Delicious, Pan Fried Italian Style Meatballs Paleo Whole30 friendly, plus low FODMAP. If you are sensitive to onions and garlic, rest assured that you can still eat tasty and healthy meatballs! These are great for picky eaters too!
Still in Seattle, so this was clearly cooked ahead of time, but I figured I’d share my favorite meatball recipe today. I’ve only been making it weekly for several months now, and I know you’ve seen them on more than one of my WIAW posts!
I’m not going to lie – the big secret to making these meatballs taste good is frying them in lots of delicious high quality fat, like Ancient Organics Ghee which has been a favorite for some time.
I remember years ago my mom telling me the secret to making your cooking taste really good even if you’re not sure what you’re doing, is to add more butter than you think could possibly be legal. I’m not sure she said it using those words exactly, but I took the message pretty seriously. Taking it a step further and using ghee, which I think tastes even more awesome than butter somehow, brings out the best in any dish!
These meatballs, in my opinion, are good enough to eat without sauce, over spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, butternut, and with a side of greens, BUT they are also awesome with Rao’s Sensitive Formula Marinara Sauce 
Easy Pan Fried Meatballs Paleo Whole30 and Low FODMAP
Pan Fried Meatballs - Low FODMAP & Paleo
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground lamb
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning blend of dried thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tbsp chopped fresh
- 1 tsp dried basil you can also use 2 tbsp chopped fresh if you have!
- 2 tsp freeze dried chives or 1 tbsp fresh chopped chives
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ghee or other preferred cooking fat for frying
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the three types of meat with all the other ingredients, and using your hands, mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated and ready to roll into balls.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over med hi heat. Add about 2 tbsp ghee or other cooking fat to the pan
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Once the fat is heated (if it's smoking lower the heat) begin rolling the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter, and place each one in the pan. Continue until the mixture is used up.
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Once the bottoms are nicely browned after about 3 minutes or so, flip each meatball over to brown the other side. Cover the pan now, and continue to cook, covered, until the meatballs are just cooked through. (If planning to add sauce, you can cook the meatballs covered with the sauce until fully cooked)
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Serve right away and enjoy!
Do you prefer to bake or fry meatballs?
Have you ever tried a marinara sauce without onions and garlic?
Hi! I'm Michele. Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, and mom of 3. Welcome to my blog, where we obsess over all of it and love every minute! (It's way fun over here, promise.) Stay a while to eat, run, and rant with me! 
These looks great! I usually bake meatballs but I think you have convinced me to try frying them next time.
Definitely fry, or at least sear and then slow cook in sauce, yum 🙂
I haven’t tried that sauce but I am going to look for it because not everyone I cook for can handle tomato sauce well. In fact, sometimes, as much as I love it, I can’t either!
It’s a good jarred sauce if you want something quick and without garlic/onion 🙂
Super fancy with your blend of meats! Love it 😀 I don’t know if I’ve ever had a non onion/garlic sauce. I thought it was a requirement of life. But I would be interested to try, that is for sure!
I love that blend of meats, makes the best meatballs 🙂 And unless you really need to avoid garlic there is no need for you to go without, it DOES makes sauce and everything else so much tastier!
These look amazing! Chives is an interesting addition to them. I need to try that one.
Anything to replace the onion! But dried works well here.
I’m loving all these low FODMAP recipes! Keep them coming!!! : ) I actually don’t buy marinara sauce, I just use tomato puree for my sauce. It’s way tastier, let issues on my digestive tract, and way healthier (no sugar!) Hope you’re having a great vacation!
I’m going to make my own sauce, maybe even tonight 🙂 And I do find it strange that so many jarred sauces add sugar, although my favorites are all without. Hope you’re feeling better, I need to catch up on blogs this week!
I’ve been wanting (craving) some homemade chicken meatballs! I need to pick up some ground chicken next week! But I always bake them in the oven!
I used to bake my turkey meatballs, with great sauce I don’t think it’s a huge difference.
These look delicious! I haven’t made meatballs in a while but used to enjoy baking them 🙂 happy Friday Michele!
Baking is definitely easier and less messy! Meatballs are just good all around it doesn’t matter all that much 🙂
Thanks Michele! Been missing meatballs and tomato sauce… this looks great and gives me some ideas to modify my own sauce. If you want to try your own sauce a good base is; 28 oz. of tomato puree, Two 6 oz.cans tomato paste, two 6 oz. cans water, 1-2 T of olive oil. Add spices of choice. I’ve also seared meatballs and then let them slow cook in the sauce until done.
I’m going to try that, I’m usually lazy about making my own tomato sauce but that should do it!
i have all but the beef for this. wondering if i can just use chicken sausage in the mix. You know i love this recipe!
I think you can sub any ground meat and of course sausage is always a winner 🙂
Love that you used more than one meat in this recipe! These look delish!
It’s a great meat combo, thanks 🙂
If I don’t want to use the three different meats in a blend would it be ok to use a lean cut of ground beef mixed with a less lean ground beef?
Absolutely! You can use any ground meat you want and it seems to come out well every time. I’ve even used lean turkey and it’s still good 🙂
I dont have a cast iron pan 🙁 Will a regular one do?
Yes, just make sure it’s a heavy one!
These meatballs were amazing! I made them without chives as they give me migraines…instead used a little garlic-infused oil for sauté. It was delicious. I froze half of the recipe into raw balls for dinners this autumn. Thank you for such a great wheat- and dairy-free recipe. A sure repeat meal at our City-Ranch.
That sounds amazing – loved your photo on IG! These are my favorite meatballs and the only changes I make really are to the meat combo I use. I need to try the garlic oil 🙂
These are perfect for my current lifestyle! I don’t have an oven (Japanese people don’t really bake, and many homes or apartments are too small for a full-sized oven). I’m always looking for easy recipes that I can use living abroad. The only thing I couldn’t add was the lamb and I don’t think Japan had ghee available… But I still enjoyed this dish!
Even without ghee or lamb this is just a good recipe when you don’t have a ton of time I think! Glad you liked it!
Hooray for this recipe! Thank you! I just transferred it from my “recipes to try” bookmark to my “recipe keepers”
I made it w 1 lb ground beef and half a cup cauliflower rice, but looking forward to using a mixture of meats. I also want to try it as a meatloaf. The spice blend is genius!!!
Oh wow so cool! I make a very similar meatloaf too, glad you like it!