Home » Recipe Type » Lunch at Home » Healthy Meatballs (with Veggies)
by Michele Olivier on August 11, 2015 (updated May 15, 2024)
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5 stars (87 ratings)These Mini Chicken + Carrot Meatballs are a perfect first finger food for baby, but don’t be surprised when the rest of the family starts popping them in their mouths as well! Filled with ground chicken, carrots, spinach and applesauce – these mini meatballs are a healthy (andcompletely addicting) food for baby and the entire family!
The first time I made these mini meatballs was when baby Parker was first starting on finger foods.Small and moist, these mini meatballs are a perfect food for baby to pick up and attempt to eat on their own.
But then the rest of us had to try them…
and we ended up polishing the rest of the meatballs off!<—— so rude of us, I know!!
So, I had to make more and quick! These balls are that addicting!
The very next morning, I braved the store with both girls and got the only two ingredientsI needed to make these meatballs again –ground chicken and a bottle of wine. Well, you know the wine isn’t needed but it is always a good idea to have some on hand!
We had them again for dinner that night (adding some feta, which isn’t in the recipe, but totally gets a big YES in our books) and I served them over some basil pesto pasta with a side salad (for the adults) and a berry finger salad for the kiddos!
All of our plates were scraped clean! Yummmmmmmm!!!
But my addiction didn’t stopped there, I have made these meatballsinto a sandwich filled with even more spinach, garlic-chive aioli and a ton of feta cheese pilled onto a ciabattabun, used as the filling for lettuce wraps, and of course I have made theminto patties and grilled them for some finger licking good chicken burgers (made with even more feta pilled on top as well as wayyyyyy too many slices of avocado).
A baby meal turned into a family meal! Score!!
The best part of this recipe is that it is totally adjustable to what you have on hand. Keeping the base ingredients you can switch out the carrots and spinach for anything you have on hand. Just make sure it is finely chopped.
Here are a few ideas for you –
- spinach + leeks
- broccoli + asparagus
- red peppers + strawberries (make sure to press the juices out of the strawberries in-between paper towels)
- fennel + kale
- feta + feta 🙂
- golden beets + apple
- pear + chard
Get the recipe:Mini Chicken + Carrot Meatballs
5 stars (87 ratings)
These Mini Chicken + Carrot Meatballs are a perfect first finger food for baby, but don't be surprised when the rest of the family starts popping them in their mouths as well!
Yield: 24 mini meatballs
Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 25 minutes minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1/4 cup applesauce or apple puree
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, silicone mat or tin foil.
In a large bowl, place all of the ingredients. Gently fold together with your hands or spatula until everything is well incorporated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Roll meat mixture into 1″ balls. I find it helps to wet your hands throughout the process.
Place the meatballs onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and gently browned.
Notes
Age: 8 Months and up
Yield: 24-30 meatballs depending on size
Storage: you can store these meatballs in an airtight contatiner in the fridege for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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9-12 Months Baby Led Weaning Dairy Free Dinner Finger Foods Food Hidden Veggie Lunch at Home Nut Free Preschoolers Toddlers
originally published on August 11, 2015 (updated May 15, 2024)
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Stephanie —Reply
I have already made these meatballs a handful of times and they always come out so moist and tasty. My little loves them and they are so easy to add to a pasta or in a quesadilla, the possibilities are endless.
Michele Olivier —Reply
Hi Stephanie! So happy to hear your little one loves these meatballs as much as my girls do! xo, Michele
Emily —Reply
LOVE THIS RECIPE – have been making these for me son since he started eating and he’s now a picky toddler and these are still a favourite!!!!!
Michele Olivier —Reply
Hi Emily! That’s so great to hear! Thank you for sharing. xo, Michele
Caitlin —Reply
This recipe has really served us well. Started around 8 months and now at a little over 2, this is one of the few things our daughter will consistently eat with veggies. We call them garbage meatballs bc whatever veggies we have on hand on the fridge goes in (leftover broccoli, zucchini (squeeze out water), etc). Just need 1 1/4 cups of total veggies. We generally make it with ground turkey and have mixed up the spice too (subbing garam masala when out of cumin). Such a great, flexible recipe!
Michele Olivier —Reply
OMG I love “garbage meatballs”! lol Great ideas for other readers, too! Thanks for sharing Caitlin!
SR —Reply
I’ve made this recipe a number of times over the past two years and it doesn’t disappoint. Most recently we tried turkey instead of chicken and may have liked it even more. It’s also fun to ask my 3-year-old which spices he’d prefer to add- cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, smoked paprika- it’s a versatile recipe! Thank you so much!
Michele Olivier —Reply
What a great way to get your little one involved in the kitchen! We enjoy them with turkey too! xo, Michele
Samantha M —Reply
My 17 month old absolutely loves these chicken meatballs! Thank you so much for the recipe!!! So easy to make too.
Michele Olivier —Reply
Thank you for the amazing review! I am so happy to hear your little one loves these meatballs!
Claire Goodman —Reply
I see an egg in the pictures but not listed in the ingredients. Should I use one or not?
Michele Olivier —Reply
Yes, this recipe calls for 1 egg. Which is listed in the recipe card. I hope that helps.
Emily (Eila’s mom) —Reply
My baby loves these!!! Thank you! Have you ever made this into a meatloaf to make it easier? If so, any adjustments?
Michele Olivier —Reply
I have not made these meatballs into a meatloaf. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.
Chelsea —Reply
My little one LOVES these! He’s 10 months old but the first time we gave these was at around 8 months I think. And I think they taste great too even without salt!
Michele Olivier —Reply
Thank you for the 5-star review! I am so happy to hear that your little one loves these meatballs!
Monica —Reply
Please be warned…these are ADDICTIVE! So moist and full of flavour (didn’t even add any salt. I stewed my own apples with a bit of water). My 10 month old, husband and I loved them. Thank you for this lovely recipe 🙂
Michele Olivier —Reply
So happy to hear that your entire family loved these meatballs! Sorry if they are too addicting! lol
Sara Lamouruex —Reply
LOVE! These are so good. I freeze them on a baking sheet then throw them into a bag. They’re perfect to heat up quick. I’ll throw them in the microwave for 1 minute and they’re ready. Serve them with veggies, zucchini fries, or chop them up and add them to macaroni and cheese. My 11 month old is a big fan, and I think they’re pretty tasty too!
Michele Olivier —Reply
Thank you for sharing all the ways you serve these meatballs – super helpful! I’m so happy that your little one is a big fan of these meatballs ❤️
Miranda —Reply
Would frozen spinach work too, if thawed first?
Michele Olivier —Reply
I haven’t tried using frozen spinach in this recipe. But I think it would work if you thawed and then drained any excess liguid. If you try it, please let us know how they turn out.
Jen —Reply
These were terrific and perfect for my little one! Thank you! (Hubby and I ate them for dinner, too!)
Michele Olivier —Reply
So glad the entire family liked these meatballs and had dinner together!
Kelly —Reply
A+ A+ my baby loves these so much, it’s all she wants to eat! Ignores her veggies for bite after bite of meatball!
Ana —Reply
Will almond flour work instead of breadcrumbs?
Michele Olivier —Reply
I have not tried using almond flour in this recipe. If you are going to try it, I would start out with 1-2 tbsp of almond flour, as it is very absorbant, and add more from there.
Sara —Reply
These are amazing and yes so addicting. We planned to eat them with feta but they were so good, we just popped them in our mouth. 15 month old loved them too!
Michele Olivier —Reply
So glad you enjoyed these meatballs!
Victoria —Reply
The picky eaters loved them, the adults had a hard time leaving some for the littles! Great recipe, making another double batch to freeze!
Michele Olivier —Reply
So happy to hear the entire family loved these meatballs!:)
Abuela —Reply
Substituted onion powder for scallions. Made 3/4 inch round balls and steamed for 10 min to avoid tough outer layer that can result from baking.. They were amazing, soft outer layer, tender all around, and best of all, delicious! I cannot thank you enough.
Michele Olivier —Reply
I love the idea of steaming these! So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Amelia —Reply
Hi, made these for the first time and reheated them today in the microwave. They came out horribly dry and baby wouldn’t eat them 🙁 any tips on reheating these so chicken doesn’t dry out? Thanks!
Michele Olivier —Reply
I usually heat my meatballs in a small skillet on the stove with a tablespoon of water. Maybe that would help keep them moist.
Mike —Reply
This is my daughters favorite food, so easy and great to have a whole weeks worth of lunches. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Michele Olivier —Reply
So happy to hear this recipe was such a big hit! yay!
Domenic Aloise —Reply
Is it possible to cook these in a broth (on a low simmer or boil) rather than bake? My LO is picky with texture if they are too crispy on the outside.
Michele Olivier —Reply
I haven’t tried cooking the meatballs this way, but it’s worth a try. Let us know how they turn out.
Laks —Reply
Made them with turkey meat, it was amazing.followed the recipe, quite easy actually. Thank you so much!
Deb Tong —Reply
My 10 month old looooves these! So they have been a go to for us as part of the weekly rotation. I’ve always made them with ground chicken but I happen to have some ground pork in the freezer. Would that also work?
Michele Olivier —Reply
So happy to hear that your little one loves these! Yes, you can use ground pork in these.
Melanie Lesko —Reply
This recipe was quick and easy! I’ll def be making it again!
Michele Olivier —Reply
So happy to hear you liked this recipe!
Jackie —Reply
My baby is almost 18mths old is it suitable for him still? And he is allergic to eggs, is there any substitution?
Michele Olivier —Reply
Yes! My entire family loves these meatballs. For an egg substitute, you can try a “flax egg” or 1/4 cup applesauce, mashed banana or sweet potatoes. Eggs are used in meatballs to bind them together, so you are looking for something that will do that. Let me know what you use and if it works.
Christal —Reply
Just made these tonight, they are delicious and moist! I didn’t have green onion so I subbed for some chopped up steamed broccoli I had leftover. Also added a pinch of onion powder and garlic powder. I ate them plain and cold while putting them away! Will make again, thank you.
Michele Olivier —Reply
Love the addition of adding the broccoli!
