These quick, delicious gluten free meatballs are perfect for a weeknight family meal!
My gluten free meatball recipe includes instructions for stove-top and oven preparation. Either way, these meatballs can’t be beat!
Easy Meatballs without Breadcrumbs
Gluten-free friends, rejoice! Meatballs without breadcrumbs are not only achievable, they’re easy to make and ready in no time. If you’ve been searching for a gluten free meatball recipe, look no further!
We’re all familiar with this scenario: it’s a weeknight, you’ve had a busy day, and everyone is starving. What to do? If you have some ground meat in your freezer, and a few other kitchen staples, you can have piping hot, savory meatballs on the table in no time!
Why You Are Going To Love Gluten Free Meatballs!
- They’re easy to make and ready in no time!
- With no breadcrumbs, they’re gluten-free friendly, and also perfect for a night when you're craving meatballs but don't have any bread or breadcrumbs on hand.
- So versatile! Use them in numerous main dishes, serve them with the best spaghetti sauce, mix them into a casserole, or make meatball subs!
These meatballs have a pretty neutral flavor profile, so they can be used in a variety of dishes.
Use this as a base recipe for Swedish Meatballs or Crock Pot BBQ Meatballs.
Craving some heat? Kick things up a notch with these Spicy Meatballs! These meatballs lend themselves to endless dishes and, because we omit the breadcrumbs, they can be enjoyed by those on a gluten-free diet!
Key Ingredients And Substitutions
- Ground Beef and Ground Pork - the higher the fat content of your ground beef, the juicier your meatballs will be. I like to use a little bit of ground pork because it adds moisture and fat.
- Yellow onion - I like the flavor and mildness of yellow onions for this dish, but feel free to use whatever onion you have on hand. I prefer to cook the onions before adding them to the meat mixture. Sautéing the onions brings out their sweet flavor and has a softer texture in the meatballs. That said, you can leave them raw if you're short on time.
- Parmesan cheese - cheese adds another layer of umami flavor to the meatballs. It's not 100% necessary, but always a welcome addition!
- Ricotta cheese- You likely won't taste the ricotta in this recipe, but you will notice how tender and moist it makes these meatballs!
- Egg - Eggs help to bind together all the other ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, eggs don’t add moisture to your meatballs. In fact, using too much egg can lead to a dense final product. One large egg is all you need to bind everything together.
- Garlic powder- This is a good all-purpose seasoning. Garlic makes everything better, right? If you’ll be serving your meatballs with spaghetti, feel free to add some oregano or red pepper flakes.
How to Make Gluten Free Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
Stove-top Instructions
- Add oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the grated onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, ricotta, egg and cooked onions. Mix well.
- Form the meat mixture into roughly golf ball-sized portions.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add meatballs. Give them enough space so that you can easily turn them. Cook in batches. Give each batch about 7 minutes, turning frequently to cook evenly. Once cooked, remove each batch to a plate lined with paper towels and cover with foil until you’re ready to serve. Alternatively, add red sauce and heat thoroughly before serving.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Follow stove-top directions through step 3.
- Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature measures 165 degrees.
Tips for making Gluten Free Meatballs
- If you don’t have a grater, feel free to finely dice the onion.
- A non-stick skillet/pan is essential, otherwise your meatballs will stick and fall apart.
- To add sauce to baked meatballs, bake the meatballs in a 9x13 inch casserole dish as instructed, then add the sauce. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes to warm the sauce.
- If cooking on the stove-top, add sauce once the meatballs are cooked and heat until warmed through.
- For additional flavor, substitute the ground pork for Italian sausage. Just be sure to check labels and make sure you're buying gluten free sausage.
- This recipe can easily be doubled. I love to double the recipe and freeze half for busy weeknights.
- You can also cook these in the air fryer! Follow these instructions for Air Fryer Meatballs.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Storage- Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the air fryer.
- Freezing- Once the meatballs are a cooked and cooled, place them on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Meatballs will keep for up to 4 months. Depending on the recipe, you may or may not need to thaw the meatballs first. Always thaw meatballs in the fridge, not the counter top. For more tips, check out my guide to Making, Cooking, and Freezing Meatballs.
You can use frozen meatballs in all sorts of recipes! Toss them into Slow Cooker Meatball Minestrone, add them to a Meatball Grilled Cheese, or make a delicious Meatball Casserole!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Meatballs
All the flavor, None of the filler; This recipe makes 25 delicious savory Meatballs WITHOUT Breadcrumbs! These pair perfectly with sauce, pasta, subs, or soup. Make on the stovetop OR in the oven.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 386kcal
Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion (grated (about ½ a medium sized onion))
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
To Cook On The Stove Top:
- Add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the grated onion in the oil for about 5 minutes until it just begins to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, ricotta, egg, and cooked onions. Mix together until the ingredients are well combined.
- Scoop the beef mixture into 1 ½” balls (about the size of a golf ball). It will make about 25 meatballs.
- Heat a swirl of oil in the same non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs to the pan. You will need to leave space to turn the meatballs so will likely have to cook the meatballs in batches. Cook each batch of meatballs about 7 minutes, turning them frequently to brown all the sides evenly.
- Use a spoon to scoop the meatballs out of the pan onto a plate and cover them with foil until you’re ready to serve.
To Cook In The Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Follow directions through step 3 (above), placing meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. They do not need to be refrigerated before baking.
- Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature measures 165 degrees.
Notes
If you don’t have a grater, you can finely dice the onion.
You can omit the pork and use all ground beef. If so, add an additional 2 tablespoon oil to the pan before cooking your meatballs.
Make sure to use a nonstick skillet, otherwise the meatballs will stick and they will fall apart when you are trying to turn them.
If you’re planning to use a red sauce, you can bake the meatballs in a 9x13 pan and add the sauce directly to the pan once the meatballs are cooked. Bake an additional 20 minutes to warm the sauce. If cooking on the stove top, add sauce once the meatballs are cooked, and cook until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg
Can't Get Enough Meatballs?
Neither can we! So, naturally we created a WHOLE CATEGORY devoted just to our favorite Beef Meatball Recipes. If you love to savor these circular morsels, be sure to check it out!
Need even more? See if you can handle our Giant Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs.
