These Italian-Style veal meatballs are so tender and juicy! They are so delicious and a perfect addition to any tomato sauce, pasta dishes or as an appetizer!
This Italian-style meatball recipe came to be when my thoughts took me to the times I would observe my Mom making similar meatballs and the only difference here is I added freshly grated Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. See many years ago, growing up, your standard bread crumbs were used and most often many home cooks would make their own using stale bread and drying it at room temperature.
Most often when I make meatballs, I tend to make them the traditional Hungarian way, which is using pork and beef. It is rare that I will make them using veal, but when I do, it is such nice change. Veal is a tender meat and it adds this delicate flavour. I will often cook my meatballs in the oven as oppose to frying on the stove. It is healthier option and the cooking is consistent.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE
- ground veal
- onion
- garlic
- egg
- panko breadcrumbs
- sweet paprika
- salt and pepper
- fresh parsley
COOKING TIPS
These meatballs were baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once. Another option which I have done is stove top in a skillet or fry pan in a small amount of vegetable oil and turning several times for a total of 15 minutes.
Regular bread crumbs you purchase in a bakery or grocery store can be substituted for the panko breadcrumbs.
I like to use sweet paprika for many of my recipes and is it often Hungarian sweet paprika. Regular sweet paprika from America and South America. If you use Spanish paprika it tends to have a smoked flavour, so I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, add and combine ground veal, onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, paprika and parsley until it’s thoroughly mixed.
Shape the meat balls to size of golf balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle some vegetable on the paper or foil to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the paper or foil. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink in the center. The outer surface on the meatballs should be a little crispy.
When cooking these in the oven, allow them to get a little crispy on the outside. Adds flavour and texture to the dish. Don’t you want to just bite into one right now?!
HOW TO ENJOY THESE DELICIOUS MEATBALLS
- spaghetti or any tomato sauce for that matter
- appetizers with a tomato marinara sauce
- meatball sliders
- meatball subs
- meatball parmesan
- meatball soup
- slice on flatbreads, pizzas or galette
Couldn’t resist making these amazing sliders with these delicious Parmesan meatballs. Instead of using the standard slicer buns, I opted for these Artisan Ciabatta buns, which are one of my favourite buns.
To make these sliders, I like to make the meatballs ahead, pop them in the freezer and take them out a day before serving. I made my homemade Marinara Sauce recipe for these sliders and simple tap for the recipe. I did the same for the marinara sauce, you can make it a day or two before and believe me the longer the sauce sits, the more flavourful it gets.
I layed a slice of mozzeralla on the bottom of the bun, then added the meatball and placed in the oven on broil for about 3-4 minutes, long enough to melt the cheese. I kept the oven rack in the center of the oven to avoid the buns from burning. Once the cheese is melted, start by adding about 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce over each meatballs, add parmesan cheese, fresh basil and serve!! The buns are crispy and still soft to enjoy every bite!!
STORE this meatballs in the refrigerator in a container with lid for up to 3 days.
These meatballs freeze really well for later use. Place them in a freeze zip lock bag for up to 3-4 months. They make great snacks anytime of the day!!
TRY THESE DELICIOUS RECIPES....
- Parmesan Veal Meatballs in a Herb Fennel Tomato Sauce with Feta
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Garlic Herb Sauce: simply substitute the pork and add veal
Parmesan Veal Meatballs
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1¼ lb ground veal (hormone & antibiotic free)
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, add and combine ground veal, onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, paprika and parsley until it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Shape the meat balls to size of golf balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle some vegetable on the paper or foil to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the paper or foil. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink in the center. The outer surface on the meatballs should be a little crispy.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve them with your favorite dish.
Nutrition
This tomato sauce is a straight forward recipe. I will often make my sauce with the tomato juice I jarred in the summer. I really like the idea of how convenient it is but also, the freshness of the tomato juice is just as though you picked the tomatoes that same day.
