With classic Italian flavor, greens in the mix, and an easy cooking method, these Mini Meatballs are a super delicious family meal component to share with babies on up to adults. They are great with pasta, in sandwiches, or eaten on their own!
Mini Meatballs
You guys, these meatballs are so good. This is one of the first recipes I ever posted on my site and I hadn’t made them in a long while, and I was so delighted at how great they were when I remade and photographed the recipe recently.
(My then 17 month old ate five of them, he loved them so much!) Yes they have kale inside, but the flavors are really nicely balanced so the kids get some extra veggies right along with the classic flavor and texture they expect from baked meatballs.
These healthy little meatballs have a nice mix of nutrients too. There’s fiber and Vitamin C from the kale, they’re an excellent source of protein and iron from the beef, and extra antioxidants from the onion and garlic.
The inclusion of oats adds extra fiber and B vitamins. If you serve them in tomato-based sauce, you’ll add in more Vitamins A and C too. They’d be a great meatball to make for babies in the house—just dice them up and serve as a finger food.
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Mini Meatballs for Spaghetti
You can serve these meatballs with pasta, polenta, and even toast for open-face sandwiches and top with a little melted cheese. If your toddler isn’t totally on board with the texture of meat, you can mash a few pieces up in warm marinara sauce to help them take small tastes that are super easy to chew.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Kale or parsley (or both): This is blended into the mixture for a little flavor and extra nutrition
- Onion and garlic: Both of these are optional, but add nice additional flavor.
- Rolled oats: Paired with breadcrumbs, these help bind the batter and add fiber and whole grains.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use plain or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan cheese: I like to use grated Parmesan cheese in meatballs as it blends in best. You can also use Pecorino Romano if that is less expensive.
- Ground beef: I prefer a leaner ground beef, but any type will work.
- Egg: This helps the batter hold in perfect meatballs.
TIP: To make these gluten-free, simply use GF breadcrumbs. You can omit the cheese to make them dairy-free, but you’ll want to add ½ teaspoon of salt to make sure they aren’t bland.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the easy process needed to make this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for the full info.
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the oats, breadcrumbs, kale (or parsley), onion, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to grind.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and grind until thoroughly minced and uniform.
- Form into small balls with a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet and bake.
TIP: I like to serve these in warm marinara sauce, though 2 out of my 3 kids like to eat them plain without sauce, so see what yours like.
What should I serve this mini meatballs recipe with?
You can serve them with marinara sauce over pasta, with toast as a sort of deconstructed meatball sandwich, alongside a grain salad, with plain pasta with butter, alongside peas and fruit for a simple meal…the options are quite broad!
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to serve.
Freeze fully cooked meatballs in a zip top freezer bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in a simmering pot of marinara sauce or thaw overnight in the fridge and warm briefly in the microwave.
Best Tips for Success
- Use kale, parsley, or a combination of both.
- You can make these as larger golf-ball size meatballs if preferred. Just bake for 22-25 minutes.
- To make these gluten-free, simply use GF breadcrumbs.
- You can omit the cheese to make them dairy-free, but you’ll want to add ½ teaspoon of salt to make sure they aren’t bland.
- Simmer in Marinara Sauce, Fresh Tomato Sauce, or toss with Zucchini Pasta Sauce, or Cheese Sauce.
Related Recipes
If you make this recipe and have feedback, please comment below to share. I’d love to know how your family enjoyed them!
Best Healthy Mini Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 2-4 kale leaves, stems removed (or about ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves or some of each)
- 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 garlic clove, peeled (optional)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
- Place the oats, breadcrumbs, kale, onion, Parmesan and garlic (if using) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to grind very well. You want everything to be ground up finely so keep going until there are no chunks or big pieces.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and grind until thoroughly minced and uniform.
- Form into 1-tablespoon-size meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels if necessary.
- Warm in your favorite marinara sauce and serve with polenta, whole grain pasta, or alongside whole-wheat toast.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to serve.
- Freeze fully cooked meatballs in a zip top freezer bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in a simmering pot of marinara sauce or thaw overnight in the fridge and warm briefly in the microwave.
- Use kale or parsley or a combination of both.
- You can make these as larger golf-ball size meatballs if preferred. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
- To make these gluten-free, simply use GF breadcrumbs.
- You can omit the cheese to make them dairy-free, but you’ll want to add ½ teaspoon of salt to make sure they aren’t bland.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2018.
How do you think collard greens would work in place of kale?
Sure
Could I use mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan to save on cost?
Sure
Just made these and they are wonderful. They are moist and packed with great nutrition. My son is 20 months and enjoys them as is 🙂 but I’m sure they would be great mixed in with some pasta and sauce or dipped in ketchup. I plan on freezing the extras. Will make again!
These look so good! Do you have a suggestion for making them egg free?
We made these with venison and my daughter has been loving them!! They were so easy to make and perfect to freeze for pulling a few out for her meals! I like to add them to the quick red lentil pasta sauce!
I love all the meals you share! Just made these real quick, my 10month is gobbling them down. The best things to make are ones that ALL ages can enjoy, its so convenient! Thank you
You’re so welcome and thank you for commenting!
Hi! Can I use instant steel oats instead of rolled oats?
I haven’t tried that and I am not certain that they would soften the same way but let me know if you try it!
Could you use ground turkey instead of beef for this recipe? Or how would you suggest it be modified so that they don’t turn out too dry? Looking forward to using this recipe!
Hi- I think you can sub in ground turkey without issue here. They should be plenty moist, especially if you simmer in marinara sauce to serve.
Hi Amy, can I use regular/ panko breadcrumbs instead? So hard to find Italian breadcrumbs where I live. Thanks!
Yes, that will work fine. Just add 1/2-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a little oregano) for flavor if you’d like.
My 1 yr old and 2 yr old love these!! They are so easy to make and I make a big batch and keep it in the freezer. Super easy to just pull out and heat up! Def recommend!
Can I substitute additional oats for the breadcrumbs?
I haven’t tried them that way, but I bet it would be similar.
Can I substitute spinach for the kale?
Sure
can i eliminate the eggs from the recipe ?
I haven’t tried them without eggs so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, you may want to reduce the breadcrumbs/cornmeal to make sure that they aren’t too dry.
I made these without egg, and they turned out wonderful! I did saute the kale and onion before putting in the food processor. This really made them good! Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that!
It’s updated, apologies!
I don’t see in the recipe how much breadcrumbs to add….
It’s updated, apologies!
I just made these for dinner tonight! I substituted spinach for kale and omitted the cheese (dairy allergy). I added a splash or two of beef stock because I used a blender to pulse the ingredients. The meatballs turned out perfect. I can’t wait for the rest of my crew to indulge!
I love those variations and I’m glad that they turned out well! Hope your family enjoys them:)
Thanks for sharing! I have a bunch of spinach & was thinking this might work! Good to know
Do these freeze well after cooking? It would be great to make a big batch on days with extra time, freeze half and reheat for dinner on days with no time. My husband make a fabulous arrabiatta sauce that would pair nicely with these.
Yes, they do freeze well. Just let them cool completely and store them in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the bag in the fridge overnight or directly in the sauce (with the sauce on very low). Sounds like a delicious pairing!