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Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs

W Whole30 EF Egg-Free GF Gluten-free NF Nut-free GR Grain-Free DF Dairy-Free P Paleo
30 mins
5 /5
44 Comments
Jump to Recipe
Stacie Hassing
By: Stacie Hassing Updated: 5/6/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Add these Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs to your weekend meal prep menu. They’re an easy protein option to enjoy throughout the week or you can freeze them for future meals.

A white platter of the ultimate meal prep meatballs served with a small bowl of ranch dressing.

A versatile recipe that’s made with minimal ingredients.

It’s that time of year again when we start thinking about (finally) getting organized and starting – or getting back to – meal prepping on a regular basis so it’s only fitting that we’d share these Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs with you today.

Just like their name implies, these are the ULTIMATE when it comes to meal prepping because they’re easy, delicious, versatile, and quick-to-cook. And they’re great with just about any side you can image – salad, stir fry, roasted veggies, mashed or baked potatoes, even eggs for a protein-packed breakfast or ‘brinner’.

For more ground beef recipes, try these 20 Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

Overhead view of a glass bowl of Meal Prep Meatball ingredients
Meal Prep Meatballs in rows on a sheet pan lined with white parchment paper

There’s nothing dry or flavorless about these Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs.

Meatballs are great…until they’re not. Dry meatballs are a drag and flavorless meatballs aren’t fun either so that’s why we add creamy ranch dressing to the mix to create the ultimate meal prep meatballs.

Overhead view of a white platter of the ultimate meal prep meatballs served with a small bowl of ranch dressing on the platter and a bottle of Tessemae's Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing to the side of the platter.

Exercise your options.

We know you like options (and so do we!) so feel free to mix things up by swapping out the ranch dressing for your favorite Caesar dressing to keep it interesting since we know you’ll be putting these on meal prep repeat.

Need an egg-free option? Swap out the ranch dressing for Italian dressing for a delicious change of pace without the eggs.

A white platter of the ultimate meal prep meatballs served with a small bowl of ranch dressing with a trio of Tessemae's dressings next to the platter.

So many ways to serve these Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs.

There are so many ways you can serve these meatballs. Truly, the options are nearly limitless so I’ll share just a few ideas and then you take it from there using your favorite sides, what’s in season, or what you have on hand.

  • Mashed, baked, or roasted sweet potatoes or white potatoes (here are just a few of our favorites to try: Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, these Maple-Bacon Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Crispy Garlic Ranch Roasted Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes or this Warm Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad)
  • Spiralized veggies (zucchini, butternut squash, sweet potato, jicama, celeriac, beet, cucumber, or carrot are just a few that come to mind)
  • A big green salad or this Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Quinoa Salad, this Creamy Broccoli Slaw, or this Sweet and Smokey Brussels Slaw
  • Any roasted veggies of choice
  • Rice, cauliflower rice, Sheet Pan Fried Cauliflower ‘Rice’, Golden Cauliflower Rice, or Thai Coconut Curry Rice
A glass meal prep container filled with roasted vegetables and Meal Prep Meatballs

Not a big meal ‘prepper’? No worries! These Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs are quick to make from start to finish and great for busy weeknight dinners too.

Don’t worry, these are also great for busy weeknight dinners because they come together so quickly.

P.S. These Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs also make a great party appetizer. Try arranging them on a large platter with fresh veggies and two or three different dressings for dipping for the ultimate appetizer experience.

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A white platter of the ultimate meal prep meatballs served with a small bowl of ranch dressing.
Recipe
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 13 reviews

Ultimate Meal Prep Meatballs

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 30 minutes
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Servings: 20 meatballs (5 servings) 1x

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. lean grass-fed beef or bison (may sub ground turkey or chicken) 
  • 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 cup mixed vegetables, finely diced (such as mix of onion, carrots, green peppers) 
  • 2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour (or flour of choice*)
  • 3 tablespoons ranch dressing of choice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried herbs (such as dried Italian seasoning)
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 
  2. In a skillet over medium-high heat add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the vegetables, and spinach. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. 
  3. In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients including sauteed vegetables. Mix well. 
  4. Form into 18-20 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. 
  5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

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Notes

*For nut-free use cassava flour, gluten-free flour blend or 1 Tbsp. of coconut flour.

**For egg-free use an egg-free dressing such as Italian dressing

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (5 meatballs)
  • Calories: 312
  • Fat: 21 g
  • (Sat Fat: 3g)
  • Sodium: 468 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 5 g
  • (Fiber: 1 g
  • Sugar: 1 g)
  • Protein: 25 g

Dietary

Dairy-FreeEgg-FreeGluten-freeGrain-FreeNut-freePaleoWhole30
© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: Stacie Hassing

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

This post was made possible by our friends at Tessemae’s. Though we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are  – as always -100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.

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Stacie Hassing

Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and three children reside with their dog. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

Read more...
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  1. AvatarJenn says

    Posted on 9/8/24 at 9:43 am

    Can you use thawed frozen veggies or canned veggies? Or should they be fresh ?

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 9/9/24 at 9:19 am

      Hi Jenn, we had best results with fresh. We haven’t specifically experimented with frozen or canned so we can’t say for certain how they would turn out. If you try it, let us know how it works!

      Reply
  2. AvatarCatherine says

    Posted on 10/6/24 at 10:13 am

    I want to meal prep meatballs but for pasta dishes. Any suggestions on what to use in place of ranch so the flavors go with a tomato sauce?

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 10/10/24 at 2:23 am

      You can top with any sauce you prefer! We enjoy Primal Kitchen tomato/marinara sauces or homemade sauces pair nicely with our meatball meal prep recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. AvatarClaudia says

    Posted on 11/24/24 at 1:27 pm

    This was delicious and kid-approved! I was searching for a tasty and healthy ground beef recipe and this one checked all the boxes. I added 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa too. Replacing the breadcrumbs with almond flour is genius. Cooked in the air fryer for 12min at 400F

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 11/25/24 at 1:25 pm

      Fantastic Claudia!

      Reply
  4. AvatarRae says

    Posted on 5/3/25 at 2:32 pm

    Would it work to prep these and freeze raw? Or do you recommend cooking them prior to freezing?

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 5/9/25 at 9:31 am

      We would recommend cooking them and then freezing to enjoy!

      Reply
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