Crunchy and delicious baked pumpkin meatballs. The recipe I want to tell you about today is another Pumpkin Recipe that is simple and exquisite. Small Pumpkin Meatballs that are crunchy and tasty, simply baked in the oven or in an air fryer. In my house, they were really liked even by those who don’t like pumpkin too much, which I love. I baked the meatballs in the oven, but the air fryer is also fine or, if you prefer, you can also fry them in hot seed oil, they will be even crunchier. I cooked the pumpkin in a pan with the onion and then simply mashed it with a fork and with the addition of a few other ingredients I prepared Pumpkin Meatballs without frying. I made them small so they can be eaten in one bite, but you can make them any size you prefer. I recommend reading also the recipe of the Sweet and Sour Pumpkin. So let’s rush into the kitchen and prepare together Crunchy Pumpkin Meatballs
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: For 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 74.76 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 7.37 (g) of which sugars 1.87 (g)
- Proteins 2.94 (g)
- Fat 4.09 (g) of which saturated 1.40 (g)of which unsaturated 0.62 (g)
- Fibers 0.62 (g)
- Sodium 169.18 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Baked Pumpkin Croquettes
- 10.5 oz pumpkin
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
- 1 white onion (medium)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 teaspoon herbs
- as needed salt
How to Prepare Pumpkin Meatballs without Eggs
Clean the pumpkin by removing the peel, seeds, and any stringy parts. Cut it into small cubes. Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a pan, add the cleaned and thinly sliced onion and the pumpkin. Salt and cover with a lid. Let it cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
Pour the cooked pumpkin into a bowl and mash it with a fork to obtain a puree. It’s okay if some larger pumpkin pieces remain. Add the chopped herbs, a pinch of pepper, and the grated cheese.
Mix and also add 1/8 cup of breadcrumbs. Mix. Now form the Meatballs: take a small portion of the mixture and roll it between your hands to form a ball. Coat it in breadcrumbs and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Form all the Pumpkin Meatballs in the same way. Lightly oil them on the surface. Bake the Pumpkin Croquettes in a preheated oven at 375°F in static mode for 18-20 minutes. If you prefer, you can cook them in an air fryer also at 375°F but in that case, 15-16 minutes of cooking will suffice.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, hugs, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
If there are leftover meatballs, store them in a container for 1-2 days, or you can also freeze them
For tastier meatballs, you can add small pieces of speck and/or soft cheese to the mixture
Also read the recipe for my Chickpea and Pumpkin Meatballs
Your Questions
Can I fry the Meatballs?
Of course, you can fry them in hot seed oil and then let them drain on kitchen paper sheets
What can I use to replace the herbs?
Simply with rosemary, oregano, or parsley
