kale meatballs

These delicious kale meatballs are going to rock your world!

No one will ever guess they are gluten free, dairy free, low histamine, and hiding kale–an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory superhero. The meatballs are nutrient-dense and super scrumptious.

The recipe is quite forgiving and depending on your preferences, you can make several swaps. For example, try substituting frozen spinach for frozen kale (note: spinach is not low histamine).

You can also swap the ground beef for ground pork, turkey, chicken, or a combination of them. Play around with the seasoning; swap the Italian seasoning for half basil, half oregano, or add a bunch of fresh parsley. Just don’t skip out on the grated onion, which along with flavor, ensures the meatball is nice and juicy.

Serving Ideas

If serving the meatballs as an appetizer, consider a marinara sauce to dip them. As a main dish, they are delicious over zucchini noodles or baked spaghetti squash with tomato sauce. If by some slim chance you have any leftovers, add them to your salad for a delicious and easy lunch idea.  

Make a double batch and then freeze half for another day. Store them in a freezer-bag or container for up to 3-months. 

Diets

This recipe complies with the following diets:

Nutrition Facts

Serves 4

Per serving: 288 calories; 18g fat, 26g protein, 5g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; excellent source of vitamin A

Kale Meatballs
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound grass-fed ground beef (85/15)
  2. 10 ounces frozen organic chopped kale
  3. ½ cup grated red onion
  4. 2 teasponns minced garlic (4 cloves)
  5. 1 large egg
  6. 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  7. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  8. 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Defrost kale and squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Grate red onion with a box grater, until you have ½ cup.
  3. Mix together the kale, onion, garlic, egg, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
  4. Add beef and mix until just combined (overworked = dry).
  5. Use a cookie dough scooper or roll with your hands into 1 ½” balls. You want the meatballs equally sized so they cook evenly. I ended up with 28 meatballs (7 meatballs per person); however, if you divide the total amount of meatballs by 4 you will get the right portion size.
  6. Lightly salt the meatballs before putting into the oven.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. All ovens are different, so be sure to check at 15 minutes. You don’t want them to overcook and become dry.
Nutrition by Erin https://nutritionbyerin.com/