This gluten-free meatballs recipe is filled with nutrient-dense ingredients, fresh herbs, healthy fats, amino acids, and has delicious flavor! You’ll love how easy this allergy-friendly meatball recipe is to make and the variety of beneficial ingredients that keep you nourished and full. If you’re looking for a great sauce for these gluten-free meatballs you’ll want to try my Nomato Sauce recipe!
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What’s in these gluten-free and dairy-free meatballs?
These gluten-free dairy-free meatballs are so easy to make and are a fantastic addition to a meal to increase its nutrient density!
Organic Grass Fed & Grass Finished Beef ( 80% lean | 20% fat) Using grass-fed & grass-finished is important when choosing beef. Grass-finished means that the animal consumes a grass diet its entire life instead of it being fed various diets that are not disclosed.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: These two ingredients give these meatballs so much flavor as the sweetness from the onions comes through with the use of caramelization with garlic reminding us of most rich Italian dishes.
Breadcrumbs & Almond Flour: While one of these ingredients is quite common in traditional meatball recipes, almond flour is not. Almond flour provides us with a similar role as breadcrumbs however keeps the meatballs even more moist!
Fennel Seeds & Nutritional Yeast: Fennel seeds are added to this recipe to bring a more common Italian flavor that is often seen in sausage recipes. Since this is paired with my Nomato Sauce recipe the pairing of the two marries well. Nutritional yeast is used in substitution of parmesan cheese. If you are not dairy-free feel free to use grated parmesan or assiago.
How To Make Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Meatballs
To make this gluten-free meatballs recipe, I suggest using my nomato sauce recipe as you can use the same pan for the meatball recipe and pasta sauce while enjoying them together in a meal!
- To make these meatballs start off by caramelizing your chopped onion and follow with minced garlic until fragrant.
- Heat your oven to 400°F degrees at this time.
- Follow by adding your remaining ingredients minus your meatballs and mix to combine. Follow with your meat and using a tbsp scoop, use two of them to create your formed meatballs. Use olive oil to coat your hands to help avoid any sticking. Roll & reserve on a sheet tray lined with a silicone baking sheet.
- In a nonstick pan or properly heated stainless steel pan, add your oil and proceed with your meatballs. Lightly sear until browned on most or all sides. Place them back onto the silicone tray.
- Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Egg-Free Meatballs – No Problem!
Want to make egg-free meatballs? No problem! Simply sub the two eggs with a flax egg. Be sure to let the flax egg sit until gelatinous before adding it to your recipe by combining 2 tbsp ground flax seeds/meal with 6 tbsp water.
Variations for this gluten-free meatballs recipe:
Gluten-Free Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or refined coconut oil
- 16 oz lean ground beef 80/20%
- 1.5 cups yellow onion caramelized prior to cooking
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs or ground oats preferably my homemade rosemary crouton recipe made into bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp packed almond flour for a softer meatball! – optional
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1-2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 3-5 garlic cloves
- Fresh pepper
- 2 large beaten eggs
- 1 tsp salt or more as desired
- ¼ cup milk/coconut milk canned
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast.
- Ground fennel seeds about ½ tsp
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cut your onions into small diced pieces and add your olive oil to a hot pan. Follow with the onions until well caramelized. Let cool slightly.
- Put your eggs & milk into a bowl and whisk rapidly. Follow with the rest of your ingredients except the bread crumbs. Fold in the bread crumbs once the meat mixture has been combined. Do not overmix.
- With a hot cast iron skillet, add your meatballs and brown them. Remove once browned slightly.
- Bake for 10 minutes on the top rack until the meat reaches an internal temp of 160 fahrenheit OR cook on the stovetop with 2 tbsp of olive oil and sear each side for 3-5 minutes and finish in a 300 degree oven if needed (about 10-15 minutes) or until they have reached an internal temperature of 165 fahrenheit.
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