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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.
Amazing. Can’t believe I slept on these. They are perfect. The basil was the perfect touch! Thank you!,
We have a cashew allergy in the family, but another on the paleo diet. Is there an alternative to cashew that you’d recommend but would also keep the recipe grain and dairy free? This recipe has been a favorite in our house but we just found out that our baby has a cashew allergy the last time I made this!
Hi! You could swap in pine nuts instead, but may be best to roughly chop versus pulse in the food processor as they could get too creamy/paste-like and not have the same crumbly texture. Let us know how they turn out!
I recently made these for my dad who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I froze them after adding sauce and before baking the second time. He said they’re the best meatballs he’s ever had! I had to try for myself and I 100% agree! These will for sure be a staple here. So easy, so good, and feeds a crowd!
So glad he loved them!!! Sending you and your family all my love!
These are SUCH a staple in our house & I’m making them for the first time this year tonight! The ricotta like texture seriously elevates these meatballs & how easy these are to prep is a game changer. 10/10 recommend!!
L O V E these meatballs! My only change is cooking the bacon just the tiniest bit bc the raw bacon clumps up when chopping and is hard to encorporate evenly with the ground meats. L O V E
Any substitutions for the eggs? I can’t have eggs right now 🙁 could I do flax eggs?
Hi Sharon,
Sorry I am not an expert for egg substitutes, but I looked into best alternatives online and think that 1 tbsp Mayo would be good in substitute.
Can I use bread crumbs instead of arrow root? Not worried about being gluten free
Yes, that should work fine here.
I made this as close as I could with ingredients I had on hand (ie subbed garlic power and basil paste). Came out AMAZING!! So happy with how they came out I am going to make a double batch next time (without substitutes, I’ll be more prepared next time) and freeze. My new go-to for meatballs. Loved them, I would recommend these even if you’re not on Whole30 or needing for other dietary needs.
Highly recommend.
So glad these were a hit. Thanks for commenting!
How much garlic is too much garlic? I’d like to make my own marinara for these, or use Rao’s roasted garlic one- should I scale any of the garlic in the recipe to avoid it taking over? I’m actually doing these for Christmas Eve…just like my grandmother would for children not interested in a more refined Italian holiday dinner fare. Cheers!
there is never too much garlic in my opinion!
Nutrition info please
I made this recipe with lamb and with panko crumbs since that’s what I had and it was amazing!!!!!!!
Yum! Thanks for commenting!
Wow! I made these today. I baked them without the sauce so I could freeze them individually. I cooked them slightly longer without any sauce and then set them individually on a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan. Once cooled I put them in the fridge and then placed them in a freezer bag. I held out two and slowly simmered them in Raos Tomato Basil sauce. Wow! Definitely will be on my repeat list!
Awesome, thank you for commenting! These are so great to make ahead.