The secret to perfect meatballs in tomato sauce? Adding sour cream and parmesan to the mixture, avoiding breadcrumbs, and handling the meatballs lightly.
They are so good, and one of the best things about them is that the leftovers are excellent too, so feel free to double the recipe - I often do, using two saucepans.
I adore meatballs. They are one of the best and easiest ways to utilize ground beef, a convenient and affordable ingredient. I always have a vacuum-sealed package or two of ground beef in the fridge or freezer, and shaping it into meatballs is the best way to get the kids to eat it.
When I made these meatballs the first time, my family immediately declared them "your best ever!" and demanded that I only make these from now on. I took that as a compliment. 🙂
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make these meatballs. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For the meatballs:
- Ground beef: I prefer to use lean ground beef (85/15). I find that extra-lean produces dry meatballs.
- Sour cream and egg: These ingredients help the meatballs stay soft and juicy.
- Grated Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated and not coarsely shredded parmesan. The cheese acts much like breadcrumbs and helps keep the juices inside the meatballs.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper.
- 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.
Expert Tip
The reason these meatballs are so flavorful is that I add sour cream and parmesan to the ground beef, avoid using breadcrumbs (I believe 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 â…› 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 the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, 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!
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 - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- 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 - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- 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.
Video
Notes
- For tender and fluffy meatballs, handle the beef mixture lightly. Try not to overwork it, or the meatballs will turn out dense.
- The sauce is mildly spicy. Depending on your personal preferences in terms of heat, you might consider using just â…› teaspoon of cayenne pepper. You can also omit the cayenne completely.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.Â
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Paulina
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
You're very welcome, Paulina! Thank you for the review and for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Denise M
This is an excellent recipe! I made it as written - did not change a thing. Served over mashed potatoes. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Denise! Thank you for taking the time to write a review.