Open your hearts and kitchens to truly authentic Italian-style Whole30 Meatballs! These super easy paleo meatballs are made with ground beef and pork, lots of fresh herbs, and absolutely no filler. They’re the perfect kid and family friendly option for paleo and low carb lifestyles, and a total lifesaver on a Whole30.
These Whole30 Italian meatballs are just like the ones your Italian Nonna makes…and I know this because they’re based on the ones my own Italian Nonna used to make.
Here’s the rundown:
- Ground beef and pork are a very good place to start.
- Fresh herbs keep the party going.
- Zero fillers for best texture. Whole30 flour just gets in the way of a good time.
- A little browning-in-the-pan action, followed by some simmering-until-cooked action gets the job done very well and very flavorfully.
You also need to know that your kids will happily eat these, and your leftovers-hating-husband (or self) will devour them for days with nary a complaint. And then you might want to make some more once they run out? Yeah, that’s totally likely. So you might want to make a second batch and freeze ’em.
How to Make Whole30 Italian Meatballs
Paleo and Whole30 Italian-style meatballs are a true love. They’re the antidote to whatever ails you, and the ultimate comfort food. You’ll sear them on the outside to form a good crust (and create extra flavor) then finish cooking in our Whole30 marinara sauce (of your favorite compliant store-bought version). You can freeze them individually or in the sauce, or just nosh on the leftovers for the rest of the week.
- Coarsely chop half an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and some fresh basil and parsley.
- Put it all into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely minced.
- If you don’t have a food processor you can do this by hand. Yes it takes longer, but it’s worth the effort.
- Combine the ground beef and pork with the minced alliums and herbs along with an egg, some salt and pepper, and some dried herbs. Fresh + dried for the win!
- Form the mixture into 2-ounce meatballs and set aside on a baking sheet. I use a standard ice cream scooper to portion out the meatballs – it’s the perfect measuring tool!
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a splash of oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the meatballs in a single layer (about 8 at a time) and sear. Turn every 2 minutes or so until well browned on all sides.
- Remove the meatballs from the skillet and return to the baking sheet; repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Heat at least 6 cups of marinara sauce in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce and simmer in the sauce until the meatballs are cooked through.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best meat to make meatballs with?
I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. A combination of both yields much better flavor than one or the other.
Can you make these whole30 Italian meatballs ahead of time?
You sure can! Meatballs are great for meal prep, but it’s important to remember that the meatballs will NOT be fully cooked after browning, so be sure to read the full instructions.
- For weekly meal prep: prepare as directed and store in an airtight container in the sauce for up to 5 days (you can probably stretch to a week, but ours didn’t last that long!).
- Freeze individually: instead of cooking in the marinara sauce, transfer the baking sheet with the browned meatballs to a 400°F oven. Bake about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160°F using an instant read thermometer. Place the cooked meatballs onto a clean baking sheet, then place in the freezer until firm (about an hour). Place the frozen meatballs into an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat individual meatballs in the microwave for about 90 seconds (I usually heat a few at a time and place them into a thermos for my older son to eat at school).
- Freeze in sauce: prepare as directed, then transfer to an airtight container with the sauce and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave.
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- Finely mince the onions and herbs for best texture. A food processor works perfectly, but your own two hands and a trusty chef’s knife can get the job done.
- Fresh herbs yield the most flavorful results, but dried can be substituted in a pinch. Use 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
- Be sure to brown on all sides – this keeps the meatballs together when they simmer in the sauce and adds additional flavor.
More Whole30 Meatball Recipes
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Whole30 Italian Meatballs
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- ½ medium onion
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp olive oil, or avocado oil
- 6 cups Whole30 marinara sauce
Instructions
- Place onion, parsley, basil, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely minced.
- Combine the ground beef, ground pork, minced alliums and herbs, salt, dried basil, dried thyme, pepper, oregano, and egg yolk in a large bowl. Mix using your (clean) hands until well combined.
- Form the mixture into 2-ounce meatballs (scant ¼ cup) and set aside on a baking sheet. This makes approximately 24 meatballs.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the meatballs in a single layer (about 8 at a time), turning every 2 minutes until well browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and return to the baking sheet; repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce until cooked through, 12-15 minutes.
Notes
- Nutritional information reflects meatballs only. Check the recipe card for our Whole30 marinara sauce for nutritional content for that recipe.
- Finely mince the onions and herbs for best texture using a food processor or by hand.
- Fresh herbs yield the most flavorful results, but dried can be substituted in a pinch. Use 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
- Be sure to brown on all sides to keep the meatballs together while they simmer in the sauce and for added flavor.
Nicole Olson
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now during my first ever Whole30 challenge! They’re super yummy! A little on the dense side because there’s no fillers, but that’s also what makes them so filling! Definitely recommend. I’ll probably continue using this recipe after Whole30… I just might add some Parmesan or bread crumbs 😉
Kelly
I immediately threw ALL my other whole30 meatball recipes in the garbage last night after making these! My hubby did not like the ones I had made in the past with almond flour. He LOVED these! They turned out amazing and I cannot wait to warm up my leftovers for lunch today.