These meatballs for toddlers are easy to make, delicious, and full of nutrients that growing kids need! They are a great source of protein from the ground beef and even pack in some fiber from hidden vegetables.
Although this recipe is directed toward toddlers, it works for the whole family! Baby-led weaning, your teen’s post-game snack, or an easy protein option for parents. They can be made for a simple weeknight dinner or make mini meatballs to freeze and use later for snack time.
What Makes These Meatballs for Toddlers?
High in Iron
Iron is a necessary part of the toddler diet! It helps support proper growth, brain development, and energy.
After a child is 6 months old, they need sources of iron from their diet because breast milk does not meet their iron needs. This meatball recipe has got you covered – each meatball has 0.5mg of iron.
Learn more about your child’s daily iron needs and other food sources here.
High in Protein
Each meatball has 5 grams of protein! Especially for my picky eaters, protein can be hard to come by in a toddler’s diet.
More high-protein foods for picky eaters here.
Hidden Source of Vegetables
I bet your family members won’t be able to tell there are 3 sources of vegetables hidden in these meatballs! Because the veggies are cooked down and blended, their texture mixes right in with the ground beef.
Although I don’t generally recommend parents ‘sneaking’ vegetables in or not telling their kids, it’s a great recipe for picky eaters who don’t enjoy the taste or texture of veggies.
Helps Develop Fine Motor Skills
Between the ages of 18 and 24 months, kids are perfecting their fine motor skills. They start to move their fingers and mouth with more control, which makes eating independently a lot easier!
To help develop these fine motor skills, have your toddler help you with using the cookie scoop to shape and mold the meatballs.
This is also a great recipe for your toddler to try out using a fork. They are softer than a normal meatball, so easier to manipulate with utensils.
An Easy Recipe To Get Your Toddler Involved
Getting your kids involved in the cooking process is one of the best ways to get them to try the food! Kids crave responsibility and love taking ownership – cooking is a great way to practice this.
Although I wouldn’t recommend your kids help shape the meatballs by hand (raw meat can be a food safety disaster for kiddos). BUT, there are other places in this recipe to involve your toddler!
In this meatball recipe, feel free to have your toddler help you:
- Chop the vegetables (my favorite kid-safe knives linked here)
- Measure the spices
- Crack the eggs
- Using a cookie scoop to form meatballs
How to Make Meatballs for Toddlers
Cook & Blend Veggies
These meatballs are boosted with extra fiber and vitamin C with the addition of blended vegetables! To make the texture of vegetables mimic the consistency of a normal meatball, we will be cooking them down and blending them.
Finely dice your vegetables, place in an oiled skillet, and cook on medium heat until wilted, roughly 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, transfer them to a food processor or immersion blender. Blend until no chunks remain.
I highly recommend blending the vegetables in this recipe rather than finely dicing them. The blended consistency leads to a homogeneous meatball texture without any chunks of veggies.
Combine Ingredients & Form Balls
After the blended vegetables have cooled slightly, add the remaining ingredients. Mix by hand until fully combined. Using a cookie scoop or measuring cup, form the balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet.
This recipe will make 20 large meatballs or 35 small meatballs, depending on your cookie scoop size.
Bake
Bake the meatballs for 15-18 minutes at 425F°, or until lightly golden brown. To ensure they are fully cooked, check for an internal temperature of 160F°. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Variations
This recipe is extremely variable and can be adjusted to meet the needs and dietary preferences of your family.
Swap ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken
Ground turkey or chicken are great alternatives to beef for this recipe. They provide a very similar texture and structure to the meatballs. You might need to increase the cooking time slightly to ensure the chicken or turkey reaches a 165F° internal temperature.
Swap out the vegetables used
This recipe uses onions, mushrooms, and zucchini to boost the nutrient value. I use these vegetables because I think they are easiest to blend and add a similar texture to meat. Most people can’t even tell that there’s vegetables in these meatballs!
But you can add any vegetables you have on hand! Carrots, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage would be great substitutes.
Introduce new spices
Toddlers can eat a variety of spices at the same time they are starting solids. This recipe leaves room for new spices that your toddler might have never tried!
Besides the basil already included in the recipe, garlic, onion powder, thyme, sage, or parsley would also taste great here.
How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze
Store these meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
My favorite way to store these meatballs is to double the recipe and freeze them! For easy freezing, cook the meatballs as the recipe recommends and let them cool completely. Store in a gallon freezer bag for up to 2 months.
You can reheat in the oven, microwave, or stovetop for an easy toddler dinner!
More Easy Recipes for Toddlers
No Bake Chocolate Maple Granola Bars
Meatballs for Toddlers
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 zucchini peeled and diced
- 1 cup white mushrooms diced
- cooking spray
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp basil dried
- 1 1/4 cup panko
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper.
- Place a skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and combine all diced vegetables in the skillet. Cook until wilted, roughly 10 minutes. Take off heat.
- While the vegetables are cooling, combine all of the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Once the vegetables are slightly cooled, add them in. (If the veggies are too hot, they might scramble the eggs!)
- Once the mixture is completely homogenous, use a cookie scoop to create 2" balls. Place on the cookie sheet at least 1/2 inch apart. It should create about 20 equally sized meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes at 425°F, until just slightly browned.
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