Description
Delicious spinach garlic meatballs featuring a flavorful combination of ground beef or turkey, sautéed spinach, garlic, and gooey mozzarella cheese inside. These meatballs can be baked or pan-seared and optionally simmered in marinara sauce for a comforting meal everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey (lean turkey can be used as a substitute)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, sautéed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (can use oats or almond flour)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella cubes, chilled
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Optional Enhancements
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for heat
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley for freshness
Instructions
- Sauté Spinach and Garlic: Heat a skillet over medium heat and sauté the fresh spinach and minced garlic until the spinach is wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool, then finely chop.
- Combine Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chopped sautéed spinach, and optional onion and red pepper flakes if using. Stir gently until just mixed to avoid tough meatballs.
- Form Meatballs: Take a portion of the meat mixture and encase a chilled mozzarella cube completely within each meatball, ensuring the cheese is sealed inside.
- Cook Meatballs: Choose your preferred cooking method: bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes, or pan-sear in oil over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
- Simmer in Sauce (Optional): For extra flavor, gently simmer the cooked meatballs in warm marinara sauce for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Rest Meatballs: Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes after cooking to help retain juiciness and enhance flavor before serving.
Notes
- Use chilled mozzarella cubes to prevent the cheese from leaking out during cooking.
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture to keep the meatballs tender.
- Spinach can be finely chopped after sautéing for better incorporation.
- Optional simmering in marinara adds moisture and flavor but can be skipped if preferred.
- Breadcrumbs can be replaced with oats or almond flour for dietary preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
