The baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs are a light main dish, tasty and perfect for the whole family—ideal if you’re looking for easy and quick zucchini recipes to prepare. Soft inside and slightly crispy outside, these oven-baked zucchini balls without frying are perfect both for a light lunch and for a flavorful dinner.
Making baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs is really simple: you only need a few ingredients and some tips to obtain a soft but compact mixture, avoiding a watery result, one of the most common issues with this kind of recipe.
If you love main courses with zucchini and are looking for a vegetarian alternative to classic grandma’s meatballs, these oven-baked zucchini meatballs are a lighter option compared to the classic fried ricotta and zucchini meatballs: healthy, quick and truly irresistible.
And here’s the truth: my kids don’t like zucchini, but these meatballs won them over right away… they were gone in no time!
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Also check out these vegetarian meatball recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Ingredients to make baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs
- 18 oz zucchini (about 2 medium)
- 2/3 cup grated cheese (such as Grana Padano or Parmesan)
- 2/3 cup ricotta (sheep's or cow's)
- 2 eggs (large)
- 7 tbsp breadcrumbs
- as needed breadcrumbs
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Grater with large holes
- 1 Baking tray
- Oven
- Parchment paper
- Plate
Steps to make baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs
To make the baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs, start by washing the zucchinis, trimming the ends and grating them with a box grater or a grater with large holes. Add a teaspoon of salt and let them rest for about 5 minutes to help release the excess water.
After the resting time, gather the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze them very well, removing all excess water. In the end you will obtain about 7 oz of well-drained grated zucchini.
Transfer the zucchini to a bowl and add the grated cheese, ricotta and eggs, then mix until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Add the breadcrumbs, combine and let rest for a few minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture and make the mixture firmer.
Take small portions of the mixture, shape them into balls with your hands, roll them in breadcrumbs and flatten them slightly. Place the meatballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in a conventional or fan-assisted oven at 356°F for about 15-20 minutes, until they are well golden. Turn them gently halfway through cooking to achieve an even browning.
Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and serve—they are very good hot, but also delicious at room temperature and remain soft.
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Storage, notes and tips
Baked zucchini and ricotta meatballs keep in the refrigerator for 1–2 days, well sealed in an airtight container. Before serving, you can warm them slightly in the oven or in a pan to bring back the softness and flavor as if freshly made.
If you want to prepare them in advance, you can shape the meatballs and store them raw in the refrigerator for a few hours, or freeze them already formed: in that case you can bake them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
To get perfect meatballs it is essential to squeeze the zucchini very well, removing all the liquid: this step will allow you to obtain a compact mixture and meatballs that are soft but not soggy.
You can customize the recipe by adding aromatic herbs like parsley or mint, or replace part of the Parmesan with pecorino for a stronger flavor.
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Your questions
How do I prevent zucchini and ricotta meatballs from being soggy?
To obtain compact meatballs it is essential to squeeze the zucchini very well after grating them, removing all the liquid.
Can I cook the zucchini and ricotta meatballs in an air fryer?
Yes, you can also cook them in an air fryer at 356°F for about 12–15 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking for even browning.
Can I prepare the meatballs in advance?
Yes, you can prepare them in advance and keep them raw in the refrigerator for a few hours or cook them and reheat them when needed.
Can zucchini and ricotta meatballs be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze them raw once formed. Bake them directly from frozen without thawing, slightly increasing the cooking time.
Can they be made without eggs?
Without eggs the meatballs tend to fall apart because a binder is missing. If you want to avoid eggs, you will need to add more breadcrumbs or another binding ingredient, but the result will be different and the meatballs will be less soft.
