Banana Meatballs

A delightful dish that combines sweet, ripe bananas with savoury meatballs for a twist on a family favourite. These unique banana meatballs are tender, flavourful and perfect for a creative weeknight dinner.

An unexpected combination that transforms ordinary meatballs into something extraordinary! Great for using up overripe bananas beyond the usual banana bread. The banana adds a slight sweetness, but it’s not overpowering. When I made this for my kids, they didn't even notice the banana, but they loved the flavour of the meatballs.

How to make banana meatballs: key tips

Make sure you mash the banana well so it incorporates in the mince mixture easily. Tear the bread slices into small pies so you don't have chunks of bread throughout your meatball mixture. Feel free to process the bread into coarse crumbs if you prefer. When browning the meatballs, cook them over medium heat, turning frequently to avoid burning. Because of the sugar content in the banana, the meatballs will brown quite quickly, so keep an eye on them. The meatball mixture can be made up to a day ahead. Store, covered, in the fridge until ready to roll. 

What goes into this banana meatballs recipe

I used regular beef mince in this recipe, but feel free to use lean beef mince if you like. I used sliced white bread, but wholemeal bread can be used. The bacon adds a lovely saltiness to these meatballs that goes so well with the sweetness of the bananas. The carrot and onion also add sweetness, plus nutritious vegetables to this recipe. The egg helps bind everything together and keeps the meatballs moist. 

For more twists on classic family dinner recipes, check out these fun ideas.

This recipe was originally submitted by rubysaunt, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe tweaks by Digital Food Director, Amira Georgy.