Meatball Subs

The best ever Meatball Subs recipe made with grilled meatballs, a quick marinara sauce and melty cheese on a toasted bun for a meal the whole family will love. 

My kids go crazy for Subway Meatball Subs and we just had to try them at home. This easy recipe is even better than the restaurant version and grilling the meatballs is a game changer!

Why We Love Homemade Meatball Subs 

• Quick and Easy Dinner: This recipe comes together really quickly and can be made with leftover meatballs or frozen meatballs. 
• Delicious Comfort Food: Serve these easy meatball subs for a family favorite dinner for busy weeknights or game day meal that is a real crowd pleaser.
• Tender Meatballs: This recipe makes the most tender meatballs that are juicy and flavorful to make the best meatball sub recipe. Cooking them on the grill adds smoky flavor that is impossible to resist.

Ingredients Needed for Meatball Sub Recipe

• Ground Beef
• Eggs
• Diced Onion
• Bread
• Milk
• Steak Rub: or Salt, Pepper and Italian Seasoning
• Tomato Sauce
• Sugar 
• Kosher Salt
• Basil Pesto
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese or Provolone Cheese
• Hoagie Buns or Sub Rolls
• Fresh Parsley – optional for garnish
• Candied Jalapeños – optional for garnish

Step-By-Step Directions for Meatball Sandwiches

1. Tear bread into small pieces and place in a bowl. Pour milk over the top and mix together until well combined. 
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef, eggs, diced onion, dry rub along with milk and bread mixture. Mix well. 
3. Make the Sauce: Mix tomato sauce with sugar, salt and pesto in a saucepan. Cook over low-heat, stirring often just until heated through.

4. Use a medium-size scoop to form into meatballs. 
5. Place on a grill pan. 
6. Grill over indirect fire with the grill closed for 15 – 20 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs reach 165° using a digital meat thermometer. Alternately, meatballs can be baked in the oven for 15- 20 minutes. 
7. Remove meatballs from the grill. 

8. Add meatballs to the sauce, mixing to combine.

9. Slice hoagie rolls and place on a baking sheet. Spoon meatballs into rolls with sauce. Add thin slices of mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese down each side of the meatballs. 

10. Toast under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. 
11. Remove from oven. 
12. Garnish with fresh parsley and candied jalapeños if desired.

Recipe Notes for the Best Meatball Subs Recipe

• Marinara Sauce: Use homemade marinara sauce or substitute your favorite spaghetti sauce for the tomato sauce and pesto for the sauce. 
• Garlic Butter: In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup butter and 2 sliced garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and brush over sub buns before adding meatballs. 
• Additional Garnishes: Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil or red pepper flakes are great additions to Italian Meatball Subs.
• Meatballs: Use ground turkey meatballs or frozen meatballs if preferred.
• Sides for Meatball Sandwiches: Serve Meatball Subs with Homemade Mac and Cheese, Garden Salad with Italian Dressing or these Easy Onion Strings. 

If you are craving a good Meatball Sub, this easy recipe is sure to be a big hit with flavorful meatballs, homemade sauce and melted cheese on a long roll. 

If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Help us share on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!

Print Recipe

5 from 47 votes

Meatball Subs

The best ever Meatball Subs recipe made with grilled meatballs, a quick marinara sauce and melty cheese on a toasted bun for a meal the whole family will love. 

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Sandwiches

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ground beef meatball sandiwches, Italian meatball sandwich, meatball sandwiches

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 691kcal

Author: Milisa

Ingredients

for the meatballs

• 1 cup bread torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 tablespoon steak rub or favorite seasoning blend

for the marinara sauce

• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup basil pesto

for the sandwiches

• 3 long Italian rolls or 6 hoagie buns
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese or provolone slices
• fresh parsley for garnish optional
• 2 tablespoons candied jalapeños for garnish optional

Instructions

• Prepare a grill fire to 350° using hickory for smoke flavor.
• Tear bread into small pieces and place in a bowl. Pour milk over the top and mix together until well combined. In a large bowl, add ground beef, eggs, diced onion, dry rub along with milk and bread mixture. Mix well. 
• Make the Sauce: Mix tomato sauce with sugar, salt and pesto in a saucepan. Cook over low-heat, stirring often just until heated through.
• Use a medium-size scoop to form into meatballs. 
• Place on a grill pan. 
• Grill over indirect fire with the grill closed for 15 – 20 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs reach 165° using a digital meat thermometer. Alternately, meatballs can be baked in the oven @ 375° for 15- 20 minutes. 
• Remove meatballs from the grill. 
• Add meatballs to the sauce, mixing to combine.
• Slice hoagie rolls and place on a baking sheet. Spoon meatballs into rolls with sauce. Add thin slices of mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese down each side of the meatballs. 
• Toast under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. 
• Remove from oven. 
• Garnish with fresh parsley and candied jalapeños if desired

Notes

Marinara Sauce: Use homemade marinara sauce or substitute your favorite spaghetti sauce for the tomato sauce and pesto for the sauce. 

Garlic Butter: In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup butter and 2 sliced garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and brush over sub buns before adding meatballs. 

Additional Garnishes: Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil or red pepper flakes are great additions to Italian Meatball Subs.

Meatballs: Use ground turkey meatballs or frozen meatballs if preferred.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 691kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1540mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g