Leek & Onion Beef Meatballs

These tender meatballs are packed with savory leeks and onions, making them a flavorful hit for even the pickiest eaters. Baked to perfection in the oven, they’re a hassle-free, delicious meal your family will love.

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Recipe

Servings: 4

Calories per serving: ~350

Total Time: 35 minutes

Leek & Onion Beef Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 3 small leeks (white and light green parts only)

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp butter (for sautéing)

• 1.2 lbs ground beef

• 1 egg

• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or cooked rice for a softer texture)

• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp paprika (optional)

• 1 tbsp ghee or non-seed oil (for brushing or greasing)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the leeks and onion:

   • Heat butter in a pan over medium heat and sauté the leeks and onion until very soft (about 10-12 minutes). Let cool slightly.

   • Blend the sautéed leeks, onion, and egg until smooth.

2. Make the meatball mixture:

   • In a bowl, combine ground beef, the blended leek-onion-egg mixture, breadcrumbs (or rice), garlic (if using), salt, pepper, and paprika.

   • Mix until just combined—don’t overmix.

3. Shape and bake:

   • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

   • Form the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter.

   • Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased with oil.

   • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).

Nutritional Value per Serving (4 servings):

• Calories: ~350

• Protein: 28g

• Carbs: 20g

• Fat: 21g

• Fiber: 2g

Ingredients

Prepare the leeks and onion

Prepare the leeks and onion

Prepare the leeks and onion

Prepare the leeks and onion

Prepare the leeks and onion

Prepare the leeks and onion

Make the meatball mixture

Make the meatball mixture

Shape and bake

Shape and bake

Shape and bake

Shape and bake

Shape and bake

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Prompt

I wanted to make meatballs using leek that I purchased. I love leek, it adds a nice flavor to cooking with a bit of sweetness that is not overwhelming.

I asked ChatGPT:

I have 3 leeks and 1.2 lbs ground beef . I want to make something delicious..perhaps meatballs?

It provided:

Meatballs with leeks sound like a great idea! Since your kids dislike chopped onions, using finely processed leeks can add flavor without visible onion-like texture. Here’s a Leek & Beef Meatballs recipe that’s tender, flavorful, and picky-eater friendly.

Leek & Beef Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks (white and light green parts only)

• 1.2 lbs ground beef

• 1 egg

• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or cooked rice for a softer texture)

• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp paprika (optional)

• 1 tbsp butter (for sautéing)

• 1 tbsp ghee or non-seed oil (for frying)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the leeks:

   • Slice the leeks thinly and sauté them in butter over medium heat until very soft (about 10 minutes). Let cool.

   • For extra fineness, blend or mash them before adding to the meat mixture.

2. Make the meatball mixture:

   • In a bowl, mix ground beef, cooled leeks, egg, breadcrumbs (or rice), garlic (if using), salt, pepper, and paprika.

   • Mix until just combined—don’t overwork the meat.

3. Shape and cook:

   • Roll into small meatballs.

   • Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry meatballs over medium heat, turning to brown all sides (about 8-10 minutes).

   • Alternatively, bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes.

Serving Ideas:

• With mashed potatoes and a simple brown gravy

• Over buttered noodles

• In a light tomato sauce with rice

Would you like a specific sauce suggestion to go with these?

I then started preparing the ingredients and found out the leeks usable part was quite small. So I asked:

The leeks are really small so I want to add an onion too

It adjusted the recipe:

Since your kids dislike chopped onions, I’d recommend finely grating or blending the onion with the cooked leeks so it disappears into the meat mixture. Here's the adjusted recipe:

Leek & Onion Beef Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 3 small leeks (white and light green parts only)

• 1 small onion, finely grated or blended

• 1.2 lbs ground beef

• 1 egg

• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or cooked rice for softer meatballs)

• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp paprika (optional)

• 1 tbsp butter (for sautéing)

• 1 tbsp ghee or non-seed oil (for frying)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the leeks and onion:

   • Thinly slice the leeks and sauté them in butter over medium heat until very soft (about 10 minutes).

   • Mix in the grated onion and cook for another 2-3 minutes until softened. Let cool.

2. Make the meatball mixture:

   • In a bowl, combine ground beef, cooled leek-onion mixture, egg, breadcrumbs (or rice), garlic (if using), salt, pepper, and paprika.

   • Mix until just combined without overworking.

3. Shape and cook:

   • Form into small meatballs.

   • Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry over medium heat, turning to brown all sides (about 8-10 minutes).

   • Alternatively, bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes.

Would you like a sauce or side dish suggestion to pair with these?

I wanted to make a few adjustments to the order:

I'll fry both leeks and onion and blend with egg

It adjusted the recipe some more:

That’s a great approach! Blending the sautéed leeks and onion with the egg will make the meatballs extra tender and evenly flavored. Here’s the final adjusted method:

Leek & Onion Beef Meatballs (with blended aromatics)

Ingredients:

• 3 small leeks (white and light green parts only)

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp butter (for sautéing)

• 1.2 lbs ground beef

• 1 egg

• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or cooked rice for softer texture)

• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp paprika (optional)

• 1 tbsp ghee or non-seed oil (for frying)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the leeks and onion:

   • Heat butter in a pan and sauté the leeks and onion until very soft (about 10-12 minutes). Let cool slightly.

   • Blend with the egg until smooth.

2. Make the meatball mixture:

   • In a bowl, mix the ground beef, blended leek-onion-egg mixture, breadcrumbs (or rice), garlic (if using), salt, pepper, and paprika.

   • Stir until just combined—don’t overmix.

3. Shape and cook:

   • Form into small meatballs.

   • Heat ghee or oil in a pan over medium heat and fry meatballs, turning to brown all sides (about 8-10 minutes).

   • Alternatively, bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes.

Would you like a sauce recommendation? Maybe a simple garlic butter or a light tomato sauce?

I decided to go with the less messy option of oven baking,. so I wanted to make sure they are fully cooked:

If I bake in oven what should internal temp be and what should be the size of the meatballs

So it gave me the size and the internal temperature:

For baked meatballs:

• Meatball size: About 1.5 inches in diameter (roughly golf ball-sized). This ensures even cooking and prevents them from drying out.

• Oven temperature: 375°F (190°C)

• Baking time: 20-25 minutes, depending on size.

• Internal temp: 160°F (71°C) for safe consumption.

For extra juiciness, you can brush them lightly with oil or melted butter before baking. Would you like a sauce or side pairing idea?

And that's it. Check out the final recipe at the top of the page (you can click the link below to get there).

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