Avocado Stuffed Meatballs {Whole30}

I made these recently and literally, jaws dropped.  People were so excited about these little meatballs… from the outside, they look like normal little golden meatballs, but upon first bite, boom, a happy surprise.

I’d never had such a treat; it was a total spontaneous creation.  I make meatballs a lot… often stuffed with cheese.  (Have you tried THESE smoked mozzarella stuffed turkey meatballs yet?!  They’re a super fave around here!)  And I’ve made things stuffed with avo before (like THESE avocado stuffed quinoa fritters), but I’ve never made avo stuffed meatballs.  I was so pumped when the idea came to mind.  I went right to crafting, then immediately to gobbling.  The man and his friend walked in the door just as I was wrapping them up… big smiles happened fast.  Big man smiles.  And big Natalie smiles.  😉

These would be great with a little side dip of sorts… like a guacamole, or a spicy Sriracha aioli!  Yum.  Or if you’re really feeling creative, you could make them burgers by sprucing them up to burger-size, adding a little extra avo, and topping them with your favorite burger or lettuce wrap toppings!  For me, I was in the middle of my Whole30, and just wanted a quick appetizer that would satisfy my savory cravings and keep me on my healthy Whole30 track.  They were perfect.  (Want to read more about Whole30?  Check out my post all about it HERE!)

makes 8 meatballs

INGREDIENTS

                                                        1 avocado, ripe but still firm-ish

1/2 lb. grass-fed ground beef (or bison, turkey, etc.)

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 garlic clove, minced (approx. 1 tsp)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 egg

ghee, couple tbsp (I like THIS one)

DIRECTIONS

Finely dice the onion, garlic, and cilantro

Add them, along with the salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl

Add 1 egg

Stir until everything is well-mixed

Add the meat

Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until combined

You don’t want to over-work the meat- just get it all evenly mixed

Slice the avo into two halves, then into eight even-ish pieces…

Some for meatballs, some to eat while you meatball. 😉

That’s it… now you’re ready to assemble!

(I chopped the other half, too, but just ended up eating it while I cooked 😉 )

Plop a little golf ball-sized round of meat into the palm of your hand

Make a small hole in the center, add an avocado piece, and then seal the edges completely

(I find it easiest to just smooth the meat around all sides of the avo)

Continue until all meatballs are made

Add a tbsp or two of ghee to a skillet over medium-high heat

(A small pan like this will require making two batches- you don’t want to overcrowd

the meatballs- a bigger skillet may be able to hold them all, but I’d suggest adding a

bit more ghee to cover the bottom of the meatballs completely)

The more ghee you add, the more of a crispy fried-like exterior you’ll have… your call 🙂

   

Cook each side for a couple of minutes, until golden brown

Turn until all sides are cooked- 6-8 minutes should be good total,

depending on the temp of your stove and size of the meatballs

When done, lay the meatballs on a paper towel to cool

   

Serve, dig in, and enjoy!