The secret to perfect meatballs in tomato sauce? Add sour cream and parmesan, and handle the meatballs lightly. I regularly make several meatball recipes, but these are the most often requested by my family. They are incredibly tender and flavorful.
Meatballs are one of the easiest ways to use ground beef, a convenient and affordable ingredient. I always have a vacuum-sealed package in the fridge or freezer. In this recipe, the meatballs are cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce to tender perfection. Even the leftovers are good!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
For the meatballs:
- Ground beef: Please use 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef. Leaner than that would result in dry, crumbly meatballs that fall apart. The fat is needed to hold the mixture together.
- Sour cream and egg: These ingredients help the meatballs stay soft and juicy.
- Grated Parmesan: Use finely grated and not coarsely shredded parmesan. The cheese acts much like breadcrumbs and helps keep the juices inside the meatballs.
For the tomato sauce:
- Olive oil: This delicious oil adds great flavor to the sauce.
- Minced garlic: You can mince it yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. But freshly minced tastes better.
- Canned tomato sauce: Pick one with no salt or sugar added.
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley.
Variations
- You can use different types of ground meat, such as bison, lamb, turkey, and chicken.
- Top the meatballs with chopped cilantro instead of parsley.
- Add a tablespoon of minced fresh garlic to the beef mixture.
- Use whole-milk Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and shape the mixture into 12 meatballs.
Make the sauce: Cook the garlic in olive oil, then add the canned tomato sauce and spices.
Add the meatballs, spooning the sauce over them. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn the cooked meatballs in the sauce to coat. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Tip
The reason these meatballs are so flavorful is that I add sour cream and parmesan to the ground beef, avoid using breadcrumbs (they detract from the beefy flavor), and handle the meatballs lightly so that they remain light and fluffy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The method outlined here, of adding the raw meatballs to the sauce and cooking them, works to cook them fully. Do use a saucepan with a lid to ensure even cooking.
For tender and fluffy meatballs, add a creamy ingredient such as an egg or sour cream, and handle the beef mixture lightly. Try not to overwork it, or the meatballs will turn out dense.
They are mildly spicy. Depending on your personal preferences in terms of heat, you might consider using just ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. You can also omit the cayenne completely.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this saucy dish on top of cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or microwave spaghetti squash. Mashed cauliflower is another good choice that works well to absorb the flavorful sauce. You can use regular rice or pasta if you don't mind the carbs/gluten.
I also like to add an easy veggie side dish such as microwave broccoli, sauteed spinach, or creamy cucumber salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
More Meatball Recipes
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Recipe Card
Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - Tender and Fluffy!
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup parmesan - grated
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - see notes below
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic - minced
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce - no salt or sugar added; 1 ¾ cup
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - see notes below
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the ground beef, sour cream, egg, parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 12 meatballs, each weighing about 2 ounces.
- In a large (12-inch) lidded saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute, just until golden. Add the tomato sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne. Bring to a boil.
- Add the meatballs, spooning the sauce on top. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the meatballs until they are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Start checking on them after 20 minutes – they might be ready faster, depending on your stove.
- Remove the lid and turn the cooked meatballs in the sauce to coat. Garnish them with parsley and serve.
Notes
- If using any salt other than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, including Morton kosher salt, use half the amount listed.
- For tender and fluffy meatballs, handle the beef mixture lightly. Try not to overwork it, or the meatballs will turn out dense.
- Please use 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef. Leaner than that would result in dry, crumbly meatballs that fall apart. The fat is needed to hold the mixture together.
- The sauce is mildly spicy. Depending on your personal preferences in terms of heat, you might consider using just ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. You can also omit the cayenne completely.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Jessica Patterson says
Really easy to follow instructions and simple ingredients that can be interchanged, for example I used cottage cheese instead of sour cream and tasty cheese instead of Parmesan as that’s what I had. V tasty. Thanks
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Paulina says
They turned out very tasty! Used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
I added 1/2 zucchini and 4 mushrooms finely shredded (gotta get my kids to eat veggies) and added 1 tbsp flax seed meal Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Paulina! Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.