These easy quinoa and beef baby meatballs are healthy and delicious for the whole family, and easy to shape into baby led weaning friendly "fingers". They're great with spaghetti, or dipped in your family's favorite sauce. (gluten-free)
One of the easiest, most nutrient-packed dishes you can make for baby led weaning babies is meatballs. When you're in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs, whip up a batch of these baby friendly meatballs made with beef and quinoa - they're easy to make and delicious for the whole family!
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Why You'll Love These Baby Meatballs
I love meatballs of all kinds for babies. Shaped into "fingers" before cooking, meatballs are the perfect size and shape for easy grasping for baby led weaning babies, and are super nutritious. Meatballs are great to make ahead to have on hand for babies, but are also super easy to whip up when you're making dinner for the family.
These particular meatballs are made with ground beef and quinoa, so they are packed with protein, iron, and B vitamins - all important nutrients for growing babes - and are naturally gluten-free. Since they use pre-cooked quinoa, you get the added softness and moisture without the risk of mushy or dried out meatballs.
What You'll Need
- Ground beef (you can also use ground bison, turkey, lamb, or venison)
- Cooked quinoa
- Onion
- Garlic
- Herbs - rosemary, thyme and oregano (you can use dried if you don't have fresh on hand)
- Egg
- Pepper
Helpful tools: Sharp knife or mini food processor, large bowl, cast iron skillet or baking sheet
How To Make Them
- Chop the onion, garlic and herbs. Use a mini food processor if you have one to make this super quick!
- Mix the ground beef, quinoa, onion, garlic, herbs, pepper and egg in a large bowl until well combined. I use my hands.
- Shape the mixture into meatball "fingers" about the size and shape of your thumb.
- Bake at 425°F in a preheated cast iron skillet, or on a baking sheet (don't preheat the baking sheet) for about 15 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Herbs: If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried. Try other combinations of herbs if you like, or omit them altogether if you'd rather have a more neutral flavored meatball for different sauce pairings.
- Meat: You can use ground bison, turkey, venison, or lamb in place of the beef. These are all high iron options.
- Quinoa: If you don't have quinoa, leave it out! They will still be gluten-free this way and they'll still be decently moist as long as you're not using super lean meat.
- Make Ahead: You can mix and shape the meatballs in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking, or in the freezer for up to 3 months before thawing and baking.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove by simmering in sauce, or place a couple of meatballs in the microwave for 15-45 seconds. Always test the temperature before serving to baby!
How To Serve Meatballs for Baby Led Weaning
Serve these meatball fingers whole for younger baby led weaning babies. They are easier for little ones to grasp and get to their mouths this way. For older babies with a pincer grasp, you can cut meatballs into small pieces the size of your fingernail.
Coat the meatballs in your favorite sauce, such as spaghetti sauce, or serve some on the side for dipping. Add some cooked pasta and soft green beans or broccoli to round out the meal!
Read More: The Best Pastas for Baby Led Weaning
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Baby Led Weaning Quinoa and Beef Meatballs
These easy quinoa and beef baby meatballs are healthy and delicious for the whole family, and easy to shape into baby led weaning friendly "fingers". They're great with spaghetti, or dipped in your family's favorite sauce. (gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: about 15 meatball "fingers" 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American/Italian
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (you can also use turkey or bison)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup onion, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or ½ tsp dried)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425° F. Place it in the oven to preheat. If you are using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and leave it out of the oven while preheating.
- Mince garlic and onion. Chop fresh herbs. A mini food processor make this quick!
- In a large bowl, mix until all of the ingredients until well blended. I like to use my hands to squish it all together.
- Roll mixture into meatballs about the shape of an adult thumb. They don't have to be perfect, so don't over think it. If you'd like to make some finger shaped for baby and some in round balls for adults, go for it.
- Once all meatballs are shaped, remove the skillet from the oven and carefully place meatballs in the skillet, spaced so they don't touch. If you're using a baking sheet, place meatballs on the sheet.
- Bake until the center is cooked through (it should register at 155° F on a thermometer), about 15 minutes.
- Serve however you'd like, such as with pasta and spaghetti sauce, or another favorite sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Meatballs can be mixed and shaped in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before baking. Thaw frozen meatballs before cooking.
- Variations: If you don't have fresh herbs, dried herbs work well too. You can also experiment with adding other herbs, or omit them altogether if you want a more flavor-neutral meatball to go with different sauces.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat by simmering in sauce on the stove, or microwave for 15-45 seconds, or until warmed throughout. Always test the temperature before serving to baby!
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