Gluten Free Meatballs
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These moist, flavor-packed Gluten Free Meatballs are a weeknight meal staple in our house. They are done in about 40 minutes and make everyone happy. If you prep ahead using our freezing instructions, this meal is even faster!
4 Reasons to Make This Recipe
- Fast: Perfect for busy weeknights. If you prep them ahead of time, dinner is even quicker!
- Moist and Delicious: My kids go gah-gah over these and many of them get eaten straight from the sheet pan before they ever make it atop gluten-free spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce or on a Meatball Sub.
- Freezer-Friendly: This is one of the best meals to double and freeze a batch for later. Use our freezing instructions in the recipe.
- Less Mess: We skip the messy, greasy method of searing on the stovetop. Just pop these directly in the oven for crispy, perfectly cooked meatballs every time.
Ingredients Needed
I’d suggest doubling this recipe, so you can make an extra batch for the freezer (see instructions below). Here are the ingredients that will pack as much flavor as possible into your meatballs:
- Lean ground beef – I use grass-fed, grass-finished ground beef from ButcherBox for these, but you could also use ground turkey.
- Gluten-free bread crumbs – I definitely suggest making your own gluten-free bread crumbs. It’s so fast and easy! Or use your favorite store-bought brand, although I still haven’t found one I love.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – This adds saltiness and savoriness and acts as a binder in addition to the bread crumbs.
- Egg – Be sure to beat before adding to the meat mixture.
- Milk – Helps to add moisture. Plain, dairy-free milk works fine.
- Ketchup – Adds some extra flavor and moisture to the meat mixture. I recommend using organic.
- Garlic powder – I use the powder form so you don’t bite into a chunk of garlic in the meatballs.
- Italian Seasoning – This dried herb blend often includes oregano, rosemary, basil, savory, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Crunch it in your hand before adding to the mixture.
- Salt and pepper – Key to adding the right balance of flavors.
DIY: Gluten Free Bread Crumbs
The key to making these meatballs gluten free is the bread crumbs you use. We have a very easy method for making your own at home from your favorite loaf of gluten free bread.
How to Make Gluten Free Meatballs
I promise, this recipe really couldn’t be easier. I also promise that doubling this recipe and freezing one batch for later will be a really good decision. 🙂
Prep Oven & Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. (You can also place a rack on top of a rimmed sheet pan, so the grease can drip below if you prefer.)
Combine Meat Mixture
Using clean hands, gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Roll Meatballs
Use a medium dough scooper or a spoon to scoop and then roll about 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Line up meatballs on the sheet pan, leaving room between each.
Bake in the Oven
Bake for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside (160°F internal temperature).
Serving Ideas
Optional: Serve with warm Marinara Sauce or Pesto on the side for dipping, over gluten-free spaghetti with marinara, or on a Meatball Sub (use GF sub rolls).
How to Freeze Gluten Free Meatballs
One of the best parts about this meatball recipe is that it is freezer-friendly. Meatballs work beautifully to assemble and then freeze before baking for a meal down the road.
Below is one way to freeze these meatballs, but sure to read our whole article about Freezing Meatballs: Raw or Cooked for more expert tips.
Freeze For Later:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and line up the rolled, uncooked meatballs on the pan. Flash freeze uncooked meatballs by placing on the sheet pan (or in a baking dish) in the freezer for about an hour or so.
Once they are frozen, dump the meatballs in a gallon-sized freezer bag, seal, and place in freezer.
Prepare From Frozen:
Thaw meatballs using one of these safe thawing methods. Cook according to instructions.
The beauty of freezing meatballs is that you can now pull out as many as you need for future meals. No need to bake them all at once. These can be a great freezer meal for 1-2 people.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Whether you serve these as a Meatball Sub or on top of gluten free pasta with Marinara Sauce, these side dish ideas would go well with it.
How Long to Bake Meatballs?
The length of time it takes to bake meatballs can vary depending on the size, the ingredients, and the oven temperature. As a general guideline, 1 1/2-inch round meatballs should be baked at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes. Note: Larger meatballs will likely require additional cooking time, while smaller meatballs may be done a bit quicker.
One way to make sure you bake your meatballs perfectly is to use a meat thermometer. They are done when the internal temperature is at least 165°F (74°C), which is the minimum safe temperature for ground meat according to the USDA.
Gluten Free Meatballs are a simple, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal. Your family will love this recipe!
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
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Gluten Free Meatballs
Gluten Free Meatballs are simple, healthy, and a delicious weeknight meal. Your family will love this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (sub: ground turkey)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk (your choice)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup (preferably organic; tomato paste will also work)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (sub: 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Combine: Using clean hands, gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Roll: Scoop a heaping tablespoon of mixture per meatball, roll into 1-1/2 inch meatballs. Line up meatballs on the sheet pan, leaving room between each. You will end up with about 25 meatballs.
- Bake: Bake for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside (160°F internal temperature).
- Serve: Optional: Serve with Marinara Sauce or Pesto Sauce on the side for dipping, over gluten free spaghetti with marinara, or on a Meatball Sub (use GF bread).
Freeze For Later: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Then, complete Steps 2 and 3. At this point, flash-freeze uncooked meatballs by placing on the sheet pan (or in a baking dish) in the freezer for about an hour or so. Once frozen, dump meatballs in a gallon-sized freezer bag, seal, and place in freezer.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw meatballs using one of these safe thawing methods. Cook according to instructions, beginning with Step 4.
Notes/Tips
Dairy-Free Version: Use more bread crumbs in place of the Parmesan cheese, plus add 1/4 teaspoon more of salt. You could also replace some of the bread crumbs with nutritional yeast, which can mimic the savoriness of Parmesan.
Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.
Some photos by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Made a double batch for dinner tonight and the whole family loved them! Subbed pork for half the meat and reduced the Parmesan cheese by half. YUM!
Hi Frances. Thanks so much for sharing your substitutions… they sound yummy indeed!