Happy National Meatball Day!! I realized that I haven’t made meatballs with red meat, so today I am doing just that. I forgot how much I liked red meat meatballs! You can substitute ground turkey or chicken in these if you want. I love them because they are an easy, no frill meatball, but I’ve added a touch of quinoa. I did this because I think they stick together just a bit better. Try this recipe out and let me know your thoughts!
1 pound lean ground beef (you can substitute ground turkey or chicken)
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley, more for garnish if desired
1 teaspoon Italian herb spices or 1/2 teaspoon each of basil & oregano
2 cups Italian tomato sauce
Cheese to garnish
Baked Quinoa Meatballs
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil & spray
In a large bowl add ground turkey, quinoa, garlic, onion, parsley, egg and spices
Mix well, using your hands
Meat Mixture
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls
Make sure you use damp hands, as the mixture will be sticky
Place balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until meatballs are firm and cooked through
Cooked Meatballs
While meatballs are baking, heat the tomato sauce in a large saucepan.
Transfer the cooked meatballs to the sauce
Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles (zucchini/squash/beet/carrot/veggie spiralized noodles) or a green vegetable
Garnish with parsley and cheese
Baked Quinoa Meatballs over zoodles!
- 1 pound lean ground beef (you can substitute ground turkey or chicken)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, more for garnish if desired
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb spices or 1/2 teaspoon each of basil & oregano
- 2 cups Italian tomato sauce
- Cheese to garnish
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil & spray
- In a large bowl add ground turkey, quinoa, garlic, onion, parsley, egg and spices
- Mix well, using your hands
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls
- Make sure you use damp hands, as the mixture will be sticky
- Place balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until meatballs are firm and cooked through
- While meatballs are baking, heat the tomato sauce in a large saucepan.
- Transfer the cooked meatballs to the sauce
- Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles (zucchini/squash/beet/carrot/veggie spiralized noodles) or a green vegetable
- Garnish with parsley and cheese