Egg Free Beef and Chicken Meatballs with Sun-dried Tomatoes
These meatballs without eggs are juicy, tender and full of flavor. Made with ground chicken, ground beef, breadcrumbs and sun-dried tomatoes, these are the perfect meatballs for fast and delicious weeknight dinners.
My favorite part is how ridiculously easy they are. Throw everything into a bowl, mix it up, roll into balls and bake. Yes, juicy meatballs are that simple.
Traditional meatballs use eggs as a binding agent, but don’t worry with the help of milk and cheese, you’ll have great meatballs in no time.
Meatballs are great for meal prep because they’re super versatile. Add them to a meatball sub, dip in marinara sauce or serve over pasta or zucchini noodles with your favorite sauce or this garlic tomato sauce. You can add them to instant pot fettuccini alfredo, cajun meatball stew or Mediterranean meatball bowls or even chop and use as the protein on air fryer tortilla pizzas. Eat them on their own or serve with a quinoa kale and apple salad.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 53 calories and 7 grams of protein per meatball.
- Simple ingredients.
- Great way to meal prep.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients for these homemade meatballs. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
- Ground Beef: use lean 96/4 ground beef or a higher fat percent or pork to balance out the no fat in the chicken.
- Ground Chicken: use a lean 99/1 ground chicken for this recipe or substitute with all ground beef or pork. The chicken will up the protein with minimal fat.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: be sure to use the kind that’s not in oil.
- Parmesan Cheese: I prefer buying fresh parmesan cheeses I can grate myself. This will give you the best flavor and is worth taking the extra time.
- Italian Breadcrumbs: the breadcrumbs help bind everything together. I like using Italian for the extra flavor.
- Milk: any type.
Variations
- Use any type of ground meat. I used ground chicken and beef to keep the fat content lower but allowing the beef to bring in some fat to make them nice and juicy.
- Add your favorite fresh herbs.
Dietary Modifications
- For dairy-free, substitute the milk and cheese with some coconut aminos to moisture.
- This recipe is gluten-free, if using gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to make these egg-free meatballs (a visual step-by-step guide):
Step 1: preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
Step 2: make meatball mixture
In a large bowl, combine the beef, chicken and remaining ingredients. Combine the meat mixture gently with your hands until everything is fully mixed and evenly distributed (image 1). Be sure to mix well so that you get between the meat when it clumps together.
Step 3: form meatballs
Using a 1.5 Tbsp. cookie scoop or spoon, form meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. You will have 32, approximately 1.1 oz, meatballs. Using your hands, roll the meatballs into balls and place on the baking sheet (image 2). The uncooked meatballs will be about the size of a golf ball.
Step 4: cook
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked through (image 3).
Step 5: remove and enjoy
Remove and enjoy as a protein snack, with Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo (image 4), on meatball subs, etc.
Expert Tip!
For the most tender meatballs, mix only until everything is combined. Over-mixing will result in tough meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze meatballs for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag.
Eat these on their own as a high protein snack, in instant pot alfredo, Cajun meatball stew or Mediterranean meatball bowls.
Check out our other easy recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Meatballs without Eggs
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef, (96/4)
- 1 lb. lean ground chicken, (99/1)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) 50g
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 58g
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs 45g
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, chicken and remaining ingredients. Using your hands, mix so everything is fully combined and evenly distributed. Be sure to mix well so that you get between the meat when it clumps together.
- Spray a foil lined baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Using a 1.5 Tbsp. cookie scoop or spoon, scoop meatballs out onto the pan. You will have 32, approximately 1.1 oz, meatballs. Using your hands, roll the meatballs into balls.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked through.
- Remove and enjoy as a protein snack, or in pasta, on meatball subs, etc.
Notes
- Cook time will depend on the size of your meatballs. If you prefer to make them bigger, they will take longer to cook.
- Only mix until everything is fully combined to ensure your meatballs don’t get tough.
- Terrific paired with Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo.
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
