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By Katja Heino 14 Comments
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Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, Paleo)

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Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, paleo) | savorylotus.com

Need an easy dinner idea that the whole family will love? These easy Pesto Meatballs are a breeze to throw together and are guaranteed to be a hit.

Who doesn’t love pesto?  And with the warmer months upon us, basil is back in season.  We had a small gathering at our house last week, and I needed an easy dish to serve that would be kid-friendly.  I decide to use what I had in the fridge, and this is what I came up with:

Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, paleo) ~ savorylotus.com

Meatballs are easy to make.  They are super nutrient-dense.  And they are a crowd-pleaser.  I made a huge platter of these Pesto Meatballs for our party, and they were all gone before I knew it.  Awesome!  I love positive feedback on my recipes!

Love to have food ready to go in the freezer?  These meatballs freeze well and can be easily defrosted for a quick and easy weeknight meal.  Next time I am going to make a double batch for sure.

I used a combination of beef and pork because that’s what I had.  Feel free to use any ground meat that you like.  I think that you and your family are really going to like these.

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Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, paleo) ~ savorylotus.com

Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, Paleo)

★★★ 3 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Katja from Savory Lotus
  • Yield: 48 small meatballs 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only
  • 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp unrefined sea salt (I use this one)
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 3 TBS olive oil, coconut oil (like this) or ghee (like this), melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 pounds ground meat
  • 1 tablespoons coconut flour (like this) **see note

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400’F and line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper (like this).
  2. TO MAKE PESTO: In a food processor, process basil leaves until completely broken up. Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fat of choice and continue to process until well incorporated and smooth.
  3. Mix ground beef, eggs, and flour together in a large bowl. Add basil pesto and mix again. I just get in there with my hands.
  4. Form into small balls and place onto lined baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until cooked all the way through and starting to brown.
  6. Enjoy! To freeze for later, freeze in single layers then place into airtight container.

Notes

I use 1 tablespoon of coconut flour as a binder.  You can sub any flour that you have like almond or cassava, but you will have to use at 2-3  tablespoons of any other flour.  Start with 2 and add another if mixture seems too sticky to roll.

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Pesto Meatballs (gluten and grain free, paleo) - savorylotus.com

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Filed Under: Main Course, Whole30 Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin says

    June 30, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I just made these. They are very tasty but a little dry, may need to add some Paleo marina sauce.
    Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Katja says

      July 2, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      Bummer that they came out dry. I haven’t had that issue. It probably had to do with the meat that you used. Some meat is much leaner than others. I use a local, grass fed beef that turns out perfect. But a marinara sauce with these would be perfect. Thanks for the idea! 🙂

      Reply
  2. John Martinelli says

    September 9, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    If you use prepared pesto, how much do you use?

    Reply
    • Katja says

      September 10, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      The amount my bunch of basil makes varies every time. If you use 1/3 to 1/2 cup, you should be fine. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jan says

    July 5, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    Very good. I made the meatballs with 1 lb of 85% lean beef & 2 or 3 tablespoons of pesto we had previously made & frozen. Nice shortcut to giving the meatballs lots of flavor! I broiled them, which means they cooked a bit faster. Next time I will bake them as the parchment paper can get too hot in the broiler!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Molly says

    September 17, 2018 at 7:24 am

    What is the nutrition info for these?

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      September 17, 2018 at 10:23 am

      Hi, Molly! I don;t calculate. But you can use this if you want to know—-> https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply
  5. M.S. says

    March 7, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    We don’t consider beef and pork to be a healthy choice for food.

    ★

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      March 10, 2020 at 11:34 am

      OK… that’s fine. Everyone is different. Eat what makes you happy and feel good. 🙂

      Reply
  6. kathy says

    February 3, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Hi! These look delicious !! Do you freeze the meatballs before or after you cook them? THANKS!

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      July 26, 2023 at 3:15 am

      After I cook them. 🙂

      Reply

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