Zucchini meatballs, a delectable and healthy twist on the classic meatball, are a culinary delight that combines the flavors of zucchini, herbs, and spices. These succulent meatballs, made with a blend of ground meat, grated zucchini, and a symphony of seasonings, offer a lighter alternative to traditional meatballs while retaining their savory satisfaction. Accompanying the zucchini meatballs are two enticing sauces: a flavorful marinara sauce and a refreshing tzatziki sauce. The marinara sauce, crafted with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, provides a rich and tangy complement to the meatballs, while the tzatziki sauce, a yogurt-based sauce infused with cucumber, garlic, and dill, offers a cool and creamy contrast. These zucchini meatballs, versatile in their applications, can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a main course, or even as a delightful addition to a sandwich. Whether served with spaghetti, rice, or simply on their own, these meatballs are sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
Let's cook with our recipes!
ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS
Provided by Food Network
Time 50m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- For the meatballs: Add the chopped zucchini to salted boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain the excess water from the zucchini. Transfer the zucchini to a baking dish and allow to cool. Squeeze out the excess water from the boiled zucchini.
- In a mixing bowl, add the zucchini, scamorza cheese, Pecorino cheese, fresh mint leaves, eggs, and bread crumbs. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed. With your hands, shape the meatballs into the size of golf balls. Coat the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
- Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan. Gently place the meatballs into the hot oil and let fry until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with an absorbent paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve with the tomato salad.
- To make the tomato salad: Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, and salt to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix together.
BAKED MEATBALLS AND ZUCCHINI
The combination of meatballs, vegetables and rice is great. My kids won't eat the zucchini but I still have hope.
Provided by ShellyD64
Categories Meat
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix ingredients for meatballs, shape into balls.
- Place in baking dish (I use a broiler pan) and bake for approximately 25 minutes until cooked through.
- Saute zucchini, onion and mushrooms in hot oil.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook until heated through.
- Serve over rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 231.9, Fat 10.8, SaturatedFat 3.4, Cholesterol 85.8, Sodium 541.9, Carbohydrate 14.9, Fiber 2.6, Sugar 5, Protein 19.5
TURKEY ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS
Turkey meatballs with zucchini baked right in. We make them into large meatballs because they are basically a meal in and of themselves, but feel free to make them into smaller sizes! Also great with pesto and tomatoes!
Provided by Kim
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Ground Turkey Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute zucchini and onion until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature.
- Soak bread in a small bowl with milk until milk is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove bread and gently squeeze out excess milk. Place bread in a food processor and pulse until mixture forms fine crumbs resembling wet sand.
- Combine ground turkey with the sauteed zucchini mixture, bread crumbs, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add eggs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley; mix thoroughly. Form mixture into 12 large meatballs using a large ice cream scoop.
- Place 1/3 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge meatballs in flour and place 1 inch apart in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over meatballs.
- Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are lightly browned on top and no longer pink in the center, 30 to 38 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 125.8 calories, Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Cholesterol 60.1 mg, Fat 6.6 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 10.3 g, SaturatedFat 1.6 g, Sodium 261.8 mg, Sugar 1.3 g
TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI WITH MEATBALLS
Use this one-dish meal to sneak in a few servings of vegetables. Serve it in bowls with crusty Italian bread or spoon it over fettuccine.
Provided by TXOLDHAM
Categories Vegetable
Time 40m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine beef or turkey, bread crumbs, egg substitute or egg, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 4 tablespoons cheese. Form into balls the size of walnuts. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, several at a time, and cook 15 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink inside. Remove to a bowl,leaving drippings in the skillet.
- In the same skillet in warm drippings over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender.
- Stir in zucchini, yellow squash, cut tomatoes (with juice), crushed tomatoes, sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and meatballs. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Stir in basil. Serve.
TURKEY ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS WITH ROASTED PEPPER DIPPING SAUCE
Turkey and zucchini combined with olives and feta result in super moist and flavorful meatballs. These can be served alone, over couscous, over rice, or even over a bed of lettuce for a main dish salad.
Provided by Soup Loving Nicole
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Combine turkey, zucchini, egg, bread crumbs, olives, feta cheese, and Greek seasoning in a large bowl. Mix until evenly combined.
- Form meatballs using an ice cream scoop and place onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, place Greek yogurt, red pepper strips, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Serve dipping sauce alongside meatballs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 238.3 calories, Carbohydrate 10 g, Cholesterol 99.9 mg, Fat 14 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 20.4 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 431.4 mg, Sugar 2.3 g
WONTON SOUP WITH MUSHROOM-ZUCCHINI "MEATBALLS"
Thanks to a zingy ginger, garlic, and miso paste mixture, these vitamin- and fiber-loaded mushroom and zucchini "meatballs" are so packed with flavor you'll hardly realize they're missing the traditional meaty ingredient. Dropping the unstuffed wonton wrappers into the soup whole, instead of sealing the vegetables inside, keeps the recipe simple and weeknight-friendly.
Provided by Katherine Sacks
Categories Vegetarian Zucchini Dinner Meatball Ginger Mushroom Bok Choy Green Onion/Scallion Soup/Stew Noodle Cilantro No Meat, No Problem
Yield 4-6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Pulse ginger, garlic, and miso in a food processor, scraping down sides of bowl, until smooth. Transfer half of mixture (about 2 Tbsp.) to a small bowl; set aside. Add three-quarters of zucchini and cremini mushrooms to food processor and pulse until uniform and finely chopped, about 45 seconds; transfer to a medium bowl. Pulse remaining zucchini and cremini mushrooms until combined, about 10 seconds; transfer to same medium bowl.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add zucchini mixture and 1 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, spreading mixture flat and stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add egg, breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro and toss to combine.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large saucepan over low. Add reserved ginger mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add broth and simmer until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, grease a rimmed baking sheet or large plate with coconut oil. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of zucchini mixture into balls with your hands (you should have about 25). Transfer balls to prepared sheet.
- Add remaining 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt to broth. Gently add meatballs with a slotted spoon, cover, and cook until meatballs are puffed and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add bok choy, and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add snow peas and beech mushrooms, then drop in wonton wrappers one at a time. Cook, tilting pot back and forth to evenly cook meatballs and vegetables (do not stir to avoid breaking up meatballs), until vegetables are crisp-tender and wontons are cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Divide soup among bowls, top with scallions and 1 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, and serve.
- Do Ahead
- Soup can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill.
TURKEY-ZUCCHINI ENCHILADA MEATBALLS
This is a great way to eat lean and keep in line with the 17-day diet cycle.
Provided by Stephanie Wentzlaff
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Ground Turkey Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix turkey, egg, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Form into 2-inch meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce and green bell pepper; cook 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until tender, about 8 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 586.9 calories, Carbohydrate 18 g, Cholesterol 303 mg, Fat 31.3 g, Fiber 4.3 g, Protein 61 g, SaturatedFat 7.7 g, Sodium 545.3 mg, Sugar 5.9 g
MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO AND ZUCCHINI MEDLEY
From "The South Beach Diet Cookbook" c.2004 Use this phase 2 one-dish meal to easily add a few servings of vegetables to your day. Serve it in bowls with crusty whole grain bread or spoon it over whole wheat fettuccine.
Provided by WendyMaq
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 50m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine beef or turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon of pepper, Italian Seasoning, and 8 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Form into balls the size of walnuts.
- Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, add meatballs and cook for 15 minutes or until browned and no longer pink inside. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- In same skillet as the meatball drippings over med-high heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender.
- Stir in the Stir in zucchini, squash, cut tomatoes with juice, crushed tomatoes, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the remaining 4 tablespoons of cheese, and the meatballs.
- Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped basil. Garnish with a the basil sprig.
SUMMER ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS
I am always looking for a way to use up my zucchinis! This made a yummy and moist meatball. I use grass fed beef which can sometimes be dry This recipe produced 10 meatballs all just slightly larger then a golf ball. 5 meatballs per serving. Cal 236 Total fat 12.5 grams Sat Fat 4 Carbs 16 grams Protein 17 Fiber 2 grams
Provided by Wicked Step Foodie
Categories Meatballs
Time 35m
Yield 8-10 meatballs, 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a bowl mix with your hands the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
- Meanwhile shred the zucchini and sprinkle with garlic salt. Put shredded zucchini in a colander and put a weight on top to help drain as much liquid as possible in 15 minutes.
- Chop the basil.
- Add the basil and the drained zucchini to the meat mixture and mix well using your hands.
- Roll into balls and put on a sprayed baking sheet and into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. iIf using a high fat meat bake for 20 minutes.
- Enjoy!
TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI WITH MEATBALLS
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, egg, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 4 tbsp cheese. Form into balls the size of walnuts. Warm oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs, several at a time, and cook 15 minutes or until browned and no longer pink on the inside. Remove to bowl, leaving drippings in the skillet. In the same skillet over medium high heat, add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in zucchini, yellow squash, cut tomatoes (with juice), crushed tomatoes, sugar, remaining 2 tbsp of cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, and meatballs. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in basil.
PLUM PORK SPICY MEATBALLS WITH BOK CHOY AND ZUCCHINI
I am a huge fan of sweet, salty and spicy, and now I'm trying to make healthier choices. This recipe is so satisfying and delicious, you won't miss any pasta or rice. If you don't want spiralized zucchini, any thin noodles will work. -Susan Mason, Puyallup, Washington
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1-1/4 cups for sauce. Pour remaining mixture into a large bowl; add egg and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Add pork; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 16 balls. Place remaining 1 cup bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll meatballs in bread crumbs to coat., In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. In batches, cook meatballs until cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove and keep warm. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add zucchini and bok choy; cook and stir over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes. Add meatballs and reserved sauce; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 647 calories, Fat 34g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 123mg cholesterol, Sodium 1656mg sodium, Carbohydrate 55g carbohydrate (16g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 29g protein.
Tips:
- Use a food processor: This will help you quickly and easily grate the zucchini and onion.
- Squeeze out the excess moisture from the zucchini: This will help prevent the meatballs from becoming too soggy.
- Use a combination of breadcrumbs and almond flour: This will help keep the meatballs light and airy.
- Don't overwork the meatball mixture: Overworking the mixture can make the meatballs tough.
- Cook the meatballs in a skillet over medium heat: This will help prevent them from burning.
- Serve the meatballs with your favorite sauce: Marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, or even a simple tomato sauce would all be delicious.
Conclusion:
Zucchini meatballs are a healthy and delicious way to enjoy zucchini. They are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for a party appetizer. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a tasty and satisfying dish that everyone will love. So next time you have some zucchini on hand, don't be afraid to try this recipe. You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy it!
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