Meatballs without Breadcrumbs
This simple meatball recipe can be transformed for several different dinners, whether you're having Italian, Greek, or just a quick meal. Freeze them and reheat on days you don't feel like cooking!
Servings: 16 meatballs
Equipment
- 1 mini food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15 recommended
- 1 large egg, gently whisked
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh black pepper to taste
- oil to grease the baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To a large bowl, add ground beef, egg, garlic, oregano, parsley, and salt (and black pepper if you'd like). Mix together with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Use a spoon or scoop to scoop into 2 inch balls, rolling with your hands, and place onto a greased baking sheet.
- Baked meatballs (for large batches): Bake for 15-17 minutes at 425°F until cooked through. Serve warm.
- Pan-seared meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a cast iron pan over medium heat, add oil. Once warm, add meatballs and sear till just brown on all sides. Remove from the pan as they brown - they should not be cooked through. Return all the meatballs to the pan and bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Notes
- Substitute ground beef with lamb, chicken, or turkey.
- Breadcrumb substitute - For more texture you can add 1/3 cup rolled oats (best if slightly ground), 1/3 toasted and ground pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Lightly coat your hands with a little water or olive oil before rolling to prevent sticking.
- Baking is best for large batches. Pan-searing is best for smaller dinners!
- Switch up the spices depending on the final dish. The spices used work well with pasta, in pita bread, on top of salads, or as a basic high protein snack.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 92.35kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.87g | Protein: 5.76g | Fat: 7.27g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 30.36mg | Sodium: 105.49mg | Potassium: 103.01mg | Fiber: 0.29g | Sugar: 0.09g | Vitamin A: 14.85IU | Vitamin C: 0.12mg | Calcium: 11.19mg | Iron: 0.75mg
