Nothing really sounds quite as Paleo-friendly then meatballs, right? Unfortunately, traditional meatball recipes nearly always contain a very non-Paleo ingredient – breadcrumbs.
In order for meatballs to retain their shape while cooking, some kind of bonding ingredient (usually breadcrumbs or some variant) is needed.
This recipe substitutes almond meal (aka almond flour) in place of a traditional grain-based bonder so that you can enjoy meatballs while not turning away from your Paleo diet.
One important thing to note about this recipe is that it does not include your ingredients for marinara sauce, just that you’ll need about 2 – 3 cups of it.
You can always grab an off-the-shelf sauce for the quickest prep time (after carefully reading through your ingredients list first), but if you have more time, consider prepping your own sauce in advance.
Homemade marinara sauce made from fresh tomatoes is the kind of thing you can make in batches and freeze for later – a great way to save time on nights where you just need to get something on the table.
If you are hoping to go for a Paleo spaghetti and meatballs dish (probably the most kid-friendly and inexpensive bet), you can pair these meatballs with your choice of zoodles. But your options aren’t limited to just a spaghetti substitute!
Try serving these meatballs atop a plate of this scrumptious Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini dish or as part of a kabob recipe like these Tomato and Mushrooms skewers to build some versatility into your meal plan.
Chicken Meatballs with Marinara Sauce Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Fresh basil
- 2 to 3 cups marinara sauce
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- In a bowl, combine chicken or turkey with egg, almond meal, garlic, dried basil, and dried oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop and form the meatballs with your hands (to avoid stickiness, rub your hands with olive oil).
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet over high heat.
- Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Lower heat to medium and add all the meatballs to the skillet; pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs.
- Cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve topped with fresh basil.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Meatballs with Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Fresh basil
- 2 to 3 cups marinara sauce
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken or turkey with egg, almond meal, garlic, dried basil, and dried oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.1 ½ lbs. ground chicken or turkey, 1 egg, ¼ cup almond meal, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Scoop and form the meatballs with your hands (to avoid stickiness, rub your hands with olive oil).
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet over high-heat.Cooking fat
- Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Lower heat to medium and add all the meatballs to the skillet; pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs.2 to 3 cups marinara sauce
- Cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve topped with fresh basil.Fresh basil
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