! There is no need, you can add them frozen to the baking dish.
- Don’t Overcook Your Meatballs: A good way to tell whether or not they are cooked through if you aren’t sure is to use a meat thermometer. If their internal temperature is between 160 and 165°F, they’re all set.
- Cook Them at 350°F: They may cook faster at higher temperatures, but they’re more likely to come out dry and tough instead of juicy and tender.
Serving Suggestions for Meatballs with Marinara
As mentioned above, you can serve oven baked meatballs in a bunch of different ways. These are some of my go-to side dishes and additions:
- Pasta/Rice: Spaghetti and meatballs is the classic combination, but you could also choose penne, linguini, rice, or whatever other kind of pasta you like.
- Garlic Bread: Crusty slices of garlic bread go perfectly with baked meatballs and marinara sauce.
- Hoagie Rolls: Italian baked meatballs with marinara sauce wrapped up in a toasted hoagie roll makes for the best meatball sub.
- Vegetables: Steamed veggies, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Green Beans, and mushrooms are all great options. A simple side salad would be good, too!
- As-Is: Honestly, these meatballs are great all on their own. They are tasty served just as they are as an appetizer.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Should you have any leftover baked meatballs in marinara sauce, here’s what to do with them:
- To Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat: Use the microwave or cover your meatballs in a baking dish and warm them in the oven. You can always add a little more marinara when reheating.
Can I Freeze Baked Meatballs?
Yes! Once they have cooled, place your oven baked meatballs in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Italian Dinner Recipes
Ready to whip up some more classic Italian dinner recipes? Try these ones!
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Minestrone Soup
- Easy Parmesan Butter Noodles
- Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Easy Garlic Confit
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups Homemade Marinara)
- 1 26 oz bag frozen meatballs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the meatballs on top of the marinara. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic over the meatballs.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the meatballs. Evenly spread the mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top of the marinara sauce.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat: Use the microwave or cover your meatballs in a baking dish and warm them in the oven. You can always add a little more marinara when reheating.
- To Freeze: Once they have cooled, place your oven baked meatballs in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can’t wait to try it