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.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 302kcal
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 ½ 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 3meatballs | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 7% | Vitamin C: 9% | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 7%