Best 13 Eggplant Meatballs Recipes

EGGPLANT "MEATBALLS"

Steps:

• Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and saute the garlic in the hot oil until just fragrant and barely starting to lightly brown, about 30 seconds. Add the eggplant and 1/4 cup of water. Lower the heat to low and cover the skillet. Allow the eggplant to steam until soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, if you have time.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
• Place the eggplant mixture in a food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Or just do this on a cutting board with a knife.
• Transfer the eggplant mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the cheese, parsley, basil, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture well to combine, using your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture can be refrigerated at this point, covered for up to a day. It is easier to roll into meatballs when the mixture is cooled down. (If doing so, preheat the oven 30 minutes before baking the meatballs.)
• Roll or scoop the mixture using a 1- to 1 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm on the outside and light brown underneath.
• Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce in a large saucepan over low heat until simmering. Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan with marinara sauce. Toss with the sauce and serve.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt.
• Let sit 10 minutes to draw out water.
• Rinse and pat dry.
• Saute on stovetop with a splash of olive oil and about 1/4 cup water until eggplant is soft.
• Remove and chop finely.
• Mix everything but the breadcrumbs when eggplant is cool.
• Then add breadcrumbs and mix until you get the consistency you want to form the balls.
• Place in a generously olive oiled pan about l inch apart and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 40 60 minutes.
• Turn halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

CRISPY LAMB MEATBALLS WITH CHICKPEAS AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine lamb, fennel seeds, garlic and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix until everything is well combined and the spices are evenly distributed.
• Using your hands, roll lamb mixture into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. You should have about 12 meatballs.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs - work in batches if your skillet can't comfortably fit them all without crowding - and cook, gently rotating them occasionally so they more or less brown on all sides while keeping a vaguely round shape, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not stress about this part; they will be delicious no matter what shape they are.) After they are evenly browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, leaving the fat and any browned bits behind.
• Add 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet and, working in batches, if needed, add eggplant slices in an even layer, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the slices, flipping them once, until they are browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add more oil as needed. After eggplant slices are cooked and browned, transfer them to the plate with the meatballs.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet, along with chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (They won't exactly crisp; you're just looking to take the edge off and get them nicely seasoned.)
• Season yogurt with salt and pepper and smear onto the bottom of a large plate or serving platter. Top with meatballs, eggplant and chickpeas. Scatter with greens and cilantro, and then squeeze lemon halves over everything before serving.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT BALLS (USE JUST LIKE MEATBALLS) FRY OR BAKE

Steps:

• In food processor, prepare the ingredients that need to be minced or diced mentioned above.
• In a large saucepan, heat oil & gently sauté garlic until golden brown.
• Add diced eggplant & water - then cover & simmer under low heat until eggplant is VERY soft. Drain if watery when done then transfer to large bowl.
• Combine eggplant, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs and cheese in large bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Form into balls (same size as you prefer your meatballs to be) and fry in olive oil in large pan or bake in over for 30-35 minute at 325º or until brown.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant on top. Use a fork to prick the eggplant 4 times, then place the eggplant in the oven and roast it until it has completely collapsed and a paring knife easily slips into the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the eggplant 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh (discard the skin). Place the roasted eggplant in a medium bowl and stir in the egg and beans. Add the garlic, basil, parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine, then mix in the breadcrumbs.
• Again, line the rimmed baking sheet with a clean sheet of foil and lightly mist it with spray. Shape the eggplant mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons per ball; you should get about 16). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly mist the top of the balls with spray. Bake the eggplant balls until they are golden brown and firm, about 20 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Remove the meatballs from the oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and serve with the marinara sauce.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Boil the chopped eggplant in salted boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Squeeze out any excess water from the eggplant.
• In a bowl, add the bread and milk. Allow the bread to sit and absorb the milk for a few minutes. Squeeze out as much of the milk from the bread as possible.
• In another mixing bowl, add the eggplant and break up the bread into the bowl. Add the eggs, Pecorino, Parmigiano cheese, and salt. Then add the bread crumbs and flour. Cook's Note: If your mixture has a lot of moisture you may need to add more bread crumbs and flour. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. With your hands, shape the meatballs into the size of golf balls. Dredge the meatballs in the flour.
• For the tomato sauce: In a large saucepan heat up olive oil. Saute the onions and add the tomato puree and salt. Bring the mixture to a light boil, then turn the heat to medium. Add the meatballs to the sauce and allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes. Plate and add the Parmigiano cheese.

SPAGHETTI AND EGGPLANT "MEATBALLS"

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with a rack about 6 inches from heating element. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until blackened on top, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and continue broiling until blackened on second side, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Immediately transfer to a bowl with oil, garlic, and oregano, tossing to combine. Cover bowl with a plate or plastic wrap; let steam until eggplant softens and cools slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer eggplant mixture to a food processor. Add beans, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, red-pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Pulse just to a chunky paste, 10 to 12 times (do not overmix). Form mixture into 16 meatballs, each approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lightly drizzled with oil.
• Drizzle with more oil, shaking sheet until meatballs are lightly and evenly coated. Broil, undisturbed, until browned on top and firm, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 3 cups tomato sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large straight-sided skillet. Gently transfer broiled meatballs to sauce, turning to coat (meatballs are delicate and can fall apart if handled aggressively). Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot; stir in remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Toss in more pasta water as necessary, a little at a time, until sauce evenly clings to noodles. Serve meatballs with sauce over pasta, topped with more cheese and red-pepper flakes, and a drizzle of oil.

VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add eggplant, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to onion mixture; cook and stir, mashing occasionally with a wooden spoon, until eggplant is cooked through but still holds shape, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cool mixture to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (such as Silpat®).
• Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs into eggplant mixture; shape into 15 to 18 "meatballs". Arrange "meatballs" on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 30 minutes.

CURRIED MEATBALLS WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Rinse the rice twice, drain, then place in a saucepan and mix in half the ginger. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Set aside, covered. Heat a large sauté pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Cook on medium-high until seeds start to dance and smell fragrant. Turn off heat. Remove to a mortar. Add chile flakes and pulverize.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil to the pan. Add onion and sauté on low until very lightly browned. Remove. Add remaining ghee or oil and sauté eggplant on medium until lightly browned. Remove.
• Mix ground meat with half the onions, half the ground spices, 6 tablespoons of the rice, the egg, half the mint and salt to taste. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Sauté meatballs in pan on medium until lightly browned. Don't worry if a few of them break up. Remove. Add poblano, remaining ground spice mixture, garam masala and remaining ginger to pan. Sauté on medium until poblano wilts.
• Add tomatoes, simmer on low 5 minutes, scrape bottom of pan, add 1 cup water, then return eggplant, remaining onion and meatballs to pan. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and chile if needed. Reheat rice on low. Dust curry with remaining mint and serve with rice.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) & OLIVE TRUFFLES (VEGETARIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• preheat oven to 450*F.
• cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush with olive oil.
• roast in the preheated oven for about 30 min, until golden and completely soft.
• let cool.
• peel off the skin (you can discard this) and chop the rest of the eggplant finely.
• reduce oven temp to 400*F.
• mix the eggplant, pine nuts, olives, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, egg, and 6tbs of the parmesan cheese together in a bowl.
• let rest for 10-15 minutes.
• grease a large cookie sheet.
• form the mixture into bite sized balls and put on cookie sheet.
• top each one with a pinch of the remaining parmesan cheese.
• bake for 15-20 min until golden and puffed up.
• serve hot.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS (POLPETTE DI MELANZANE)

Steps:

• 1. Peel the eggplant, slice into ½- inch rounds and then cut into ½- inch cubes. Place the cubed eggplant in a large 6- quart pot. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and stir to coat all the eggplant. Pour in enough water to cover the eggplant by 2 inches. Let the eggplant soak in the salted water for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 2. After the eggplant has soaked, place the pot over medium- high heat and bring to a boil. Boil the eggplant until thoroughly cooked, 10 minutes. Drain into a colander and remove the excess liquid by placing a plate on top of the eggplant and adding a weight to the plate. Let the eggplant drain until cool. 3. Meanwhile, place the bread slices in a bowl and cover with water. Place a teacup saucer on the bread slices to help keep the bread under water. Set aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. 4. Place the drained and cooled eggplant in a large bowl. Remove the soaking bread from the water and, using your hands, squeeze out the excess water. Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the eggplant, along with the Parmigiano- Reggiano, garlic, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper. If the mixture is too soft, add a tablespoon of dry bread crumbs. Form the eggplant mixture between the palms of your hands into 1- inch- diameter balls, and roll each "meatball" ( polpetta ) in the bread crumbs to coat. 5. Heat half an inch of oil in a heavy medium- size frying pan over medium heat and, in batches, brown the polpette on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. While still warm, sprinkle with salt to taste. 6. May be served alone as an antipasto or covered with a simple sauce ( I love using a tomato cream sauce) and served as a second course.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Place the diced, peeled eggplant in a saucepan with enough water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.
• Meanwhile, mix together the turkey, 1/2 cup parmesan, garlic, bread crumbs, basil, red pepper, pepper, salt for the meatballs.
• Drain the eggplant. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Mash the eggplant, salt lightly, and sop up additional water with paper towel. Mix it into the turkey mixture.
• Form into 18 meatballs. The meatballs will be large.
• Heat oil in large frying pan, and brown the meatballs in batches. Turn heat down, cover, and cook the meatballs through.
• Place the sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
• Set the meatballs in the sauce. To with the grated cheese and finally with the thickly sliced cheese.
• Bake in an oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Serve as is, or with noodles cooked in eggplant water.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease foil with olive oil.
• Arrange eggplant halves cut-sides-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Pierce skin of eggplant several times with a fork.
• Roast eggplant in preheated oven until soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
• Scoop the flesh from the eggplant halves onto a cutting board; chop into small chunks and put into a large mixing bowl.
• Mix ground turkey, carrot, onion, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper with the eggplant chunks until ingredients are somewhat evenly mixed together. Gently mix almond flour into the eggplant mixture; scoop with an ice cream scoop onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake meatballs in oven for 15 minutes, flip the meatballs, and bake until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more.
• While the meatballs bake, heat marinara sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat until hot; add baked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat.