Healthy Meatball Recipes

Find healthy, delicious meatball recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Most Popular

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Rating: 4 stars 4
This cheesy meatball casserole is a family favorite, with basil adding flavor to the meatballs and grated onion adding moisture. Melted mozzarella cheese tames the spice, but feel free to cut back or eliminate the crushed red pepper if you prefer a milder dish.
Olivia Dansky headshot
By Liv Dansky

Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa

Rating: 4.5 stars 8
With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The spinach and feta turkey meatballs are adapted from Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store or make your own.
By Carolyn A Hodges, RD

Easy Chicken Meatballs

Rating: 5 stars 5
These meatballs are flavor-packed--thanks to a little sausage added to the ground chicken mix--and all-purpose: serve them with spaghetti for a healthy dinner, on a toothpick with dipping sauce as an easy appetizer or stir them into a soup to make it more satisfying.
By Adam Hickman

Italian-Style Beef & Pork Meatballs

Rating: 5 stars 1
This foolproof meatball recipe makes enough to stash away for another day. They're great to have on hand for easy dinners (see 3 ways to use them, below), but also make good impromptu appetizers.
Hilary Meyer
By Hilary Meyer

Tamari-Ginger Meatball & Eggplant Casserole

Rating: 4.5 stars 10
Eggplant soaks up the flavors of ginger, garlic and tamari in this Asian-inspired casserole recipe. A hot pepper in the topping adds a bit of heat, but opt for sweet if you prefer.
Hilary Meyer
By Hilary Meyer

Lentil Meatballs

Rating: 4 stars 4
These vegan lentil meatballs are tender and packed full of flavor. The tomato paste combined with nutritional yeast adds savory notes, while crushed red pepper lends a touch of heat. Oats help bind them together while adding a boost of fiber.
Melissa Gray
By Melissa Gray

Easy Baked Meatballs

These easy baked meatballs cook quickly in the oven thanks to their small size, yet remain moist and tender. Jazzing up a can of reduced-sodium marinara with shallots and fresh herbs helps keep sodium in check while adding flavor to this family-friendly dish.
By Amanda Stanfield

Nonna's Spaghetti & Meatballs

Rating: 4.5 stars 8
The meatballs and sauce are cooked in the slow cooker for this traditional Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe. You could also serve the meatballs over creamy polenta or on a sandwich with melted provolone.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Air-Fryer Meatballs

These air-fryer meatballs cook quickly and stay juicy in the air fryer. Seasoned simply with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese and paired with your favorite marinara sauce, they make the perfect weeknight meal.
By Laura Kanya

Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Rating: 4.5 stars 7
With this spaghetti squash and meatballs recipe, cooking the squash first in the microwave and then in a skillet to cook off the extra moisture, gives the squash a more spaghetti-like texture.
Eating Well Bio Page
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Meatball & Creamed Spinach Skillet

Rating: 4.5 stars 4
Spaghetti and meatballs is a no-brainer, but pairing meatballs with a pile of creamed spinach topped with marinara and cheese is a flavorful twist. Pick your favorite frozen meatballs--beef, chicken or veggie--for this healthy dinner recipe.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Easy Turkey Meatballs

These easy turkey meatballs can be enjoyed warm or cold, making them perfect for make-ahead lunches. Pack them along with a dipping sauce, slice them up for a sandwich filling or crumble them up as a topper for salad or tacos.
By Hilary Meyer
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Inspiration and Ideas

Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Orzo
Here, a little of the lemon-garlic vinaigrette used to season the orzo also gets stirred into yogurt for a flavorful and creamy topping.
Mediterranean Meatballs
Rating: Unrated 2
Save on meal prep time by making a double batch of these delicious meatballs. Freeze them to have on hand for lunches and dinners.
Italian Turkey Meatballs
Rating: 4.5 stars 6

In this healthy turkey meatball recipe, a base of sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic adds flavor and helps keep calories in check and portions hearty. Serve these meatballs with marinara as an appetizer, on top of spaghetti or on a roll for a healthy meatball sub.