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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.
This might be a dumb question, but do you cook the back first before adding it to the mixture? It doesn’t state.
Thank you.
Hi Rosie- not dumb! it is raw, not cooked
Could almonds or pecans work instead of cashews? We have some nut allergies in our house.
Is there another nut I could use here? Almonds? My daughter is allergic to cashew (and pistachio) and this is the first time I’ll be making this recipe with her eating it as well. Thanks!
It’s a good recipe, but the bacon is very overpowering. I used the one suggested in the recipe. I will attempt to make next time without it. Alex, do you have a sub for the bacon?
you can omit!
Made this for a party and they were a big hit! Also, I was so glad they were gluten free because there was a friend there I didn’t realize before has celiac. Thanks for sharing with us!
Amazing! Made this for some girl friends and our kids and plates were left empty. I will definitely make again!
I can’t find the nutrition facts- have I missed a link somewhere?
Could I use peanuts instead of cashews?
Cashew are more mild in flavor so I worry that they may taste too peanut-y but if you do try, let us know how it is!
My husband is allergic to cashews, I see you mentioned peanuts may add too much peanut flavor, could I leave the nuts out entirely? Or sub something else?
Can your husband do pine nuts? I recommend roughly chopping pine nuts
Can you swap breadcrumbs if you’re not doing whole 30?
These were wonderful! A bit much on the basil but easy enough to back down on. They were moist and super easy to make.
I love how herby this are but you can absolutely lessen the amount of preferred! Glad you enjoyed regardless.
Wow! I made this for a postpartum meal for my friend and they raved about it so I decided to make it for my family. Amazing! It’s a struggle to get my toddlers to eat meat but they always ask for more meatballs when I make this. Thank you for this heavenly dish
Love to hear it! Thanks for commenting