Meatballs for children: the best menu for children, ingredients, step-by-step recipe with photos, nuances and cooking secrets

Tender meatballs are an excellent dish that can be given to even a very young child. If you prepare them from lean minced meat and do not use hot and spicy additives, you get healthy food rich in protein. As a rule, in this case they are made from chicken or turkey, but it is also possible to add beef and even lean pork. So what kind of meatballs for kids can you make at home?

Pork version

As noted above, this meat is rarely used to make meatballs for children. But this dish is something of an exception, as it has a delicate taste and texture. For it you will need:

750 grams of minced lean pork;
1 egg;
half a glass of bread crumbs;
half a glass of milk;
half a glass of chopped onion;
1.5 l.h. salt;
1/2 tablespoon of marjoram;
2 tablespoons flour;
4 tablespoons vegetable oil;
1 glass of meat or chicken low-fat broth;
1 glass of water;
3/4 cup sour cream;
half a glass of milk.

How to cook it?

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt and marjoram. Form into small equal-sized balls. Place them in a deep baking dish. Mix them in it with flour, broth, water, sour cream and milk. Bring to a boil on the stove and cook for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat, transfer to oven and bake for 50 minutes. Garnish with cheese and parsley and serve.

Beef option

Meatballs for a child are an ideal dish, and there are several explanations for this. First of all, they are very versatile. You can add whatever you want to them, including hiding a ton of healthy vegetables that kids don't like so much. Secondly, they are very easy to prepare. The concept is very simple: just put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, create tiny balls with your hands and bake or boil. And even if they don’t turn out completely round, it’s not a big deal.

Plus, the meatballs freeze well. This way, you can safely double the amount of ingredients for a recipe, cook a large number of meat balls, cook some at once, and put the rest in the freezer. This is especially true if you are making meatballs for children under one year old, and a very small amount of food is needed for one meal. When you need to cook the next batch, just take them out of the freezer and start boiling or baking as usual, just 6-8 minutes longer.

For the beef version you will need the following:

500 grams of minced lean beef;
900 grams of boiled quinoa;
1 large apple;
2 tablespoons of tomato paste without salt;
1 egg;
3 tablespoons olive oil.

How to make meatballs with ground beef and quinoa?

Beef meatballs for a child are prepared like this. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place all ingredients in a large bowl in the order you prefer. Scoop a small portion of the mixture with a tablespoon and form a ball with your hands. Repeat the same process with all the remaining mince. Place prepared meatballs on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over them. Bake for thirty minutes. You can also slightly modify this kid-friendly meatball recipe and cook them on the stovetop. To do this, put them in boiling water and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Chicken meatballs with vegetables

If you are making meatballs for children 2 years of age and older, you can begin to gradually add a variety of mild seasonings and other additives to begin developing your child's taste buds. For example, initially you make baby meatballs from a mixture of different vegetables, minced chicken, boiled rice and eggs. You can then add a pinch of cumin to this mixture. If your child likes it, you can add a pinch of turmeric in the next batch. These are healthy spices that boost immunity, so it’s worth starting to give them to children from an early age.

The recipe below for chicken meatballs for kids is so versatile that you can add almost anything to it. For example, a little apple sauce or grated cheese. So, for the basic dish you will need:

300 grams of minced chicken;
half a glass of baby rice cereal or boiled very soft rice;
half a glass of highly chopped mixed vegetables (boil them first and chop finely);
2-4 tablespoons of apple or other baby fruit puree;
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten.

Recipe 2: meatballs for children (step-by-step photos)

We tell you how to cook meatballs for children. As soon as a child switches to adult solid food, many mothers are tormented by the question: What to please their baby with, healthy and tasty. A dish for a child should be made only from fresh and high-quality products. It is better to cook just before lunch or you can make semi-finished products and freeze them.

minced sirloin or chicken breast,
medium sized carrots
half an onion per 300 grams of minced meat,
a couple of quail eggs to give the minced meat viscosity,
semolina to roll our balls.

Under no circumstances should salt or pepper be used while the child is small. You can add a little greenery. I already had ready-made minced meat, if you have chicken fillet, you need to turn it in a meat grinder a couple of times. You can immediately add carrots and onions, directly into the meat grinder.

To begin, grate the carrots on a fine grater and finely chop the onion.

The ingredients must be combined and mixed thoroughly.

If the mince is liquid, one egg will be enough.

We make small balls of the same shape from our minced meat, about 2 cm in diameter. For a child, size is not important, especially when they need to be chopped with a fork. It is necessary to calculate the weight in portions, for example, two meatballs for lunch.

Next, our chicken meatballs for children need to be rolled in semolina, then they will not stick to your hands and will keep their shape.

For children, foods are steamed or boiled. A double boiler works well; you can add fresh vegetables and meatballs to create a healthy and tasty dish. Or just boil them with any side dish, they cook quickly.

How to make this dish from minced chicken?

Just mix all the ingredients and form into even balls. Bring a pot of water to a boil and place your ingredients there. How long should I cook meatballs for a child? Since you are using ground chicken in this recipe and all the other ingredients are already ready to use (except the egg yolk), you will need about twenty minutes.

It is worth noting that it is recommended to use the yolk rather than the whole egg, since young children may be allergic to egg whites. If you are making meatballs for a 1-year-old child, you can add any baby food cereal, including oatmeal, to the minced meat.

Recipe 5: meatballs for children 1 year old (with photo)

Some experts say that it is very useful for children to prepare light meat dishes, especially when they are very young. Here is a recipe for making rabbit fillet meatballs for children under one year old. Then, based on them, you can prepare a wonderful soup.

Rabbit fillet -0.6 kg;
Fresh cabbage - 300 g;
Carrots - 1 piece;
Onion - 1 piece;
Potatoes - 1 piece;
Spices - to taste.

Wash the meat thoroughly and cut into pieces.

We make minced meat, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. I use an electric meat grinder for these purposes.

Add chopped onion and mix. There should still be more meat than vegetables. To make the minced meat softer, you can mince it twice.

Now let's form the meatballs. Wet your hands first, the meat will not stick.

And now the meatballs for a 1-year-old child are ready, you can immediately prepare the soup.

Option with minced chicken and spinach

Children, as a rule, love meatballs of any kind, so you can add any vegetables your child hates, especially green ones. This recipe suggests adding healthy spinach to the ground chicken. So, you will need:

130 grams of young spinach;
2 tablespoons olive oil;
zest of one lemon, finely chopped;
half a glass of bread crumbs;
¾ tsp salt;
500 grams of minced chicken;
tomato sauce (if you are preparing a dish for older children):
2 tablespoons olive oil;
1 onion, diced;
1 clove of garlic, minced;
3 tablespoons of tomato paste;
1 cup mashed tomatoes;
¼ glass of water.

How to cook meatballs with spinach?

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the spinach, olive oil and lemon zest in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place this mixture in a bowl with the minced chicken, bread crumbs and salt and mix until combined.

Using a tablespoon and your hands, make balls the size of walnuts. Place them in a deep baking dish, lightly greased. If you are preparing meatballs for a 1 year old child, bake them for 25-30 minutes and do not add anything else. If you are making dinner for older children, first bake the meat balls for five minutes, then pour freshly prepared tomato sauce over them and bake for another 15 minutes.

How to make sauce? Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan over low heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, pureed tomatoes and water and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced in volume and becomes thick.

Turkey with apple: recipe for a child

An interesting recipe for a meat dish for a child - with an apple. For children over 2 years old.

You will need:

Turkey fillet – 300g,

Green apples – 2 pcs.,

Medium sized bulb

Garlic – 2 cloves.

The onion should be thinly sliced and the rings fried in oil.

Cut the turkey meat into smaller pieces so that it is convenient for your baby to eat.

Peel the apples and also finely cut into cubes.

Add pieces of meat and apple to the onion, then crushed garlic to taste.

Add a little salt (if you want), add water, one glass.

Simmer the turkey fillet in a frying pan, covered, for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

Turkey version

As noted above, minced meatballs for children can be prepared from various meats. If you take turkey, you will get a very juicy, tasty and light meat dish, without gluten and other possible allergens. So, you will need:

500 grams of minced turkey;
1/2 teaspoon sea salt;
1/2 teaspoon of cumin;
1/2 teaspoon oregano;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced.

The benefits of turkey in children's diet

It is best for a child's stomach to digest and assimilate ground meat. Tender turkey meatballs always turn out soft and juicy. Poultry breast, which is free of fat and bones, is suitable for their preparation. They are easy to prepare and, most importantly, quick, which is important for busy young parents.

The greatest benefits are retained in the steamed product.

But both boiled and oven-baked meat balls will appeal to kids and adults. It’s worth taking note of the best children’s recipes for kids and preparing them only the healthiest dishes from minced meat.

Lentil option

Lentil and turkey meatballs are delicious and healthy. They are ideal for consumption alone or as an ingredient in soup. Because this food combination is high in fiber and protein, your baby will feel full for a long time. For this dish you will need:

3/4 cup green lentils;
2 glasses of water;
1 small carrot (about 100 grams);
1 small onion (about 70 grams);
1 large egg;
1/2 spoon of tea salt;
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme;
half a glass of bread crumbs;
500 grams of minced turkey.

Bake with cheese

The next type of treat made from turkey meat does not involve creating soup or broth, but serves as an independent dish.

To make it, you need to stock up:

turkey meat – 500 g;
hard cheese – 150 g;
1 yolk;
2 onions;
1 clove of garlic;
salt.

Stages of work:

Chop the onion into small cubes and fry over medium heat until the ingredient is transparent. This will require the bare minimum of oil.
We pass the prepared turkey through a meat grinder, combine the resulting minced meat with onions.
Add the pressed garlic, yolk and salt.
Lastly, add the grated hard cheese. Mix all the ingredients and form them into meatballs.
Fry in a frying pan with a minimum amount of oil. We transfer the meat products into a mold, pour in any sauce (creamy or tomato), then bake in the oven for 20 minutes at medium temperature.
Sprinkle the dish with cheese and place in the oven for another 7-10 minutes.

Advice! Since the indicated treat is prepared for children, you should not use a lot of spices.

Cooking meatballs with lentils

In a small saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated and the lentils are tender and fully cooked. Let it cool.

Then preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Coarsely chop the onion and carrots and place in the bowl of a food processor. Grind until the vegetables become almost a paste.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl, add the egg, spices, and bread crumbs and mix to combine. Add the minced meat and chilled lentils and mix thoroughly until everything is well combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out a small amount of the lentil and turkey mixture at a time and scrunch with your hands to create small round meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet without touching. Bake for twenty minutes.

If you want to freeze these baby meatballs, cool them to room temperature, place on a plate, and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Once each is individually frozen, transfer the meat balls to a bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.

Meatball soup for children

Meatballs can be served as a separate dish, but you can use them as the main component for a light soup. This dish turns out to be quite dietary and ideal for feeding a child. For the simplest option you will need the following:

3 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil;
2 cloves of garlic;
1 yellow onion;
3 carrots;
3 stalks of celery;
minced chicken breast (about 400 grams);
6 cups chicken broth;
2 glasses of water;
a few sprigs of fresh dill.
3 large eggs;
1 tsp salt.

How to prepare this first dish?

The recipe for meatball soup for children is as follows. Mince the garlic and chop the onion, celery and carrots. Add salt and lightly fry in vegetable oil until the onion is soft and translucent (about five minutes).

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vegetable oil. Add salt and minced chicken and mix very well. Cool the mixture slightly and then form it into balls.

In a large saucepan, add broth, 2 cups water and some fresh dill. When the mixture reaches a boil, add the prepared minced meat balls. Leave them to cook for thirty minutes. Then add the vegetables and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. For very young children, vegetables do not need to be fried first.

Cooking in the oven

This version is also very tasty, it is very difficult not to fall in love with it. Balls of tender turkey fillet, creamy sauce and even a little cheese - a real treat!

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
spices	10 g
onion	1 head
garlic	2 pieces
ground turkey	0.6 kg
dill	10 g
cheese	100 g
cream	0.2 ml
vegetable oil	15 ml
egg	1 PC.
Cooking time: 65 minutes	Calorie content per 100 grams: 169 kcal

How to cook:

Peel the onion and chop it into small cubes.
Rinse and chop the dill.
Place both components in a small container.
Add minced meat, egg and spices.
Mix all this until smooth, beat off.
Roll the resulting mass into balls of the same size.
Place them in a baking dish, not forgetting to leave some space.
The bottom of this mold must first be greased with oil.
Place them in the oven at medium temperature for a quarter of an hour.
During this time, grate the cheese, peel the garlic and pass through a press.
Connect them together and mix with cream.
If there is some dill left, add it here.
When half an hour has passed, take out the mold and pour the sauce over the meatballs.
Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes until done.

Tip: to make the sauce spicy, you can add a little chili to it.

How to make soup with rabbit meatballs?

Grind the meat fillet using a meat grinder. Place the minced meat in a bowl, add salt and mix well. Form into small meatballs.

Wash the potatoes, peel and cut into cubes. Pour water into a saucepan, heat it and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes. Then peel the carrots, grate them on a coarse grater and add to the soup.

After this, place the pasta in the pan and carefully toss in the meatballs. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. After this, remove from heat, add chopped herbs and let stand covered.

Delicious balls with creamy sauce

There are no words that can describe the taste and aroma of the following recipe. It is incredibly tasty, satisfying, juicy and rich. Be sure to try it!

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
vegetable oil	40 ml
garlic	1 piece
loaf	4 slices
egg	1 PC.
spinach	100 g
spices	taste
turkey	0.5 kg
parsley	20 g
milk	100 ml
onion	2 heads
cream	250 ml
butter	20 g
Cooking time: 40 minutes	Calorie content per 100 grams: 124 kcal

How to cook:

Wash and clean the fillet, cut into cubes.
Remove the skins from the onion and chop into small slices.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry half the onion in it until golden brown.
Mix it with meat and put it through a meat grinder or put it in a blender.
At this time, place the loaf in a bowl and pour milk over it.
Next, squeeze out the loaf and grind it with a blender.
Add to the minced meat along with a raw egg.
Add spices there and stir everything until smooth.
Next, form balls with wet hands.
Place in a frying pan with oil and fry until golden brown.
Sauté the remaining onion in another pan with butter.
When it is already soft, add garlic through crushing.
Rinse the parsley and spinach, throw into a blender and puree until smooth.
Add the resulting greens to the onions and garlic, pour in the cream.
Bring it all to a boil and simmer for several minutes.
At the end, add spices, mix everything and remove from heat.
Puree the sauce with an immersion blender until it is as smooth as possible.
Serve with prepared meatballs.

Tip: You can add a little pesto to the sauce for an unusual taste.

Chicken soup with beef meatballs

This delicious, rich soup is quite suitable for a children's menu, since all its components can be called light. So, you will need:

1.5 liters of chicken broth plus chicken from it;
200 grams of young spinach;
2 celery stalks, diced;
1 cup carrots, small cubes;
half a medium onion, finely chopped;
3/4 cup pasta (raw), optional.

For the meatballs:

500 grams of minced beef;
1 large egg;
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese;
1/3 cup bread crumbs;
2 cloves of garlic, minced;
1/4 cup finely chopped onion;
1/2 tsp. salt;
1/2 tsp. dried parsley;
1/8 tsp black pepper.

Turkey salad

A turkey salad recipe will come in handy when you have leftover meat from yesterday's dinner, for example.

You will need:

Large tomato – 1 piece,

Lettuce leaves,

Celery, if you like it

Salt, pepper, mayonnaise - to taste.

Cut the meat, tomato into small cubes, tear the salad into 3-4 pieces.

Mix all the ingredients and you're done!

Cooking soup with meatballs and spinach

Boil the chicken in a large saucepan, remove the meat and strain one and a half liters of broth. Add all the vegetables to the boiling chicken broth and start cooking them.

At the same time, mix all the meatball ingredients well. Roll the resulting minced meat into balls about 2 cm in diameter and place them in the pan with the vegetables. Cook for approximately thirty minutes. Then add the pasta if you choose to use it.

Grind about one cup of chicken (white or dark, depending on what you used to make the broth) and add it to the soup. Continue heating on high for approximately ten minutes.

Mixed with semolina

For this recipe you need to have:

minced chicken – one hundred grams;
minced beef – one hundred grams;
quail egg - two pieces;
semolina - three teaspoons;
salt.

The two minced meats are mixed together.
Add salt, beat in eggs, add semolina. The finished minced meat is left for about fifteen minutes so that it has time to swell.
Form small balls. Dip into boiling water. Cook until fully cooked.

I cooked meatballs for my child according to exactly this recipe, sometimes replacing the quail eggs with one chicken egg. They turn out to be quite tasty, both for individual consumption and when added to soup.

Green Bean and Pea Soup

This is another interesting meatball soup recipe. You can vary the vegetables depending on what you have. For example, instead of green beans, add chopped fresh zucchini or corn. So, you will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil;
1 large onion, chopped;
1 large clove of garlic, minced;
1.5 liters of chicken broth or water;
half a glass of unsalted tomato sauce;
200 grams of green beans, chopped;
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped;
1/3 cup uncooked white rice;
500 grams of minced turkey;
1/4 cup chopped parsley;
1 raw egg;
one and a half tablespoons of tea salt;
1/4 teaspoon black pepper;
one and a half cups frozen or fresh green peas.

Cooking secrets

To begin with, we want to give you one piece of advice - always make the minced meat yourself. Store-bought products will, of course, save time, but no one knows what was added to it. It is important for children to be fed fresh and healthy food.

Tricks for delicious meatballs:

If the minced meat turns out to be liquid and you cannot form balls, then add a little semolina to the mixture. It will create a thicker consistency and the dish itself will be tender.
Don't have enough time to make meatballs every time? Then prepare them in advance and put them in the freezer. This will save time and make the cooking process easier for you.
If you want the soup to have a clear broth, then do not forget to skim off the foam.
Never feed your child yesterday's meatball soup. Babies only need fresh food.
To avoid having broth left over, try to cook it in small batches. Then it will take a little time to cook, and the child will receive fresh dishes.

Your baby can taste all the recipes described in kindergarten, because this is the main dish that is healthy for the little ones. Therefore, feel free to cook a pot of broth with meat balls at home. Do not forget that meatballs should be introduced into the diet with care, and never forget to monitor the child’s reaction.

How to prepare this soup?

Heat the oil in a large dry saucepan, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add carrots and beans.

Prepare the meatballs: mix rice with minced meat, add parsley, raw egg, salt and pepper. Make round balls. Add the meatballs to the soup, let it boil, then add the peas. Cover with a lid and cook for about half an hour.

This soup can be varied at your own discretion. If you don't have ground turkey, you can use chicken or even beef. As noted above, the set of vegetables here can be anything. You can skip the beans altogether and add zucchini, peppers, or corn, or any combination of these ingredients. Regarding greens, everything also depends on your personal discretion. If your child doesn't like parsley, you can add dill to the soup. You can use both types of greens if you want. If you are preparing this dish for a very young child (under 2 years old), do not pre-fry the onions.