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Red Wine Braised Meatballs

Tender and juicy meatballs simmered in a rich red wine sauce, infused with aromatic herbs and spices. Perfect for family dinners or cozy weeknight meals.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 blend
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped, divided (1/2 for meatballs, 1/2 for sauce)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced, divided (2 for meatballs, 1 for sauce)
  • 1 cup fruity red wine Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • 12-inch skillet with lid
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Wooden spoon

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, chopped parsley, half the onion (about 1/2 cup), 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
  2. Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs, about 1.5 inches in diameter, making roughly 12-14 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add half the meatballs to the skillet, leaving about 1 inch of space between them. Brown on all sides for 6-8 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining meatballs.
  4. Add remaining onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened. Pour in red wine and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let bubble for 1 minute.
  5. Stir in crushed tomatoes and beef broth, bringing to a gentle simmer. Return meatballs to skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low, and braise for 30 minutes until meatballs reach 160°F internally and sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Notes

Use 80/20 ground beef for juiciest results. Don't overwork the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender. Brown meatballs in batches with space between them to avoid steaming. Deglazing with wine captures all the flavorful browned bits. Let sauce reduce slightly for richer flavor.