Tasty meatballs made with ground meat and pumpkin, simple to make, very soft thanks to the pumpkin pulp in the mixture. They are baked with a little oil on top, so they are light yet very appetizing, with their spiced aroma. The recipe is very easy, perfect for a rustic dinner, the meatballs can be served with a nice side of sautéed vegetables and your preferred sauce. Try these delicious meatballs!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3-4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 9 oz mixed ground meat
- 9 oz pumpkin (cleaned)
- 1 potato
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp spices (Moroccan or any preferred)
- 1 pinch oregano (or thyme)
- breadcrumbs
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Bowl
- Pot
- Strainer
Preparation
After removing the skin and seeds, cut the pumpkin into cubes. Season it with salt, oil, and about a teaspoon of spices (I used ras-el-hanout, a Moroccan blend, but you can use any you prefer).
Place the pumpkin on a large baking sheet and cook in the oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes, or until tender (1).
In the meantime, boil the potato in boiling water or steam or microwave it. Peel it, place it in a bowl, add the pumpkin, and mash everything with a fork.
Add the egg, a good pinch of salt, and a handful of oregano or thyme. Mix, then add the ground meat (2).
Mix well with your hands and adjust the consistency by adding some breadcrumbs. I only added half a tablespoon, but the amount depends on the consistency of the pumpkin used.
Form balls with the palms of your hands; with these quantities, you should be able to make 20-25 meatballs.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle them with a little oil (3).
Put the meatballs in a fan oven at 374°F and cook them for about 25 minutes. Adjust the timing according to your oven and their size.
The meat and pumpkin meatballs are ready, serve them hot, accompanied as you like with yogurt sauce or mayonnaise.
Tips and Notes
If you prefer, you can fry the meatballs in oil. In this case, roll them in breadcrumbs before cooking.
You can season with the spices you prefer, they are also excellent with just a pinch of sweet paprika.
You can use mixed ground meat or veal.
Choose a variety of pumpkin with firm and dry flesh, in this case, I used the Delica pumpkin.
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