Meatloaf Meatballs have everything you’d expect to find in a classic meatloaf but packaged into delicious bite-sized portions. They’re super kid-friendly and not to mention absolutely delicious!

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My oldest son has been a vegetarian since he was five, but my two daughters still very much so eat (and love) meat. They both love a good meatloaf, but the amount of time it takes for a whole meatloaf to cook in the oven sometimes steers me away from making it. These meatloaf meatballs solve that problem! It cuts the cooking time in half which is perfect for busy weeknights when you want dinner on the table ASAP.

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How to Make Meatloaf Meatballs

  1. First, you’re going to sauté your onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until the veggies are soft.
  2. Move the veggie mixture to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Add your ground turkey, Italian herbs and salt to the bowl with the veggies and mix until combined. Using your hands works great, by the way!
  3. Using a tablespoon measure, form mixture into balls and place in a greased baking dish.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with ketchup or favorite dipping sauce on the side!

Recipe Tip

When forming the meatballs, wet your hands with some water to prevent the mixture from sticking to you.

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These were a total hit with both of my girls when I first made them. To add a bit more fun to this dish, I serve the meatballs skewered with toothpicks so the kids can easily dip them in ketchup or BBQ sauce. They’re also an ideal leftover addition to the lunchbox. They’re also a perfect appetizer to serve at your next tailgate or birthday party and a great recipe if you’re looking to meal prep! The recipe name may sound like a mouthful, but isn’t that a good thing?

More Meatball Recipes

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Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites

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Meatloaf Meatballs

5 from 3 votes
Servings: 30 meatballs
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1/2 onion, diced small
  • 1/2 bell pepper, diced small
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound ground turkey, dark or light meat
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
  • Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
  • Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, until the veggies are soft.
  • Remove the veggies from the heat and allow to cool.
  • In a bowl, mix together the cooled veggies, ground turkey, italian herbs and salt, until well combined.
  • Using a 1 tablespoon measure, form the mixture into meatballs, and place in a greased baking dish.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Note: You can also sauté the meatballs over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, and cover for 1 additional minute.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1390mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. The only thing I add is chili sauce and a slice of bread soaked in milk.A bit of Dijon mustard and chopped garlic.The onions and the rest are also in there My recipe happened because the oven crapped out .I think you can cook them in a crock pot after browning with gravy too.Again never any left overs

  2. These are so good. My entire family really enjoyed them. I had some Italian sausage leftover from a lasagne so threw it in there also and it added great flavor. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe!

  3. So good! I added breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, spinach, zucchini, and mushrooms to mine for my 1 year old! I also snuck a few they were so good and so easy!

  4. How do they stay together without breadcrumbs? Mine look like mushballs rather than round meatballs. Am I missing something?

  5. […] Meatloaf Meatballs from Weelicious […]

  6. […] The prices listed are based on an average price of what’s on sale this week at various stores and are subject to change weekly. Meatloaf Meatballs – recipe […]

  7. Hi there! I have 1 year old twins, so I like to cook in mass production on the weekends and freeze so food is ready for the week. For this delicious looking recipe, would you recommend preparing these and freezing them in the balls and baking when ready, or baking them and then freezing them up and just re-heating them when ready to use?

  8. […] for something you can make in advance and just reheat when needed. Weelicious has a good recipe for Meatloaf Meatballs to try […]

  9. I think it would be great with ground beef! Just add about 5-10 minutes to the cooking time!

  10. I use just enough oil to coat the pan! I think these would work great in a muffin pan, and I would cook them for about 15-20 minutes!

  11. Couple of questions:

    1. How much oil should I use to sauté the veggies
    2. Can I put use a mini muffin tin instead of making meatballs and if so for how long should they stay in the oven?

    Thanks

  12. Love these ! Same things happening with my daughter seems less interested in turkey and chicken which she used to love ! But never turns down turkey sausage Lol !

  13. that is so interesting! I feel like Pia will eat only very specific meat right now too (like steak is not on her radar)- these are adorable- I should try them!

  14. My little seems to only eat meat if it is served in a meatball or hamburger patty. I think it is too hard to chew otherwise for him (he just turned 2 a few months ago) so I am always looking for good ground meat recipes!

  15. My boys would love these!! My oldest loves anything he can dip. So great seeing you this weekend! <3

  16. My boys love meatloaf so much. One time I made them in muffin tins because I didn’t have time to cook a whole loaf…and my husband loved it and SERIOUSLYstill talks about it!! Soooo…you can imagine how he’ll react to these meat loaf meatballs. He might remarry me or give me a medal.

  17. Hi Catherine! My son is the same with meat!! He also concerned about the eating animals aspect. But like Kenya, it’s a texture or taste thing too. Thanks for sharing these! Marissa

  18. I think meatballs are the best invention ever. Especially on a stick. I can see these making a variation to my grill for summer eats for sure. Hope Kenya won’t mind 🙂 You may have a future veg on your hands!

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