Italian Chicken Meatballs with Mushrooms and Zucchini
Recipe Key
These tender, juicy chicken meatballs are filled with Italian herbs, fresh zucchini, and earthy mushrooms for a wholesome twist on a classic. Naturally gluten-free, they’re light yet satisfying, with plenty of flavor in every bite. Serve them with your favorite marinara, over , spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or gluten free pasta.
The snowstorm this weekend kept us home. We had plenty of food and lots of wood to keep us warm even if the electric went out. The wind howled and the water pounded the bulkhead but we were cozy inside.
Even though the sun came out on Sunday there was 12 inches of water on the ground. We had another day at home. It was time for a little comfort food. Chicken Meatballs with Mushrooms and Zucchini sounded perfect.
These meatballs are easy to prepare and full of flavor. They are baked in the oven which is a lot easier than sautéing them. I added in mushrooms and zucchini for additional nutrition. They are flavored with garlic, onions, dried basil and thyme. Nothing fancy but incredibly tasty.
How To Make
This whole recipe is made in the food processor with a minimum amount of hand chopping.
- In a food processor, pulse together the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, parsley and garlic until coarsely chopped.
- Add chicken, almond flour, egg, salt, pepper and herbs. Pulse until evenly combined.
- Once you prepare the meatball mixture use a one tablespoon scoop to scoop out the filling, roll them a little in your hands and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through. They will only be a little brown but since I add them to my favorite pasta sauce it doesn’t matter.
If I were serving these meatballs as an appetizer without pasta sauce I would saute them to get nice and brown.
Serving and Storing
This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. I bake the meatballs, let cool and store in the refrigerator. The next day, I heat them in a large saute pan with my favorite pasta sauce. In just a few minutes they are ready to go.
I usually buy a tomato sauce from the health food store, there are many delicious ones to choose from. Get one in a glass jar made with olive oil, no other oils, no sugar, no preservatives, fresh garlic and fresh onions. Since tomatoes are on the “dirty dozen list” organic is important.
My favorite way to serve them is over spaghetti squash, but spiralized zucchini is good too! If you like gluten free pasta Andean Dream Quinoa Pasta is fantastic.
Store leftover meatballs mixed with the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Chicken Mushroom Zucchini Meatballs
A delicious nutrient dense chicken meatball dish filled with zucchini and mushrooms served over spaghetti squash.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- ¼ cup blanched almond flour
- 1 large organic egg*
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 24 ounces organic tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
- In a food processor, pulse together the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, parsley and garlic until coarsely chopped.
- Add chicken, almond flour, egg, salt, pepper and herbs. Pulse until evenly combined. Since you can’t taste it here (you don’t want to eat raw chicken), if you find you need more or less seasonings make a note of it for next time.
- Measure out 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture using a tablespoon or 1 tablespoon scoop, and roll the mixture between your hands. Place the meatballs on the parchment lined sheet pan.
- Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes until cooked through. They will be lightly brown.
- Heat tomato sauce and add cooked meatballs.
- Serve alone or over spaghetti squash, spiralized zucchini or quinoa pasta
Notes
If you don’t eat eggs, substitute 1 tablespoon ground flax seed soaked in 2 tablespoons water for 5 minutes
Click here to learn how to cook spaghetti squash.
Nutrition information is for the meatballs only.
This recipe sounds absolutely scrumptious! I can’t wait to try it! Thank you so much, Ingrid. Blessings for your trip to Sri Lanka!
Hi Mary Jo
Thanks let us know how it comes out. Much love,
Ingrid, tomatoes ARE on the dirty dozen list! They are pictured as number 9 on the link you posted! I wonder if these meatballs can be just made with mushrooms and zucchini as I don’t eat chicken. Many blessings wished for you and your family in 2017. Very grateful for all you so generously share.
Hi Joann,
Thank you for pointing out that the tomatoes are on the list. I will change it in the blog post. It is important to buy organic. I haven’t tried it with only vegetables but it should work. Use double the amount of vegetables and leave out the chicken. Let us know how it comes out.
Ingrid