Italian Fried Meatballs

One of any Italian home's pride and joy recipes is Italian Meatballs.

This was a tradition in our home every Sunday morning, you would wake up to the smell.

Mom would make meatballs that made your heart sing and thank God every day you were born in an Italian household.

Just like Italian Sunday Traditional Sauce, no two were ever alike in taste.

Mom showed tons of folks how to make them, hers were always the best ever etched in anyone's mind.

Even today after making them over 30 plus years, I still come close but as they say no cigar.

Some have thought they tasted like mom's, but there was something more than ingredients you can't replace her love.

As addicting as this tradition is every Sunday, meatballs are a must make and it's not Sunday morning without them.

Mom's recipe is the best in our eyes, but what makes them the best is her making them, her memory, and the fabulous years we spent with her in the kitchen.

Nothing replaces that, never will plus with modern technology we included air fried, and baked mom in 1940s only fried them that was tradition and we still do.

Here is her recipe below, enjoy what is written down tried and true, but no two again are alike.

Years of Tradition

Times and things have changed dramatically in the cooking industry.

We established that Sunday morning isn't the start of a new week without having meatballs for breakfast in our Italian family.

As the years passed by, there are so many cooking methods tried and healthier versions.

Fried is the only way we ever had meatballs growing up, there were no other methods, no air fryers or thoughts or baking them in the 1960s..

Then with all the controversy of healthy cooking, we started to bake them in the 2000s.

Italian fried meatballs cut open to see the inside

Cooking Methods

Air Fryer(as shown below): Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer. Turn the air fryer down to 380 degrees. Cook meatballs for 12-15 minutes or until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Baked Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large deep baking pan with cooking spray. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes depending on how crispy you like them
Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of beef broth into the pot. Place your meatballs on the trivet do not stack. secure the lid, then cook on high pressure for 8 minutes release pressure and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove your meatballs, drain liquid, set to saute mode, and brown in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until you crispy and browned.

Ingredients You Will Need

ground chuck
Italian bread
Italian flavored bread crumbs
grated cheese
finely minced fresh garlic
fresh minced parsley
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
eggs
canola oil or other oil

These are Italian fried meatballs in a fry pan frying in oil made with ground beef, herbs and spices

The Story Behind Italian Fried Meatballs in our Italian Family Home

What better way growing up was there than to wake up to the smell of meatballs frying.

Fresh garlic, fresh parsley waffled the house with this mouth-watering aroma.

You could hear the oil popping from the heated oil and moisture in the meat.

I just loved those days and wouldn't change one memory with the history learned from cooking and I was only 11 years old.

My first lesson came from a wonderful woman neighbor who lived in an apartment mom and dad rented out and I visited her often.

Her biggest tip was to only use fresh ingredients like chopped parsley and chopped fresh garlic plus she left the pieces where you could see them a little salt pepper and it was simple and delicious.

She would fry them like a burger, the smell was one I will never forget etched in my mind forever.

meatballs in oil frying in an iron skillet

Sunday Sauce

Mom and grandma would always be getting the sugo ready first.

Fresh plum tomatoes strained and then simmered with fresh herbs from the garden.

Nothing was better than that time period, everything was homemade and with love.

Cooking Pans

cast-iron skillet for even frying
electric frying pan
air fryer basket
large deep baking sheets
instant pot sauteed

this is ground beef with herbs and spices added to make a round ball then fried in oil in a pan these are cooking in a heavy fry pan and the meatballs will be crispy on the outside and soft inside nicely browned using vegetable or canola oi

Grandma (Dad's Mom)

Grandma, my dad's mom always used a cast iron skillet to fry meatballs.

She was Roman from Rome, Italy, and came over to America when she was 16.

Since Grandma lived with us, she showed Mom many of her heritage traditional ways to cook.

She was 94 when she passed, but I still remember that aroma of fresh pieces of garlic that stood out in each meatball she made, lightly browned, fried and
her meatballs were loaded with it.

I have tried baking these Italian Meatballs several times, eating them just baked, did not have the same impact in flavor, however adding them to the sugo, no big difference as they simmered.

I also have air-fried them, very good to eat and shocking how crunchy outside and soft they are inside.

They've come out great when reheated in an air fryer also if you do fry them, they will taste as fresh as when out of the frying pan.

These are just some of my own observations.

Old School Growing Up

You can follow your own taste as you try different options.

The old-fashioned family style was having them fried period.

The best crust formed on the outside of a meatball was by using a cast-iron skillet and fried slowly until crispy.

You can choose however you like to make yours and any kind of pan you prefer.

Some Other Of Our Favorite Recipes

Traditional Sunday Sauce
Marinara Sauce

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Adapt Your Recipe

Make your Italian meatball recipe with as much or less spice as you like.

We sometimes love a spicier flavor and add cayenne pepper, other times less for those who do not like it with too much spice or garlic.

I love garlic and usually add lots more of the fresh garlic and grated cheese.

You decide to experiment and make your traditions the best ever Italian meatball recipe.

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Italian

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Author: Claudia Lamascolo