These baked bison meatballs are easy, fast, and perfect for busy weeknights. They're made with less than 10 ingredients and don't require any time-consuming chopping or prep work. Best of all, they're super moist and tasty and can be served on their own, as an appetizer, or with pasta.

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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground bison: Bison tastes similar to beef but is more lean and higher in protein and iron. We love swapping out beef for bison occasionally, and these meatballs are a great opportunity to do so. We've had good luck finding it at Giant, Whole Foods, and Sprouts (we like Force of Nature bison), but it's fairly commonplace in a lot of grocery stores now. If you can't find bison (or would prefer to use something else), ground beef and ground turkey both work as substitutes in this recipe. You could also try our turkey meatball recipe.
Breadcrumbs: We recommend plain or Italian style breadcrumbs for this recipe, not panko. If you only have panko on hand, grind them in the food processor before adding them to the meatballs (it makes them finer and will give the final meatball a better texture).
Grated parmesan: Grate your own parmesan or get the pre-grated parm from the refrigerated section of the grocery store—don't use the unrefrigerated stuff in the pantry aisle.
Mayonnaise: Mayo acts as a great binder plus adds moisture. Don't skip it.
Egg: Another important binder!
Seasonings: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper (leave out if you don't like spice), and salt
See recipe card for amounts and full ingredient list.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 2: Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix just until well combined (I find this is easiest to do with my clean hands).
Step 3: Roll the meat mixture into balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) and place on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper (or sprayed with nonstick spray).
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F. Remove from the oven and serve with pasta, veggies, or on their own!
Frequently asked questions
Bison tastes very similar to beef, especially in this recipe. It's slightly leaner and a little sweeter, but you probably won't be able to tell the difference if you're not thinking about it.
Yes! Use gluten free breadcrumbs or crushed up gluten free crackers to make this gluten free.
Store leftover meatballs in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer until warm.
📖 Recipe
Baked Bison Meatballs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 meatballs 1x
Description
These baked bison meatballs are easy, fast, and perfect for busy weeknights. They're made with less than 10 ingredients and don't require any time-consuming chopping or prep work. Best of all, they're super moist and tasty and can be served on their own, as an appetizer, or with pasta.
Ingredients
1 pound ground bison
½ cup plain or Italian style breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 egg
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix just until well combined (I find this is easiest to do with my clean hands).
- Roll the meat mixture into balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) and place on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper (or sprayed with nonstick spray).
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F. Remove from the oven and serve with pasta, veggies, or on their own!
Notes
- Bison tastes similar to beef but is more lean and higher in protein and iron. We've had good luck finding it at Giant, Whole Foods, and Sprouts, but it's fairly commonplace in a lot of grocery stores now. If you can't find bison (or would prefer to use something else), ground beef and ground turkey both work as substitutes in this recipe.
- Grate your own parmesan or get the pre-grated parm from the refrigerated section of the grocery store—don't use the unrefrigerated stuff in the pantry aisle.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 0.7 g
- Sodium: 592.9 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.2 g
- Protein: 20.2 g
- Cholesterol: 81.3 mg
Michael says
Really love this Bison meatball recipe and it's so easy to make!