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Dutch Oven Meatballs with Marinara are a quick, and easy dish that you can easily make yourself at home. Serve them over pasta, in subs, or as a party appetizer.
These meatballs are truly the best there is, if you have a Nonna from NYC, then you know that dropping meatballs right into sauce is the (correct) easiest way to make juicy meatballs.
We are taking a small short-cut with this recipe by using jarred marinara sauce, however feel free to use some of your own, or make your own sauce. We’re just keeping things simple for busy weeknights with this recipe.
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Ingredients
Let's talk briefly about the ingredients, I do things slightly differently to keep the meatballs from getting dry, a *secret ingredient*, if you will. Spoiler: it's the ricotta cheese.
- Ground beef - fatty ground beef is best, 80-85% is best, you can certainly use another ground beef, just be mindful of cooking times and internal temperatures.
- Milk - to soften your breadcrumbs.
- Ricotta cheese - I almost always add a bit of ricotta to my meatballs, it’s life changing, you’ll never go back. They also wake up and soften your breadcrumbs.
- Breadcrumbs - unseasoned or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs work.
- Onion - for moisture and flavor, mince is so that you don’t end up with big onion chunks in your meatballs. If you mince fine enough, they all but disappear.
- Garlic - fresh garlic releases flavor during the simmering process.
- Egg - to bind the ingredients, beat the egg before adding it.
- Parmesan - for flavor and the cheese brings some moisture to the meatballs.
- Tomato sauce - just add a couple of scoops from your jarred sauce to add flavor and moisture to the meatballs.
- Fresh parsley - this is a nice touch, if you don’t have fresh parsley, you can swap it with a few chopped basil leaves or just leave it out.
- Worcestershire sauce - will I ever learn to spell this correctly without looking at the bottle? Probably not, but this just adds some extra flavor that I think meatballs need.
- Spices - you can certainly get creative here, but for this recipe I’m just sticking to the basics: salt (sea or kosher), pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Marinara sauce - Rao’s jarred marinara is a great option because they pretty much make it exactly like I would make it from scratch. Feel free to make your own or use whatever jarred sauce you have on hand.
How to make them
The process is actually very simple, and once you start making your own meatballs you’ll never go back.
- Before anything else, add your sauce to a dutch oven over low heat.
- While that sauce heats, combine the breadcrumbs, ricotta, and milk into a bowl. Stir it to soften and wake up the breadcrumbs.
- Next add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix with your hands until everything is combined and make meatballs with a small or medium cookie scoop and drop them into the sauce. Be sure they’re all about the same size for even cooking.
- After that, cover the dutch oven and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. Top with some extra grated cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.
- Then serve!
What I learned making this recipe
You don’t need to pan-fry or pre-bake your meatballs and the sauce is perfectly safe to eat. Just like you make stock out of raw chicken, you are essentially doing this with your meatballs.
Italian Grandmothers traditionally make their meatballs by dropping them right into the sauce and after you give it a try, you won’t go back. And neither will I.
Substitutions
- Ground beef - ground turkey, or ground pork is a good 1:1 substitution.
- Ricotta cheese - honestly if you don't have ricotta don't panic, just leave it out, it'll be fine! As long as you give your breadcrumbs a little soak in milk they'll soften right up.
More Dutch Oven Recipes
I'm crazy about my dutch oven collection, it makes food taste that much better. If you're looking for more delicious and easy weeknight dinners, look no further. My favorite is the Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs with Mustard Sauce!
Recipe for Dutch Oven Meatballs with Marinara
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 jars store-bought or homemade marinara ~48 oz (such as Rao’s)
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- 1 lb ground beef 80-85% fat
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs unseasoned
- ½ small onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce just grab some from the jars you’ll be simmering the meatballs in
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp EACH: sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
Instructions
ADD MARINARA SAUCE TO A DUTCH OVEN
- In a dutch oven over low heat, add your jarred marinara sauce (Rao’s or whatever you have on hand works perfectly). Bring it up to a low simmer, you don't want to make it too hot or boiling because that will cause the meatballs to fall apart.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- SOAK YOUR BREADCRUMBS: In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, milk, and ricotta. Stir until it’s combined.
- MAKE THE MEATBALLS: ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, parmesan, tomato sauce, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and the spices.
- Mix gently with your hands until everything is combined, but take care not to overmix the meatballs.
- Next use a small or medium cookie-scoop to make your meatballs and drop them directly into the heated sauce. Just drop them in, don’t move them around too much.
- After all of your meatballs are formed and placed into the sauce, cover and allow it to simmer on low for 25-30 minutes, or until your meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
- Turn the heat off, uncover, and add a sprinkle of parmesan and chopped parsley (if you wish). Serve over pasta or in sub rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Make-ahead, leftovers, and reheating
- Make ahead - this is a fabulous make-ahead main dish. Simply make the recipe as directed, and save in a freezer-safe container (or ziplock) for up to 2 months.
- Leftovers - If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they will save in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
- Reheating - To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over medium-low heat with a splash of water or white wine, covered, until warmed throughout.
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