These Easy Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs are not like your typical meatballs, they are smaller and so soft that they melt in your mouth. They are made with beef and pork, quickly pan fried and simmered in a simple marinara sauce in a Dutch Oven.
This is a great family-friendly meal that you can make over the weekend, but it also works for a weeknight if you have slightly more time. We’ve been making this recipe for over 15 years, and it has stayed a staple in our monthly dinner rotation. Double the recipe for lots of leftovers. It's super versatile and can be served in so many different ways, so leftovers don’t get boring.
If you and your family love meatballs, try these Chicken Meatballs with Potato Leek Soup.
For another family-friendly meal with leftovers, try this Crispy Breaded Chicken, which can be topped with bruschetta or pesto, drizzled with honey, or served with a lemon butter sauce.
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🛒 Ingredients, Tips, and Variations
Below are the ingredients needed to make Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs, along with a few tips for the ingredients, variations, and substitution ideas.
- Beef and Pork: I use 50% ground beef and 50% ground pork, but so many different combinations work well. You could use ground turkey or ground chicken, make Wagyu Beef Meatballs, or any other combinations (we’ve done them all).
- Garlic and Onion: Mince them as small as possible so that they add flavor but disappear and don’t affect the texture of the meatballs.
- Bread Crumbs: Italian breadcrumbs are great, but you can also use panko or plain bread crumbs.
- Parmesan Cheese: I highly recommend grating the parmesan yourself. I love the parmesan at Trader Joe’s. It's flavorful but not overpowering in taste and relatively inexpensive.
- Milk: This is the ingredient that gives the meatballs their uniquely soft texture.
- Egg: Adds fat and flavor, and it helps bind the ingredients together.
- Salt, Pepper, Basil, Garlic Powder: Spices that add flavor to the meatballs.
- Olive Oil: Used for pan frying. I recommend using extra virgin olive oil. It adds so much good flavor to the meatballs. I tend to buy Spanish olive oil from Trader Joe’s or Costco. Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, and having lived there for 2 years, I’m partial to this olive oil, which is very high quality.
- Rao’s: This is by far the best jarred marinara sauce on the market, and the only one that we purchase. If possible, don’t substitute for another brand until you’ve given this one a shot.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs
Below are the step-by-step instructions for how to make Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs. It's a simple three step process that gives you lots of leftovers for your efforts.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Combine Ingredients: Add the ground beef, ground pork, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, milk, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and garlic powder to a large mixing bowl.
Gently combine without over working the mixture, which would make it tough. You can do this with a large spoon, but its most effective to use your hands.
Tip: Ground beef and pork straight out of the fridge can be quite cold when mixing with your hands. Let the meat sit out for 15 minutes before mixing to make it a little easier/less cold on yourself.
Step 2. Brown the Meatballs: Bring a large saute pan to medium heat (think a setting of "4" out of "10" on an electric stovetop or the equivalent on a gas stove).
Add a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Allow it to warm through for 1 minute. Shape the meat mixture into round balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Place the meatballs in the pan and brown on at least two sides, using tongs to turn over the meatballs as they start to brown.
Tip: I find that using tongs is the most effective way to flip over the meatballs in the pan. Tongs easily scrape up and turn over the meatballs, and it keeps your hands a little further away from the hot oil and fat.
Step 3. Simmer in a Dutch Oven: Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium heat. Layer the meatballs in the bottom of the pan. Cover the meatballs with a layer of Rao's marinara sauce, then continue layering meatballs and sauce.
Bring the pot to a low boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
Tip: These can also be made in a slow cooker or crockpot. Set the heat setting to low and allow the meatballs to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Meatballs and Spaghetti: There’s nothing better than this classic combination.
- Polenta: We often serve meatballs over polenta as a healthier (fewer simple white carbs) alternative to pasta.
- Crusty Bread: Serve with slices or wedges of crusty sourdough bread to soak up the extra sauce.
- Meatball Wedge/Sub: Layer the meatballs in a long roll, top with mozzarella cheese, and bake or broil in the oven to melt the cheese. I love this combo, and it’s a tradition of ours to make these to watch fireworks on the 4th of July.
- Side Salad or Veggie (low carb option): Many times we eat the meatballs with just a small side salad, like this Spanish Salad, or a green veggie like these Green Beans with Toasted Almonds or Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts for a low carb option.
❄️ Storage Tips
- To Store: Allow the meatballs to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- To Freeze: Freeze the meatballs in gallon-sized freezer bags, including enough in each bag for one set of dinner leftovers each for you or your family. This makes reheating much simpler (rather than reheating a portion and needing to refreeze those leftovers).
- To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge or gently in the microwave at 50% power, stirring as needed until warmed through. Or in a small pot on the stove on medium-low.
💖 For More Italian Recipes, You May Love These:
If you tried these Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Easy Dutch Oven Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, minced
- ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed
- 2 24oz jars Rao's Marinara sauce
Instructions
- Combine the ground beef, ground pork, garlic, onion, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, milk, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl. The mixture should feel very loose and wet.
- Heat several tablespoons olive oil (enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan) in a large sauté pan at medium heat. Working in batches adding olive oil as needed, use a large spoon to scoop about a large tablespoon of the meat mixture into a loose ball and place in the pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- In a Dutch Oven add a layer of tomato sauce and meatballs, alternating until all of the meatballs have been added, finishing with a layer of sauce. Bring to a low boil and reduce to a slow simmer. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve over pasta, polenta, with a chunk of crusty bread, or on their own with a salad or green vegetable.
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