Baked Pork Meatballs with Couscous
Grated zucchini in the mix keeps them soft and makes the mince go further.
Serves 4 40 min 39g proteinKid-friendly
PorkBakeMediterraneanBudgetFreezer friendly
Plan it this weekIngredients
- Pork mince600 g
- Couscous300 g
- Tinned chopped tomatoes800 g
- Zucchini200 g
- Brown onion150 g
- Rolled oats60 g
- Free range eggs2 ea
- Garlic15 g
- Olive oil20 ml
- Dried oregano2 g
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C and line a large baking tray.
- Grate the zucchini and onion, squeeze out the excess liquid, and mix them into the pork mince with the oats, eggs and half the oregano.
- Season firmly, roll into about twenty walnut-sized balls, space them out on the tray, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile simmer the tinned tomatoes with the crushed garlic, the remaining oregano and the oil for 12 minutes until thick.
- Put the couscous in a bowl, cover with an equal volume of boiling water, cover, and leave for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Cooking for a different diet?
Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.
Vegetarian
Baked Plant-Based Meatballs with Couscous
- 600 g Plant-based mince instead of Pork mince
Plant-based mince cooks faster, so bake the meatballs for 15 minutes rather than 20.
Vegan
Baked Plant-Based Meatballs with Couscous
- 600 g Plant-based mince instead of Pork mince
- 20 g Ground flaxseed instead of Free range eggs
Mix the ground flaxseed with 60 ml water and rest it 5 minutes before adding; bake the meatballs for 15 minutes rather than 20.
Gluten-free
Baked Pork Meatballs with Quinoa
- 300 g Quinoa instead of Couscous
- 60 g Gluten-free rolled oats instead of Rolled oats
Quinoa is not soaked like couscous: simmer it in twice its volume of water for 12-15 minutes, starting it when the meatballs go in.
Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.
What it costs, and where to buy it
Shops to compare
List price at each shop
Has every item
Sainsbury'sBest choiceno items missing · £6.97 of food
£18.38
62% spare
Tescono items missing · £7.86 of food · £0.89 more
£18.12
57% spare
Missing items
These totals leave part of the list out, so a lower one isn't a cheaper shop.
Morrisons· £5.99 of food
£15.74
62% spare
No price at Morrisons for:
- Couscous
- Rolled oats
Aldi UK· £4.72 of food
£13.14
64% spare
No price at Aldi UK for:
- Couscous
- Rolled oats
- Dried oregano
Asda· £5.88 of food
£11.28
48% spare
No price at Asda for:
- Couscous
- Rolled oats
- Dried oregano
£1.74a serve
£1.74 a serve, cheapest at Sainsbury's
About £6.97 of ingredients used for 4 serves.
£18.48 across 4 shops · all 10 items priced · £4.61 more for bigger packs, 71% spare for later
Sainsbury'sBest choice£6.97
no items missing
you'll pay £18.38 · 62% of it spare
Tesco£7.86
no items missing · £0.89 more
you'll pay £18.12 · 57% of it spare
Morrisons£5.99
missing 2 items
you'll pay £15.74 · 62% of it spare
Aldi UK£4.72
missing 3 items
you'll pay £13.14 · 64% of it spare
Asda£5.88
missing 3 items
you'll pay £11.28 · 48% of it spare
Buy at Aldi UK£10.80
Pork mince
£3.70/kg
need 600 g2 × Ashfields British Pork Mince 12% Fat 500 g£1.85closest matchreal special
Aldi UK£3.70/kg£1.85·Asda£5.33/kg£4.00·Morrisons£2.39·Tesco£4.80/kg£2.40·Sainsbury's£4.98/kg£2.49·
OcadoN/A
Tinned chopped tomatoes
£0.43
need 800 gEveryday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice 0.4kgclosest match 1 pack assumed, quantity unknown (size unknown)
Aldi UK£0.43·Asda£1.08/kg£0.43·Sainsbury's£1.13/kg£0.45·Morrisons£0.45·Tesco£1.18/kg£0.47·OcadoN/A
Free range eggs
£0.17/ea
need 2 itemsMerevale Free Range Eggs 6 Pack 6 each£0.99
Aldi UK£0.17/ea£0.99·Asda£0.37/ea£1.48·Tesco£0.30/ea£1.80·Morrisons£1.80·Sainsbury's£0.19/ea£1.90·OcadoN/A
Garlic
~£6.50/kg
need 15 gNature's Pick Loose Garlic 1 each 60 g£0.39closest match
Aldi UK~£6.50/kg£0.39·Asda~£7.17/kg£0.43·Tesco~£8.33/kg£0.50·Sainsbury's~£8.33/kg£0.50·Morrisons£1.83·OcadoN/A
Olive oil
£5.30/L
need 20 mlSolesta Olive Oil 1 L£5.29closest match
Aldi UK£5.30/L£5.29·Asda£10.92/L£2.73·Sainsbury's£12.00/L£3.00·Morrisons£3.00·Tesco£12.40/L£3.10·OcadoN/A
Buy at Sainsbury's£2.90
Couscous
£4.20/kg
need 300 gOsem Standard 500 g£2.10closest match
Sainsbury's£4.20/kg£2.10·Tesco£6.82/kg£0.75·Aldi UKN/A·AsdaN/A·MorrisonsN/A·OcadoN/A
Brown onion
£0.80/kg
need 150 gSainsbury's Onions 1 kg£0.80closest match
Sainsbury's£0.80/kg£0.80·Tesco£0.95/kg£0.11·Aldi UK£0.95·Asda~£1.68/kg£0.95·Morrisons£0.95·OcadoN/A
Buy at Tesco£3.95
Rolled oats
£2.95/kg
need 60 gQuaker Porridge Oats 1 kg£2.95closest match
Tesco£2.95/kg£2.95·Sainsbury's£3.60/kg£1.80·Aldi UKN/A·AsdaN/A·MorrisonsN/A·OcadoN/A
Dried oregano
£71.43/kg
need 2 gTesco Dried Oregano 14 g£1.00closest match
Tesco£71.43/kg£1.00·Sainsbury's£79.16/kg£0.95·Morrisons£1.09·Aldi UKN/A·AsdaN/A·OcadoN/A
Buy at Asda£0.83
Zucchini
£2.52/kg
need 200 gAsda Mild & Delicate Courgettes 330 g£0.83
Asda£2.52/kg£0.83·Tesco£2.78/kg£0.56·Aldi UK£1.39·Morrisons£1.39·Sainsbury's£2.90/kg£1.45·OcadoN/A