Skillet Italian Meatballs

Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Nut-Free 1 comment

Who doesn’t love a simple and nourishing meal, right?! This meal is just that: made with simple ingredients, most of which you already have in your pantry, and it’s nourishing and comforting. It’s the perfect meal for a cold evening.

I paired these meatballs with Banza pasta, which is made from chickpeas, therefore making it higher protein than traditional pasta. This isn’t required, but my husband and I honestly love it! We buy it in bulk at Costco for super cheap, which makes it even better. I love the boost of protein as well as introducing chickpeas for a variety of nutrients, rather than always using traditional wheat pasta. It’s fun to switch it up!

Ingredients

Ground Italian sausage – I used Mulay’s which is sugar-free, preservative-free, etc. I found it at my local Natural Grocers. Feel free to use plain ground beef or ground pork. See the notes on the recipe card for those substitutions.

Egg – adds moisture to the meatballs, making them more tender.

Flour of choice – helps keep the meatballs together. Use whatever flour you prefer – wheat, cassava, arrowroot, and almond flour all work great.

Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper – for flavor. Feel free to use garlic cloves if you have them!

Fresh basil or parsley – for extra flavor as well as an extra pop of color.

Olive oil – for browning the meatballs in the skillet.

Pasta sauce – for simmering the meatballs until they’re cooked through. Use whatever pasta sauce you prefer.

Method

  1. You’ll mix the meatball ingredients together then form it into balls.
  2. Preheat a skillet to medium heat with oil then add the meatballs. Brown each side, flipping them as needed.
  3. Add the pasta sauce and bring it to a boil, then turn to a simmer and cook the meatballs in it until they are cooked through. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Modifications

  • Substitute plain pork, beef, or turkey for the ground sausage. If you do this, then I recommend adding 2 tsp Italian seasoning and an extra 1/4 tsp of salt to the recipe. Also, the meatballs turn out the best using higher fat meat rather than lean meat. So I recommend an 80/20 or 85/15 ground meat.
  • Make it egg-free by substituting the eggs with 3 Tbsp of greek yogurt.
  • Adjust the seasonings to preference – feel free to adjust the seasonings, or add other seasonings to the recipe. Get creative and have fun!

Other recipes you’ll love

Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

Tomato Basil Stuffed Bell Peppers

Smoky Stuffed Bell Peppers

Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes

Easy Veggie Turkey Burgers

I hope you love these Skillet Italian Meatballs! Please leave a review if you made the recipe, it helps my website and my ability to keep creating recipes for you. I appreciate it more than you know! <3

Print

Skillet Italian Meatballs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These Italian meatballs are ideal for family dinners, date nights, or any occasion when you crave comfort food with a flavorful and healthy Italian twist. It comes together easily in a skillet in about 30 minutes.

  • Author: Christine Manes
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
  • Category: lunch, dinner, appetizer
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb ground Italian sausage* see notes for using plain pork, beef, or turkey

1 large egg

3 Tbsp flour of choice, plus more for frying (see instructions)

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt*

Fresh ground black pepper

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional)

1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil for frying

48 oz pasta sauce of choice

Instructions

  1. Add the ground Italian sausage, egg, flour, and seasonings to a large bowl. Mix well with your hands.
  2. Roll the mixture into meatballs then lightly coat each meatball with some more flour (this helps keep them together while cooking).
  3. Heat a large skillet to medium heat with the oil.
  4. Place each meatball in the pan and lightly brown each side until golden, turning them as they cook.
  5. Once the meatballs are golden, add the sauce to skillet as well as thinly sliced basil or chopped parsley if desired. Bring the sauce to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce until cooked through, about 6-12 minutes depending on how large you made them.
  6. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!
  7. Please leave a review if you made the recipe, it helps my website and my ability to keep creating recipes for you. I appreciate it more than you know! <3

Notes

*you can use plain pork, beef, or turkey (85/15) and add 2 tsp Italian seasoning and an extra 1/4 tsp of salt.

Did you make this recipe?

Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

One Comment

  1. Pingback: Turkey Buffalo Meatballs » Home Cooked Living

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star