Baked Spinach Meatballs

These Healthy Meatballs with Spinach are easy to make, taste amazing, and are great to have on hand in the freezer. They are some of our favorite healthy meatball recipes along with these Healthy Greek Meatballs, Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs, and Baked Turkey Meatballs.

I don't know about you, but as the weather gets colder, I start to crave comfort food, and meatballs are at the top of that list.  Don't get me wrong; I love a good salad for an easy weeknight meal, but when it's cold outside, nothing is better than a cozy bowl of meatball soup, pasta, or meatballs and marinara served with creamy polenta. 

Luckily for me (and everyone, really), there are many ways to incorporate tons of veggies and lean protein into a delicious, light, and healthy meal that will satisfy all those comfort food cravings. 

These beef meatballs are the perfect example! Sure, it's "just" meatballs, but these are not just ordinary meatballs. These are packed with spinach, onions, and garlic — all ingredients that bring tons of flavor without a lot of calories. 

Looking for more meatMost flavor profiles will work in meatball form, like these Turkish Kofte Meatballs and Mexican Chipotle Meatballs. I even tried making Thai Curry Chicken Meatballs one time – they turned out amazing!

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Here's everything you need to make meatballs with spinach:

• Ground beef: I like using 95% lean beef, but you could easily swap in ground chicken or turkey. Mix in some ground pork or sausage, or use 80/20 ground beef for juicier meatballs.
• Spinach: I use frozen here for convenience. Fresh spinach works too, but give it a quick saute or blanch first. Then, roughly chop.
• Egg and breadcrumbs: One egg and some breadcrumbs bind our meatballs so they don't fall apart.
• Onion: You can always use shallots if you want a milder flavor, but I love the bite of a good onion. Use any onion you have — red, white, or yellow. Just remember to chop it really fine or even grate it for extra moisture. You don't want actually to see the onion pieces in your meatballs, just taste them.
• Garlic: "Too much garlic" is not a thing in my house! I add a generous amount to mine. Adjust to your liking, and use fresh or jarred garlic.
• Parmesan cheese: These meatballs taste even better with that cheesy umami! If you’re feeling fancy, try asiago or pecorino.
• Italian seasoning: A mix of dried basil, oregano, and thyme are classic meatball herbs. But if you're using Italian-style bread crumbs, you can skip it since they're usually already seasoned.

Tip: Always have a bag of frozen spinach on hand. Throw a handful into a Mango Spinach Smoothie, this Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, or a bowl of Spinach Turkey Tortellini Soup. Those are some easy recipes to get your greens!

What is the Best Binder for Meatballs?

Eggs and breadcrumbs are my go-to meatball binders. Sometimes, a little cheese, depending on what I'm making. The eggs set up as the meatball cooks and hold everything together. Breadcrumbs soak up all that extra moisture, so your meatballs stay juicy and don't shrink up on you.

If you don't have breadcrumbs, substitute white bread, all-purpose flour, or ground oats. If you're going vegan or low-carb, try almond flour, coconut flour, or even ground flaxseed or chia seeds (remember to soak these!).

But before you go all in, make a little test batch first. It's the only way to know if you'll like it. 

How to Make Spinach Meatballs

Mix, shape, bake. That's all there is to it! Here's how to make this meatballs with spinach recipe:

1. Prep ingredients: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all the excess moisture using cheesecloth or paper towels.
   Tip: Make sure to really squeeze out the water because too much moisture will cause the meatballs to crumble.
2. Mix everything: Combine the ground beef, spinach, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix with your hands until just combined. Overmixing leads to tough meatballs, so mix until just combined. 
3. Make the balls: Roll out the meatballs, using a rounded tablespoon for each meatball, and place them on a prepared baking sheet. A cookie scoop is also a quick way to make meatballs. If you don't care about a perfect shape, you can simply scoop out and bake. 
4. Bake: Bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Make sure not to overcook the meatballs or they can become tough. If anything undercook them slightly since they will continue cooking as they rest. 

Ideas for Customizing Spinach Meatballs

Meatballs are easy to customize, and these spinach garlic meatballs are no exception.

• Different protein: Use any meat that you have on hand. Obviously, ground works best (unless you feel like grinding your own meat). Ground turkey, lamb, or chicken sausage (out of the casing) would also be yummy.
• Spice blend: If you have that on hand, you can use an Italian spice blend. It'll save you from having to search your entire spice drawer for those specific spices.
• Mediterranean meatball: If you want to go to a different flavor profile with these meatballs, you can start with this recipe and add in feta cheese and minced black olives for more of a Mediterranean meatball.
• Leafy greens: You can sub out the spinach for other leafy greens. You can use Swiss chard or kale, just make sure it's cooked before it's added to the meatballs.
• Meatloaf: Not feeling meatballs? Make a meatloaf. Use the same mixture, add to a greased loaf pan, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf pan. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

How Do I Make Paleo Meatballs?

Good news — you don't have to worry about a long list of complicated swaps to make these meatballs Paleo-friendly.

Instead of breadcrumbs, reach for some paleo breadcrumbs, almond flour, crushed pork rinds, or coconut flour. They work like a charm, and you won't even notice the difference. And to get some cheesy action, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast as a substitute for parmesan cheese.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Making meatballs is both simple and surprisingly easy to get wrong. Here are some tricks I've learned over the years:

• Handle your meatballs as little as possible: This is a big one! Mix just until everything is distributed evenly. The more you handle the meatballs, the more the proteins in the meat bind together, making them dense and tough.
• Chill the mixture before shaping: Fifteen minutes in the fridge makes them easier to handle and stick less.
• Use an ice cream or cookie scoop: I love using a small ice cream scoop to portion my meatballs. They end up perfectly round! This also reduces contact with the meat.
• Oil your hands: Some olive oil will help you shape your meatballs faster without sticking to your hands. Again, minimal handling.
• Bake on a wire rack: Better heat circulation means evenly cooked and browned meatballs. It keeps them nice and round, too! Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
• Squeeze your spinach: This goes both for frozen and fresh that's been blanched. Too much water leads to sad, soggy meatballs.

Ways to Serve Spinach Meatballs

These Italian meatballs are soooo versatile! Here are my favorite ways to enjoy them:

• Veggie noodles: Pair them with zucchini noodles, sweet potato spirals, or carrot ribbons — any way you like your veggie pasta can't be wrong.
• Grains: Try serving the meatballs on top rice, quinoa, farro, or even cauliflower rice. Top with a simple marinara and you have a perfect meal.
• Hoagie rolls: Add these meatballs to a low-carb wrap or a hoagie roll with some provolone, marinara sauce, banana peppers, and red pepper flakes. Heat it under a broiler until the cheese gets nice and brown and bubbly.
• Wontons: These meatballs would be yummy inside some wonton wrappers with a little Buffalo mozzarella cheese and then baked. (You might need to halve or quarter them to get them to fit inside a wrapper.) Seal the wrappers with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes or until the wrappers turn a golden brown. Dip in marinara sauce for the perfect finger food.
• As a starter: These meatballs make a great appetizer for finger food. Make them a little smaller than you usually would, bake them, and serve them all in a dish with a toothpick in each one. Have your favorite sauce on the side for dipping.
• Sliders: Make meatball sliders with some tiny rolls or Hawaiian bread.
• Pasta: Add these meatballs to pasta (veggie, whole wheat, or high-fiber—your choice), then top with marinara and shredded mozzarella. Bake in a casserole dish at 325 for 20 minutes, then enjoy.
• Lettuce wraps: You can put these meatballs, warm or cold, into a lettuce wrap and drizzle with tzatziki sauce (or another yogurt-based sauce). Trust me, this works!

How Do I Cook Meatballs in the Slow Cooker?

If you want to cook these up in the slow cooker, make them as instructed, then layer them in a single layer on the bottom of a greased slow cooker (it's okay if some of them have to go on top of the others). Pour two cups of marinara over the meatballs and cook on low for 5 -5 ½ hours.

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Instructions

This spinach meatball recipe is one of our favorite freezer-friendly meals. They're just as good the next day (if not better)!

• To store: Cool your leftovers, then put them in an airtight container. They'll stay delicious for up to 3-4 days.
• To reheat: Warm them gently on the skillet with a sauce like homemade marinara and a simple tomato sauce. You can also bake them at 350°F until hot. Cover with foil so they don't dry out. The quickest way is to microwave them in 30-second bursts but watch them closely so they don't become rubbery.
• To make ahead: This spinach meatball recipe freezes beautifully. Arrange them on a baking sheet, freeze them for an hour, then toss them in a freezer bag. Bake them straight from frozen when you're ready to serve.