Mini Meatballs Recipe for the Whole Family
May 26, 2025
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Picky eater approved mini meatballs that everyone will actually eat for dinner? Yes!
If you have a kid who isn’t too excited about meat, you have to give this recipe a try. It’s the combination of the mini size, the smooth texture, and the just right seasoning that makes these a kid favorite.
But these mini meatballs aren’t just for kids! My husband and I love them every bit as much as the kids do. So today I’m going to be sharing my mini meatballs recipe that will be a hit for the whole family!
Mini Meatballs Recipe
I love these baked meatballs because they’re a great source of protein that my kids will actually eat. And there are several things I had in mind when creating this recipe to make them appealing to toddlers and kids.
- The texture had to be really uniform throughout. Picky eaters do NOT like getting a surprise bite of something. Even something we might really like as adults (like brown, crispy edges!) can throw them off. So I made sure to avoid any ingredients or cooking methods that would introduce unwanted texture.
- The flavor had to be great, but not spicy, not herby, not “weird” in any way.
- The size truly had to be mini! Kids, and toddlers especially, can get overwhelmed with big servings. So making them little can actually be one of the factors that gets your kid to try!
If your toddler won’t eat meat, I have some more tips in this post!
Are Mini Meatballs Healthy For Kids?
Yes, mini meatballs are a healthy food for kids! Beef is a great source of not only protein, but also micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that our bodies need. Beef has iron, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, and more.
Making your own mini meatballs means you can control the factors that often make them less healthy at restaurants — sodium and added fat. When you cook at home, you’re always going to use less salt and cooking oil than they do at restaurants.
How To Make Mini Meatballs For Kids
Ingredients
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk (for soaking the breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Make a panade: Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for a few minutes until they absorb the liquid. This keeps the meatballs tender.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together gently: Combine the ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper, and other seasonings. Don’t overmix—just fold everything together lightly.
- Form mini meatballs: Roll them into tablespoon size balls. If they’re sticky, lightly oil your hands. I used a tablespoon to scoop the meat mixture, and then lightly rolled into a more uniform ball shape.
- Bake for even cooking: Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-13 minutes.
- Steam for extra moisture (optional): Right after baking, place them in a covered container for a few minutes—this traps steam and keeps them soft. Then serve.
- If freezing, let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 to 2 months.
Expert Tips
I serve these in many different ways in my house! Of course you can serve them with spaghetti. But I’ve also served them on top of pizza, in pasta bakes, inside pita bread, or in a meatball sandwich. And on busy nights, I’ll just reheat leftover meatballs with some microwave brown rice and a side of fruit!
Picky Eater Tips
If your picky eater is a sauce-lover, find the one that works best for them and serve these meatballs with it! It could be ketchup, marinara sauce, pesto, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing- anything! The sauce doesn’t negate the nutrition they’re getting from the meatballs, so don’t feel bad if you have to douse them in ketchup to get your kids on board.
I also love making these meatballs bite-sized for picky eaters because you can use some fun “food toys” to get them more interested. These fun animal chopsticks and these cute food picks are two of my favorite tools to get picky eaters having fun at meal times. Check out my Amazon storefront board for more picky eater gear!
Meatballs all around
This is one of those meals that feels fancy- like it took a lot of effort, but it really doesn’t! I love to make a big batch and freeze some so I have extra to reheat when I need a no-brainer protein source on a weeknight. They’ve saved me from plain, boring bowls of pasta many times, and I am so glad to share them with you!
If you want to try a meatball recipe with another protein source, I also have a recipe for ground turkey meatballs that are great for babies and toddlers!
Mini Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 85/15
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk, for soaking breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, large
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Make a panade: Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for a few minutes until they absorb the liquid. This keeps the meatballs tender.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together gently: Combine the ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper, and other seasonings. Don’t overmix—just fold everything together lightly.
- Form mini meatballs: Roll them into tablespoon size balls. If they’re sticky, lightly oil your hands. I used a tablespoon to scoop the meat mixture, and then lightly rolled into a more uniform ball shape.
- Bake for even cooking: Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-13 minutes.
- Steam for extra moisture (optional): Right after baking, place them in a covered container for a few minutes—this traps steam and keeps them soft. Then serve.
- If freezing, let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. All nutrient values are approximations, as there are natural variations in ingredients and measurements.
