Beef and Quinoa Meatballs

Main dish or appetizer? These beef and quinoa meatballs baked in marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese are great for lunch, dinner or as tasty sliders.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Beef and Quinoa Meatballs

Cooking time
PREP TIME 20 mins
Cooking time
COOK TIME 25 mins
Servings
SERVES 4
Ready in
TOTAL TIME 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 bag Success® Tri-Color Quinoa
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup grated carrot
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

  • The whole family will love these protein-packed meatballs made with lean ground beef, hearty Success® Tri-Color Quinoa, veggies and herbs!

    Step 1

  • Prepare quinoa according to package directions.

    Step 2

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

    Step 3

  • In a large bowl, mix together quinoa and all of the ingredients except for the marinara sauce, cheese and parsley.

    Step 4

  • Form mixture into rounded tablespoon sized meatballs and arrange on prepared baking sheet.

    Step 5

  • Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.

    Step 6

  • Spoon sauce over top, then sprinkle with cheese; bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until sauce is hot and cheese is melted.

    Step 7

  • Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

    Recipe Tip

    Try these as an appetizer on their own or make them into sliders! Slice dinner rolls in half and place meatballs on bottom halves. Cover with top halves of rolls and serve.

Beef + Quinoa = Power Up

Why add quinoa to your meatballs? Combining lean ground beef with plant-based protein sources like quinoa is an easy way to upgrade your meals. Combined with the other ingredients, marinara sauce and cheese, quinoa adds flavor and protein to every bite

Make sure to chop the onion very finely and grate the carrot so that it cooks up evenly with the quinoa and beef mixture. The combination of ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, herbs, salt and pepper will enhance the savory flavor of this dish. The egg here ensures that each meatball keeps its shape.

These bite-sized meatballs are great to serve as an appetizer at your next get-together. They’re also perfect in sliders or with spaghetti for a hearty dinner or weekly lunches.

Meal Prep

These delicious, bite-sized meatballs are a great meal-prep option because they can easily be mixed and matched with other dishes, like a side of Spanish rice and steamed vegetables or with any of your favorite meal ingredients. Simply prepare a batch, toss them in the oven, combine them with sauce and save them in the refrigerator to use for lunches throughout the week. Follow this and our other meal-prep tips and you’ll be acing your weekly meal prep in no time!