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–+ servings
juicy zucchini meatballs with salad leaves and small tomatoes on the side.
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4.55 from 11 votes

Beef Meatballs with Zucchini

Juicy, tender and delicious beef meatballs with zucchini and Parmesan, this is one of our favorite meatball recipes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Meat Recipes
Cuisine: German, American
Servings: 35 meatballs
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lbs ground beef Note 1
  • 7 oz zucchini not too large
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • a handful fresh dill
  • 1.5 oz white bread
  • 1.5 oz Parmesan freshly grated
  • 2 eggs
  • fine sea salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or more as needed
US - EU

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Line one or two baking trays with parchment paper.
  • Grate the zucchini finely and squeeze out excess liquid. Don't overdo it; you still want to have some moisture, just squeeze lightly to remove what is too much.
    7 oz zucchini
  • Prepare the ingredients: Grate the onion and the garlic cloves finely as well. Grate the Parmesan. Chop the dill finely. Remove the crust from the bread slice and crumble the bread with your fingers to obtain crumbs. Beat the eggs lightly.
    1 onion + 2 garlic cloves+ 1.5 oz Parmesan+ a handful fresh dill+ 1.5 oz white bread + 2 eggs
  • Meatball mixture: Place the beef, zucchini, onion, garlic, Parmesan, dill, breadcrumbs, and eggs in a bowl. Add salt and pepper generously and mix everything with your hand. Add some more salt and pepper to taste.
    fine sea salt and pepper
  • Shape the meatballs; I had 35 medium ones. Press them a little flat with your hand.
  • Sear zucchini meatballs: Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet and start frying the meatballs, about 2 minutes on each side, in batches. As they are ready, transfer them to the prepared trays. Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet, if necessary, and continue the process with the rest of the meatballs.
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Bake the meatballs for 7 or 8 minutes. Serve as suggested above.

Notes

Ground beef: You can also make the meatballs with mixed ground beef and pork. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 91mg