I don't have any problems getting my husband or son to eat vegetables (thankfully), but I still like to sneak them in my cooking when I can. My husband likes a lot of vegetables, but he doesn't like carrots! Can you believe that?! (It's okay, I get more to myself that way 😉 ) I made these Paleo friendly Black Sesame & Carrot Meatballs with him in mind; and you know what, he LOVED them!
This meatball recipe is made without breadcrumbs OR eggs, as I find those ingredients unnecessary. (Any one else feel the same?) These healthy, veggie filled meatballs require 8 simple ingredients and the recipe makes about 20 meatballs. They are a flavorful, tasty way to use ground beef and get in a little extra nutrition.
Sesame & Carrot Meatballs Without Eggs or Breadcrumbs
A lot of meatball recipes call for eggs and/or breadcrumbs, but these veggie filled meatballs don't! In meatballs, eggs are used to bind the ingredients together. In fact, using too many eggs in a meatball or burger recipe will result in an undesirable dense, spongy texture. My solution: forgo the eggs entirely!
Breadcrumbs are typically used to add texture and bulk up a meatball recipe. I see breadcrumbs as an ingredient that decreases the overall nutrition of a meatball. Why add a source of empty calorie carbohydrates to a perfectly healthy source of protein and fat? Now, this is just my opinion, but one I stand firmly behind. Besides, how often have you seen Paleo friendly breadcrumbs? I'm sure some exist and I know there are recipes out there, but it takes this recipe from easy and accessible to complicated and time consuming.
Toddler and Kid Friendly Meatballs
These gluten free Black Sesame & Carrot Meatballs are perfect for kids because they contain healthy, allergy free ingredients, vegetables and flavor enhancing spices. You can even get your kids involved in the process. Let them help you make meatballs by adding ingredients to the mixing bowl, measuring the spices or even chopping the vegetables (if they're old enough). I find that getting kids involved in the making of a meal gets them excited about eating the final product.
Enjoy!
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Black Sesame & Carrot Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15-20 min
- Total Time: 25-30 min
- Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
Description
These healthy, veggie filled meatballs are egg free, nut free and don't contain any breadcrumbs. They're perfect as a main dish for toddlers, kids and adults.
Ingredients
- 1-1 ½ lbs organic ground beef
- 1 medium carrot, grated (about 85 g)
- 1 scallion (or sub small red onion)
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
- ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Press or finely chop garlic, add to large mixing bowl.
- Remove papery skin from scallion and dice, add to mixing bowl.
- Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl and knead with your hands until well mixed.
- Roll mixture into balls and place on large frying pan.
- Cover pan and cook on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Uncover and flip meatballs. Â Continue cooking until water on pan dissipates.
Keywords: egg free, nut free, allergy friendly, main dish, dinner, lunch, meatball
These look amazing! I love how you didn't add any type of breadcrumb! I hate meatballs that are mostly , well not meat and egg
Thank you! Yes, I don't understand why so many meatball recipes use breadcrumb, or even egg. They are not needed for a delicious meatball (after all, they are "meat" balls)! Hope your week is off to a great start.