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Home Easy Weeknight Dinners

Baked Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies

★★★★★ 5 /5
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Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 4/10/23Updated: 9/20/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These healthy baked meatballs are full of flavor, moist, and packed with nutrition thanks to the sneaky carrot, zucchini, parsley, and chives. Even the pickiest of eaters will love them! Serve with our Pesto Sauce or Marinara Sauce alongside your favorite pasta.

baked healthy meatballs on a platter with pesto in a small bowl
Table of Contents
  • What Makes These Meatballs Healthy?
  • Tip: Sneak in Extra Nutrition
  • How to Make Healthy Meatballs
  • How to Freeze Meatballs
  • What to Serve with Healthy Meatballs
  • Baked Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies
  • More Meatball Recipes

What Makes These Meatballs Healthy?

These delicious meatballs are healthier than most for a few reasons:

  1. Sneaky Veggies and Whole Grains: This recipe includes virtually tasteless zucchini, carrots, parsley, and chives, plus whole wheat bread crumbs. I developed this recipe over a decade ago when my kids were super picky eaters. Although I always offered veggies at each meal, they just weren’t getting the recommended 5+ servings (that’s hard for most of us!). So, I began finding ways to incorporate vegetables into all their favorite meals. These meatballs were and continue to be one of our favorite healthy recipes!
  2. Healthier Cooking Method: Rather than pan-frying these meatballs, I will instruct you to place them on a baking rack over a rimmed sheet pan. While they bake in the oven, the fat will drip below. They turn out crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
  3. Healthier Meat: I suggest using lean grass-fed, grass-finished beef like from ButcherBox. Or you can use ground turkey instead.

For even more nutrition, serve these meatballs with Homemade Marinara Sauce or Pesto Sauce (say hello to even more sneaky vegetables) over whole-grain spaghetti for added fiber, protein, and nutrients.

fork twirling spaghetti that is topped with meatballs and sauce

Tip: Sneak in Extra Nutrition

While I’m a big proponent of offering fruits and vegetables at every meal–even to the pickiest of eaters, I also have learned the value of sneaking in extra nutrition when possible.

If you have picky eaters, try these 50+ ways of adding in bonus veggies and fruits to kid favorites.

50 Ways to Sneak Vegetables & Fruits Into Kid Favorites

Ingredients Needed

I’d suggest doubling your ingredients for this recipe, so you can make an extra batch for the freezer. These are so delicious and freezer-friendly!

  • Whole wheat bread crumbs – You can use store-bought dry breadcrumbs or make your own. Using whole-grain bread for your bread crumbs adds extra fiber and nutrients. If you are gluten-free, try subbing almond meal or homemade gluten-free bread crumbs.
  • Grated Parmesan cheese – This adds saltiness, and savoriness, and acts as a binder in addition to the bread crumbs.
  • Fresh parsley and chives – These finely chopped herbs add fabulous fresh flavor and a little pop of color. Don’t forget these also add extra nutrition, too.
  • Finely shredded carrot and zucchini – Use a box grater (the finest grate side) or your food processor to shred or grate these virtually tasteless veggies. If you have picky eaters, I’d suggest making sure they are very finely shredded. Squeeze out most of the moisture before adding to the meat mixture.
  • Egg – Be sure to beat this large egg before adding to the meat mixture. It also helps bind the mixture.
  • Ketchup – This is a quick way to add extra flavor and moisture. Preferably buy organic or be sure to check the label for all ingredients you recognize (avoid the ones with high fructose corn syrup!).
  • Lean ground beef – I use grass-feed, grass-finish ground beef from ButcherBox for these but you could also use ground turkey.
  • Garlic powder – I found this works better than fresh garlic, so you don’t bite into a chunk of garlic in the meatballs.
  • Salt and pepper – Key to adding the right balance of flavors.
small bowls of ingredients for healthy baked meatballs
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How to Make Healthy Meatballs

Prep Oven & Pan

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up. Optional: Place a cooking rack on top of the sheet pan to let the fat drip below.

Combine Meat Mixture

In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, chives, carrot, zucchini, beaten egg, and ketchup.

bowl of ingredients for healthy baked meatballs

Add in the ground beef by pinches (to break it up a bit) and then sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over the top of the beef. Use your hands to combine the mixture but do not over mix.

meatball mixture in a bowl

Roll Meatballs

Using a heaping tablespoon of mixture per meatball, roll into 1 1/2 inch meatballs.

close up shot of healthy meatball before baking

Place them on the sheet pan (or on top of a cooking rack), leaving a little room between each one. I prefer to place them on a rack so the fat drips below and stays behind.

rolled meatballs on a rack over a baking sheet

Bake in the Oven

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. (If your meatballs are on a rack, they may take a few extra minutes.) Cut one open and make sure there is no pink in the middle to assure doneness. Internal temp should be 160°F.

oven baked healthy meatballs on a rack over a baking sheet

Serve

Serve with Pesto Sauce for dipping, with Marinara Sauce over pasta, or on Meatball Subs.

baked healthy meatballs on a platter with pesto in a small bowl
fork twirling spaghetti that is topped with Italian meatballs and sauce
meatball sub

How to Freeze Meatballs

When I make these, I usually double the recipe and freeze half of them for future lunches or dinners.

Below are two ways to freeze these meatballs, but sure to read our whole article about Freezing Meatballs: Raw or Cooked for more expert tips.

Freeze For Later:

Option 1 (Uncooked Meatballs): Roll the meatballs, place on a sheet pan, and pop them in the freezer until frozen. Then, drop the frozen meatballs in a freezer bag, seal (squeezing out any excess air), and freeze.

rolled meatballs on a sheet pan

Option 2 (Fully Cooked Meatballs): Fully cook and cool the meatballs. Freeze the cooked meatballs in single layers divided by parchment paper in a freezer bag or container. (Tip: Freeze in marinara sauce instead to help them retain moisture.)

Prepare From Frozen:

Option 1 (Uncooked Meatballs): Thaw the uncooked meatballs overnight in the fridge. Place the meatballs on a rimmed sheet pan and bake according to recipe instructions below.

Option 2 (Fully Cooked Meatballs): When ready to warm up the fully-cooked meatballs, thaw in the refrigerator. Warm up using one of these methods: 1) Warm in a pot with marinara sauce over low to medium-low heat on the stove. 2) Warm them in the microwave in 30-second increments. 3) Warm up the thawed meatballs and marinara sauce in the slow cooker over low heat for about 2-3 hours.

What to Serve with Healthy Meatballs

Whether you’re serving your meatballs with Marinara Sauce or Pesto over whole grain spaghetti or on a Meatball Sub, try a few of these healthy side dishes to round out your meal.

Autumn Salad tossed with apple cider vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

stirring fruit salad together after adding dressing

Classic Fruit Salad

applesauce in a small bowl with a spoon.

Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

Cranberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

Cranberry Spinach Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

baked healthy meatballs on a platter with pesto in a small bowl
★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Baked Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies

These delicious healthy meatballs are packed with sneaky nutrition and kids love them. Makes for a flavorful dinner or freezer meal in 45 minutes or less!

Yield: 30 (1 1/2 inch) meatballs 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (here’s how to make your own)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced chives
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini (squeeze out the excess moisture)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup (preferably organic)
  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (sub: ground turkey)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

*Note: After retesting, this recipe was updated on 3/2/23. Changes are in the notes below.

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up. Optional: Place a cooking rack on top of the sheet pan to let the fat drip below.
  2. Combine Meat Mixture: In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, chives, carrot, zucchini, beaten egg, and ketchup. Add in the ground beef by pinches (to break it up a bit) and then sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over the top of the beef. Use your hands to combine the mixture but do not over mix.
  3. Roll Meatballs: Using a heaping tablespoon of mixture per meatball, roll into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place them on the sheet pan (either directly on it or on top of the rack), leaving a little room between each one. 
  4. Bake in the Oven: Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. (If your meatballs are on a rack, they may take a few extra minutes.) Cut one open and make sure there is no pink in the middle to assure doneness. Internal temp should be 160°F.
  5. Serve: Serve with Marinara Sauce or Pesto over pasta or on Meatball Subs.

Freeze For Later:

Option 1 (Uncooked Meatballs): Follow steps 1-3. Place sheet pan of meatballs in the freezer until frozen and then place the frozen meatballs in a freezer bag. Seal and freeze.

Option 2 (Fully Cooked Meatballs): Follow steps 1-4. Let cool completely. Freeze the cooked meatballs in a freezer bag or container. Tip: Freeze the meatballs in marinara sauce to help keep them moist.

Prepare From Frozen:

Option 1 (Uncooked Meatballs): Thaw the uncooked meatballs overnight in the fridge. Place the meatballs on a rimmed sheet pan and follow Steps 4-5.

Option 2 (Fully Cooked Meatballs): When ready to warm up the fully-cooked meatballs, thaw in the refrigerator. Warm up using one of these methods: 1) Warm in a pot with marinara sauce over low to medium-low heat on the stove. 2) Another option, although not the preferred method, is to defrost and warm them in the microwave. 3) Lastly, you can warm up the meatballs in marinara sauce in the slow cooker over low heat for about 2-3 hours.


Notes/Tips

Changes to Recipes on 2/18/23: Changed 2 lb of beef to 1 1/2 lbs, 1 cup breadcrumbs to 1/2 cup, 2 eggs to 1 egg, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt to 1 teaspoon, 3/4 teaspoon pepper to 1/2 tsp, 1/2 cup grated onion to zucchini, 2 garlic cloves to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

Gluten-Free Version: Use almond meal or gluten-free bread crumbs in place of the whole wheat bread crumbs. (Tip: I make my own bread crumbs by toasted gluten-free bread and then tosses pieces into my high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until they are fairly fine bread crumbs.)

Dairy-Free Version: Use more bread crumbs in place of the Parmesan cheese, plus add 1/4 teaspoon more of salt.

Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: Italian Method: Baked

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarDanielle Knutson says

    Posted on 1/1/23 at 6:49 pm

    My 4 year old son is a very picky eater so these were foolproof! Normally, he tries to pick through things but he didn’t even bother. So tasty and will make again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/2/23 at 10:57 am

      Love to hear those picky eater wins! Thanks for leaving a review Danielle.

      Reply
  2. AvatarElise says

    Posted on 9/8/19 at 6:25 am

    I’m looking for a substitute for the Parmesan cheese to make these dairy free. Do you think nutritional yeast would be ok?

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 9/11/19 at 8:41 am

      Yes or I use almond flour/meal and season it with salt and pepper.

      Reply
  3. AvatarJeni says

    Posted on 7/19/17 at 5:29 am

    Hi. These sound perfect for my upcoming family reunion! I will probably triple it to have enough.
    Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 7/19/17 at 6:14 am

      You’re welcome! I know they will be a big hit at your reunion. Have fun!

      Reply
      • AvatarRose says

        Posted on 11/14/17 at 10:45 am

        Hi.
        Would love to try this. Just wanna know how long will it last in the fridge?

        Reply
        • RachelRachel says

          Posted on 11/14/17 at 3:58 pm

          Here are the USDA’s recommendations on refrigeration and meat, according to their website today:

          Raw ground meats, all poultry, seafood, and variety meats: Refrigerate 1 to 2 days.
          Raw roasts, steaks, and chops (beef, veal, lamb, and pork): Refrigerate 3 to 5 days.
          Cooked meat, poultry, and seafood: Store in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

          Reply
  4. AvatarRachel says

    Posted on 1/25/17 at 6:23 am

    I always put grated carrot and zucchinis in my pasta sauces… wondering if I cooked them out first, could I do the same here…? these sound really good 🙂

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 1/25/17 at 10:06 am

      Oh yeah, that would be awesome.

      Reply
  5. AvatarJayme says

    Posted on 1/7/16 at 9:57 am

    I’m venturing back into freezer meals and I am perusing your recipes…I’m excited about this one because of the veggies! I try to use ground turkey when possible…would it be an acceptable substitution?? Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 1/7/16 at 6:07 pm

      Absolutely! In fact, I make these with ground turkey often. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. AvatarBobbie says

    Posted on 10/8/15 at 4:23 pm

    We get all our beef from my mom who butchers so it is already frozen once it arrives at our house. Since I would need to thaw our beef prior to making the meatballs would I need to cook them before I freeze them? I’m very new to freezer meals and am expecting a little one this December so I’m trying to get my freezer ready!

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 10/8/15 at 5:36 pm

      You can defrost the beef. Make it into meatballs and then you can for sure refreeze the meatballs. It does not seem to affect the taste or texture, and it’s safe according to the USDA as long as you thaw it correctly and freeze right away. I’ve done it many times. Congrats on your baby on the way! You’re already a smart mama by trying to stock up. 🙂

      Reply
  7. AvatarJeana says

    Posted on 9/23/15 at 11:52 am

    Thanks! I have the pickiest eater in the world at home right now so I’m trying to pack as much nutrition into everything I can that she’ll actually eat 🙂

    Reply
  8. AvatarJeana says

    Posted on 9/23/15 at 10:24 am

    I’ve been thinking of making meatballs packed with veggies just like these! I was planning on putting spinach in them, do you think that would work or do you think it might be too wet?

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 9/23/15 at 10:46 am

      I use fresh chopped spinach all the time in meatballs. The frozen kind would probably be too wet, though. Great idea!

      Reply
  9. AvatarLeslie says

    Posted on 9/12/15 at 12:28 pm

    I put carrots in several meals that most people wouldn’t think to: meatloaf, potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, spaghetti sauce. In my opinion carrots add a nice crunch to salads without a whole lot of flavor. They are also easily hidden with ground beef.

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 9/12/15 at 8:30 pm

      Totally agree! Great tip!

      Reply

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