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Growing up, my Italian mother used to make Meatballs al Forno (aka baked meatballs) that were insanely delicious. They had ricotta, which added a nice, creamy touch, and they were just insanely good. I wanted to give her meatballs a little makeover to fit into a Whole30 diet. Enter: my Whole30 Baked Meatballs!
I am seriously obsessed with how these turned out and they couldn’t be easier to make. I tried to find a way to give the meatballs the same texture that my mom’s ricotta-based version had by creating a nut-based pesto. The cashews helped give the meatballs some body, while the basil added a vibrant, fresh flavor.
Other than making the cashew pesto in the food processor, the rest of this recipe comes together without a whole lot of effort. Make the meatballs, throw them in a baking dish, and bake them at a higher temperature until browned, then smother them in sauce, reduce the heat, and let them cook low and slow until they’re tender and delicious!
You can serve these however you like — over pasta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash, or alongside a big Whole30 Caesar Salad.
Ingredients:
- Fresh Basil
- Garlic Cloves
- Raw Cashews
- No Sugar Added Bacon Strips
- Ground Beef
- Ground Pork
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Dried Oregano
- Large Eggs
- Arrowroot Flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Jarred Marinara Sauce
- Fresh Parsley
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
step two: make the cashew pesto
In a food processor or blender, add the basil and garlic. Turn on low speed and blend until finely chopped, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the cashews and lemon zest and blend until cashews are finely chopped and the mixture has a crumbly, dough-like consistency.
step three: make the meatball mixture
Transfer the cashew-basil mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon, ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, eggs, and arrowroot flour. Using clean hands, mix the meat until well combined.
step four: prep the baking dish
Coat the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
step five: form the meatballs
Use an ice cream scoop to gather and form a 2-inch round meatball. Place the meatball in baking dish and repeat with the remaining meat.
step six: bake the meatballs
Transfer the dish to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the meatballs are browned, about 20 minutes.
step seven: add the sauce
Remove from oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Pour the marinara evenly over meatballs. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue to bake, uncovered, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
step eight: garnish and serve
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and basil. Serve as desired and enjoy!
recipe faqs:
Yes! Follow the recipe through step 6. After you’ve browned the meatballs and poured the marinara over the meatballs, let the mixture cool completely before freezing.
When ready to bake, thaw the meatball mixture in the fridge overnight, bake in a 325°F oven, uncovered, until the meatballs are tender, and the sauce is hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
I hope you love these Whole30 Baked Meatballs as much as my family and I do! Leave a comment below once you’ve tried them.
looking for more meatball recipes? try these!
Meatballs with Basil and Burst Tomatoes
Easy Skillet Swedish Meatballs
Crockpot Cranberry-Orange Meatballs
Whole30 Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 strips no sugar added bacon, finely diced
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (32-ounce) jar marinara sauce, such as Rao's
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a food processor or blender, add the basil and garlic. Turn on low speed and blend until finely chopped, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the cashews and lemon zest and blend until cashews are finely chopped and the mixture has a crumbly, dough-like consistency.
- Transfer the cashew-basil mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon, ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, eggs, and arrowroot flour. Using clean hands, mix the meat until well combined.
- Coat the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Use an ice cream scoop to gather and form a 2-inch round meatball. Place the meatball in baking dish and repeat with the remaining meat.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the meatballs are browned, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Pour the marinara evenly over meatballs. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue to bake, uncovered, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and basil. Serve as desired and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love these meatballs so much, I’ve made them probably close to 50 times!! Question; can this recipe also be made into a meatloaf??
It could be delish as a meatloaf! would be very italian style, but I don’t see why not. Now– note that it has a higher fat content– so your meatloaf is going to look scary after you bake it.. but that’s pretty typical with meatloaf.
Hi Alex! My family is obsessed with this recipe and we were thinking of trying it as a meatloaf too – would it be 350 for an hour? Keep the arrowroot or sub almond flour? THANK YOU!
These are so tasty! I do have a question. When I make these (I’ve done so twice), there’s a decent amount of liquid and pink stuff (fat from the meat?) that I feel like I should drain before adding the tomato sauce. Do you have a recommendation on what to do with that? Once I drained it, and once I left it. I think I prefer the drained. Thank you for letting me know your thoughts!
yes, depending on the meat you use– this can happen! Draining is a great idea.
I made these for a potluck and everyone thinks I’m a Chef now
Haha love to hear it!
Alex- I have to review these saying that they are the best of the best! I have made them so many times I have lost count- Thank you for a delicious, tried and true recipe for meatballs! If I don’t have pork, I sub Turkey, I have skipped the bacon and they turn out well- it is just such an easy recipe! I have taken to making them in triple batches and freezing them individually to pull out for busy nights. Thank you!
Hi! How would you suggest we freeze these? Cooked or raw?
I prefer to freeze them raw!
Made these tonight. SO GOOD! I wanted to get two meals out of these so after baking, I put 9 meatballs in a skillet with the Raos marinara sauce and let it simmer while boiling up the jovial pasta, and placed the remainder of the baked meatballs in a freezer bag for another night!
This is the only way I make meatballs now! The texture is the perfect combination of a traditional pan-fried and braised meatball.
10/5 stars!!! This recipe is BOMB. I made these for Christmas Eve last year for my family and everyone was blown away. Perfect (healthy!) Italian night dinner!
Thank you, Carley!
Made these last night (turkey instead of pork/beef) and my boyfriend and I (but especially him) loved them!! Not doing a Whole 30 but I’m just trying to find some healthier swaps for us. Served with some tasty bread and a salad with your Whole30 Caesar dressing!!
amazing!! so glad to hear it!
Any suggestions on making these without pork?
just sub in more beef.
Hi! These are my favorite! Quick question— I’ve been using cooked bacon, should I be using raw bacon that just cooks with the meatballs? About to whip up a batch and this just came to me that I might’ve been doing it wrong every other time. *Still tasty with the cooked bacon!*
yes!!! raw bacon is best!
These meatballs are the absolute best! I make them all the time and they have quickly became a family favorite! Thank you so much for an excellent recipe! 💕
Thank you for the loving comment and review, Theresa!
Can you sub the cashews for something else similar?
I was wondering the same thing! My daughter is allergic to cashews. But can do almonds or pine nuts?
Pine nuts is the best sub! 🙂
So I’ll throw another one at ya…what if you are allergic to ALL nuts…what could I sub in there? I’ve made a pesto using some banana instead of nuts…would that work? I want to try these so badly!!
I definitely wouldn’t use banana in this recipe. You could add 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese instead if you are oK with dairy!
Delicious!! Love these meatballs! If I were to cook them ahead of time as a meal to drop off for a friend, how would I suggest they reheat them in the oven ?
I would just tell them to pop into the oven, covered at 350 for about 20-30 mins.