Easy Pork Meatballs

Easy Pork Meatballs is one of our staple meals on the weekly rotation. They are tender, juicy, and full of a rich pork garlic flavor. Not only do they taste amazing but they are filling and ridiculously easy to make. I always prepare a few pans when making these and freeze them for easy, quick dinners.

This recipe was adapted from my sister’s pork meatball recipe. We enjoy using pork instead of beef because it produces an extremely tender and flavorful meatball. However, feel free to use beef, veal, or whichever meat you prefer.

Easy Pork Meatballs Preparation

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 13×9 pans with nonstick spray. (This recipe makes two 13×9 pans and I freeze one. Each pan holds 20 meatballs. This may vary depending on the size you choose to make.)

Meatballs

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs with all ingredients except Panko breadcrumbs and ground pork. Add Panko breadcrumbs and ground pork and mix with hands until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, form meatballs and place into prepared pans (I fit 20 meatballs per pan).

Bake

Cover pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. If serving immediately, add marinara sauce to pans, remove cover, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce is hot.

Can You Freeze Easy Pork Meatballs?

Yes! These meatballs freeze incredibly well and are super convenient for last minute meals. To freeze meatballs, do not add sauce and let cool slightly. Then, cover with aluminum foil and/or press n seal and lid. Place in refrigerator until fully cooled. Label with recipe name and date and freeze. To reheat, meatballs can be thawed in refrigerator and then reheated or heated directly from freezer. When meatballs are mostly heated through, add preferred sauce and bake until sauce is hot.

Ways To Serve Meatballs

• Meatball sandwiches – Combine with your favorite marinara sauce, cheese, and fresh roll.
• Spaghetti and meatballs – A classic dish to have with meatballs – just add your choice of sauce and pasta!
• Pizza – Chop up cooked meatballs and use to top homemade pizza!
• Soup – Chop up and add to soup for the meat element.
• Lasagna – Use as a layer in lasagna.
• Meatball gumbo – Add to gumbo for a hearty dish.
• Stuffed peppers – Use meatballs in stuffed peppers along with rice and cheese.

Tips

• Pork safety – For cooked ground pork, the internal temperature should always be at least 160 degrees F.
• Make ahead – This dish can easily be made ahead of time and reheated when ready to use. To freeze meatballs, do not add sauce and let cool slightly. Then, cover with aluminum foil and/or press n seal and lid. Place in refrigerator until fully cooled. Label with recipe name and date and freeze. To reheat, meatballs can be thawed in refrigerator and then reheated or heated directly from freezer. When meatballs are mostly heated through, add preferred sauce and bake until sauce is hot.

My Preferred Tools

You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:

• Baking dish – 13×9 baking dish
• Large bowl – to mix meatballs
• Thermometer – to test internal temperature of meatballs

If You Enjoyed This Recipe, Try Our

• Pasta Pomodoro
• Sicilian Pizza Dough
• Ziti Lasagna

The Kelly Kitchen

Easy Pork Meatballs

No ratings yet

Easy Pork Meatballs is one of our staple meals on the weekly rotation. They are tender, juicy, and full of a rich pork garlic flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Email

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 40 Meatballs

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 ¾ cups seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
• 3 lbs ground pork

Note: Gram measurements do not adjust automatically with the serving multiplier.

Method

 

MEATBALLS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 13x9 pans with nonstick spray. (This recipe makes two 13x9 pans and I freeze one. Each pan holds 20 meatballs. This may vary depending on the size you choose to make.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs with all ingredients except Panko breadcrumbs and ground pork.
3. Add Panko breadcrumbs and ground pork and mix with hands until combined. Be careful not to over-mix*.

ASSEMBLY

1. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, form meatballs and place into prepared pans (I fit 20 meatballs per pan).
2. BAKE: Cover pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. If serving immediately, add marinara sauce to pans, remove cover, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce is hot.

STORAGE

1. Let meatballs cool slightly. Store leftover meatballs in airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Video

Notes

FREEZE: To freeze meatballs, do not add sauce and let cool slightly. Then, cover with aluminum foil and/or press n seal and lid. Place in refrigerator until fully cooled. Label with recipe name and date and freeze. To reheat, meatballs can be thawed in refrigerator and then reheated or heated directly from freezer. When meatballs are mostly heated through, add preferred sauce and bake until sauce is hot.

OVER-MIXING: The single most important reason you should not over-mix meatballs is to prevent the proteins in the meat from cross-linking and creating a tough, dense texture. Think of mixing meatballs like making a flaky pie crust or a tender muffin—minimal handling is the key. By mixing just enough to combine your ingredients, you ensure a tender, juicy, and perfectly textured meatball every single time.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Thank You For Sharing Your Time With Us

Thank you for visiting. I truly hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you tried it, please share a comment below and let us know what you think or share a picture on Instagram. Tag @the_kelly_kitchen and hashtag it #the_kelly_kitchen

If you would like to know when we post new recipes, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. For video updates, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Have a wonderful day!