These Beef and Mushroom Meatballs are made with half mushrooms and use less meat than regular meatballs. Use in pasta, soup, or sandwiches.
My family loves meatballs. But we also make it a priority to eat less red meat. I mean, who can afford to in this economy anyway, right?
So when I make meatballs (and hamburgers), I look to mushrooms to help me out. Adding mushrooms to your ground beef-based recipes can help stretch that ground beef out a little bit, which means you get more meatballs (or burgers) by using the same amount of beef.
And if you do it right, nobody will even know the mushrooms are there! I didn't tell my kids about this little trick for the first few months that I did it, and they never noticed.
I have since told them, and though neither of them will eat mushrooms on their own, they have both admitted that they can't taste the mushrooms when they're mixed with beef, and don't mind this cost-savings trick at all.
How to make Beef and Mushroom Meatballs:
Making meatballs can be a bit of a project, but the good news is that this recipe makes a fairly large batch (32 medium-sized meatballs) so you can eat some now and freeze some for later.
The first step to making these Beef and Mushroom Meatballs is to prep the mushrooms. Brush any loose dirt or debris of the mushrooms, and if they're large, break them into 2-4 pieces. Put those pieces straight into your food processor.
Once your food processor is full (it will probably take 2 batches to do all of the mushrooms), pulse the mushrooms until they're finely minced. Make sure to stop processing before the mushrooms form a paste.
Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the minced mushrooms until all of the water is cooked out and the mushrooms start to clump together, resembling cooked ground beef. Let the mushrooms cool.
Mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl (with a spoon or with your hands). Form the mixture into 1 to 1.5" meatballs and put the meatballs on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
Cook the meatballs in the oven, in a skillet, or in an air-fryer. Use in any of your favorite meatball-containing recipes (see below for some ideas).
How to Freeze Meatballs 💡
For maximum convenience, it is best to fully cook your meatballs before freezing them, so they only need to be reheated when you're ready to use them.
Cook the meatballs according to the directions in the recipe. Once they are fully cooked, put the meatballs in a large freezer bag in a single layer and freeze. To be sure you know what's in the bag, label it with a date and the bag's contents.
When you want to use the meatballs, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat the meatballs in the microwave, or if using them in pasta sauce, simply by simmering them in the sauce.
How to use Beef and Mushroom Meatballs:
Use these meatballs in any way that you would normally use any other meatball recipe. My family's favorites are to make Spaghetti and Meatballs, Cooked Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce, or Meatball Subs. You could also make your meatballs smaller and use them in soup or put them on pizza.
Beef and Mushroom Meatballs Ingredients:
- White or brown mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt: or this is a great recipe to try MSG-salt
- Lean or extra lean ground beef
- Ground turkey, chicken, or pork; or Italian sausage
- Panko: substitute gluten-free panko or gluten-free bread crumbs to make these meatballs gluten-free
- Large eggs
- Grated Parmesan cheese: omit this or substitute your favorite non-dairy Parmesan to make these meatballs dairy-free
- Garlic
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
Want more beef and mushroom recipes?
Beef and Mushroom Meatballs Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one meatball if you follow the recipe to make 32 meatballs. If your meatballs are significantly larger (or smaller), the nutrition information for each meatball will vary accordingly.
The nutrition information calculations use extra lean ground beef and ground turkey as options. If you use lean ground beef and/or replace the ground turkey with ground pork or Italian sausage, your meatballs will have slightly more total and saturated fat and calories.
To make these meatballs gluten-free, replace the panko with gluten-free panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
To make these meatballs dairy-free, omit the Parmesan or replace it with a non-dairy Parmesan alternative.
Beef and Mushroom Meatballs
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds white or brown mushrooms brushed clean
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or MSG-salt, divided
- 1 pound lean or extra lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground turkey, chicken, or pork or Italian Sausage
- 1 cup panko substitute gluten-free panko to make these meatballs gluten-free
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese omit Parmesan or substitute your favorite non-dairy Parmesan to make these meatballs dairy-free
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- If the mushrooms are large, break them into 3-4 pieces each with your fingers and add half of them to the food processor. Pulse the food processor to finely mince the mushrooms. Note that you don't want to process them so much that they turn into a paste. Transfer the minced mushrooms to bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms
- Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt. Cook the mushrooms until all of the moisture has been cooked out, and the mushrooms begin to clump together and resemble cooked ground beef (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- While the mushrooms are cooling, you can start mixing up the remaining meatball ingredients. In a large bowl add 1 pound lean or extra lean ground beef, ½ pound ground turkey, chicken, or pork or Italian Sausage, 1 cup panko, 2 large eggs, 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the cooked mushrooms once they are cool enough to handle with your bare hands.
- Mix all of the ingredients together with your hands or a large spoon until everything is evenly distributed. Using your hands, form the mixture into 1-1 ½" meatballs (you should end up with somewhere around 30 of them). Place the meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet. If you're not going to cook the meatballs right away, cover the sheet with plastic and refrigerate until you're ready.
To bake:
- Remove the plastic from the baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
To pan-fry:
- Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet. Cook the meatballs over medium to medium-high heat, ensuring that you turn the meatballs regularly to brown on all sides. Note that you will likely have to do this in more than one batch.
To Air-Fry
- Add the meatballs to your air-fryer and cook the meatballs at 350°F for 8 minutes, turn the meatballs, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. You will probably have to cook the meatballs in multiple batches.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply