Baby Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to serve meatballs to a 6 month old? ›

Stick with soft textures and small sizes. Meatballs with a hard or dry exterior can be difficult to gum or chew and pose a choking hazard, so instead, cook your baby's meatballs by simmering them or baking until just set and serving with a sauce, like homemade marinara.

If you're planning to buy ready made, I'd go with at least 3 per person. Maybe 4 if you have a lot of big eaters. Plus the longer meatballs simmer in sauce the better they taste. And they can be frozen,sauce and all.

When can babies have meatballs? Meatballs may be offered to babies starting at 6 months of age, as long as the meatballs are thoroughly cooked, soft, and at least 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.

Massage your meat

Get your hands into your mixing bowl and combine the ingredients for your meatballs using your fingers. The heat from your hands will help release the proteins in the meat which will in turn help the mixture stick together when it cooks. Don't overmix, just a few minutes will do.

Ground meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. For a smoother texture, you can puree the beef in a blender. Add water, breast milk or infant formula and blend until it is smooth.

For ground beef, be sure to cook until the meat is fully cooked (no pink remains and reaches 160°F). For younger babies, you can mix the ground meat with mashed foods like mashed potatoes or yogurt and serve on a pre-loaded spoon.

If you are making 1-ounce meatballs for a main course you should make 6 meatballs per person. If you have some big eaters at the party I suggest making 6-10 bite sized meatballs per person. As you can see, the number of meatballs you need depends on their size.

Example: Small meatballs= 20 per pound; 5 X 20= 100; Halve the mixture 2 x 50; 10 x 5 and so forth. Form balls out of the square pieces of meat mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F until done.

Whether you prefer to use turkey or ground chicken for baby (like these ground chicken meatballs), it's a great vehicle for serving protein, iron, and Vitamin C to baby. Meatballs are top of the list for my favorite dinner recipes for babies.

What is the best meat to start a baby on? ›

For 6-9 months serve larger pasta shapes and serve meatballs instead of meat sauce for easier eating!

The Key to Tender Meatballs

Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough.

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

Make sure the cooked burger or meatball is soft enough to be easily smushed by baby's gums. To test if it is soft enough, hold it between your thumb and pointer finger and give it a gentle squeeze. Dipping the patties in applesauce, guacamole, yogurt, or other sauces can aid swallowing.

Whether you prefer to use turkey or ground chicken for baby (like these ground chicken meatballs), it's a great vehicle for serving protein, iron, and Vitamin C to baby. Meatballs are top of the list for my favorite dinner recipes for babies.

You can offer a range of small, finger-sized pieces of food. Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding, while others combine a bit of both. There's no right or wrong way – the most important thing is that your baby eats a wide variety of food and gets all the nutrients they need.

Some babies don't like meat as much as fruits and vegetables, which tend to be sweet. If that's the case, try mixing your baby's favorite fruit or vegetable into pureed, slightly warmed meat to help them adapt to the new flavor. If your baby won't eat meat at first, you can wait a few weeks and then try again.