The spinach adds an earthy flavor and nutritious quality to these meatballs. Baking the meatballs not only lowers the calories, but actually amplifies the flavor as well. The pomegranate glaze adds a festive and sweet but tart finish to this dish.
Baked Spinach Meatballs With Pomegranate Glaze
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 cup of frozen spinach defrosted and strained of all liquid
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch + 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Meatballs:
- Sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add spinach and sauté until cooked through.
- Remove from heat and combine with beef in large mixing bowl.
- Add eggs, bread crumbs and spices to beef mixture.
- With wet hands, form 1-inch balls using a tablespoon scooper.
- Place in oven on greased baking sheet on 400°F for 20 minutes until slightly browned
- Once it’s cooked, glaze with pomegranate sauce. Serve with toothpicks on a platter with additional sauce for dipping. (Can also be served as main dish over quinoa or rice, garnished with fresh parsley.)
- Pomegranate Glaze:
- Bring all ingredients to a boil, then simmer until a glaze forms and thickens.
I first saw this in the Joy of Kosher magazine a couple of years ago. It has become my all-time favorite meatball recipe! I love the spinach especially, and the glaze is wonderful!
Great to know how to you prepared in advance, so glad it tasted great too.
This was absolutely delicious! I made it in advance and froze the cooked meatballs separate from the reduced glaze, and it worked great when it came time to reheat. This one is a real winner!
You need to boil the excess water out of it to achieve a thick syrup. Turn up the heat, and let it BOIL. don’t leave the room so you don’t have a horrible mess, just let it boil. Maybe 5-10 minutes.
i would reduce the pomegranate, sugar and balsamic to a glaze (it should coat the back of a spoon) and whisk the cornstarch with a tablespoon of COLD pomegranate and then whisk that in. cornstarch makes a slurry and that will thicken the glaze once it reaches a boil. it will not thicken until it reaches the boiling point.
I’ve tried that and somehow the Pom, sugar and balsamic don’t really reduce. How long does it usually take to reduce?
I make this recipe all the time! It’s so delicious! For an even easier version, I make it into a meat loaf to save time on making the meatballs and it comes out wonderfully as well.
My only issue is that my glaze never thickens. Any tips?? I have tried to boil the balsamic, sugar and pomegranate juice first and then add the cornstarch but it’s still very watery. Delicious, but watery 🙂