By Katja Heino 14 Comments
Savory Lotus may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post.
Jump to Recipe
Need an easy dinner idea that the whole family will love? These easy Pesto Meatballs are a breeze to throw together and are guaranteed to be a hit.
Who doesn’t love pesto? And with the warmer months upon us, basil is back in season. We had a small gathering at our house last week, and I needed an easy dish to serve that would be kid-friendly. I decide to use what I had in the fridge, and this is what I came up with:
Meatballs are easy to make. They are super nutrient-dense. And they are a crowd-pleaser. I made a huge platter of these Pesto Meatballs for our party, and they were all gone before I knew it. Awesome! I love positive feedback on my recipes!
Love to have food ready to go in the freezer? These meatballs freeze well and can be easily defrosted for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Next time I am going to make a double batch for sure.
I used a combination of beef and pork because that’s what I had. Feel free to use any ground meat that you like. I think that you and your family are really going to like these.
Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, Paleo)
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star3 from 3 reviews
- Author: Katja from Savory Lotus
- Yield: 48 small meatballs 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400’F and line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper (like this).
- TO MAKE PESTO: In a food processor, process basil leaves until completely broken up. Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fat of choice and continue to process until well incorporated and smooth.
- Mix ground beef, eggs, and flour together in a large bowl. Add basil pesto and mix again. I just get in there with my hands.
- Form into small balls and place onto lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until cooked all the way through and starting to brown.
- Enjoy! To freeze for later, freeze in single layers then place into airtight container.
Notes
I use 1 tablespoon of coconut flour as a binder. You can sub any flour that you have like almond or cassava, but you will have to use at 2-3 tablespoons of any other flour. Start with 2 and add another if mixture seems too sticky to roll.
Click HERE to PIN THIS!
[thrive_leads id='21430']
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Erin says
I just made these. They are very tasty but a little dry, may need to add some Paleo marina sauce.
Thanks for the recipe!Reply
Katja says
Bummer that they came out dry. I haven’t had that issue. It probably had to do with the meat that you used. Some meat is much leaner than others. I use a local, grass fed beef that turns out perfect. But a marinara sauce with these would be perfect. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
Reply
John Martinelli says
If you use prepared pesto, how much do you use?
Reply
Katja says
The amount my bunch of basil makes varies every time. If you use 1/3 to 1/2 cup, you should be fine. 🙂
Reply
Jan says
Very good. I made the meatballs with 1 lb of 85% lean beef & 2 or 3 tablespoons of pesto we had previously made & frozen. Nice shortcut to giving the meatballs lots of flavor! I broiled them, which means they cooked a bit faster. Next time I will bake them as the parchment paper can get too hot in the broiler!
Reply
Molly says
What is the nutrition info for these?
Reply
Katja Heino says
Hi, Molly! I don;t calculate. But you can use this if you want to know—-> https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Hope that helps! 🙂
Reply
M.S. says
We don’t consider beef and pork to be a healthy choice for food.
Reply
Katja Heino says
OK… that’s fine. Everyone is different. Eat what makes you happy and feel good. 🙂
Reply
kathy says
Hi! These look delicious !! Do you freeze the meatballs before or after you cook them? THANKS!
Reply
Katja Heino says
After I cook them. 🙂
Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.