Pork Meatballs: The Ultimate Guide to Delicious & Easy Recipes

In a large bowl, gently combine the ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, chopped onion, parsley, minced garlic, beaten egg, milk, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (if using).

Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste a tiny bit of the mixture (before it's cooked, of course!) to make sure it's seasoned to your liking. You can cook a tiny piece in a pan to test it.

Be careful not to overmix the meatball mixture. Overmixing will result in tough meatballs. Mix just until everything is combined. I like to use my hands for this, but a wooden spoon works too.

Lightly wet your hands with cold water. This will prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.

Take about 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it between your palms to form a round meatball. Aim for meatballs that are about 1-1.5 inches in diameter.

Place the formed meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This will prevent them from sticking to the pan.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all of the meat mixture has been used. You should end up with about 20-25 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Make sure the skillet is large enough to accommodate all of the meatballs in a single layer. If not, you may need to brown them in batches.

Carefully place the meatballs in the hot skillet, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding will lower the temperature of the pan and cause the meatballs to steam instead of brown.

Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them occasionally, until they are nicely browned. This should take about 5-7 minutes. The meatballs don't need to be cooked through at this point, as they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Remove the browned meatballs from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.

In the same skillet (or Dutch oven) that you used to brown the meatballs, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the minced garlic and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and red wine (if using).

Stir in the oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.

Gently add the browned meatballs to the simmering sauce. Make sure the meatballs are mostly submerged in the sauce.

Cover the skillet or Dutch oven and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The longer the meatballs simmer in the sauce, the more flavorful they will become.

Check the internal temperature of the meatballs with a meat thermometer to ensure they are cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 160°F (71°C).

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to add more salt, pepper, or sugar to balance the flavors.

Serve the pork meatballs and sauce over your favorite pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or penne.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.

A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds a nice touch of heat, if you like.

Enjoy! These meatballs are also great served on their own as an appetizer or in a meatball sub.