Go Back
Baked pork meatballs on a sheetpan.

Pork Meatballs Recipe

Print Recipe Pin
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 45 meatballs (6–8 servings)
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Amercican
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Tender and moist pork meatballs! Baked in the oven, this meatball recipe is easy to make and very versatile!

Save This Recipe!

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ pounds (85/15 or 80/20) ground pork
  • 1 cup grated hard aged cheese such as Parmesan, Pecorino or Manchego
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F (218ºC) with racks in middle and lowest positions. Coat two baking sheets with nonstick spray
  • Combine 2 slices bread and ½ cup milk in a large bowl, mashing together to form a paste. Add 1 ½ pounds pork, 1 cup cheese, ¼ cup parsley, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (if using Diamond Crystal add 1 ½ teaspoons), and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix until combined.
  • Form pork mixture into 1-inch meatballs and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake meatballs until golden and cooked through, 12–15 minutes.
  • Serve as desired with sauce of choice.

Equipment

baking sheets
large mixing bowl
#40 scoop

Notes

Avoid over-mixing the ground pork mixture. Over-mixing ground meat can cause tough meatballs. Mix the meat mixture just until combined. 
This meatball recipe uses a panade to keep the meatballs nice and moist. A panade is a paste of bread and liquid (usually milk) that is added to the meat mixture to retain moisture and help bind the meat together. The function is similar to breadcrumbs, but with better results. 
To ensure the meatballs are cooked through, I recommend using an instant-read thermometer. The Thermapan from Thermoworks is my favorite, though their ThermoPop is a just as good and a fraction of the price.
I develop recipes using Morton kosher salt. If you're using Diamond Crystal, increase the amount a bit.

Nutrition

Serving: 6meatballsCalories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 4.5gProtein: 13gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 652mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 1g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!