Italian Fried Meatballs

One of any Italian homes pride and joy recipes are Italian Meatballs fried.


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.


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 past 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.

Air Fried Version

Years later by 2016 or so, Air Fried was the latest method shown above in the photo.


I have made this basic meatball recipe all these ways, but when I want to have a family gathering, I go back to fried.


Honestly, air fried are truly amazing and much better than baked.


You can try them all as I will give the complete recipe with instructions.

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 that memory for one New York minute.


Those traditions we had are still alive, just the cooking methods may change now and then.


If you are looking for an original method, frying is the only way mom made them ever.

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.

Traditions to Live By

Then frying the meatballs and sausage and adding the meat to the sugo (otherwise known as Italian Traditional Sunday Sauce).


Now my two sons, carry on this tradition with their families and makes me so proud that their legacy continues.


They now have the same fantastic childhood Italian memories that we all hold dear to our hearts.

Cooking Pans

Some of the methods of cooking were unheard of growing up.


No one I knew in our family in the 1960s made these any other way but fried in a stainless steel heavy duty pan or a cast iron skillet.


Sometimes an electric fry pan was used.


I still have it, that's what is shown used in my youtube video. Those were the methods of cooking we used back then.

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, were not 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 was it to fry them 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.

Italian Fried Meatballs Pin for later

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

Some Other Of Our Favorite Recipes

Traditional Sunday Sauce
Marinara Sauce

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.

Watch My Quick Video Clip on Italian Fried Meatballs

Italian meatballs, fried meatballs, air fried meatballs, homemade meatballs, baked meatballs

meat, beef, Italian food, meatballs,

Italian

Yield: 12

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Italian Fried Meatballs

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 25 Mtotal time: 35 M

This is a very old recipe that is a tradition in our Italian family. My mom's meatballs recipe is tried and true. We love them extra crispy and fried. You can fry, air fry or bake.

ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground chuck, ground round hamburger, a mixture of veal, pork and beef hamburger meat or you can use all ground lean turkey
• 4 slices of Italian bread run under warm water, and then tightly squeezed out
• 1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• 1 or 2 large cloves finely minced  fresh garlic or more to taste
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 eggs
• canola oil or grandma always used vegetable oil around 2 inches deep.
• If you're baking line with oil sprayed foil or I prefer parchment paper
• ice cream scoop medium sized for perfect round meatballs

instructions:

How to cook Italian Fried Meatballs

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix all together. 
2. Shape into balls by hand or using an ice cream scoop to form the meatball. 
3. Fry in 2 inches of heated oil or bake on a lined oiled sprayed cookie sheet until crispy on both sides turning a few times while cooking. 
4. These are hot so be careful eating until cooling a few minutes. 
5. These can be added to a rich tomato Traditional Sunday Sauce
6. Note: If Air Frying shape meatballs to fit air fryer and fry until browned around 15 minutes. 
7. If baking place meatballs on parchment paper or heavily greased cookie sheet and bake until browned around 35 minutes.

Calories
129

Fat (grams)
22

Sat. Fat (grams)
17

Carbs (grams)
9

Net carbs
12

Protein (grams)
25

All information is based on the calories information online, I am not a dietary doctor and if there is any discrepancy, I am not liable for this information.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Italian Fried Meatballs Pin for later

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Youtube Video